Vancouver, BC
Monday 5th November 1984
Alyn’s voice trembles with a mixture of shock, anger and sadness as he speaks. Zoë sobs quietly, her head still low and her long blonde hair covering her face.
“How long has this been going on?”
Zoë looks up, sweeping the hair out of her face. Tears stream down her cheek and her lip quivers. But she doesn’t answer.
“HOW LONG?”
There is another long, painful silence as before Zoë brings herself to speak.
“Five years.”
A fire begins to rage in the eyes of Alyn Joyce.
“Five years? You’ve been having an affair for five years!?”
“I’m so sorry; we never meant to hurt you…”
“WELL IT’S TOO LATE NOW!”
Alyn’s face grows redder by the second as his anger builds. Zoë’s face is deathly white in comparison, the fear and sadness apparent in her eyes.
“You… and Bob…” Alyn pauses as the name of his neighbour crosses his lips. “You’ve torn this family apart…. YOU RIPPED OUT MY HEART!!”
As Alyn yells out at his wife, he points towards her, revealing a large kitchen knife in his hand. Zoë looks at the knife with fear and then looks her husband in the eye.
”Please, Alyn, put the knife down!”
“Do you love him?”
“What?”
“DO YOU LOVE HIM!?”
Alyn steps closer as he screams at his wife, who cowers in fear.
“No… yes… I don’t know!” Zoë says as she cries. She steps away from her husband, back now against the wall. Alyn steps forward, knife still pointing towards her. “Please…” She begs her husband. “Please, put the knife down… this doesn’t have to be the end.”
Alyn laughs, a hint of evil in his eye as he looks at Zoë.
“Yes it does.” He steps towards his wife, slowly. “You broke my heart, Zo. And now…” He raises the knife. ”Now I get to break yours…”
Alyn lurches forward and Zoë screams as the scene cuts quickly to black.
Homer Street, Vancouver
Wednesday 5th November 2008
The scene opens on the main entrance to the Beresford Apartments in Vancouver. It’s a crisp and cold afternoon, the sun providing little heat for the doorman to the building who stands rubbing his hands and shuffling his feet.
“Morning Charles.”
The doorman turns towards the voice as a man is just leaving the building. The man is in his early thirties, short brown hair and is wearing a long brown coat.
“Morning Mr. Joyce.” The doorman replies.
“What’s the latest on the heating situation?” The man says as he puts on his gloves while stepping down the stairs and onto the sidewalk. “When can we expect it back on? It’s freezing in there.”
“I’m waiting on the engineer now, Mr. Joyce.” Charles says with a smile. “Should be back on by lunch, so I’m told.”
“Good to hear, Charles, good to hear.” The man looks out at the sky, some menacing grey clouds lurk in the distance. “We’re probably going to need it.”
The man continues to look out at the sky, a look of contemplation etched on his face. He sighs slightly.
“Everything ok, sir?” Charles says, noticing the look.
”Yeah, fine.” Joyce answers with a nod. “Just off to St. Peters cemetery, it’s the anniversary of my parents’ death today.”
Charles remains silent for a moment, not entirely sure how to respond. “Well, send them my regards!” He says with a smile, trying to lighten the mood a little.
“I will.” Joyce says with a chuckle. “You knew my parents, right?”
“Yes sir.” Charles nods, remembering back to the days before he was a doorman. “Your father was my boss for a couple of years before…”
He stops in his tracks, not wanting to say ‘before he went mental and killed your mother’. Joyce nods, knowing what Charles means. The two remain silent for a moment, Joyce tries hard to picture his parents in his head, tries to remember something about his childhood. But all he can ever picture is the sight he came home to one day after school, the sight of a bloodied apartment and his parents both dead. Over the years this has become the only memory that Joyce has left of his parents.
”What were they like?”
“Your parents?”
“Yeah.” Joyce frowns a little as he seems to be thinking hard. “I don’t remember them.”
Charles lets out a consoling smile. “They were wonderful people. Your mother was so warm, caring and funny. Your father was very smart and determined. I see bits of both of them in you.”
Joyce smiles, glad to hear nice words about his parents for once. Before he can ask anything else the two men are interrupted by the arrival of a loud car. Joyce turns to look as an electric blue 1971 Oldsmobile Cutlass 442 pulls up in front of the building. A figure appears from the driver’s side as a tall black man, similar age to Joyce, clambers out of the window and perches on the door, looking across the roof of the car towards Joyce and Charles.
”Hey, August.” The man says, having to speak loudly over the growl of the cars beefed up engine. “Quit jabberin’ wit the old man and get yo ass in the car, we got places to be.” He smiles widely as he looks at the two men. “No offence, Charlie.”
“Non taken Mr. Doi.” Charles says with a laugh, obviously used to it.
This is Benjamin Doi. Originally from Nigeria, Benjamin moved to Chicago at the age of 3. After his parents were killed during an attack on a family funeral in Laos Benjamin, and his younger sister, were adopted by an elderly Japanese couple. When Benjamin was a teenager his adoptive parents also both passed away, and he legally changed his name as a mark of respect to them. He’s a shade taller than August, and a fair amount wider. But somehow still manages to perch on the car door like he is at present.
Joyce shakes his head and laughs as he walks towards the car. “Benjamin, what the hell are you doing here?”
“A little birdie reminded me what day it is.” Ben says. “An’ I ain’t lettin’ ya go alone.”
“Little birdie?” Joyce asks.
“Selina.” Benjamin nods. “My sis got the memory of a… freaky good memory person.”
Joyce laughs as he opens the passenger door and gets into the car. Benjamin slides back in through the window to join August in the car.
“Seriously though, why are you here? Why would you want to come with?”
”You went wit me to Nigeria to pay respect to ma folks, now I’ma do the same wit you.” Ben says with a smile. “You my boy, gotta make sure you ok. Now you probably wanna be alone, and that cool, but at least let a brother give ya a ride.”
August looks at Benjamin, a raised eyebrow indicating he believes there may be more to this than a friend offering a lift and returning a favor. Ben looks back, disheartened that his friend doesn’t think him genuine. After a while of exchanging these looks Benjamin breaks.
“Aight, aight…” He says with a sigh. “Zhen wants to see ya, wants to make sure ya don’t spend all day at the damn cemetery.”
August rolls his eyes. “Anyone would think that woman is our boss.”
“Uh, she is.” Benjamin looks confused.
“She’s our lawyer, our agent…” August starts. “Technically she works for us.”
“So why does it never feel like dat?”
Benjamin smiles as he revs the engine. A quick look over his shoulder tells him the road is clear, and he pulls away as the scene fades out.
The Doi Residence
Chicago, IL
Sunday 17th June 1979
(Fathers Day)
It’s a peaceful day in this part of Chicago as an elderly Japanese couple, Mr & Mrs Doi, are serving up dinner in their small apartment. As Mr Doi sets the table he glances across to the other side of the room, where a four year old Benjamin Finidi is sat watching television, something he doesn’t have in his own home. Benjamin’s younger sister, Selina, is sat in a high chair already at the table.
Mr & Mrs Doi have been enjoying looking after the children, whose parents live next door. Mr & Mrs Finidi had returned to their native Nigeria just a few days ago and had decided against taking the children with them. Partly because they didn’t want to have to explain what a funeral was to their children, and partly due to the cost of airline tickets for them.
As the meal preparations continue, and Benjamin continues to be enthralled by the television, the phone rings. Mrs Doi hobbles over to the phone on the wall and answers it in broken English.
“Hello?” There is a pause as the other person announces themselves. “Yes, this is Mrs Doi. Finidi children are here.” Mrs Doi’s face shows concern and confusion, and soon switches to sadness. She looks across at Benjamin and Selina, and then to her husband as she places the phone back on the wall.
“Benjamin…” She says, brushing aside all emotion. “Come get dinner.”
Benjamin bounds up to the table and takes a seat, tucking into the food that Mr Doi has just set down for him.
Mrs Doi looks at her husband. “それらは家に帰らない。 ある種の攻撃がずっとある.”
To say that the news of Mr & Mrs Finidi’s death came as a shock would be a bit of an understatement. Mr Doi’s initial thoughts were of sadness that he would not be seeing his neighbours again. Then they turned to the children. The Finidi’s had no family left, no relatives to look after Benjamin and Selina. Today, Fathers Day, Mr Doi realised he would have to become a father.
The Offices of Zhen Xu
Begbie Street, Vancouver
Wednesday 5th November 2008
The door to the office opens and August Joyce walks into the room, shortly followed by Benjamin Doi. The offices are small and primitive, based in the basement of small office building in a quiet street in New Westminster. It’s a far cry from the big, plush offices that the owner used to inhabit before she flew the nest of Davis LLP.
A door at the back of the room is closed, the name plate on the door reads ‘Zhen Xu’. From within the room comes a muffled one-sided conversation. Joyce walks up to a desk where a young, attractive woman is sat reading a copy of the Vancouver Sun. As she hears the footsteps she lowers the newspaper and peaks over the top, greeting the men with a smile.
”Hey guys. Zhen’s on phone to Tess.” The girl speaks with a pronounced Russian accent. “She won’t be long.”
“CHUR NI-DUH!” An almighty yell comes from within the room at the back of the office, followed by a loud slamming noise.
“Sounds like she’s done.” The girl says calmly.
August turns round to Benjamin and makes the universal facial expression for ‘I didn’t like the sound of that!’
Doi nods. “Now my Mandarin ain’t all up to scratch, but I’m guessin’ she in a bad mood!”
August turns back to face the girl at the desk. “Yana, you know what Zhen wanted to see me about?”
“An’ why I runnin’ errands fo’ her?” Ben chips in.
Yana shrugs. “I don’t know what she want, she not tell me.”
Yana never bothered finding out what it was Zhen wanted, she never does. She just does as she’s told and is glad to have a job. She’s comfortable here in Vancouver, having a job that doesn’t require a large amount of effort, part time Chinese studies at the University, a relatively nice apartment and a healthy life. It’s a long way from where she started her life in what is now known as St. Petersburg, Russia.
Suddenly the door at the back of the room swings open and a small oriental woman, in her late thirties, steps out of the room with a massive smile on her face. This is Zhen Xu, former lawyer turned agent to the stars. Well, agent to August, Benjamin and a small time singer by the name of Tess Bolton.
Zhen walks up to August and gives him a big hug.
“August, babe. Good to see you.” Zhen turns on the charm.
Joyce half-smiles. “Hey Geekachu, good to see you too.”
Zhen smiles at the sound of August’s nickname for her, based on her self confessed geek-ness and love for all things Pokemon. She turns to Benjamin, going to hug him as well.
“Thanks for making sure he came.”
“Touch me an’ die, lady.” Doi says, never one for showing affection, or generally touching other people in general. Kind of ironic for a man who gets paid to get up close and personal with other people.
Zhen turns back to August. “He’s always so chirpy.”
August chuckles, then gets serious again. “So, Zhen, what’s the deal? Why call me down here?”
“Well…” Zhen starts, walking back into her office, and motioning for the guys to follow her. “How long you think you can survive doing indy shows around B.C?”
“Can’t really say I thought about it.” August follows Zhen into her office, as does Ben. “I mean, I make a living. Things are ok at the moment.”He turns to Ben as he shuts the door behind them. “Right?”
“Hell yea, things are good. We makin’ good money, makin’ a name fo’ ourselves.”
Zhen takes a seat behind her desk as the two men pull up chairs on the other side. Zhen pulls out a packet of cigarettes and a lighter, putting one in her mouth. She’s about to light it when August coughs, Zhen looks up at him.
”Zhen, this is a public building…” August says, hinting at the smoking law which Zhen was about to break. “Surely as a lawyer you should know better!” He smiles at her.
She’s not so impressed, and puts the cigarette back in its box, tossing the pack into her drawer.
“As I was about to say.” Zhen sighs. “How would you like to make more than ‘good money’? How would you like to spread your wings a little?”
“August…” Benjamin says, leaning in towards his friend. “She sayin’ what I think she’s sayin’?”
“You’ve got us a trial with a national promotion?” August sounds surprised.
“Zhen, you’re a god damn beautiful woman!” Benjamin stands up, leans over the desk and hugs his agent, a massive smile on his face. He suddenly realises what he’s doing and sits down again.
“How?” August asks. “I’ve not heard of any talent scouts being at our shows.”
“What do you think that was for?” Zhen motions to a camcorder sat on top of a filing cabinet. “I’ve been making DVD’s to send out to every major promoter I could think of.”
“An’ they loved us, I bet!” Benjamin has a massive smile on his face.
Zhen doesn’t look so happy. “Hold up there, Gentle Ben, don’t get ahead of me. They loved August.”
Benjamin suddenly loses the smile. “Hold up, they offerin’ a deal to ma boy here, but not fo’ me?”
“They may be willing to hire you with August, but I doubt they would as a singles competitor.” Zhen begins. “They’ve heard your name before; know about your knee problem. They won’t want to risk signing you to singles. But as an associate of August, as a partner, that they’re happy with.”
“Kay… I can deal wit dat.”
August has been silent for a few moments, taking it all in.
“Which promoter is it that’s made the offer? Which company?”
“Ever hear the name Barrett Brand?” Zhen asks with a smile, knowing full well what the answer is.
”Brand? MWA?”
Zhen nods. “The one and only.”
“I gotta tell Xanthe.” August exclaims, starting to get out of his chair
“Hold up.” Zhen stops him in his tracks. “You need to know the details.”
August sits back down and raises an eyebrow, expecting there to be some kind of hideous catch.
“There’s a catch aint there?” Benjamin senses the same thing.
Zhen starts to speak but stops, wondering how to word it. “I wouldn’t say it was a catch, but I want you to be clear what the offer is.”
“Well?” August says after a slight pause.
“You go to London, England. You go to the O2 Arena. You get entered into Any Given Night…”
“WOAH!” Benjamin suddenly stands up, his chair flying back in the process. He slaps a hand to his head and has a look of childlike excitement on his face. His other hand points to August. “They entering his ass into Any Given Night?!!”
Zhen nods with a smile, August looks confused.
“Either of you want to tell me what Any Given Night is?”
“You don’t know?” Benjamin’s surprise is evident in his voice. “I thought you knew about the MWA?”
“I do… but I’m a little behind.” August says sheepishly.
Zhen sighs and shakes her head. “You better catch up before you get there, otherwise they’ll think you’re an ignorant bastard.”
“He is an ignorant bastard.” Smiles Benjamin.
August flashes him a look, and Benjamin loses his smile, picking up his chair and sitting back down.
“Basically…” Zhen begins “Any Given Night is open to anyone. It’s one match, god knows how many people will enter, and the winner gets a shot at the MWA World Heavyweight Championship.” She pauses, letting that sink in for a moment. “So it’s a pretty big deal.”
“Winner gets a title shot?” August can’t quite believe it. “That’s one hell of an incentive. And I have the chance to be in this match?”
Zhen nods. “You’re already signed up.”
“Ok, now I really gotta tell Xanthe!” August is up again and already heading out of the door.
Benjamin remains seated, watching his friend and partner wander off into the other room. He turns back to Zhen, who is getting her cigarettes back out of the drawer.
“Ya know, the knee ain’t that bad.” He starts. “Doc reckons he can do an operation that’ll fix me right up.”
“Yeah, sure.” Zhen says without an ounce of belief.
Ben scowls, and notices Zhen’s about to light up.
“Don’t make me call August back in here.”
Zhen sighs and tosses the pack back on her desk, looking at Benjamin with disdain.
“HOE-tze duh PEE-goo!”
Ben raises an eyebrow. “Did yo’ old Asian ass just call me somethin’ rude?”
The voice of Yana calls out from the other room. “She just call you a Monkey’s butt.”
“HOO-TSUH JIEN HUO!” Zhen calls out to her assistant, having forgotten that Yana could not only hear them, but knows a little Chinese too.
“Monkey’s butt?” Benjamin glares at Zhen.
Zhen smiles innocently. “She’s just messing with you.”
“Whatever.” Ben says as he gets up out of the chair. “I’m out, gonna go find ma boy. We gonna go out and celebrate this fine news.”
Ben heads out of the door, Zhen waits until he’s out of view and picks up her cigarettes again, a big smile crossing her face.