Latest Roleplays
When I was thirteen years old, I woke up one day and looked out at the pond that stretched across our backyard and found myself feeling lost. I didn’t know what my purpose in life was supposed to be. My life to that point had been filled with fights, disagreements, and disappointment in the eyes of my father. It was this day that I knew things had to change; not to impress him, but for my sanity and happiness. I turned and looked at the mirror, thirteen-year-old me had dark brown hair that was a bit shaggy and unkempt, the beginning whispers of facial hair, and dark brown eyes that seemingly hid an even darker soul. On this particular day, I wore a black sleeveless shirt and a pair of aqua-colored gym shorts and made my way down the stairs.
As I emerged into the kitchen, my mother stood in front of the oven and was making breakfast. My mother was the very definition of the mother you would see on Leave It to Beaver, doting and taking care of everything in the house while my father did the heavy lifting in terms of chores like mowing the lawn while providing the finances for the house. My mother managed the finances. We were the stereotypical family in Buffalo, just with five girls and one boy. I remember one time, someone asked my father what it was like to have five girls and he proceeded to mime hanging himself. I thought it was funny at the time, my mother did not.
I walk over to my mother and kiss her on the cheek. ‘Morning, mama,’ I whisper in her ear, which elicits a smile from her.
‘Hi baby,’ she coos back at me and I smile as I make my way over to the kitchen table where there is already a plate of bacon on the table. I grab a piece of bacon off a cream-colored plate and looked out in the backyard to see my father standing there, his hands balled into fists, and resting on top of his hips, covered by a pair of khaki pants. I looked over at my mother, cooking eggs and pancakes, and opened the sliding glass door to our backyard patio, closing it quietly as I walked and stood next to my dad.
‘Morning,’ I offer him and he returns with nothing. He just stands there, looking out at the pond.
‘We are going to need to drain that pond and do some work this weekend. Going to need your help with that.’ While he didn’t dote on me, didn’t show me love, I could always count on him to enlist me in the work that needed to be done around the house. That’s the way he saw me, his helper. My sisters on the other hand would be able to head to the mall and enjoy their weekends while I worked all day. It was a stern reminder of my place in his eyes. A reminder that would persist with me throughout my teenage and adult life.
‘Dad, what is my purpose?’
He looks over at me and shrugs his shoulder. ‘Fuck if I know. Your purpose right now is to help me with what I just told you. Don’t think too far beyond that.’
I look over at him, taken aback by his comment. ‘Why not? Why am I treated differently than my sisters?’
‘Because your sisters have a future, they have potential, they have a future. You, well, I’m preparing you for your future.’
‘And what is that?’
‘Manual labor. Getting dirty with your hands. You’ve never shown any interest in school and learning.’
‘So, I get to work all day while my sisters get to enjoy their Saturday? Why don’t you see more for me than that?’
He turns and faces me. ‘Because sometimes son, we have our lot in life. We are who we are and there’s no changing that. I can’t help that you are going to end up doing what you do, but I will ensure you do it to the best of your ability.’
‘Because you’ve decided I’m something regardless of what I show you,’ I fire back. ‘You see me as nothing more than something beneath your shoe.’
‘You’re not a man,’ he responds.
‘Yet,’ I reply. He moves closer to me.
‘You ready to be a man? You ready to prove your place in the world?’
This is how it went with my father. If I didn’t acquiesce to every one of his demands, to just fall in line with his expectations of me, he would ratchet it to an eleven on the scale and challenge me.
‘I’m just saying—‘
‘No, you’re saying nothing. It’s just all hot air with you. You would do well to learn your place, shut your mouth, and get your ass ready to do whatever I need you to do. I provide you with a roof over your head, food in your belly, clothes for your body. I give you life.’
I stare at him, my jaw set. Today isn’t that day, not the day to challenge him. That day would come though.
‘Fine,’ I say through gritted teeth. I turn around and head back into the house, leaving him standing there alone. I grab another piece of bacon off the plate as my mother continues to cook, dutifully unaware of the conversation I just had.
At the very least, I knew my purpose. To never be like my father and to prove him wrong.
* * *
[The following is a transcript of the February 16th WrestleTalk show, aired lived on SiriusXM radio]
Wade Ross Sapp: And we’re back! Last week, we had David Noble on to discuss with us his upcoming tag team match against Team MvW as he teamed with Conor Fuse for the first time. This week, we’ve asked David Noble to call in and talk to us about his upcoming tag match against Arthur Pleasant and Jeffrey James Roberts, otherwise known as Devil’s Advocate. You there, David?
David Noble: Yep, I’m here. Thanks for having me.
WRS: Thanks for joining us. Two weeks in a row, you might become a regular guest here.
DN: We shall see about that. I’ll send you my rate card.
WRS: Oof! My producers told me to abort, abort, abort! I guess we can’t afford you here at SiriusXM. Giving too much to Howard Stern I imagine. Anyways! Are you heading into Detroit, right now?
DN: Yeah, just leaving Buffalo and heading to Detroit.
WRS: Oooh! You’re going to drive right on by Niagra Falls then!
DN: Yeah, once you’ve seen it, you’ve seen it plenty, ya know?
WRS: Sure, sure. Your match against MvW. The first time that you and Conor have had a chance to team up. Talk us through what that was like.
DN: You know, teaming with Conor is what I said it would be. You see him outside of the ring and he’s a big ball of fun. In the ring though, he elevates the talent around him, and that’s all that you can ask for. This tournament may not be where his focus needs to be, but at the end of the day, I appreciate him giving it his all.
WRS: And you and Fuse managed to get the victory over MvW. Thoughts?
DN: Weirdest fucking match I’ve ever been in to be quite honest with you. I didn’t know what to expect going into the match except there is a fucking robot in the ring. The KABAL showed up. Cary and whomever else are yelling at one another. I wasn’t certain if I was at a wrestling match or walking out of a strip club at four in the morning, it was that batshit crazy.
WRS: Yeah, it seemed like there was commotion everywhere.
DN: Someone wiped an eraser on my nose. What in the fuck?
WRS: Ha, yes! How do you feel after the victor?
DN: As I said before, MvW is not the end goal. Getting the victory over them is what had to happen if we wanted another day in this tournament. We lose to them and it would’ve been over. Needless to say, we pulled it off, and we’re on to the next match in our group.
WRS: Which is Devil’s Advocate, JJR, who is the HOtv Champion, and Arthur Pleasant, who nearly managed to get the victory over John Sektor last week and grab the LSD Championship. Needless to say, your dance card is about to be full.
DN: Full isn’t remotely the way to describe it. [sighs] This is a make-or-break match, Wade. I can’t begin to describe it any other way and I’m not just talking about in this match, I’m talking about my time in HOW.
WRS: Wait, elaborate a bit on that.
DN: Right now there seems to be a ceiling when it comes to ol’ Noble in HOW. There seems to be a cap as to how high I can go. I don’t know if it’s me, the talent, or just the environment. I don’t know. If Fuse and I lose against Pleasant and JJR, I don’t know how much longer I will be around in HOW.
WRS: I did hear you signed a shorter contract with HOW, is that correct?
DN: Yeah. I don’t remember all of the particulars, but I think it ends at MTG.
WRS: MTG being the next HOW PPV for those who may not be aware. March to Glory. So are you saying HOW won’t renew your contract if you don’t win this Sunday?
DN: Not saying that. I’m sure there would be some interest, but I signed a shorter contract on purpose. To take this tournament by the horns and prove where I belong within HOW, to be up there with the JJR’s, the John Sektor’s, the Conor Fuse’s, you name the top echelon, that’s where I want to be. At the end of the day, if I can’t figure out how to compete at that level, then what business do I have in being around here? Why would HOW want me around here?
WRS: Is this just what you’re telling yourself? Are their murmurs they want you out? Or is this just your mindset going into Sunday?
DN: My mindset going into Sunday is win or go home. My mindset is that if Fuse and I can’t beat JJR and Pleasant that I’m not good enough for HOW.
WRS: Now, you’ve competed against JJR in the past, correct?
DN: Yeah, first match in HOW. It is a painful reminder, to say the least. JJR is a beast, he is an animal, he is untamable. I’m not fully understanding the parameters on why he gets to compete in HOW when he’s surrounded by guards every single match. He doesn’t give a fuck about anyone in that ring; me, Fuse, probably even Arthur Pleasant. He wants to exact as much pain as possible, in the most sadistic way possible.
WRS: So how do you defeat someone like that?
DN: You don’t. You take it out back and put an end to its life. JJR is the very definition of a rabid animal. Just because he comes across as put together and polished doesn’t negate the reality that he will maul you simply because you blinked your eyes three times instead of two. This man is as dangerous as they come.
WRS: So maybe Pleasant is the weakness to be exploited?
DN: Honestly, no. These two are peas in a pod.
WRS: So what’s the game plan for Sunday?
DN: Just give everything I have. I know Conor will do the same thing. I think the difference-maker here will be that Pleasant and JJR have cemented where they’re at in HOW. They’re top-tier, people you don’t want to mess with. John Sektor escaped by the skin of his teeth against Pleasant. There’s no question that these two could have just about every single title in HOW. The question comes down to how hungry are they. Out of the four men in that ring, there’s no one hungrier than me, no one who wants to come out of Sunday victorious more than I am. My back is up against the proverbial wall. Like I’ve said, I lose and I know I’m done. One way or another.
WRS: That sounds pretty definitive to me.
DN: I’ve got nothing left other than what I leave in that ring. If it’s good enough, then maybe I’ve proved it to myself. If it’s not good enough, then it’s time for an honest conversation if I belong here.
WRS: Wow. Any final words?
DN: Tune in Sunday. You’re about to see a man leave everything in the ring.
WRS: Well, thanks, David. Hopefully, we will talk to you soon.
[Click.]
* * *
Present Day
I sit in the driver seat of the truck I rented from the airport, my body sinking deeper into the padded leather seats it came with. I look out at the house that I grew up in and sigh. My sigh is more audible than I anticipated.
‘You okay over there?’ Lorelai inquires. I look over at her, dressed in a pair of blue jeans and wearing a white sweater with her brown hair pulled into a tight ponytail.
‘Yeah,’ I mutter. ‘You didn’t have to come. You probably have school stuff to do.’
‘Yeah, but this is significantly more fun.’
I stare at her. ‘To watch the blowup that my father and I are going to inevitably have?’
She nods excitedly, reaching into her bag, and pulling out a bag of popcorn. I roll my eyes at her, which elicits a chuckle from her before she places it back into the bag.
‘Do you think that’s what will happen? That you and your dad, your dad with terminal cancer, will get into a fight?’
I look away from her, knowing she doesn’t know my father, doesn’t know the hell that I went through, and wonder if bringing her into this with a skewed view of the man is fair at all. ‘I don’t know,’ I eventually mumble. ‘All I know are my experiences.’
‘Which, to be fair, is all you can speak on. Not taking a knock at you, just saying that if you had bad experiences with him that it’s what you know.’
I nod my head. ‘Yeah, I mean my sisters worship him. I just… never got that love.’
‘Do you think it is because you’re adopted? Maybe he has some weird stigma about that?’
‘Possibly,’ I respond.
‘I think the most important part here is not to think about why he acted the way he did towards you. I think the most important part is to say the things you want to say. At the end of the day, this might be your final chance with him. If you have only one chance to put your feelings and emotions into words and have him hear them, this is it.’
‘When did you get to be so smart?’ I say as I look back at her and she simply shrugs her shoulders.
‘Just the way I was born.’
I look out the window again.
‘That doesn’t mean say vitriol things at him until he croaks.’
I shake my head. ‘You should have said that before I decided what I was going to say to him.’
‘He’s dying. He may have been an asshole all of your life, but you have to live with the words that you say to him. You want to know the final words I said to my mom?’
I look back at her again, not wanting to think about Lorelai’s mother, but knowing that I can’t shut her down. ‘Can I have some Pop-Tarts?’
‘Man, I wish I had said that. No, I told her that I know she did the best that she could with what she was given. I know you don’t have particularly fond memories of my mother, and for good reason, but I needed peace before she passed on. Without that peace, I’d have it haunting me for the next eight four and a half years.’
My brow furrows. ‘That seems oddly specific.’
‘And yet completely accurate.’
‘Alright then.’
‘So, you ready to go in?’
I shake my head.
‘Well, we have to anyways. I think I saw the neighbors looking out their window and potentially calling the cops on us.’
I take a deep breath in and slowly let it out before I pull the handle on my car door and open the door.
This is how the final day with my father began. Little did I know how much my understanding of my life would change by the time we finished the day.
To Be Continued.
Hopefully.