9 January, 2020
Musashino, Tokyo, Japan
It had been a year or two since she had been home. Home. The word had an interesting meaning for her. Japan would always BE home. That much she knew for sure. But she didn’t live there, and didn’t intend to again. Maybe when she retired, she mused. With luck, that was many years away as yet.
The car slowed as the driver pulled into the drive. Looking out the window, Urakih looked at the large, but modest home. Several years ago, her parents lost their home, the home she was raised in. When Urakih found out, she flew home to see them, and bought them this home. It was much bigger and newer than their old house. Initially, they balked at the luxury. But Urakih insisted they accept it. They had sacrificed much for her growing up, and she wanted them to live in comfort.
In truth, she had been trying to buy them a new house for years before the fire. But her parents were proud people. They said they didn’t need more than they had already, so they refused. Even with all the issues of their old home, they refused. Urakih understood, and dropped it eventually. Opening the door, Urakih paid her driver generously and told him to stay available but to enjoy himself.
As the car pulled away, the front door of the home opened, and one of the attendants Urakih hired beckoned her near, bowing respectfully. Urakih also bowed. Inside now, Urakih was led to a sitting room, where her parents were having their afternoon tea. She waited for them to see her, and then she bowed. Her mother rose first and rushed to embrace her.
“Rinasa!” her mother exclaimed while hugging her. She then spoke in Japanese. “How are you? What a surprise!”
“I’m well, mother. I wanted to surprise you and father,” Urakih answered with a smile as she held her mother out to examine her. Years were being kind to her, she noted with a smile, though she was a bit skinnier than last she saw her. Her father grinned while reaching for a hug from both women.
“You sound like those Americans now,” he teased in English. All three of them laughed now as more tea was served and they were seated.
“Are you comfortable here?” Urakih asked, genuinely curious. It was a nice home, she thought. Five bedrooms each with a full bathroom, three standalone bathrooms, a large kitchen, two sitting rooms, two studies, a theater, a four car garage, and a large yard, front and back. There was even a workshop, as her mother had begun an interest in pottery again in her later years, and her father began woodworking. Urakih had also hired several persons to help her parents. They weren’t so old yet that they couldn’t manage, but it made her feel better knowing they had help.
“Your servants are very helpful,” her father said. Urakih winced slightly. Her mother was far more accepting of these attendants who helped with things. Her father, however, felt that Urakih was punishing them for getting old. “Father, they aren’t servants. They are helpers for you and mother. I pay them very well, and you are well cared for, I hope.” In truth, the five people were all very young, with the oldest being a mere 21 years of age. The rest were teenagers, some still in school even. They worked a few hours a day, and then went home. Four days a week, Urakih paid a chef to come and cook for her parents.
The best gift she could give her parents at this stage was her time and money, Urakih believed. And the former was much more difficult. She had plenty of money, but getting to the other side of the planet was something she didn’t do often. “Rinasa, tell us about our grandson. How is he? Has he started school yet? And your husband, his father, how is he?” Her mother requested as she raised her tea cup to her lips. And so, Urakih told them. She would spend a few more days with them before returning home to America.
One Year Later
Urakih held her son’s hand, and her husband had an arm around her shoulder. The funeral service was almost over. Urakih had not stopped crying since she got the news. At least a few times a day, she had a burst of tears. She’d managed to hold it together during the service, however. Death was a part of life, she knew. And she knew that every person had it waiting for them, at some point in the future. Still, she was not prepared for this. She didn’t particularly believe in an afterlife. Not in the traditional manner, anyway. She believed all life had a beginning and an end. And today, they were celebrating an end to a long and honorable life.
There it goes, she said to herself. A single tear she felt escape her eye, and burn its way down her cheek. Later, she would hate herself for letting even one tear show. She needed to be strong, she told herself. After the service, her mother came up to her and hugged her. “He was a good man, your father. You know this, Rinasa?” the elderly Japanese woman cried as she held her child. “Yes, mother. The best father I could ask for,” Urakih was glad her son met her father when he was old enough to remember him. He was truly a good man.
May 24th, 2021
Elyria, Ohio
On Camera
The camera was focused on the SCW International Heavyweight Championship as the scene began. After a few seconds, the camera zoomed out and panned up, to show the face of the champion, the undefeated Adatu Urakih. She was smiling as she stared into the camera before speaking. “Finally, a long awaited day has come. I get to compete again. Well, I say compete, but let’s be honest. This will not be a competition. I’m going to tear through Dean Tyler like a tornado from hell. I am to be the first person to defend a championship, and make no mistake about it, Dean. I WILL leave Overdrive 53 as the SCW International Heavyweight Champion. Bigger and better wrestlers than you have tried to defeat me.”
Urakih paused now, drinking from a bottle in her left hand. Capping it, she continued. “You’re going to be locked inside a steel cage with the 4th and Beloved, Dean Tyler. You’re going to go one on one with the most dangerous woman in SCW. Perhaps person. I know we’ve got some new blood in, you included. Dangerous Dean Tyler…” Urakih chuckled now, still amused by this nickname. “I can’t wait to see what pitiful attempts you make, to prove you are dangerous. Oh what fun I’ll have, and the best part? When you realize you’re just a pretender, there will be nowhere for you to go. I’m going to beat your ass like a Cherokee drum. I’m going to be wading in your blood by the end of the match. I’m not going to pin you. I’m not going to climb out of the cage. I’m going to break you down to an atomic level until all you can do is tap out.”
The champion unclipped the belt, and held it up. It shimmered in the light as she moved it. It was one of the lighter belts in terms of weight, weighing just nine pounds. The North American belt, which incidentally shared the same design, was slightly heavier. “This championship was crafted by my master on the night she won the North American Championship, and for 420 days, she reigned, until it was stolen by the usurper, Larissa. 133 days later, I took it from that thief, with a broken arm, mind you. That was 800 days ago. I could hold this championship for another 800 days. I certainly won’t be losing it to the likes of you. I will drag you to hell and leave you there, if that’s what it takes to keep this championship.” Urakih stared into the camera now, smiling as the image faded to nothing.
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