Post by Deleted on Mar 26, 2017 9:25:29 GMT -5
Lilly Parker sits cross-legged on a floor in front of the camera.
“My mother was a nurse. Although it was a long time ago, I remember the stories. I remember how she would do anything to save a patient. Anything to make them feel comfortable. To calm their fears and provide the reassurance they needed. It wasn’t about getting recognition.”
She folds her hands in front of her, setting them in her lap.
“There is no one else in this world than people that work in the industry of saving people. Because they are selfless. They don't care about themselves, only the patient. I wish I could be like them. I admit that I am not totally selfless. I am in a profession that does not allow it. When you go out into that ring, you have to be doing it just as much for yourself as you do it for the fans. But I will say that it is the fans that motivate me. A lot of what I do is because the fans appreciate what I do, how I entertain them. People like someone that is just like them.”
She gives a smile but it is not a jovial as usual.
“I earned my shot to go after this championship. I have made wrestling my whole life for the last five years. I wasn’t born with anything that automatically made me great, but I proved that I am meant to do this with hard work. Sweat... Blood..”
She points to the healing cut on her head.
“And many tears. I am not doing this just because I can or because I feel as though I am entitled to it. I know there are some that feel that in order to get ahead in this business you need to be all of those things. You have to be a bully, an enforcer. That the only way to truly be great is to have everything at your fingertips.”
She shakes her head, her ponytail shaking with it. She looks down at her hands for a moment before looking back up. Her dark eyes big and round and full of confidence.
“Jeremy beat Courtney fair and square. I recognize that and I have never said he didn’t deserve it based on his skill. He obviously did. But that doesn’t mean that there are not others out there that also deserve it. I am going to be a bit selfish here, as much as I hate doing it. I have worked a very long time to get here. To a company that accepts the type of wrestler I am. To be recognized by the fans as someone they want to represent them. I took my raw natural talent and honed it for five years with two of the best trainers out there. And I did this without any kind of privilege. In my opinion, there is no such thing as being ‘born better’ there is just being born into better situations. I know that my parents were not rich. I know that my gram struggles to get by on pensions. A woman that quit her job to look after me. That struggles with a disorder that renders her stiff if she leaves the house. But I still managed to get here, all the same. And so have many other people on this roster. I’m not going to say that I don’t understand why Jeremy picked wrestling when he had so many other options. Options that don’t carry the weight of possibly being paralyzed or seriously injured because I have been told the same thing. The bug bit every single person on this roster and that fire consumed us all. But I will say that Arrogance and ignorance are diseases that do not do well here. Sure it may get you ahead to start but eventually, those things end up breaking you down and making you blind. Jeremy is only eighteen. He has raw natural talent but at eighteen, he has not real life experience. He has had everything given to him. That is a very fortunate upbringing. I only wish that everyone could be born into a life with all the comfort and necessities they needed and beyond but the reality is, most were not. There is a reason that the rich are called the 1%. To me, living greatness is not about the situation you were born into. Its not about the money in your bank account, or the house you live in. Greatness is determined by the things you do with what you have. I try to give back to the community at every opportunity, not to brag. Not to get some recognition or a pat on the back but because I feel like you should be grateful for the things that you have been given and you show that appreciation by helping those that need it, even when you don’t have much yourself. Just because Jeremy beat Courtney for the title, doesn’t mean he has earned the title of living greatness. IT means that he is a champion. He beat a champion and earned that shot but who else has he faced in Redemption? Has he gotten to the top and beaten the top performers like Matt Shields?.”
She sighs deeply.
“I don’t want to be a meanie face. It is not something I like doing at all. But in this circumstance I feel like a little reality check is in order. But I will do it in the nicest way I can.”
It has become apparent that with every promo Lilly has done, her demeanor has slowly changed. Going from a happy-go-lucky sprite to one more serious and almost down trodden. As if something weighed heavily on her mind.
“If Jeremy wants to count me out based on his status then he will have a rude awakening. In fact, record wise, we are on par. Out of the twelve matches he has had here in redemption, he has lost four. I have had six matches and only lost two. Either way, it’s still a 66% win ratio for us both. So if he was born better, why is he on par with a girl born to a nurse and and a construction worker who ended up living with her grandmother who survived on pensions? So you get what I mean by saying that the social status doesn’t make you better. I”m not saying that I am better either. Only that I consider all people equal. Meaning, that everyone has an equal chance of winning.”
She actually breaks a smile, knowing that she has hit the point she wanted to make.
“I don’t tell anyone not to underestimate me because as my Gram says, it’s like talking to a brick wall. You can yell at it all you want but you’ll never get a response you like. But I will say that anyone that thinks that I am not good enough to be here, not good enough to beat a champion... well... They obviously do not know me very well at all.”
She sighs again and then reaches forward to shut off the camera.
***
:::Off Camera:::
We see Lilly Parker, in her hands is a bouquet of flowers unlike any others that you would see. They are a shade of blue that almost borders on a light shade of purple. She’s dressed in a pleated skirt of yellow and mary janes, her hair down around her shoulders in dark waves. As she walks, you see that all around her are stone grave markers. She has a slight smile on her face and then she finally stops in front of one of the stones.
“Hello Cillian.”
The gravestone is simple. Granite with a hint of green in it.
CILLIAN FITZPATRICK COUGHLAN
MARCH 24, 1943 - NOVEMBER 17, 2015
“May the road rise up to meet you...”
“Happy Birthday!!”
She places the bouquet of flowers in a metal holder attached to the headstone.
“Spring Gentians. Just like you used to talk about. I know they were your favorite.”
She smooths the back of her skirt before getting down to her knees and leaning back. She pulls a couple errant weeds.
“I am going to be fighting for a championship on Sunday. I am going to be the best I can and when I win it, I’m going to come here and show you. I know that you are proud of me and I have kept my promise to you. I’m not going to give up. No matter what. Even when it gets hard.”
She reaches forward to put a hand on the stone. She closes her eyes as tears stream down her face.
“Why did you have to go so soon? I really need your advice regarding Zach but I am going to try and do what you would want me to do. And as much as you don’t like me saying it, I love you.”
She then stands, using the back of her hand to wipe the tears from her cheeks.
“And I miss you more than anything. I wish you were here telling me how silly I was for crying over you. But I have to go and get ready for this match. I’m going to do you proud.”
She nods her head and walks away, not seeing the person a few yards away, silently watching in a small grove of trees.
