E.J. Ra - The Enthusiast! - A Disturbing Development VI

(Scene is Trish’s kitchen, Saturday evening. Todd, Billy and Trish are just finishing up a spaghetti supper.)

Billy: Trish, when do you think E.J.’s coming back?

Trish: (nervously) He’ll be back soon, Billy, you’ll see.

Billy: But I don’t understand why he left.

Todd: (sucking in a noodle) I’m sure it was an emergency, Billy.

Trish: Billy, you can stay here tonight. I’m sure E.J. will call soon, and everything will be O.K.

(knock on door, everyone looks anxiously, Trish gets up)

Trish: That may be E.J. right now!

(looks through peephole, then opens door. E.J.’s grandmother, Lydia, arrives, kissing Trish on both cheeks. She is carrying a Tupperware box.)

Lydia: (whispering) Thanks for calling me, dear. I can’t imagine where or what he has gotten himself into.

Trish: (also whispering) The whole thing is so weird. The police maintain they know nothing.

Lydia: Well, E.J. is a tough boy. I’m sure he’s OK. How is Billy?

Trish: He’s doing alright, but you know how quiet he is anyway.

Lydia: Maybe I should take him home with me.

Trish: I told him he could spend the night here, but yeah, if E.J. is still gone tomorrow night, then yeah, that would be super.

Lydia: Let’s hope E.J. turns up soon.

(They enter the kitchen and stop talking in a whisper.)

Lydia: Hi Billy!

Billy: Hi, Nonna! (runs to hug her)

Lydia: (hugging Billy) Oh, hi, Todd.

Todd: Evening, Lydia.

Trish: Would you like some spaghetti, Lydia?

Lydia: Why yes, dear, that would be lovely.

(Transition to G.Onar’s dining table. E.J. is finishing up a large plate of pesto linguini.)

Onar: Would you like another glass of Riesling, Mr. Ra?

E.J.: Sure. This sauce is outstanding. Can I get the recipe?

Onar: It is my companion’s secret. (pours another glass for E.J.) I’m sure she won’t give it out, especially since some of her close friends gave their lives for that sauce.

E.J.: (looks disconcertedly) Huh?

Onar: (changing subject) Perhaps another time…now, I would like to talk a bit about the gentlemen hanging from my walls.

(Shot shows the men still hanging from the ivy.)

E.J.: (wipes mouth with white cloth napkin) OK.

Onar: Do you know them?

E.J.: No, I’ve never seen them before today, but I think they know me. One of them addressed me by name.

Onar: I see. That is interesting. Before you awakened, I attempted to get some information out of them, but they are, how should I say, quite reluctant.

E.J.: Could you find out anything?

Onar: Nothing of substance. They weren’t carrying any identification, and their weapons, which I confiscated, brought about no clues at all. The revolver wasn’t registered.

E.J.: You could access that kind of information?

Onar: I have my connections. Why do you think someone would attack you like that?

E.J.: I have no idea, really. I’ve been accosted on the street before, but that was usually from your standard gang members. I am a teacher, and a lot of the hoods on the street don’t like my influence on the youngsters. These guys were weirder, kind of freaky, you know, dressed alike, same hairstyle…then, of course, they were armed and relatively dangerous. They almost had me before you showed up.

Onar: Well, you weren’t doing too badly, Mr. Ra, considering you were up against a gun and a club.

E.J.: I usually don’t encounter that type of stuff in my work with the FFA.

Onar: The FFA?

E.J.: That is our local Friendly Fighters’ Association, kind of like a neighborhood watch.

Onar: Really?

E.J. Yeah, our motto is: “Kicking ass…with a smile!”

Onar: (grins) That’s interesting. And what kind of stuff do you encounter with that organization?

E.J.: Well, it is mostly bluster, you know, pushing and shoving, some fist fighting, sometimes clubs, but I’ve never come across a gun before. These guys seemed organized. Most of what I encounter is just street punks.

Onar: I see. Their automobile yielded no information. I searched it quickly before we departed. The plates were likely stolen, registered to a ’64 Pontiac.

E.J.: (takes drink) What do you think those guys wanted with me?

Onar: I am not yet sure. I haven't heard anything through the grapevine, either.

E.J.: What is this grapevine you keep talking about?

Onar: It is our interconnected means of gathering information. I’ll elaborate later.

E.J.: You seem reluctant to tell me much, Mr. Onar.

Onar: Mr. Ra, I believe there is a time and place for such information. You are most likely suffering from a concussion from that billy club, and I don’t want to overload your mind with a lot of stuff you may find too strange to be believable at this point in the game.

E.J.: And at what point in the game are we, Mr. Onar?

Onar: You have been attacked for reasons of which I am not sure, by what seem to be members of a criminal organization. And your mentor and trainer, The Defensemaster, has tasked me to continue your training, so that you may one day be able to meet the challenges which lie before us.

E.J.: (pointing upwards) And what are you going to do with those guys?

Onar: Perhaps they will tell us more after a few days ripening on the vine. Then again, maybe not. They will not return to their masters.

E.J.: (eyes open wide) You’re not going to kill them, are you?

Onar: (leaning over to whisper at E.J.) It is best, Mr. Ra, if you don’t make assumptions. I do know this: they will no longer be of service to their organization.

E.J.: (nervously) Mr. Onar, I don’t know if your training is the thing for me.

Onar: That is a decision you will have to make, Mr. Ra. The Defensemaster thinks you are up to it.

E.J.: Just what kind of training are we talking about?

Onar: I am not quite ready to tell you, as I sense you are not quite ready to join us. (gets up from table)

E.J.: Don’t get me wrong, Mr. Onar. If The Defensemaster thinks that this is the way for me to go, then I will, of course, agree. I trust him implicitly.

Onar: Do you trust yourself, Mr. Ra, to make the right decision?

E.J.: Er, uh, yeah, I guess so.

Onar: (laughs) That’s not quite the decisiveness I was looking for.

E.J.: You have to understand, Mr. Onar, it has all been a bit much for me today.

Onar: (smiling) I know. It has been taxing on all of us. And your day is coming to a close. I have something for you. (reaches into pocket) Here. (tosses ring to E.J.)

E.J.: (catches ring) Hey, that looks like a mood ring! Cool! Does this mean we’re engaged, Mr. Onar?

Onar: (doesn’t respond to joke) Put this ring on your finger, Mr. Ra. It will allow me to keep tabs on you. And let me say this, Mr. Ra. You are at a crossroads in your life. There are two paths you can go by, but in the long run, there's still time to change the road you’re on.

(As E.J. admires the large, golden ring with the colorful, crystal stone, he slips it on the ring finger of his right hand.)

(Fade to black.)