[GKD]

November 23rd, Midday

Sitting inside of the Enoch Pratt Free Library, I’m at a table with my laptop in front of me. I’m slowly scrolling through the Google results for “Maryland divorce forms,” because of everything I’ve been dealing with. The constant strain on my marriage, and despite what Adina and Chloe have told me, I figure that Kyra wants out. She’s been cold, unreachable. Those rare moments that we’ve had the chance to talk to one another have pretty much blown up in my face. One wrong word, one wrong reaction, one moment of saying the wrong thing while trying to hold my ground in the middle of a hurricane of anger and sadness and frustration… Let’s just say I haven't helped my situation. Since it was Kyra’s birthday, I figured I should give her what she wants, her freedom.

That’s why I’m sitting in the corner of the library, facing the wall trying, and failing, to hold back tears while trying to figure out how to print these fucking forms. My phone rings, momentarily distracting me from my misery. I glance down at the caller ID and I see that the number is coming from my adoptive daughter’s phone. ’Jesus, this is exactly what I need right now,’ I think to myself. I quickly close the laptop before I answer the call, whispering as to not bother the other patrons.

“Yeah… what’s up?”

“Um… Daddy…” came Adina’s voice through the phone. ’That’s unexpected,’ I thought as Adina continued. “Imma gonna need you to come get me and Chloe. We went to the park an’ Chloe fell and bumped her head. We need you right now.”

I begin packing up my stuff as quickly as possible. At this point, I make no effort to remain quiet as my only concern is my children.

“Alright, is she bleeding?”

“No. But she’s saying weird stuff and the black part of her eyes are like, really big.”

“Sounds like a concussion. Where are you? I’ll get there as soon as I can.”

“I dunno. Lemme find a sign.” There’s a pause and I hear Adina’s breathing as she sprints around. “Um, yeah. It’s ‘M T Ver-something.’ That’s where we are.”

“Mount Vernon?” I confirm, trying to conceal the sense of urgency as I step out the door. I don’t want Adina to panic. I notice the chill in the air, instantly regretting my choice to leave the house without dressing in warmer clothing. “I should have put on my coat.” 

“Yeah, Vernon. That’s what Chloe said when we gots here.”

“Alright, babygirl. Hold tight and call 911 if Chloe starts to fall asleep. I’m at the library nearby. I’ll be there soon.”

“Yes, sir!” Adina says, almost proudly before disconnecting the call. It was weird that Adina seemed so calm, but I figure everyone handles stress differently. Right?

Right?

Thankfully the park is less than a mile away. I may or may not have broken some speed limits and possibly run a stop sign or two. I roll up in my ‘89 Pontiac Grand Am, parking it and running over the scene, where I see my wife standing there. Makes sense that Adina would call her mother, except that it looks like Chloe is taking care of Adina, not the other way around like it was explained to me. There’s fuckery afoot.

“Come on, let’s get her out of here.  What happened?” I hear Kyra’s voice slowly get louder as I hustle over to her. I watch as Chloe, acting completely normal, helps Adina to the bottom of the slide.

“I don’t know.  One minute she was playing and the next…”

Just as they reached the ground, Chloe stopped talking as I ran up. I say nothing. I’m sure my face relays a look of unparalleled confusion as I try to piece things together in my head, moving my finger from point to point while connecting the dots in my head. The pieces fit together in much the same way that\ Chuck E. Cheese pizza slices never seem to belong together.

“Someone has some explaining to do… NOW!” I bellow.

Upon hearing my voice, Kyra turned around - completely shocked and even more so when Adina suddenly comes to life and drops out of her arms. The little girl rushes over to Chloe and now the two of them are coming face to face with their choices, and the two people they’d manipulated to this very location. 

“It’s a..”

“It’s a miracle!” Adina finishes Chloe’s sentence, putting on her best innocent face as they look between my wife and myself.

“A miracle that you’re not hurt or a miracle that Chloe isn’t so concussed she can smell colors?” I add. I don’t know what the two of them are up to, but I know when I’m being played.

“What the hell is going on here?!” Kyra finally chimes in, staring daggers at both girls. I know that look. They just stepped in it. 

“Seriously. Give me one good reason I shouldn’t ground the two of you.”

“Well” Chloe interrupts with a mischievous grin, “I’m 19 so you can’t ground me.”

“I can change the Wi-Fi password. Don’t make me do it.” I look at Kyra, taken aback for a moment. It’s the first time we’ve been in the same book, let alone on the same page, in almost three months. “Um, Happy Birthday, by the way.”

Kyra stops for a moment, turning her head slowly towards Ken.

“Um...Thanks?” In that moment, she breaks out of the moment and she turns her attention back to Chloe and Adina. “Is that what you two were trying to do?”

“Let’s be honest, we know it is. I just want to hear the two of you admit to it,” I say, tapping my foot impatiently on the ground. “So, which one of you two is the mastermind?”

Chloe and Adina look at each other for a few seconds, smirking and after a minute or so of complete silence, Chloe grabs Adina’s hand and the two of them back away. 

“Hey, I just remembered that Adina and I need to go..”

“Yeah we needs to go!  See you later!”

“Are you two brown wording me right now?” I yell as the scamper off. But neither of them bother to turn back to acknowledge me, leaving Kyra and I  by ourselves.  We turn and look at each with an amazing cocktail of emotions containing frustration, confusion, defeat and… maybe hope. 

Finally, Kyra sighed. “We live with a bunch of shitheads, huh?” she mused uncomfortably while staring at me.

“You think?” I quip back at her, holding my gaze perhaps a little too long. I’ve missed this. Surprisingly enough, Kyra’s gaze never wavered from mine. Perhaps she missed this too.

“Listen.. I-I’m sorry.” She began, shocking even herself with her words, but she kept going. “I was just so worried, and hurt by what you said.  Like, I know why you were doing what you were doing, because I’d do the same damn thing.  But you didn’t want me to, and it just… I don’t know.  It just really fucking hurt.”

Kyra finally pulled her gaze away from mine, moving to and sitting on one of the swings, lowering her head so she was staring at her shoes as they moved through the dirt and mulch.  It was no real surprise that Kyra wasn’t exactly the type to tell all about her feelings, especially if they were anything besides anger. I know it makes her feel vulnerable which in turn makes her feel uncomfortable. I figure now would be the time to make some sort of gesture, so I follow Kyra and sit on the swing next to hers.

“Um… thanks. I'm not apologizing, though,” I tell her. Kyra's face is overtaken by shock. Before she can respond, I start talking again. “Hear me out. Every time I try to apologize I say something stupid and step in it. I know I fucked up. It's just… I just… every time I tried something different, it still blew up in my face. You know I'm not smart with this shit. But, you should have known I was trying. I know I hurt you, but I also felt you were too angry to meet me halfway.”

Kyra nods her head. 

“Yeah.  I was.”

I thought that was going to be it. The way Kyra turned and looked into my eyes, I knew it would be best to just shut up, but for good reason. 

“But all of that ‘I’m not smart with this shit’? That’s just an excuse, Ken. There ain’t no owners manual for this… But you know me. You know who I am deep down. You’re one of the few who knows what I am beneath the surface..I don’t know. I know I didn’t give you enough slack, and I’ve been told some shitty things by the people I love, but this one just hit differently.  This entire situation just hit me differently. Maybe it’s because it’s you. Regardless… I should have let it go. It’s not worth ruining what we’ve got over…” 

I pushed back with my feet, allowing the swing to rock back and forth. Might as well lay it all on the table. After all, what do I have to lose?

“You weren't listening, at least I felt you weren't. You were so hellbent that I was trying to… I don't fucking know, shock you into listening.”

A sad smile crosses Kyra’s lips as she looks down into her hands. 

“I was listening. To everything. That’s why I was so angry. That’s why I wanted to protect you.  It’s funny, we’re both out here trying to protect each other, but neither of us can handle the possibility of something happening to the other to the point where we’d rather be ignorant of who we married than let them risk hurting themselves for us.”

She lets out a sigh and shrugs her shoulders. 

“I was wrong for expecting you to back down. That’s just not who you are, and I’ve known that as long as I’ve known you.”

“To be fair, we are both the two most stubborn people that I know.  Not going to lie, I am very confused by all this Mr. Miyagi, words of wisdom bullshit you've got going on.”

Kyra couldn’t stop the chuckle that escapes her lips. 

“Well, I’ve had a lot of time to think.”

“So did I, but it's been far less productive. I don't want to talk about it. Let's just leave it at that, you are smarter than I am.” I sigh as soon as he finish my sentence. At that moment, I am feeling a mixture of shame and embarrassment.

“Oh, stop it with that… please?”

Kyra gets up from her swing and moves in front of mine, extending her hand to me.  

“I’m not smarter than you.  But I’ve missed you, and I love you… and.. And I–”

“I was at the library looking up divorce paperwork. I figured if I couldn't make you happy that I shouldn't hold you hostage. So, yeah, you're smarter than I am,” I blurt out, cutting her off. Kyra sits there, stunned for a few moments, digesting what I just told her.   

“Oh, Ken.. Why...”

She closes her eyes and shakes her head.

“Maybe you're right…”

I let go of her hand and mine fall to my side, defeated. As is tradition, I tried to hide it, but there was no way to stop my eyes from welling up with tears. 

“I mean, if that's what you want. You can have the house and all that, it was always meant to be yours.”

The lack of comprehension crosses her face.I can only imagine her wondering “What the fuck is he saying?” in her head. In what seems like the moment my words started making sense to her, she reaches down and grabs my hands and pulls me up to my feet. 

“Ken, I didn't mean that!”

“Oh…” I reply sheepishly.

“You're not getting rid of me that easily." She replies and before I can say anything else, she puts an exclamation point on her statement with a kiss. The kiss is deep, passionate, like our first kiss all over again.

“Could we do that again? I kinda missed that.”

Without a word, Kyra obliges me, pulling me in and kissing me once more. 

Standing in front of the Hershey candy factory in Hershey, Pennsylvania, I wait for the camera crew to finish setting up. Underneath my robes, I am wearing two layers of clothes, just to keep warm in this near freezing temperature. I’ve chosen, very appropriately, a chocolate brown color. I’ve forgone the usual matching glasses as finding a pair in that shade is nearly impossible. Seeing we are almost ready, I take my place standing with the front entrance of the factory behind me. One of the crew counts me in and I am ready to go.

“Despite what you may think, Whelan, I am not the man that’s been turned into Masque’s puppet. When I sat alone in the darkness, my personal hell, it was Masque who reminded me of who, and more importantly what, I am. In this company, I am a target for several reasons. Whether I am a champion or not, I am one of the elite in this company. I have faced the best and I have beaten the best. Mac Bane, Mark Cross, Austin James Mercer… the resume speaks for itself. I know you won’t acknowledge any of this, boy. In fact, there is absolutely no need to because in your eyes, I am nothing more than the man you beat for the World Championship.”

“I can admit this because I am, above all else, honest. I wear my heart on my sleeve and tear the intestines from my stomach. I understand that you think that I am the hunter because you hold the World Championship, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. You need this victory more than I do.You need to show the world that his victory was not a fluke. Finn Whelan, you do not understand the juxtaposition of your reality, which frankly works in my favor. You think I am the hunter, but if I was, would I really be stupid enough to seek out a wolf in his den? Not unless I was the bigger threat, the larger predator. If need be, I will tear the flesh off your bones and become the ghost in your head. I will be the nightmare that haunts you when you think of what could have been. That’s exactly what is going to happen because like all of the other people who have doubted me, I will prove them, and you, wrong.”

I point to the camera, furthering my point before continuing.

“I know you will try and pick me apart. Go right ahead, homeboy. I am a man who isn't afraid of your scrutiny. I'm not scared of the truth, which makes me immune to whatever bullshit you are going to spew at me. You still have dreams, but those are all things I’ve already accomplished. I got there by coming back from adversity time and time again. This situation, this injustice, is just another hurdle that I will have to jump over.”

“What happened at High Stakes was very similar to “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.” I don’t mean the new one with Johnny Depp. I mean the old school, Gene Wilder, acid trip on the glass-bottom boat movie. Yes, Charlie won. The question here is, SHOULD he have won?  Much like your championship win, “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” is a favorite story for kids of all ages. I mean, think about it. What could be better than being a child, opening up a candy bar, going to a candy factory, and then finding out you won that factory? Maybe having a grandfather who wasn’t an asshole faking a health condition like Grampa Joe did. Aside from that, there aren’t many things I could think of that would be better. Now, most people accept Charlie winning the factory at face value. It’s what Roald Dahl, the original author, intended. The thing is, why did Charlie win and why wasn’t the winner Violet Beauregarde?”

I smirk, taking a moment to allow the audience at home to process what I am saying.

“I know that I’ve already lost some of you, but stay with me and I will show you the way like a shepherd tends to his flock. While most of you have no idea where this is going, I assure you, it has everything to do with Finn Whelan and myself.”

“Violet Beauregarde should have been the rightful winner of Wonka’s contest. You all remember her, right? Violet Beauregarde, the World Chewing Gum Champion of the World. Violet Beauregarde, the über competitive girl who, above all else, wanted to test herself. She made it pretty far, but was eliminated for chewing the three-course-meal gum that Wonka warned her not to. As we all know, she turned into a blueberry and was rolled away.”

“Violet Beauregarde is the most committed to not only winning, but knowing what she was walking into. She was easily able to switch from gum-chewing to candy-bar-eating at the start of the competition. She was also the one, the only one, who know the different candies Wonka talked about. At one point in the film, he even holds up a yellow piece of candy and she could recognize it from across the room. Obviously, Violet would have no problem understanding her supply list.”

“Much in the same way Violet Beauregarde dedicated herself to what she was involved with, I have very much done the same. Not only did I watch as many of Finn Whelan’s match and promos as I could find, I went looking for him at the Wolfslair so that I could get a look at the man’s work first hand. I know that Finn isn’t the type to outwardly mess with someone, but that is because he isn’t willing to take the measures needed to be successful in this industry.  I wanted to walk into Wolfslair, slap him across the face and look him dead in the eye to see how he’d react. I am a man who will do whatever is necessary, no matter the cost.”

The wind picks up some, so I place my hands in the pockets of my robe to keep them warm.

“Furthermore, the largest similarity between Violet Beauregarde and myself is that we both have the know-how to work within our individual endeavors. Beyond that, we both have the traits needed to succeed in any business. We are both competitive, determined, hard-working and willing to take risks. Violet Beauregarde proved that she was willing to take a risk by trying the three-course-meal chewing gum. I proved that I was willing to take risks by challenging Mac Bane. I proved that I was willing to take risks by confronting Masque in the first place. I proved that I was willing to take risks by listening to Masque because, despite our differences, she was right in the things she told me.I climbed the ladder here rung by damned rung by damned rung and I didn’t work that hard to be knocked to the bottom of the pile by you, Finn.”

“Here’s another thing that bothers me, a little off topic, but allow me to indulge myself. Violet Beauregarde's choice to chew the gum Wonka told her not to is pretty much the exact same thing that Charlie and his grandfather do later on when they partake of the Fizzy Lifting drinks.. Why was Violet punished for it but Charlie gets a factory? Plus, Violet shares her experience with everyone, while Charlie and his grandfather indulge in private. Everyone else's mistakes were purposeful but Violet's was simply an accident. Anyhow, I digress.”

“Say what you will about those other little monsters at the factory, Charlie Bucket, much like Finn Whelan, is a meek boy who never asks for more than he has been given. He was a passive naive boy and if that isn’t Finn Whelan to a t, I don’t know what it is. Finn, you know for a fact that you didn’t ask for a World Championship match. You sat and waited until the opportunity presented itself and, credit where credit is due, you took advantage when it did. That won’t change the fact that you won’t hold onto that championship because you lack the qualities to succeed in the long term. You aren’t proactive. You will never take charge. You don’t value yourself to ask, let alone create your own opportunities. You just leave things up to fate and let the river take you where the water flows and you stay in your comfort zone. Well, kiddo, the waters have taken you to the brink and whether you like it or not, the GKD, “Godly” Ken Davison is the waterfall that is going to bring you crashing back to reality and bring the demise of your championship reign. Charlie Bucket shouldn’t have won and the fact of the matter is, you shouldn’t have either. ”

I can feel that one vein in my head start swelling and pulsating. The thought that I let Finn Whelan beat me has never sat well with me.

“I’ve waited, Finn. I’ve patiently waited. On Sunday, it will have been 35 days that I have been forced to wait. Each and every day, I have gotten angrier and angrier. I’ve tried to be a good guy, Finn. I tried to be respectful. I just can’t do that anymore. I need to listen to that old song that Masque speaks of, the harmony of dissonance, the symphony of destruction. I made the mistake of wrestling you before. Now, I have to do more than beat you. I have to make this win definitive. I need to tear you asunder because I need to remind people that this isn't a comeback, this is the second step of another streak. You think that you can really take my place? When you sit there, it’s just a seat. When I sit there it’s a Kendamned throne.You think you’ll beat me again, but I’m going God Mode. History won’t repeat itself because you don’t get a fucking sequel.”

I step towards the camera, asserting my presence.

“Some people just don't get it. And, quite frankly, I'm gettin' tired of repeating myself. I deserve to be treated in a certain manner. Finn, I know the people of Seattle, or wherever the hell you’re really from, are not known for being' very smart... but even you should know that I deserve to be treated with respect, which is not something you’ve shown me so far. That’s why you need to realize that I’ve got blood on my hands, some of it I’m proud of it, some of it, not so much. What you need to realize now, Finn, is that there's blood in the water now and I am the Great White Shark.”

“All my life, Finn, I’ve had people like you in my ears: It’s gone from “Hey, Ken,, you’re not 6’7’’, 300 pounds, you’ll never do anything in the wrestling business.’ Then it became, ‘Yo, Ken, aren’t you getting a little too old for this?’ and ‘Ken, even though you battled every day to recover, your heart will never allow you to wrestle again.’ There has always been someone telling me I can’t, which is exactly what I know you will do. You will tell me that you are better than me, that I will never beat you, that I will never beat you. No! That’s not how this is going to play out, homeboy. By the grace of God, I am beating those demons. I am overcoming those obstacles… That’s because I hear voices like yours in my head. I remember the things that have been said to me and that is why it has been so important that I sing my song. Just like I’ve been seeing and hearing all those people saying: ‘You can’t do it, Ken!’ That’s what I see in you, Whelan. I see nothing but my next obstacle.” 

“See, Finn, at Clmax Control,, you’re not gonna be facing Ken Davison, dedicated father, honorbound friend, conflicted spouse, uncertain person. You’re gonna be facing all the anger and frustration within me. All the fire that burns within me. YOU’RE GONNA BE FACING “GODLY” KEN DAVISON, THE ONCE AND FUTURE KING AND I AM GOING TO DEFRAUD YOU TO THE WORLD AS NOTHING MORE THAN A PRETENDER TO THE THRONE!”