KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!
Rustling could be heard inside of the house. Wyatt Peterson takes off his hat and waits on the doorstep for someone to answer. After a few seconds, a woman opens the door. She looked to be no more than 55 years old with streaks of grey wisped through her brown hair. Upon seeing Wyatt her mouth opens wide in shock. Tears start to form in the corner of her eyes until one of them breaks looks and starts sliding down her cheek leaving a path of wetness behind it.
Wyatt: Hi there, Ma. Ah’m home.
Wyatt’s mother flings herself onto the patio and wraps her arms around her son. Three other people push their way out of the door behind her. Two of them are men, one a woman. The men both looked like older versions of Wyatt. They were both about Wyatt’s size. The woman didn’t appear to be much older than a girl. She was fairly tall, but not nearly as tall as the men, maybe six feet tall. Her brown hair was long and silky. Upon seeing Wyatt, they too embraced him.
Wyatt: Peter! Paul! Mary! Ah’ve miss y’all. Hope y’all ain’t been givin’ Ma a lot of crap.
Peter: We ain’t been the problem. You’re the one who left home, little brother. Ma ain’t been the same since.
The older woman waves off what Peter said.
Ma: Don’t bother Wyatt with little things like that. He’s home. That’s all that matters right now. Come on inside.
Ma grabs Wyatt’s hand and pretty much drags him inside. His brothers and sister follow close behind. Mary closes the door.
Ma: Paul, why don’t you take Wyatt’s bag up to his room?
Paul: But Ma…
Ma: No buts! Your brother has been travelin’ all day. The least you can do is help him with his bag.
Paul mumbles something under his breath as Wyatt slips his bag off of his shoulder and hands it to him.
Wyatt: Thanks, Paul.
Paul continues to mumble as he disappears up the stairs. Wyatt, Peter, and Mary follow Ma into the kitchen. Ma grabs the tea kettle off of the stove and fills it with tap water.
Wyatt: Ma, don’t feel like you gotta go outta your way to do stuff ‘cuz ah’m here.
Ma waves him off.
Ma: Nonsense! Ah haven’t seen my son in almost 2 years. Ah wanna have a cup of tea, sit down at that there table, and find out what he’s been up to. Is that alright?
Wyatt nods.
Wyatt: Yes, ma’am, it is. Ah just don’t want you to feel obligated.
Ma grabs five coffee cups from the cupboard.
Ma: Ah’m just glad to have you home, Suga’.
Ma sets the cups on the dining room table and places a tea bag in each one as Paul rejoins the group.
Paul: There ya go little bro.
Paul shoulder bumps Wyatt as he walks by him.
Paul: You feel like you’ve been gettin’ soft. Ah’d bet you couldn’t even handle doin’ chores ‘round here anymore.
Wyatt: Shoot! Ah’m still stronger than you.
Paul: Ah’d like to see you prove it.
Wyatt and Paul start wrestling with each other.
Ma: Boys, you know better than to wrestle in the house.
Wyatt and Paul stop immediately.
Paul and Wyatt: Sorry, Ma.
The tea kettle starts whistling. Ma removes it from the stove and starts pouring it into the coffee cups. Wyatt, Peter, Paul and Mary sit down around the table. Ma returns the tea kettle to the stove and takes a seat next to Wyatt. An awkward silence engulfs the table. After a few moments, Peter speaks up.
Peter: So, little brother, why are you here?
Ma: Peter! That’s no an appropriate question to ask.
Wyatt: No, Ma, it’s alright. Ah’ve had a lot goin’ on lately. This whole wrasslin’ thing’s pretty stressful. Ah needed to get away for a few days. This is the only place ah know where life is…
Wyatt takes a moment searching for the right word.
Wyatt: Slower.
Peter and Paul nod in acknowledgement. Mary takes a drink of her tea and places her cup on the table.
Mary: A few days? So, you’re leavin’ us again.
It wasn’t a question as much as a statement. Tears start to form in Ma’s eyes as she realizes that her “prodigal son” would be leaving again.
Wyatt: Y’all know ah’ve gotta go. Ah’m chasing a dream. Y’all know it’s what ah’ve always wanted to do.
Paul shoots out of his chair and slams his hands onto the table.
Paul: Then why the hell’d you even come back? You know how hard this has been on Momma and this ain’t gonna make it any easier.
Ma: Paul!
Paul: What? Wyatt’s the one that left us after Pa died.
There’s a collective gasp at the table followed by silence. Paul’s statement hangs in the air for a few moments. Peter stands up.
Peter: Look at the time. Ah’ve gotta be gettin’ to bed.
Mary stands up too.
Mary: Me too.
Peter and Mary walk out of the kitchen and disappear upstairs. After about another minute of silence, Paul stands up and walks out of the kitchen. The silence continues as Wyatt tries to figure out what to say.
Wyatt: Ma…
Ma puts up the hand to stop him.
Ma: Wyatt, tonight’s been such an emotional ride. Ah think ah should be gettin’ to bed too.
Wyatt: ‘Course
Ma and Wyatt stand up. Ma starts picking up the coffee cups.
Wyatt: Don’t worry ‘bout those. Ah’ll get ‘em cleaned up.
Ma smiles and puts down the ones she had already collected. She gives Wyatt a hug and walks out of the kitchen. Wyatt grabs all of the coffee cups and sets them in the sink. He starts running some water and grabs a rag. Wyatt proceeds to wash and dry the cups and put them away. When he’s done, he walks into out of the kitchen. The last thing he does is flip the light switch, plunging the kitchen into darkness.
***5AM THE FOLLOWING MORNING***
Wyatt awakes with a start as he feels someone sit down on the end of his bed. It takes a moment for his eyes to focus on Paul sitting there.
Paul: Look, Wyatt, Ah’m sorry ‘bout last night. You just don’t know how Momma’s been since Pa died and you left.
Wyatt: Ah didn’t mean to put y’all through that. When Pa died, ah just couldn’t be around here anymore. Honestly, it’s hard to be here now. Everythin’ reminds me of him.
Paul: Ah know what you mean. Ah see Pa in everythin’. After seein’ how Ma took it when you left, ah just couldn’t do that to her.
Wyatt: Yeah, ah can see what you mean. Ah almost don’t wanna leave again, but ah gotta. Ah’ve got a match next weekend in Las Vegas.
Paul: You any good?
Wyatt: Ah like to think so.
A smile spreads across Paul’s face.
Paul: Ah bet ah could take ya.
Paul hops on top of Wyatt and smacks him a few times. Wyatt wiggles around and pushes Paul to the floor with a THUD.
Ma: You boys had best not be wrasslin’ in the house.
Paul and Wyatt smile at each other.
Paul: Wanna take it outside?
Wyatt: Hell yeah!
Paul runs out of the room with Wyatt in pursuit.
***THREE DAYS LATER***
Wyatt is driving in a rural area. His beat-up old Chevy pickup truck is kicking up dust in the midday sun.
It was real nice visiting with my family. Ah think that was just what ah needed to get my mind straight on what ah gotta do at High Stakes. That Karma kid is gonna wish he’d never challenged me. Tom keeps tellin’ me that he’s a nobody, but ah know better. Ah remember when Ma used to take up to church and they told us the story of David and Goliath. Goliath had a huge size advantage, but somehow, David ended up beating him. Goliath underestimated him. He thought he could beat him without a problem.
A slight smirk appears on Wyatt’s face.
Ah’m not laughin’, Kid Karma. Ah’m not underestimatin’ you. Ah know, that anythin’ can happen. Maybe you’ll have your manager, Chris Choice, pass you a chair of somethin’. Ah don’t know, but ah’m not gonna make the mistake of taking it easy on you. Ah’m gonna go into that ring and do what ah do best. Ah’m gonna make Karma my bitch.
Wyatt continues to drive towards Las Vegas as the scene fades.
