I don't know how to take this.
My first match in SCW was against a very tough opponent in Parand Ara. She really pushed me to my limit. I don't know if I will fair well against a former bombshell champion like Evie Baang.
I am realistic. I am a newbie and Evie is... well Evie is... seasoned.
I am not giving up though. I am going to train hard. I am going to watch her matches. And I am going to pray. Even though I never really believed in a god.
~~~
*Off Camera*
When Ana and I were two, Ana was diagnosed with Polycystic kidney disease. When we were thirteen, she had one removed. When I researched the disease, it said it is often genetic. That was when we found out that we were adopted by my mother but biologically we were my father's due to IVF. After we were born, our biological mother skipped town. Not that it bothered my parents much, but now, I knew nothing about our actual family history. I needed to know who she was, but back then my search had hit a brick wall. Today, I knew I needed to punch through it.
We had been waiting for a few minutes when the doctor came through the door softly and sat in front of us. He had hair the colour of steel, small dark eyes hidden behind wire frames, but the first thing I took notice of was his hands. They were age worn. Wrinkled, age spots but the most important thing was that they were rocksteady. I trusted this doctor.
Dr. Raymond Holmes had only been Ana’s doctor for about a year. When Ana started having signs that the disease had started affecting her remaining Kidney. Ana had been waiting on the donor list for just as long.
Dr. Holmes: “As you know, the disease has spread into Oceana’s remaining kidney. Function is decreasing which could account for her symptoms as of late. Fatigue, lack of appetite and weakness.”
I immediately grab my sister's hand and squeeze gently. She returns the squeeze and we look at each other briefly. She gives me a small smile, she is trying to reassure me. Trying to help me stay positive even though we were running out of time.
Dr. Holmes: “I would like to put you on Dialysis daily until a donor is found, Oceana. It will give us a bit more time.”
Fear flows through me. What if a match wasn't found? I couldn't lose Ana too.
Avi: “What about me? I wasn't a match?”
I knew that if I donated a kidney, my wrestling career was over before it could even begin but nothing was as important as Ana. The doctor shakes his head.
Dr. Holmes: “You nor your parents are matches. Oceana has a rare blood type.”
I was about to ask something else when my biology classes came back to me. How could my Dad not be a match? Could it mean that our mother was a rare blood type too?
Avi: “Is that common?”
The doctor nods, but there is something odd in his eyes. Like there is more he is not telling us.
Dr. Holmes: “It is probably from your birth mother. But we do have Oceana on the top of the donor list now. I have confidence that a right match will become available.”
He dismisses us after setting up Ana’s dialysis for the next day. As we are walking toward our car, I look at her. How could she be so calm? I get her door open and turn to her.
Avi: “Maybe we should find Bethany.”
Ana had always been against finding Bethany Masterson. Our birth mother. In Ana’s eyes, we had our mother and there was no reason to go looking and I had always backed off... not pushed it but now, Ana was on borrowed time. What if Bethany was a match or could at least put me in contact with her family. There had to be someone willing to save Ana’s life. Ana shakes her opens the passenger door of our shared car.
Ana: “No. We don't need her Avi. A donor will come up.”
I hated how stubborn she could be. When she made her mind up about something it was hard to sway her from it. She had always said that Bethany may have given birth to us, that we were biologically hers but that didn't make her our mother. And I agreed with her on that front. I wasn't looking to find the woman so that we could create some bond after 23 years, I just wanted to know my history. I wanted to know where I came from and even more so to find out if Kidney issues ran in her family.
Avi: “It's already been a year Ana. And now you have to be on a machine to filter your remaining Kidney. That is only going to work for so long. You having a rare blood type makes it difficult.”
I slide into the driver's seat and look at Ana. She's tired. In the last two weeks she had started slipping more and more. Her appetite was waning. She was losing weight. She had pain that even the percocet wasn't helping. She was dying and I was not going to lose another sibling while I stood back and did nothing. I was just going to have to find Bethany without telling anyone. Not even Ana. The answers were there and I was going to find them.
~~~
*On Camera*
Aviana offers a smile to the camera. It seems to be self filmed with her phone. Avi looks like she has just woken up. Her hair sandy blonde hair in a messy bun and a tank top.
“Evie is a tough pick for someone like me. I am barely getting my feet wet and already I am facing one of the names synonymous with SCW. I wish I could say Mikah prepared me to face her but that isn't the way she operates. I learned pretty quickly that Mikah truly treats this like a job, training me that is. So as hard as it is, I just keep my mouth shut and learn the moves. It is better in the long run I suppose but, I am here now. I am breaking out of that shell and moving forward.”
She offers an easy going smile.
“I am not going to say that if I beat Evie I should be gunning for titles or main events. I know I have to earn those things and even if I end up pinned on Sunday, I sure as hell am going to make Evie work for it. I know I am not as seasoned but that doesn't mean that I have no chance of winning. Every Dog has its day. Being optimistic has got me through some really tough situations. It got me through my brother's death and it will get me through this match as well. I can't say why they chose to give me two tough opponents in a row, but I know it can't be because I have done something to make them upset with me so I choose to believe that this is a test. They saw how good I was against Parand, so they are stepping up the skill level. Seeing what I am capable of.”
She appears confident and ready.
“I have spent my entire life having to work for everything I have. Nothing has ever been handed to me. Win or lose, I gain experience and that is more valuable to me than a tick beside my win column. With every loss, you learn how to get back up and try again. To use a different strategy. That isn't anything Mikah taught me though, that is the way I have approached every situation. It has served me well. So if Evie wants to waste her breath throwing insults at me or thinking that using her experience will intimidate me, it won't work. But I will wish her well and I’ll see her in the ring on Sunday.”
She offers a wave before turning off the camera.
~~~
*Off Camera*
The New York records department was not as busy as I thought it would be. It didn't take long for my number to be called and I nervously came to the counter where a stern looking Hispanic lady looks at me with large dark eyes. It catches me off guard to the point of forgetting why I was there.
Records Clerk: “Can I help you with something or did you just come to stare into.my eyes?”
I shake myself out of the trance.
Avi: “Oh geeze, I'm so sorry... I just... your eyes are just...”
The woman smirks at me but it is that friendly amused way and not at all angry. Thank god. Sometimes I made people mad.
Records Clerk: “It’s alright sweetie. What can I help you with.”
I pass her my ID and tell her that I was in search of mine and my sister's birth records. She returns a few minutes later with a printout.
Records Clerk: “That's all we got. If your birth mother moved out of State, we aren't able to keep track of her here. You would have to try the police department.”
I nod. The paper was essentially the original information from our birth, before my mother legally adopted us. Listed my father as biologically ours and an address where my birth mother had been living during the pregnancy. I thanked the woman and sat on one of the chairs in the waiting room. Maybe Ana was right. Maybe it was a dead end. But I couldn't lose Ana too. Not when I could at least try to do something about it. The address wasn't far from where we lived.
***To Be Continued***
