The Note pt. 3

-=June 14, 2006=-
-=Greater Northwestern Homeless Shelter=-
-=Buffalo, New York=-


“Good Morning, Sunshine!”


((Teresa Evans voice is the first thing you can hear as the camera comes to life. Teresa’s long curly brown hair is neatly tucked behind her back as she is in good spirits on this Wednesday morning. Blaine is rubbing his eyes with his right hand as it would appear that he has just woken up, Teresa approaches Blaine and gives him a hug, Blaine who is still not fully with it accepts the hug while leaning back and moving his head slightly to the side.))


Evans: Mom, take it easy.


((Blaine shrugs his mother off of him and she looks at Blaine, who appears to be  in his mid to late teens, and smiles as she looks at her baby boy.))


Teresa: I’m just so happy Blaine, today is your last day of High School! You’re graduating!


((Blaine shoots a weak smile in his mother’s direction as he attempts to recognize the accomplishment that he has achieved. To Teresa this today seems to be a day of high importance, to Blaine it appears to be just another day.))


Evans: Mom, it’s just High School. It’s really nothing special.


((Teresa appears to be insulted by Blaine’s comments, she takes a step back while looking at her son, a brief look of disappointment comes over the face of Teresa Evans before being replaced with another smile. For Teresa, this day is too important to waste being upset.))


Teresa: Quit being so modest, Blaine! You’re graduating High School today; you’re doing so with a 3.5 GPA! Do you have any idea how proud I am of you? I just wish your father could be here, he would be SO proud of you!


((The mere mention of Blaine’s father, Robert Evans, chokes up not only Teresa but Blaine himself. Blaine takes a step towards his mother and wraps his arms around her as she begins to cry. With his right hand he begins to rub her back while supporting the back of her head with his left hand.))


Evans: I miss dad too, mom. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about how life could be if he was still with us.


((Teresa Evans takes a step away from her son as he removes his arms from her back, she looks up at Blaine while wiping away the tears from her face.))


Teresa: I know I haven’t been perfect since your father’s death. It’s just been so hard on me. But every time I look at you, I see him. You’re just so much like your father; you are so strong, independent, caring, and determined. With everything you do I just smile thinking about your father, I know he’s looking down on us, and today he is smiling with me as he watches his baby boy graduate High School.


((Unsure of how to respond, Blaine looks down at the ground before walking towards the small table in the corner of the room. At the table is a bowl of cereal waiting for him with a carton of milk next to the bowl, he sits down on the old black folding chair and begins to eat his cereal, his mother stands in the background as she watches her son.))


Teresa: Blaine, I have something for you.


((Blaine stops eating his cereal and turns around to look at his mother.))


Evans: Mom, that’s really not necessary.


Teresa: But it is I have something I’ve been holding for you for over twelve years now. Your father left you something.


((The news stuns Blaine he looks at his mother wondering how it’s possible.))


Evans: But, how…?


Teresa: Your father left a note for you, he wanted me to give it to you the day you graduated High School. I know we weren’t able to keep most of our stuff when we lost the apartment, but I made sure to hold onto this.


((Teresa reaches for her back pocket and pulls out a white envelope that’s still sealed. Teresa hands Blaine the stained and wrinkled envelope and he looks at the front of the envelope where his name “Blaine Tyler Evans” is written in messy cursive hand writing. Blaine’s hands start to shake as he continues to stare at the envelope.))


Teresa: I was hoping you could read this on your way home from school.


((Blaine whips his head up and looks at his mother, her words seem to have startled him.))


Evans: Yeah, I can do that.


((Teresa smiles at her son and walks to him to give him a kiss on his head, she rubs her right hand through his mop-like black hair, Blaine looks back up at his mother and shoots a smile in her direction.))


Evans: I love you, mom.


Teresa: Love you too, Blaine.  


((Blaine gets up from the old black folding chair and pushes the chair back in underneath the table, he looks at his mother and gives her a wink as he turns and opens the door exiting the small room. As Blaine exits the room he enters a narrow hallway, he immediately turns to his left and begins walking down the hallway towards the double doors at the end of the hall. Blaine looks down at the envelope in his left hand, he continues walking down the hallway as he gets closer to the double doors he slows down, and he opens the double doors and makes a quick right. Blaine leans against the brick wall of the homeless shelter before sitting down on the grass. Blaine raises the weathered envelope to eye level and rips open the envelope, Blaine pulls out the yellow notebook paper and reveals two pages full of messy cursive handwriting. Blaine begins reading the letter written to him by his father.))


“My Youngest Son Blaine,


I wish I could be there with you on this special day. Words cannot describe how proud I am of you. I will never forget the times we had together, our first Toronto Blue Jays game, the time we went to the park and played catch for so long your mother had to come looking for us! I can’t even imagine how hard your teenage years have been on you, I would give anything to be there by your side as you have experienced those tough teenage years. I wish I could have been there for your first school dance, first girlfriend, and first time behind the steering wheel of a car. I know that you have been strong for your mother since my death, as you were always such a strong child. You always handled yourself in a way that was so mature for your age, you were fearless, something I am sure you still are today. I want you to know that I’m always watching over you, there’s never a day that will go by that I won’t be watching, you are my son and always will be I will be watching over you through good and bad, thick and thin. I know you will always live a life that is honest, hardworking, and in good faith. I want you to remember that as long as you have God on your side nothing is impossible.”


((Blaine puts the letter in his lap as he begins fighting the tears that are falling down his face, Blaine takes a deep breath and wipes the tears from his face, and dries his hands with his navy blue bleach stained gym shorts. He grabs the letter and brings it back to eye level where he continues to read his father’s words.))


“Now that you have finished High School you will be entering the Real World, hopefully you will be able to get into a good college or get started with a great job. Whatever you decide to do I want you to remember that anything is possible. No matter how difficult life gets, your dreams are never that far out of your reach. The only thing I want for you and your brother is for the two of you to find true happiness in the work place and with whomever you decide to settle down with.”


((Blaine smiles as he continues to read his father’s words.))


“Follow your dreams; keep chasing them until you have reached them. Once you’ve reached your dreams you will need to start dreaming again, dream bigger, aim higher, and reach your hopes and dreams. Remember Blaine, I am always watching over you. I know you will achieve great things in your life, just remember there’s nothing stopping you. You will be remembered as a great man, just figure out what you want to do with your life.


I love you so much Blaine, I wish I could be there to watch you grow into a great man.


Love Always and Forever,
Dad”


((Blaine folds up the letter and places it back into the old wrinkled envelope, he lets out a loud sigh before the teas roll down his face. He looks straight ahead at young adults his age walking across the street making their way to school, he looks up at the sky and smiles knowing that somewhere up there his father is looking down at him.))


Evans: I won’t let you down, Dad!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

-=February 6, 2012=-
-=Navel Park=-
-=Buffalo, New York=-


((Cameras open to a wooden Navel Park sign, the letters are carved in the wood and painted in red. In the background you can see a vacant park on this cold afternoon in Buffalo, New York. “The Wild One” Blaine Evans walks into the picture and stares at the old wooden Navel Park sign, he stops to look around at the vacant park. The trees are bare, picnic tables are turned on their side underneath the pavilion and the nets have been removed from the rims of the basketball nets. Blaine walks away from the sign and towards the children’s play area, there are two large metal slides and one small metal slide attached to the wooden play place that reaches a height of seventy five feet, the smallest slide starts at the very top of the wooden play place and slides down approximately twenty feet to a lower level of the play place, Blaine continues walking towards the play place, once he gets to the wooden steps he sits down on the bottom step and looks towards the camera.))


Evans: Some of my greatest memories from my childhood happened here at this park, I remember the first time I was taken here it was just months before my father was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s. We had such a great time, I remember by the end of the day I was able to tie my own shoes, that was one of my first personal victories. Something so little yet so important to a four year old, I felt like I could conquer the world. 


((Blaine chuckles at the thought of tying his first shoe lace.))


Evans: This place has always been a safe haven for me, whenever I’ve had trouble I would always come here. Regardless of my age this place has always helped me clear my mind while getting some peace and quiet. With the recent displays of craziness from Tommy Lipton and Max Siegel I only found it appropriate to take a step away from reality for a moment. I thought getting to the Finals was crazy enough, but when I look at the way Siegel and Lipton have been behaving I’m starting to realize just how crazy these finals are going to be. Look at those two, Lipton is running from his doctors and subsequently is running sheriffs off the road and putting them potentially in the hospital. Yes, Tommy Lipton, Mister WWX himself is running sheriffs of the road and acting like a fugitive, the poor guy is going absolutely nuts!


((A smile comes to Blaine’s face as he thinks about Tommy Lipton’s hot pursuit.))


Evans: Watching the man run sheriffs off the road and give them the names of Max Siegel and Blaine Evans, what has gotten into him? I understand he’s mentally ill, but this is just getting a little out of control. I could only hope that if James Ranger was still around he would take Tommy out of this match for his own good, I’m sure his head shouldn’t be taking any more blows given his current state. If Lipton’s behavior wasn’t bad enough we have that sociopath Max Siegel, the guy made multiple references to killing Tommy Lipton and seems to have absolutely no heart. 


((Blaine begins to shake his head as he thinks about some of the comments made by the self proclaimed Hollywood star.))


Evans: Seriously, Max Siegel is sick and disgusting. What kind of man would willingly go to a homeless shelter and taunt children in need? Max should feel blessed that the Lord gave him such a comfortable lifestyle at such a young age, it’s great for him that his family could afford limousines and court side Lakers tickets. But why not share that wealth? What’s the point in being so greedy that the only way you can get off is to flaunt your fortune in the face of those that are less fortunate? Tommy Lipton’s issues pale in comparison to those of Max Siegel, Siegel needs to get his head checked by a d@mn good doctor, somebody that can actually keep his patient in check.


((Blaine extends both arms towards the wooden step to help propel himself to his feet. Blaine turns around and walks up the wooden steps, he moves to the rubber bridge and holds onto the wooden handrail.))


Evans: I do not doubt that my competition wants to win the James Ranger Invitational, let’s be honest what WWX wrestler can say they didn’t want a chance to become the IWA World Heavyweight Champion? Both Max Siegel and Tommy Lipton have made it through the preliminaries to get this far, both men have proved they were worthy to be finalists in the JRI. I’m not a fool and I won’t begin to doubt the capability of my opponents, both men have their strengths and both men have their weaknesses. But the thing about Aftershock is the match really has nothing to do about either one of them, the match will end up being all about one man and one man only.


((A confident smile shines from Blaine’s face as he points to himself.))


Evans: Both Lipton and Siegel have boasted about their past success and being honest both men have experienced what they consider success. Both men have been able to enjoy fame, fortune, and women. But the thing is that’s not what I’m looking for. I’m not looking to become a millionaire, I’m not looking to drive limousines or cars that cost over two hundred thousand dollars and are imported from Italy. No, that’s not the life I’m looking to live nor is it the way I view success. For the first time in my life I can truly say that I’m successful, it has nothing to do with money, cars or women. It has everything to do with the way people view me. When children see me they see a man who has experienced the worst life has to offer and has been able to rise above the crap and become a decent human being, when parents see me the see a guy even though he rocks an electric green mohawk like a champ, he’s still one of the best possible role models for their child. 


((Blaine stops to pull the red hood from his sweatshirt over his head, as he exhales a white cloud comes from his mouth produced from the contrast in temperatures of his mouth and the cold Buffalo air.))


Evans: For as long as I can remember I’ve wanted to be a professional wrestler, more importantly the wrestler who could call himself the IWA World Heavyweight Champion. People have always told me there’s no chance, I could never become the IWA World Heavyweight Champion, now as I’m days away from fighting for the chance to become the number one contender to said championship, I have two buffoons going back and forth trying to lay claim to a tournament win that rightfully belongs to me.  Unlike my competition I have been able to keep my composure, I have had the need to make death threats or break the law. There is no bounty on my head from crazy doctors or local authorities, I have just done what I’ve promised to do from day one, work my hardest and fight a fair fight. I’m a realist. I know that I need my fans more than they need me. My fans are my inspiration, they keep me going when things get tough, they have helped me win the championships, they’ve helped me defeat the Lost Soul, and I know at Aftershock they will be in my corner helping me defeat Tommy Lipton and Max Siegel.


((Blaine arches his back and fully extends his arms as he stretches.))


Evans: I fought for years to get the career of my dreams, competing inside a WWX ring has always been a dream of mine. A wise man once told me that once you reach your dreams you need to start dreaming higher, that’s why my dream has always been a two-parter. First I needed to get to the WWX once I was there I needed to get the IWA World Heavyweight Championship. Aftershock will put me one step closer to reaching my childhood dream, this whole experience has been so surreal, I’m just happy that Tommy Lipton and Max Siegel are along for the ride.


((Blaine reaches for his back pocket and shoots a confident smile in the direction of the camera. He pulls an old wrinkled envelope from his back pocket and pulls an old yellow letter from the envelope. He begins reading his father’s note and smiles, his father’s words remind him that nothing is impossible and that Blaine is able to accomplish anything. The smile grows on Blaine’s face as he realizes that with Aftershock on the horizon he is that much closer to fulfilling his childhood dream.))