Post by SANGRE on Nov 28, 2022 21:05:50 GMT
An old television with a built in VHS player powers on and automatically tunes in to “Saturday Morning Pollo”, a children’s cartoon featuring El Hijo de Pollo and his cousin, Black Pollo V. In this episode, the young Los Pollos learn the dangers of hate when Popcorn Pollo gets into a fight at school. The episode reveals that Popcorn was bullied because for his small stature. El Pollo, the patriarch of the Pollos, kneels and hugs the pint-sized Popcorn. Shortly after, Hijo and his primo join the hug. As a tear leaves a trail down the patriarch’s feathered face, he reassures his family:
“I love you boys so much, but you need to learn that the necessities of life exist within our embrace. We cannot always seek to hate and destroy.”
The ball of hugs disassembles and El Pollo addresses each boy, starting with Popcorn:
“Despite your size, you will find a way to tower over your enemies.”
And then Hijo:
“Despite your arrogance, your ability to inject confidence is...”
We quickly swivel 180 degrees from the TV screen to find a young MEZA, cross-legged, watching the cartoon in a dark apartment. A key clicks from the other end of the front door and MEZA’s father, Ed, wearing his mechanic uniform, enters the one bedroom apartment. MEZA runs to his father, who swoops him up off the ground. From the front door to the living room, MEZA and Ed mimic various wrestling moves before both collapsing in the TV room from exhaustion. They lay on their backs staring at the ceiling. With whatever breath and energy Ed has left, he asks:
“Watching that Pollo show, bud?”
MEZA, also out of breath, affirms:
“Yeah. It’s funny.”
With a teaspoon of sadness, Ed says:
“Sometimes I think that show does a better job of raising you than I do. Sorry I’m home late.”
“I’m just happy you’re home, Dad.”
Ed continues to look straight ahead and lets out a sigh of relief.
“Me too, bud. Me too.”
A stern voice echoes from beyond the room:
“Hellloooo? Are you listening?”
MEZA, current day, is sitting in a make-up chair surrounded by a Hollywood team of makeup artists and a production manager, whose voice we’ve already heard. Half of his face is covered in a chicken prosthetic and the other half is a work in progress. He questions the manager:
“I guess I’m just not really understanding the bit.”
The manager snaps back:
“What is there to understand?! We’re turning Pollo Network stars into Pollos for this shoot. THAT’S the bit.”
“I can’t just be me?”
The manager, still lingering in the doorway, doesn’t hesitate when she says:
“No. And if you have a problem with it, get a better manager.”
She exits and the artists get back to work on MEZA’s incomplete half. They start brushing a paste over his mouth and ask him not to move. MEZA thinks to himself:
“I used to wish I was a Pollo. I watched their cartoons and lucha libre. Hijo was my hero, man. But that was before he became a poison. All those ladies’ allegations that he mistreated them, gaudy sports cars, and insane publicity stunts. He stopped being relatable to the boy with nothing and became a man dissatisfied with everything.”
One of the artists brushing MEZA’s face quietly interjects:
“You know, all this hoopla for a guy who donated his wealth before jumping into the Bermuda Triangle seems bizarre. Especially with all the allegations. It’s like we forgot how rotten he once was.”
MEZA continues his thought:
“I’m nothing like Hijo became. I have nothing in common with that man. I’m more like my opponents in “his” tournament than him. For once, I have an adversary of respect in Eron. Someone who’ll shake my hand instead of spitting in it. Even David and the Hijo-lite Dorado deserve to fight under a more worthy banner. One that doesn’t read “HIJO”.
My only hope is to blast through Eron so I get a chance to face that bully Marshall, again. I have abandoned the desire to force him to tap and adopted the goal to make him suffer. If that means I must put down RTK and legends like Roost and Knight to get to him, I’ll do it with honor. This tournament is just a means to an end-“
“ALL DONE!”
The makeup artists back away from MEZA like Dr. Frankenstein from his finished monster, revealing POLLO MEZA.
“I love you boys so much, but you need to learn that the necessities of life exist within our embrace. We cannot always seek to hate and destroy.”
The ball of hugs disassembles and El Pollo addresses each boy, starting with Popcorn:
“Despite your size, you will find a way to tower over your enemies.”
And then Hijo:
“Despite your arrogance, your ability to inject confidence is...”
We quickly swivel 180 degrees from the TV screen to find a young MEZA, cross-legged, watching the cartoon in a dark apartment. A key clicks from the other end of the front door and MEZA’s father, Ed, wearing his mechanic uniform, enters the one bedroom apartment. MEZA runs to his father, who swoops him up off the ground. From the front door to the living room, MEZA and Ed mimic various wrestling moves before both collapsing in the TV room from exhaustion. They lay on their backs staring at the ceiling. With whatever breath and energy Ed has left, he asks:
“Watching that Pollo show, bud?”
MEZA, also out of breath, affirms:
“Yeah. It’s funny.”
With a teaspoon of sadness, Ed says:
“Sometimes I think that show does a better job of raising you than I do. Sorry I’m home late.”
“I’m just happy you’re home, Dad.”
Ed continues to look straight ahead and lets out a sigh of relief.
“Me too, bud. Me too.”
A stern voice echoes from beyond the room:
“Hellloooo? Are you listening?”
MEZA, current day, is sitting in a make-up chair surrounded by a Hollywood team of makeup artists and a production manager, whose voice we’ve already heard. Half of his face is covered in a chicken prosthetic and the other half is a work in progress. He questions the manager:
“I guess I’m just not really understanding the bit.”
The manager snaps back:
“What is there to understand?! We’re turning Pollo Network stars into Pollos for this shoot. THAT’S the bit.”
“I can’t just be me?”
The manager, still lingering in the doorway, doesn’t hesitate when she says:
“No. And if you have a problem with it, get a better manager.”
She exits and the artists get back to work on MEZA’s incomplete half. They start brushing a paste over his mouth and ask him not to move. MEZA thinks to himself:
“I used to wish I was a Pollo. I watched their cartoons and lucha libre. Hijo was my hero, man. But that was before he became a poison. All those ladies’ allegations that he mistreated them, gaudy sports cars, and insane publicity stunts. He stopped being relatable to the boy with nothing and became a man dissatisfied with everything.”
One of the artists brushing MEZA’s face quietly interjects:
“You know, all this hoopla for a guy who donated his wealth before jumping into the Bermuda Triangle seems bizarre. Especially with all the allegations. It’s like we forgot how rotten he once was.”
MEZA continues his thought:
“I’m nothing like Hijo became. I have nothing in common with that man. I’m more like my opponents in “his” tournament than him. For once, I have an adversary of respect in Eron. Someone who’ll shake my hand instead of spitting in it. Even David and the Hijo-lite Dorado deserve to fight under a more worthy banner. One that doesn’t read “HIJO”.
My only hope is to blast through Eron so I get a chance to face that bully Marshall, again. I have abandoned the desire to force him to tap and adopted the goal to make him suffer. If that means I must put down RTK and legends like Roost and Knight to get to him, I’ll do it with honor. This tournament is just a means to an end-“
“ALL DONE!”
The makeup artists back away from MEZA like Dr. Frankenstein from his finished monster, revealing POLLO MEZA.