The List

[Drago Cesar]

OCW Hall of Famer Dragana Cesar stares down a blank sheet of notebook paper with a pen in hand. The header is written with the words “Bucket List”.

 

She leans forward to write something down but hesitates. Looking toward the opposite corner of the Dojo, she notices her lion friend Bubba yawning and shuffling over to her position. The big cat stands on his hind legs and peers over at the paper. He grunts. 

 

Dragana gives him a few scratches behind the ears. The lion tilts his head and growls inquisitively. Regina Tacet sighs and looks into Bubba’s eyes. He perks up and places his paw on the piece of paper. His grunts become more energetic and he licks Dragana’s face. 

 

The Silent Queen once again heeds Bubba’s wise “words” and gets to writing on the page. After writing a few lines, she looks across from the room at the television. Over the next few hours, she watches several matches spanning the entirety of the women’s division, adding to her page. She looks down at her phone and looks at photos of masked luchadores of the past. She laughs to herself, eagerly adding another item to the list.

 

Dragana: Hmm…

 

Not feeling satisfied, Dragana looks at her brother’s old leftover VHS collection on a nearby shelf. She pulls out two tapes. Putting the first one in the VCR, the screen lights up with footage of an old kaiju film; two stop motion monsters duking it out in Japan. She adds to her list.

 

The next tape is an old black and white sci-fi movie with cheaply made effects and even worse set design. The screen displays two aliens with giant bulging eyes looking down on earth.

 

Aliens: (Judgmental alien noises)

 

Dragana carefully observes the screen, bouncing the pen off her desk. She smiles and adds another item to the list. Feeling content for the moment, she neatly folds the paper a few times before placing it into a nearby drawer.