Post by Andrew Jacobsen on Jan 4, 2013 11:32:10 GMT -6
Andrew rubs his eyes, shaking his head as he stares at the computer screen. The stark headline remains there, austerely proclaiming “AUTO ACCIDENT LEAVES BROTHER OF NCW STAR IN HOSPITAL, KILLS FIANCEE.” He opens the article, numbly reading the report as his mind tries to process what happened.
Auto Accident Leaves Brother of NCW Star in Hospital, Kills Fiancée
By Monica Fuentes, Las Vegas Sun
Early in the hours of the New Year, tragedy struck quite literally for the friends and family of NCW wrestler and Las Vegas resident Jake “The Ace” Conway. Mr. Conway and his family were out celebrating the New Year’s holiday when a drunk driver ran his vehicle along the sidewalk. The vehicle, described by police as a black Lamborghini, struck both Mr. Conway’s brother, Jason Conway, and his brother’s fiancée, Laura Smith, both of Miami. The impact severely wounded Jason Conway, and Smith was killed upon impact. Kathleen Conway, wife of Jake Conway, suffered minor injuries. Las Vegas police are currently investigating the incident. Jason Conway remains in stable condition at Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center. All efforts to obtain communication with the Conway family have thus far been unsuccessful.
Andrew slumps back in his chair, in shock. His jaw involuntarily drops open as he runs a hand through his hair, muttering to himself. He rubs his eyes, shaking his head. Even though he’d never met either Jake’s brother or the woman who would have been his sister-in-law, it’s clear that the abrupt headline is hitting him hard. Finally, Andrew reaches back towards the computer, punching in a few things. He nods, pulling out his phone, and dials in a number, leaning back and still trying to sort things in his head. However, when the person on the other end picks up the phone, he manages to compose himself into something resembling a businesslike demeanor.
”Hello, Tiger Lily Flower Shop? Yes, I’d like to place an order for delivery…Sunrise Hospital…name’s going to be Conway…can I e-mail you the condolence note?...thank you…yeah, card information’s—“
It’s at this point that the video jumps a bit, perhaps being clumsily edited by whatever intern got the job of uploading it onto the NCW site. When we return, it’s to Andrew hanging up the phone, sighing and placing it back in his pocket. He’s about to begin typing again when a knock comes at his door. Andrew shuts the laptop lid, standing up and walking over. He glances through the peephole before opening the door, surprised to see Emma Danielson standing there. She’s got a noticeably worried look on her face, and when the door opens she rushes forward and pulls Andrew into a tight hug. Andrew blinks, confused, and slowly pats her back.
”Uh, Em? Is…everything okay?”
She shakes her head, looking up at him, and he immediately notices that her eyes are red and puffy. She’s been crying, something else that stuns the already surprised Jacobsen. Emma sniffles, shaking her head again.
”No, Andy. Did you see the news? Jake…I mean Ace’s family got hit by a drunk driver n New Year’s. His brother’s fiancée died, and…and…oh God, I guess between getting to know him a bit more and…I feel like I know what they’re going through, and it hit me really hard, and….and I just needed a familiar face, you know?”
Andrew pauses, looking her in the eyes, before smiling softly and reciprocating the hug. He speaks quietly into her ear.
”Yeah. I know. Come on in. If you need Andrew Time, you got it. Just let me get the door…”
He reaches out slightly, grabbing the door and swinging it shut. We fade to black on that shot of the door…and the sounds of a Hellion’s heart breaking.
”You know, I got asked a very interesting question the other day…I got asked why I do what I do. By a coworker, no less. Now, I understand that some people have different motivations. Some men are in this business to make money, plain and simple. Some are here because this is the only way they can express themselves in the manner they want to without getting arrested. And then, well…you get the guys like me. The guys like Joe Everyman. The ones who, against all odds, beyond all reasonable logic, keep plugging away despite the doubters and the hate…they’re the most interesting of all. Because sometimes they don’t get that respect that some others get handed to them on a silver platter. They don’t bellow catchphrases or suck up to the boss. They just go out there and fight, no matter what the end result is going to be.”
“We’re very different men, Ja—Ace. Oh, sure, we’ve got a lot of common points. We’re both skilled technical wrestlers, we’re both arguably underappreciated by our peers…but where we differ is in that point that we’ve both been hammering home so hard. You’ve got two personas. You’ve got the public persona of The Ace: suave, sophisticated sadist, the guy who’ll beat your dome in with a rake and leave you bleeding just because he can, and then there’s Jake Conway: devoted husband, loving father, family man…almost completely a 180 from where you are in the ring. I have one mode, one speed. I am exactly what I say I am every moment of my life. There’s no public Andrew or private Andrew, there’s just me.”
“And while I’ll be honest and say that I’ve had my darker impulses, I can also tell you that those impulses died over a year ago. I let them take over in the pursuit of an ideal I could never fit, and it almost cost us one of the best damn competitors this company has ever seen. To use a bit of a cliché line, my eyes were opened and I saw the light. And what I saw in that light wasn’t what I am. So I decided to be honest with myself and the fans. As to why that led me to work with Rob Diamond and Steve Awesome…well, that’s a story for another day.”
“Point is, I have one face and I’m comfortable with it. You…you have two, and you can’t be fully honest with either. As Jake Conway, you’re allowed to express your vulnerabilities, your pedestrian desires, you…you’re allowed to be human. But there’s part of you that Jake just doesn’t let out. That’s The Ace’s job. He lets you vent those violent tendencies. Two faces. Neither of them your real one. Neither of them allowing you to express yourself in a 100% honest manner. So maybe that fact, combined with your loss—for which you have my sincerest condolences—has you in a bad way upstairs. I understand. You lost family, and grief does things to a man.”
“But the last thing I ever expected, the last thing I thought I would hear from your lips, was twisting that loss, that tragedy into a WEAPON to use against me. You can talk about people distorting and warping the facts all you want, but not only did you bring my family into this, not only did you bring my FRIEND into this, you just brought your daughter and your late sister-in-law to be into this, all out of some desperate belief that it’d give you a bit of leverage going into our match. And you’ve certainly provoked a reaction, if that’s what you were looking for. But I’m going to use this anger. I’m going to channel it and use it to tear apart this wall of deceit that you’ve constructed before me.”
“Let’s start with your hiring of my sister. You’re a real philanthropist there, Ace. I mean it. You, out of the goodness of your heart, went out of your way AFTER you threatened her, and hired her on as your secretary. Great. So she’s now got the honor of doing your dirty work and getting coffee thrown at her by your lovely wife? I can see how that’d be a thrilling first job for a nineteen-year-old. Real charitable of you.”
“Oh, and speaking of charitable acts, how ‘bout my friend Emma? She’s doing real great for herself sitting at home and getting fewer matches than Cindy Warren and Charity Helms because you ordered her into some wholly unneeded therapy. How munificent of you to keep her job…after firing both of her friends and clearly being on the brink yourself. See, I know Kathy still wanted to fire her. I think I know why you kept her on, Jake. I think you, out of everyone on the roster, recognize her for who she is: a powerful, beautiful woman. You think I don’t see it? You’ve got wandering eyes, Jake, and she’s the candy you’re hungry for.”
“Fact is, you’re not doing my job better than I am. You’re doing your job as well as you can do it. And I’m ready to do my job as well as I can do it. That means an express mail boot to your jaw, knocking your ass to the canvas, and pinning you. That means taking you down and tying you into knots until you’re frantically tapping out. And I promise you, Ace, if you want to bring your daughter into this…the only one who’ll be making this anything less than a clean athletic contest is you. As I’ve said, I only have one persona. And I fight clean. I hope I see a clean fight from you, but I know that I need to be ready for you to fight dirty. That’s life. Jake…I won’t try to cheapen your loss, so I’ll just say good night and good luck.”
Auto Accident Leaves Brother of NCW Star in Hospital, Kills Fiancée
By Monica Fuentes, Las Vegas Sun
Early in the hours of the New Year, tragedy struck quite literally for the friends and family of NCW wrestler and Las Vegas resident Jake “The Ace” Conway. Mr. Conway and his family were out celebrating the New Year’s holiday when a drunk driver ran his vehicle along the sidewalk. The vehicle, described by police as a black Lamborghini, struck both Mr. Conway’s brother, Jason Conway, and his brother’s fiancée, Laura Smith, both of Miami. The impact severely wounded Jason Conway, and Smith was killed upon impact. Kathleen Conway, wife of Jake Conway, suffered minor injuries. Las Vegas police are currently investigating the incident. Jason Conway remains in stable condition at Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center. All efforts to obtain communication with the Conway family have thus far been unsuccessful.
Andrew slumps back in his chair, in shock. His jaw involuntarily drops open as he runs a hand through his hair, muttering to himself. He rubs his eyes, shaking his head. Even though he’d never met either Jake’s brother or the woman who would have been his sister-in-law, it’s clear that the abrupt headline is hitting him hard. Finally, Andrew reaches back towards the computer, punching in a few things. He nods, pulling out his phone, and dials in a number, leaning back and still trying to sort things in his head. However, when the person on the other end picks up the phone, he manages to compose himself into something resembling a businesslike demeanor.
”Hello, Tiger Lily Flower Shop? Yes, I’d like to place an order for delivery…Sunrise Hospital…name’s going to be Conway…can I e-mail you the condolence note?...thank you…yeah, card information’s—“
It’s at this point that the video jumps a bit, perhaps being clumsily edited by whatever intern got the job of uploading it onto the NCW site. When we return, it’s to Andrew hanging up the phone, sighing and placing it back in his pocket. He’s about to begin typing again when a knock comes at his door. Andrew shuts the laptop lid, standing up and walking over. He glances through the peephole before opening the door, surprised to see Emma Danielson standing there. She’s got a noticeably worried look on her face, and when the door opens she rushes forward and pulls Andrew into a tight hug. Andrew blinks, confused, and slowly pats her back.
”Uh, Em? Is…everything okay?”
She shakes her head, looking up at him, and he immediately notices that her eyes are red and puffy. She’s been crying, something else that stuns the already surprised Jacobsen. Emma sniffles, shaking her head again.
”No, Andy. Did you see the news? Jake…I mean Ace’s family got hit by a drunk driver n New Year’s. His brother’s fiancée died, and…and…oh God, I guess between getting to know him a bit more and…I feel like I know what they’re going through, and it hit me really hard, and….and I just needed a familiar face, you know?”
Andrew pauses, looking her in the eyes, before smiling softly and reciprocating the hug. He speaks quietly into her ear.
”Yeah. I know. Come on in. If you need Andrew Time, you got it. Just let me get the door…”
He reaches out slightly, grabbing the door and swinging it shut. We fade to black on that shot of the door…and the sounds of a Hellion’s heart breaking.
”You know, I got asked a very interesting question the other day…I got asked why I do what I do. By a coworker, no less. Now, I understand that some people have different motivations. Some men are in this business to make money, plain and simple. Some are here because this is the only way they can express themselves in the manner they want to without getting arrested. And then, well…you get the guys like me. The guys like Joe Everyman. The ones who, against all odds, beyond all reasonable logic, keep plugging away despite the doubters and the hate…they’re the most interesting of all. Because sometimes they don’t get that respect that some others get handed to them on a silver platter. They don’t bellow catchphrases or suck up to the boss. They just go out there and fight, no matter what the end result is going to be.”
“We’re very different men, Ja—Ace. Oh, sure, we’ve got a lot of common points. We’re both skilled technical wrestlers, we’re both arguably underappreciated by our peers…but where we differ is in that point that we’ve both been hammering home so hard. You’ve got two personas. You’ve got the public persona of The Ace: suave, sophisticated sadist, the guy who’ll beat your dome in with a rake and leave you bleeding just because he can, and then there’s Jake Conway: devoted husband, loving father, family man…almost completely a 180 from where you are in the ring. I have one mode, one speed. I am exactly what I say I am every moment of my life. There’s no public Andrew or private Andrew, there’s just me.”
“And while I’ll be honest and say that I’ve had my darker impulses, I can also tell you that those impulses died over a year ago. I let them take over in the pursuit of an ideal I could never fit, and it almost cost us one of the best damn competitors this company has ever seen. To use a bit of a cliché line, my eyes were opened and I saw the light. And what I saw in that light wasn’t what I am. So I decided to be honest with myself and the fans. As to why that led me to work with Rob Diamond and Steve Awesome…well, that’s a story for another day.”
“Point is, I have one face and I’m comfortable with it. You…you have two, and you can’t be fully honest with either. As Jake Conway, you’re allowed to express your vulnerabilities, your pedestrian desires, you…you’re allowed to be human. But there’s part of you that Jake just doesn’t let out. That’s The Ace’s job. He lets you vent those violent tendencies. Two faces. Neither of them your real one. Neither of them allowing you to express yourself in a 100% honest manner. So maybe that fact, combined with your loss—for which you have my sincerest condolences—has you in a bad way upstairs. I understand. You lost family, and grief does things to a man.”
“But the last thing I ever expected, the last thing I thought I would hear from your lips, was twisting that loss, that tragedy into a WEAPON to use against me. You can talk about people distorting and warping the facts all you want, but not only did you bring my family into this, not only did you bring my FRIEND into this, you just brought your daughter and your late sister-in-law to be into this, all out of some desperate belief that it’d give you a bit of leverage going into our match. And you’ve certainly provoked a reaction, if that’s what you were looking for. But I’m going to use this anger. I’m going to channel it and use it to tear apart this wall of deceit that you’ve constructed before me.”
“Let’s start with your hiring of my sister. You’re a real philanthropist there, Ace. I mean it. You, out of the goodness of your heart, went out of your way AFTER you threatened her, and hired her on as your secretary. Great. So she’s now got the honor of doing your dirty work and getting coffee thrown at her by your lovely wife? I can see how that’d be a thrilling first job for a nineteen-year-old. Real charitable of you.”
“Oh, and speaking of charitable acts, how ‘bout my friend Emma? She’s doing real great for herself sitting at home and getting fewer matches than Cindy Warren and Charity Helms because you ordered her into some wholly unneeded therapy. How munificent of you to keep her job…after firing both of her friends and clearly being on the brink yourself. See, I know Kathy still wanted to fire her. I think I know why you kept her on, Jake. I think you, out of everyone on the roster, recognize her for who she is: a powerful, beautiful woman. You think I don’t see it? You’ve got wandering eyes, Jake, and she’s the candy you’re hungry for.”
“Fact is, you’re not doing my job better than I am. You’re doing your job as well as you can do it. And I’m ready to do my job as well as I can do it. That means an express mail boot to your jaw, knocking your ass to the canvas, and pinning you. That means taking you down and tying you into knots until you’re frantically tapping out. And I promise you, Ace, if you want to bring your daughter into this…the only one who’ll be making this anything less than a clean athletic contest is you. As I’ve said, I only have one persona. And I fight clean. I hope I see a clean fight from you, but I know that I need to be ready for you to fight dirty. That’s life. Jake…I won’t try to cheapen your loss, so I’ll just say good night and good luck.”
In Memoriam
Laura Smith
March 29, 1987 — January 1, 2013
[/i]Laura Smith
March 29, 1987 — January 1, 2013
