Post by davidberg47 on Jan 18, 2022 15:30:19 GMT -5
Downtown Las Vegas is not what one would consider as “fun” as the strip. It has some seedy parts, including hotels, motels and restaurants. Food is relatively cheap as are the women. Legalized prostitution indeed. Berg is carrying a 40 pound duffel bag. Cut off from his home country, his income, his dignity, his family and his friends. At 23, David Berg is a man without much. Like his ancestors he is wondering the desert, except this one is remade with glittering lights and gambling galore. It is also colder than Florida. A brisk 55 degrees as Berg’s shirt sleeve shirt doesn’t seem to keep him quite so warm. Slowly he makes it to the Golden Nugget Casino. It is 10AM and the Casino is humming with people gambling, the dings from slot machines may be heard as Berg walks down an old plush rug toward customer service. An elderly lady looks up at Berg.
*Old lady: May I help you?
(The lady is wearing a maroon west with a black name tag with gold lettering that reads “Elizabeth” on it.
*Berg: I am here to see Jacob Edelman.
(The lady is taken aback)
*Old Lady: Mr. Edelman? Hold on please.
(The old lady gets on the phone and speaks softly. After a brief pause a young Asian man appears, wearing a similar vest and name tag with the name “Thomas” inscribed on it.
*Thomas: Who are you here to see?
(Berg wonders to himself in terms of what he got himself into. A random text from an unknown number. Yet he is desperate. He is in a foreign city, where he doesn’t know very many people and with limited funds. Seemingly cut off from family and country he is 100% in survival mode)
*Berg: I am here to see a Mr. Jacob Edelman. My name is David Berg.
*Thomas: I see. And is he expecting you?
*Berg (pause): No, he is not.
*Thomas: Sir, Mr. Edelman is the owner of this casino, he does not see just anyone. Please make an appointment.
*Berg: Appointment?
*Thomas: Yes and maybe in a few months you may get a meeting.
*Berg: A few months? Look I was sent this…never mind.
(As Berg is about to walk away in disgust, Thomas asks him to stop as he has received a message on his earpiece)
*Thomas: Mr. Edelman will indeed see you. My apologies for the delay, Mr. Berg.
(Berg is pleasantly surprised as these past 24 hours have been an utter disgrace. He follows Thomas to the elevator and they head to the basement. Thomas uses his ID card to walk past several doors and rooms where people sit and view screens of people gambling at the casino. They walk up to a dimly lit hallway and walk down and then walk into a plush huge office. There sits a corpulent man in a black suit with a green tie. His hair is slicked back and black in color with some gray patches. Behind him are multiple screens of the casino floor and one playing Fox News. He smiles at Thomas and Berg)
*Fat Man: Please come in, please. I am Jacob Edelman at your service. Thomas you may leave us.
(Thomas exits and closes the door as Berg stands there in a puzzled fashion)
*Edelman: Please please sit, young man. Sit down.
*Berg: Thank you
(Berg sits down and looks around the room. There are various pictures of Edelman in his younger years with the likes of Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Dan Marino and countless others)
*Edelman: Young Mr. Berg, welcome to Las Vegas. Welcome indeed. How is the wrestling business treating you?
*Berg: You know me?
*Edelman: Of course of course. My grandchildren love watching UPW. A local show and now they have a Jewish star to root for.
(Berg slumps in his chair a bit)
*Edelman: Mr. Berg, I received a text from an old old friend that you may be in need of a place to stay and maybe a part time job, yes? After all how much can a small wrestling organization pay a rookie who loses and loses and loses. Ha ha ha
*Berg: Great..
*Edelman: Oh cheer up young man, please cheer up. You are but a toddler. Look, you may stay here.
*Berg: Here?
*Edelman: Why not? I have plenty of rooms. You can have 419. In terms of a job, I’ll have the paperwork filed and you may work security in the high stakes poker room. The nights you don’t wrestle you may work there and the food at the Casino is on the house to my security staff.
*Berg: This is so kind of you but why are you doing this?
*Edelman: Mr. Berg, you are a Jew. I am a Jew. There are so few of us left here. You are military. You fight to save Jewish lives. I am a fat old man who made money via this casino. I would like to do more and this is part of it. Plus the favor request came from an old and dear friend. They speak highly of you and hence you are family!
*Berg: Thank you, thank you kindly.
(Edelman opens his drawer and tosses three stacks of $100 bills at Berg)
*Berg: What is this?
*Edelman: Your sign on bonus. Use it to get some clothes. Also we have a top of the line gym here for the guests but you may use it to. Train and such. While you are here….
(Edelman pulls out his phone and takes a selfie with Berg)
My grandkids will love this
*Berg: Mr. Edelman, thank you so much. I will definitely repay you and..
*Edelman: Do not mention it, young man. Look I know how our homeland works. They want perfection. They need perfection but the wrestling business is built on experience and one cannot rush experience. You will have to live through its ups and downs. What I know is to be successful you need to have three traits, look and body and you seem to be in good shape. In ring ability and savvy…you have some skills but need to work on experience and be able to talk. We’ll see how you do with that part.
Our people young David wandered the desert for years, we have been persecuted for years, people tried and continue to try to genocide us. But we remain strong and vigilant. It is OK to show a little arrogance. Humility is noble but humility doesn’t sell.
*Berg: Thank you, Mr. Edelman.
*Edelman: Before I forget.
(Edelman reaches into a safe behind him and pulls out a black Glock 19 with several cases of bullets and a holster)
I assume you know your way around a gun?
(Berg nods in the affirmative)
*Edelman: I doubt you’ll need it but its better to have one and not need one than need one and not have one. Thomas will take you to get your uniform and its just a black suit, you don’t need to wear the vests and he’ll show you around. Grab food, grab whatever. If you need anything here is my card and my cell is on the back. Good to have you on board, young David.
(Berg stands up and shakes hands with Edelman as he follows Thomas to get his suit)
TBC