by Jack Tunney
“I’m here,” Rosie said.
A faraway surge of cheering carried to her through the bones of the arena. Rosie tensed, but Chris did not seem to have heard it. “I’m calling to remind you we meet the judge on Monday morning,” he said.
“I know. I’ll be there.”
“Eight o’clock.”
“I said I’d be there!”
“Where are you?”
He had heard. Rosie glanced at Felix and Tina. Danny sat in the corner checking his cutman’s kit. “I’m at home.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really. I’m watching TV. I have to go, Chris. My show is coming on.”
“Monday morning, Rosie.”
Rosie hung up without saying good-bye. She let Tina take the phone. “It wasn’t important after all,” she said.
Felix finished the job on her hands. She donned her gloves. “It’s time,” he said.
Rosie felt a surge of nerves and forced it back down inside herself. “Let’s do it.”
They went together, a unit of four, into the splash of illumination from the spotlight as her name was called. It was surreal, hearing the loudspeakers blaring and seeing the crowd react. People cheered, but she sensed it was not so much for her as it was for the fight itself.
Danny christened her with Vaseline. Her hair was tied up into little braids that lay close to her scalp. He touched her on her head when he was done. “You’re gonna kill her, Rosie,” he said.
A fight official came to check her over and then the cage was opened for her. She climbed the steps into the circle, conscious of Felix and Tina urging her on, but feeling strangely detached now she was in the center of things. Being here was something she had never wanted or considered, but now she was about to fight a woman she’d never even met.
Summer Crenshaw was about her height, with blonde hair severely cornrowed and striking blue eyes that seemed to glow under the lights. Every muscle in her exposed stomach stood out like a piece of cut stone and her arms were strong. Rosie knew she looked much the same, but she could only see Crenshaw, her focus narrowed to one woman in an arena full of others. Maybe it was the same for her.
The cage was cleared. The referee called them to attention. “Fighter ready?” he asked. “Fighter ready? Let’s do this thing!”
Rosie advanced to the center of the cage on shaking legs. She bumped gloves with Crenshaw and then they moved, crossing the line between fighter and fight. Rosie kept her hands up and didn’t stop.
It was Crenshaw who made the first move, closing to striking distance and unloading on Rosie with a quick one-two that didn’t do much damage. Rosie returned the shots with one of hers, but Crenshaw stepped back to let Rosie hit air. They came together a second time and exchanged a flurry. Rosie felt the sting of leather on her cheek as a punch slipped through, but it was accompanied by the solid thump of her punch hitting home.
Crenshaw tried a takedown. Rosie sprawled and pushed back. She got the woman with a rising knee as they separated, then flashed forward with a left-right that made Crenshaw reel. Rosie heard Felix yelling something as she surged ahead, pummeling Crenshaw’s defenses as Crenshaw backed off quickly. When Crenshaw tried to fire back a response, Rosie parried smoothly and planted a hard blow directly between her opponent’s eyes.
Rosie felt something leap inside of her as Crenshaw crashed butt-first onto the mat and then she pressed, descending on the woman with a succession of falling punches against which Crenshaw could barely defend. They scrambled on the ground and Rosie felt her leg caught between Crenshaw’s in a half guard.
She struck with elbows, driving them into Crenshaw’s flesh. Crenshaw turned her hips and tried to roll on Rosie and reverse their positions. Rosie felt her balance going and then Crenshaw was on top, trying short punches that threatened to take Rosie’s breath away.
The woman panted in Rosie’s ear as she got her hook beneath Rosie’s shoulder. A second later Crenshaw had her other forearm across her throat, levering her head and pressing her to the mat. Rosie struggled against the move, but Crenshaw was stronger and had the leverage. Her leg slipped free of Rosie’s scissor and then they were in a side control situation.
Panic plucked at the edges of Rosie’s mind, but she tried crushing it with the thought of Felix outside the cage, Tina beside him and Danny in his silence. She could not let Crenshaw mount her, but already she felt Crenshaw building tension for the moment she would make the transition.
Rosie exploded her hips, trying to shake Crenshaw loose. Crenshaw hung on tightly, riding it out. Again there was fear.
When the move came, Rosie fought it. She brought her legs up to block Crenshaw’s mount, flailing a moment until she could get herself in a position to thrust her right leg beneath the other woman’s body and latch on to her waist. Full guard. Rosie pictured Felix smiling. He was still yelling something. She could not hear over the clamor of the crowd.
Crenshaw tried to posture up for a better angle of attack, but Rosie held on tightly, drawing the woman down onto her, locking her hips into place, forcing a temporary stalemate. She felt Crenshaw’s breath on her chest and the thundering of her heart.
The bell came suddenly and the referee was there. Rosie let go. For a few seconds she lay on her back staring up at the lights, but then she remembered where she was and what she was doing. She rolled onto her hands and knees, then got her feet before hustling to her corner.
Danny had a short stool for her to sit on and he checked her brows for cuts. He provided water for her to swish around in her mouth before the guard went back in. Felix talked through the fence. “You have to stay off the ground. If she gets you on the ground, do whatever you have to do to get back up again. Your ground game isn’t there yet, Rosie. You hear me? Keep it standing up!”
“I got it,” Rosie said.
“You’re doing great. Keep on keeping on.”
Rosie looked for Tina. Tina gave her thumbs up. “Cut her head off,” she said.
The stool went away. Danny went away. Rosie stood. The bell sounded. They closed.
Crenshaw went for the takedown immediately, but Rosie’s sprawl stopped the attempt. When they broke, Rosie fired off a succession of punches, half on target and half off, enough to get the other woman backing up.
Rosie closed and Crenshaw loosed a push kick to make some distance. Rosie took the blow in the stomach and shook it off, breaking Crenshaw’s defense with a hard left, setting the stage for a stinging right. Rosie went for the Thai clinch and hooked it in. She brought her knee up three times, pulling Crenshaw down into a hard strikes she could not avoid.
When they broke, Rosie slugged Crenshaw with a punch that made her feel like she’d broken her own hand. She ignored the pain and punched again and again, driving Crenshaw against the fence. The woman’s knees buckled and she sank to the mat. Rosie followed her down, the words ground and pound ringing through her skull.
It took the referee two tries to get between them, but he did and the fight was over. Crenshaw bled from the nose and from a cut on her brow. Rosie staggered to her feet and thrust her hands in the air as the crowd clamored.
Felix and Tina rushed into the cage and folded her up in their arms. Rosie felt tears in her eyes as she hugged them close, and nothing else mattered but the three of them in the middle of it all.
ROUND 12
Chris stared at the black and purple bruise around Rosie’s left eye. When his attorney, Mr. Davis, saw it upon her arrival, he spoke urgently to Chris in a whisper. Rosie asked Mr. Hobbs what they were talking about. Hobbs told her not to think about it.
They did not meet in a courtroom, but in the judge’s chambers. Judge Crowe was a thin man with a bald crown, but full white hair besides. He took his time looking over documents both attorneys brought before finally addressing them.
He looked to Rosie first. “That’s quite a shiner you have there, Ms. Bratton.”
“I walked into something,” she said.
“You should be more
careful. And Mr. Milner, I see you haven’t stumbled into any rakes lately.”
“No, your honor.”
“Then let’s get to it. Ms. Bratton has petitioned the court to have primary custody of the child, Jessica Milner, transferred to her, as she feels she is a fit parent who can make a positive impact. Mr. Milner, your attorney has said this is not the case and custody arrangements should stay as-is. Am I up to speed?”
“Yes, your honor,” Chris said. “I have no objection to joint custody, but I should remain the custodial parent. My wife and I provide a stable home environment and are better equipped to provide for Jess financially.”
Judge Crowe turned to Rosie. “How do you respond to that, Ms. Bratton?”
“All of that is fine, but Jess wants to live with me,” Rosie said. “She’s said she wants to live with me. I may not be rich, but I have what it takes to be a good mother.”
“Is it true the child has expressed a preference, Mr. Davis?” the judge asked Chris’ attorney.
“Yes, your honor, but the child is seven. She doesn’t have sufficient judgment to make that decision.”
“Nevertheless it’s an important consideration. And I see from the documents submitted to me no interview has been done with the child. That needs to be rectified.”
“Your honor, anyone who asks her knows what Jess wants,” Rosie said.
“That may be true, but your ex-husband’s attorney is correct when he says an seven-year-old lacks sufficient judgment. She’ll need to be assessed by a psychiatrist assigned by this court.”
“I don’t know if I can afford that,” Rosie said.
“The law is expensive, Ms. Bratton. I’m sorry, but there’s nothing I can do to change it. Now, ladies and gentlemen, I have a full docket today, so we’ll have to adjourn until such time as the child has been interviewed.”
“Wait a second,” Rosie said. “Is that it?”
“You expected something else?” Judge Crowe asked.
“What about Jess? What about this situation? Something has to be done.”
“In due time, Ms. Bratton. Let the experts do their work.”
Hobbs put his hand on Rosie’s arm and gestured for them to go. “Thank you, your honor,” he said.
Rosie waited until they were in the hall before she spoke. “This isn’t right.”
“We’re doing everything we can,” Hobbs said.
“It’s not enough.”
Chris and his lawyer exited into the hallway. Chris stepped forward and Davis tried to pull him back. “I know how you got that bruise,” Chris said. “I just didn’t want to say in front of the judge.”
“Come on, Chris,” Davis said. “Let’s go.”
Rosie watched them leave. She had nothing to say.
ROUND 13
Rosie worked the heavy bag. With every punch she imagined it was Chris, and sometimes it was Diane. Her bruise was still livid, but the edges were fading into ugly browns and yellows as her body healed. She found she didn’t think of Crenshaw at all.
She didn’t notice Tina until her friend was right on top of her. Tina touched her on the arm and Rosie jumped. “Tina! What are you sneaking up on me for?”
“You’re really tearing that bag up today. Got something on your mind?”
“You don’t want to know. Where have you been?”
“In a meeting. With Andre. And Janiya Reed’s manager.”
Tina’s face broke into a wicked smile and Rosie threw her arms around her friend. They hugged. Tina bounced on the balls of her feet. “When’s it going to happen?” Rosie asked.
“Eight weeks. There’s a big Demolition show coming up and they want me in the main event! Me and Janiya, banging it out. It’s gonna be epic.”
“That’s terrific,” Rosie said.
“And there’s good news for you, too.”
“What do you mean?”
Felix cut in from across the room. “You’re getting a second fight, Rosie!”
A combination of trepidation and exhilaration trilled through Rosie. “Another fight? I just had a fight!”
“And now you have another one,” Felix said when he came close. “Another fighter from the Janiya camp. Her name’s Sabrina Bauer and she’s a lady with bad intentions. Andre loves this kind of thing: grudge matches between dojos.”
“When were you going to tell me you booked me another fight?” Rosie asked.
“I’m telling you now! Smile! This is good for you! Wasn’t it sweet cashing that purse last time?”
“Sure, but—”
“No buts. You’re a fighter now, Rosie, and you better get used to it. Just like Tina, you’re gonna rise to the top. No one can stop you.”
“We’re gonna take them all!” Tina exclaimed, and she drew Felix and Rosie close for a group hug. Rosie hugged them back, but her thoughts were elsewhere – in the hallway outside Judge Crowe’s chambers, under Chris’ judging gaze.
•••
There was work and there was training. Spring bled into hot summer. Every other weekend she saw Jess, but she never spoke to the girl about the psychiatrist or anything at all that went on between herself and Chris. A child could be spared some things, and this was one of those things.
When she was at work, she was on autopilot, unloading trucks without a single thought about what she was doing. She barely noticed Nicole’s growing discontent until Nicole brought it up directly.
Rosie didn’t hear Nicole the first time. “What?” she asked.
“I said we never talk anymore.”
“I’m sorry. What do you want to talk about?”
“And we never go out anymore. When’s the last time we went to dinner?”
“I don’t know. A few months?”
“Six months. You’re totally spaced, Rosie. I ask you questions and you barely answer. You come ghosting in and out of here like you don’t even know what’s going on. You can ask Ruben if you don’t believe me.”
They were between trucks and it was quiet in the receiving area. “I’m sorry,” Rosie said. “I’ve been doing some things and they take up a lot of my time.”
“And about that… when are you going to tell me what’s going on with you? The other week you come in here looking like someone clocked you in the parking lot and you don’t say a thing.”
“You could have asked me.”
“I shouldn’t have to ask! We’re friends. Tell me all about it. Let me in.”
Rosie looked at her. She breathed. She told Nicole everything.
When she was done, Nicole was silent for a while, until finally she said, “That’s nuts.”
“What part?”
“The all of it part. You’re cage-fighting? I thought maybe you might have fallen off the wagon or something like that. I didn’t think you were beating people up for a living.”
“It’s not a living,” Rosie said. “I’ve barely made any money at it.”
“But you’re fighting for money! That’s crazy! What does Chris think about all of this?”
Rosie did not like thinking of Chris. “He doesn’t know.”
“What will he do when he finds out?”
“I don’t know.”
“You have to quit.”
Rosie shook her head. “I can’t quit. I’ve come too far.”
“Seriously, you have to quit. You work in a grocery store and you have a little girl. You don’t need to be strangling people in your spare time.”
“You don’t understand,” Rosie said.
“That’s right, I don’t. I can’t believe you’d shut me out so you can go play Bruce Lee. And I stuck up for you when that guy came around.”
Rosie looked up sharply. “What guy?”
Nicole waved it away. “Some guy. He was asking about you. Whether you showed up to work on time and stuff like that. I figure he was from corporate. You know, checking things out. People notice when you’re not all there, Rosie. You should really keep your eye on what’s important.”
Rosie�
�s mind was working. “I need to talk to Ruben,” she said.
“He’s just gonna tell you the same thing,” Nicole said. “You need to get out of that business.”
Rosie walked away. She would find Ruben and ask him and things would make more sense. And if they didn’t, she wasn’t sure what would happen next.
***
When the crowd surged elsewhere in the arena and their noise came into the dressing room, Rosie felt the fear all over again, as if she had never fought or even trained, and she would go into the cage and be humiliated.
Felix noticed. “Where are you at, Rosie?”
“I’m just thinking.”
“Dangerous stuff, thinking. Think too much and you’re in trouble.”
“I didn’t tell you this before, but a few weeks back I found out someone was poking around my work. Did they come to see you?”
Felix did not need to help her put her gloves on, but he did anyway. “Me? No. What’s it all about?”
“I don’t know.”
“Well, forget about it now. It’s fight time.”
They progressed to the cage and all the formalities were observed. Sabrina Bauer had Latin blood and she entered wearing a Salvadoran flag around her shoulders. Bauer must have been her married name. Rosie didn’t care. Everything was distant now like it had been before. “She’s three and three,” Felix said into her ear. “You’re going to be her fourth defeat. Bring it.”
When the bell rang Sabrina wanted to strike and she led with punches and probing low kicks that made Rosie’s leg sore. They circled and tested each other until Rosie found her range and unloaded everything she had.
Sabrina was taken by surprise, soaking up three punches before she could even get off her back foot. They crashed together and Rosie brought a slashing elbow across the woman’s face, opening her up above the eye. The other woman punched her way out, spraying flecks of blood as she tried to make some distance between them.