4/1/06
Dueling Hits IV
"Let the Games Begin"It had been five years of at least twenty.
"Five years of twenty." Sonny said to himself while counting on his fingers as if the number would magically change. "Twenty to life." He broke out his other hand to count and became even more confused. "To life? Hell I don't have enough hands."
Separated by waters, yachts, wild coyotes loose in Central Park, bridges, and back woods, Alexis laid back in her lawn chair on the rolling green grass of Ferncliff sipping on her lemonade preferably not laced with a relaxer to weaken her senses. "I'm not crazy." She said over and over again after each sip. "I'll be out in a year for good behavior."
And on a bench in Central Park sat a tattooed man reading the New York Times. He spotted the small blurb in the paper about a mobster brought into court recently for assaulting his fellow inmate by pushing his face into a bowl of hot mashed potatoes. He recognized the name of Sonny Corinthos. He continued to read and found another blurb about the high flotant attorney, Alexis Davis, possibly released in a year or two from Ferncliff on good behavior.
"Hmmm…" Manny hummed. "They tried to kill each other. They didn't succeed. What if I helped them try again? I refuse to see Alexis Davis or Sonny Corinthos enter society after killing the woman I loved."
Luke closed up his newspaper and finally decided to notice Kristina eating her oatmeal one palm full at a time.
"How about some silverware Little Darling? You're allowed."
"It's got spots Luke. I prefer my fingers."
"Alright you little beast."
Luke focused back on his paper and found the spot about Alexis. "Your mom might be getting out soon. You father…?" Luke continued to read and found the opposite. "Your father might end up getting electrocuted. We might need to pay him a visit."
"He's in Sing Sing huh? Where they do plays Luke?"
Luke eyed Kristina over his paper. "Yes Sweetheart. They go there before they hit Broadway."
Alexis searched the community board for something to do. Anything to add to her resume of good behavior. "There's picking up trash in the state parks. Does that involve those orange vests?" Alexis asked of the security guard who nodded a "yes." "Ok. We're picking something else." Her eyes wondered until she saw the magic words, "Ping Pong tournaments"
"We're one short Corinthos!" The big burly neighbor yelled to Sonny across the way.
"Short for what?!" Sonny yelled back.
"Ping Pong. I heard you know how to play."
"Back in the day." Sonny stood up from his bed and noticed a new floor mate ushered in the cell next to his big burly neighbor. He observed the man's tattoos recognizing one or two.
Manny made eye contact with Sonny as the prison door slammed shut. The lights went out and the stick of the security guard rattled the cells on his way down the corridor. Sonny sat back on his bed trying to figure a way to reach the new inmate across way.
The next day in the lunch line, Alexis inquired of anyone that would listen on how the ping-pong tournaments work, but there was no one of interest. She finally got the attention of Sybil introducing herself to her many character creations while using the ping-pong table in the rec room as a tea table.
"I have many friends Alexis. That's why we need a big table. Join us?" Sybil inquired.
Alexis attempted to sit down, but Sybil shrieked in fear.
"Oh my God Alexis! You're gonna sit on Roger! Don't sit on Roger."
Alexis quickly moved from the empty seat and opted to stand instead. She bent over the table to look Sybil in eye.
"Sybil. I need this table. When is your tea over Dear?"
Sybil looked across the ping-pong table and counted under her breath. "An hour."
"An hour?! Sybil. Why an hour?"
"An hour per guest." Sybil continued to serve her guests.
"How many guests Sybil?"
"Many." Sybil continued to ignore Alexis.
Alexis groaned and decided against continuing with Sybil. She started to walk away until Sybil called after her.
"Alexis!"
"Yes Sybil!"
"Roger likes ping-pong. He'll practice with you."
Sybil grinned at Alexis with pride in her compromise. Alexis turned back towards Sybil and picked up the ping-pong paddle and ball in the corner.
"Ok Sybil. Tell Roger I'm ready whenever he is."
Sonny approached Manny tossing a deflated basketball into the hoop.
"Manny? Is that your name?"
Many stopped and griped tight onto the basketball.
"Sonny Corinthos?"
"Yea. Long time no see. What you doing in here?"
Manny eyed Sonny. "Here to see you. I hear you have a pest you can't get rid of. Is her name Alexis Davis?"
Sonny cocked his head to the side. "You play ping-pong?"
"No. I read. That's all I do."
"Seems you were playing basketball there. Apparently you don't realize the ball should be more firm."
Manny threw the ball down. "See. I know nothing about sports. Nothing. I do know how to shot. Do you have a target?"
"I don't know how I could possibly repay you Manny."
"Do you have resources on the outside?"
"Many. Sure."
"We can work something out."
Manny offered his hand to Sonny. Sonny hesitated for a moment. He finally decided to shake.
Playing ping-pong against Roger proved to be void of something. Alexis couldn't put her finger on it. Sybil claimed he was just a little rusty. Alexis couldn't believe she even asked Sybil what his deal was.
Every time the ball came back her way, the drive back to her was lacking in force. Maybe the force of someone hitting it on the other side. She started to think maybe it was more than that. The crowd formed around her and Roger playing their mini tournament, but her mind was somewhere else. Granted Roger was nothing more than the sky colored wall, but she tried to put her own apparition of him against it. All she kept coming up with was Sonny.
------
Every time his smack of the ball hit the wall of gray cement, it flew out of control. Sonny threw down the paddle and yelled to the wall. "Alexis! This isn't tennis! Control the damn ball!" He immediately ducked under the table and peeked out to see if anyone heard his utterance of nonsense.
And then he thought. "Hey. I could use this to my advantage." Sonny picked up his paddle and noticed a guard step in behind him. Sonny continued his play as before, yelling at the wall. "Damnit Alexis! Hit the ball straight!" Out of frustration at the wall he named "Alexis", he broke the paddle across his knee and threw his tantrum. The guard furrowed his brow at Sonny and pulled his walkie-talkie from his belt.
"I think we have a situation in the rec room. Mr. Corinthos is talking to walls. He's talking to walls. Should I apprehend him?"
Luke pressed his face against the glass and made kissing sounds at Sonny.
"Question Sonny. Have you encountered anybody named Bubba yet?"
"No Luke. But check it. I need your help. I'm going to Ferncliff tomorrow."
Luke pulls back in shock. "They're letting you out?"
"Yea. You're gonna need to corroborate my history of nuttiness. I am the craziest mofo you've ever met."
"Ok. And then you go to Ferncliff?"
"Absolutely."
The deal with Manny was done before Sonny even left the gates of Sing Sing. But Manny didn't waste any time to make his move on Alexis.
Believe it or not, the only visitor that cared to show up at Ferncliff was none other than Coleman. His first visit to Alexis was filled with pure bitterness of the circumstances that led her to her situation, but Coleman got on both knees and begged her forgiveness. He knew not what he did by getting involved with Helena.
"Protect your queen Alexis." Coleman pronounced to her over a game of chess on the Ferncliff lawn.
"I don't really like chess that much Coleman. Can we do something else?"
"Are you allowed conjugal visits?"
"Do you know what the term conjugal really means Coleman?"
"Prison sex?"
"No. Married. Conjugal means married."
"Will you marry me Alexis?"
"Not in a million years Coleman. How did we get on this conversation?"
"You said you wanted to have sex with me but not without wedded bliss. I understand. You were raised as a good wholesome Catholic girl."
"If that's what helps you sleep at night. You said you had a proposition for me? Can we discuss that? And please don't use the word sex in the next ten sentences."
Coleman took a moment to think. "Manny. Do you know him?"
"I know of a Manny. Yes."
"If you have the funds, he's willing to kill Sonny for you."
Alexis stood to go, but Coleman pulled her back down.
"I don't want to go through this again Coleman."
"I will be honest this time Alexis. He is propositioning Sonny against you. And to play it fair…"
"I won't tell what my proposition is." Manny explained to Sonny through the hole of the wall separating one cell from another.
"What do you mean Manny?"
"Sonny. When you arrive at Ferncliff, you'll be separated by men and women. The only time the two get together is for the ping-pong tournament."
"Men play women in this tournament?"
"You're catching on Corinthos. Alexis has put herself in the tournament. The best woman plays the best man."
"What does that mean for you Manny?"
"I will be aimed and ready to fire. May the best man or woman win or lose."
"Explain this to me in English." Sonny raised his voice in frustration.
------
Coleman moved his piece across the chessboard. "You have to beat every woman in Ferncliff to play against Sonny. Sonny must beat every man to play against you if you so win."
Manny continued to explain. "If you do not make the tournament, you will be killed immediately and Alexis will live and vice versa. But if you both compete against one another…"
Coleman knocked off a chess piece with another. "The winner or the loser of the final round is killed."
Alexis stared at Coleman in wonder and filled with questions. "But which is it Coleman? The winner or the loser?"
Manny grinned at the wall knowing Sonny was well at his wits end over the many probabilities. "I decide which goes; the winner or the loser. So let the games begin."