Wooooo-ooooooah woah wooo-oooo-ooh oh mmm mmm oh oh ohhhhhohhhh.
“Basically we are all alone…
In the center of a pickaxe mine.
Black lung stings as the pickaxe swings…
And the void of the mine closes in.”
Wooooo-ooooooah woah wooo-oooo-ooh oh mmm mmm oh oh ohhhhhohhhh.(“Black Lung” by The Dead South starts to play as the video opens to a funeral procession underway as we see two black umbrellas standing off in the distance. Jack Russow wipes a stinging tear from his eye.)
Alanah O’Connell-Russow: Don’t you want to move further, love?
Jack Russow: I’m good right here baby, thanks.
Alanah O’Connell-Russow: How’d you know him?
Jack Russow: Class…Arek was the only one that would give me the time of day cause of who dad was. He never saw me as a punk second generation wannabe. He and I pushed each other til the end of the line
“And every twig snapped underfoot is another broken bone on your bill.”(Jack reminisces about the first day Arek introduced himself in class. It was basically…that. There was no pussyfooting around with him…he told you like it was.)
Jack Russow: What the fuck does that even mean?
Arek: It means that if you don’t GET THE FUCKIN’ LEAD OUT…I’M TURNIN’ MY BOOT SIDEWAYS AND PLANTING IT FIRMLY IN YOUR LILLY WHITE ASS, RUSSOW!!!
Jack Russow: OKAY!!! JESUS!!!
(Jack climbs the top rope and his legs start to shake…Arek sees this and just grabs him off the turnbuckle.)
Jack Russow: Hey! What gives!
Arek: Your little chicken shit knees!
Jack Russow: …is there like, a GOOD side of you?
Arek: Maybe. You gotta earn it first.
Jack Russow: …wha-
Arek: MOVE THE ASS, RUSSOW!!!
(Jack snaps back to reality…Alanah is looking at him immensely concerned.)
Jack Russow: I just…I don’t get it. He was so crisp…so sharp.
Alanah O’Connell-Russow: Oh love…I’m so sorry. What happened?
Jack Russow: He botched a phoenix splash…slipped and his head cracked off the back of the turnbuckle.
Alanah O’Connell-Russow: That’s horrific!
Jack Russow: …I can’t do it.
Alanah O’Connell-Russow: Can’t do what, my love?
Jack Russow: I can’t face Milo.
Alanah O’Connell-Russow: Oh…oh I see. How come?
Jack Russow: If it could happen to Arek, it could happen to ME…and I can’t…do that to you and the kids.
Alanah O’Connell-Russow: Babe, you’re the most careful competitor I know! You’re gonna be just fine.
Jack Russow: It’s just…y’know…Milo was the star pupil and he used to gimme a lot of shit back then…everyone did. Arek was the one to snatch my ass up and put me to work, not dad. This is bullshit that he’s not here and I can’t do this anymore.
(Jack kisses Alanah’s hand as the procession is wrapping up. People form the line to say their goodbyes…Jack hesitates at first but is pushed by Alanah. When he gets to the casket…he reaches out and feels it cold to the touch. And tears instantly fill his eyes as his voice cracks.)
Jack Russow: Fly high, Cap’n..,I’ll take it from here.
(He then turns and kisses Arek’s wife on the cheek before he kneels down…talking to Arek’s son.)
Jack Russow: How you holdin’ up, Champ?
Darek: I miss my dad…
Jack Russow: I know bud, I know…c’mere.
(Jack scoops Darek up in a hu
g before he bounces him on his hip and sniffles to clear his throat.)
Jack Russow: Kid, your dad…was a hero.
(Jack looks over and sees Arek’s wife clutching the folded American flag to her chest as she absolutely breaks down. Jack catches her and holds her as she sobs openly into his chest. Jack looks at Alanah with tear stained eyes as we switch gears.)
“I’m a Dungeon Master, Motherfucker! I’m ALL the bad guys!”
(We see an empty USO as dust rolls across the stage as we see boots come clunking into view…and we see what’s become a pretty dark visage of what was once the jovial features of Jack Russow as he pulls a chair across the broken floor and straddles it…he stares at the ground for a minute collecting his thoughts…before he finally looks up with the coldest, dead stare you’ve ever seen in your life.)
Jack Russow: Are we rolling? Good…’cause the next five minutes are gonna be real fuckin’ critical for you, Milo. ‘Cause I’m in a motherfucker of a mood and you jumped back in my way. So make the call…MAKE it…’cause I don’t have all fucking day. Do you understand? What was going to be a simple test of skills has now become Goddamn personal. Maybe not against you…no fuck that, it’s you. It’s always been you! You’ve given me SHIT since DAY ONE in this sport and that still chaps my ass! Just like it chaps YOUR ass…that no matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t sleep your way into the Madison family.
(Jack wipes his face…unsteadily collecting his thoughts. His eyes are darting around the room.)
Jack Russow: Think of the men that used to dance in this hall before they got shipped off to all Hell breaking loose. You’re gonna have a lot of people talking about how beautiful and peaceful Hawaii is…fuck that. I’m in the SHIT because that’s what Arek would EXPECT of me! “Into The Storm”...that’s what he used to say all the time. And here I’ve been…breaking my neck, wracking my brain trying so hard to find out what I wanna say to you…and I realize now there’s nothing left to say. Because it’s all been SAID about you, Miles. Now you’ve got a good thing with your lovely little nerd…and you’ve even had some big wins scratched up to your name! KUDOS, bud!
…but I told Arek that this one was for him…so you’re gonna have to kill me to take this win.
Jack Russow: And you’re not ready to do that yet, are you Sport?...you’re terrified of what you might sa-hold on…sorry that’s Good Will Hunting. The point still remains! You might be straight now but once upon a time, you punched a receipt that I’ve been waiting YEARS to return. I was…so scared when I thought about the prospect of our own high flying going wrong and I wondered how I’d be able to pull the trigger but now? Ohhhh sweetie…
…my Destiny…is at hand.
“AT THE END OF THE WORLD…
OR THE LAST THING I SEE…
YOU ARE NEVER COMIN’ HOME!
NEVER COMIN’ HOME!
NEVER COMIN’ HOME!
NEVER COMIN’ HOME!
AND ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU NEVER, EVER TOLD ME…
AND ALL THE SMILES THAT ARE EVER GONNA HAUNT ME.
NEVER COMIN’ HOME.
NEVER COMIN’ HOME”
End.