Page 77 of Oh, Christmas Con

The next night, Maye helped Chris limp through the downtown market to the evening’s main event.

“How’s your ankle feeling?” Maye asked.

“Not too bad, actually,” he said. “I should be fine to walk around tonight, as long as I don’t need to land on it or balance on it.”

“What about using it to launch yourself from the top rope of a wrestling ring?” Maye gently suggested.

“I guess I would need just a little more information about why the heck you have a wrestling ring at a Fall Festival,” he said.

As they approached the far end of Main Street, where the town Christmas tree would occupy the next three and a half months, the wrestling ring stood, illuminated by overhead spotlights that shone down upon it. A crew of town workers pushed wheelbarrows full of leaves and tossed them in the center of the ring.

“So,” Maye began, “what happened was the town invested in a wrestling ring and some other equipment because it was being auctioned off for pennies on the dollar…allegedly. The idea was that the town would use it for events throughout the year and sell advertising that would display around the ring.”

“You’re telling me that Lynn Z’s Movie Draft Podcast bought advertising space on this ring?” Chris asked.

“Yup, as did General Cullen’s Dress Shop, Martin’s Accounting Services & Estate Planning & Car Shows, and What’s the Deal-e-o Totes and More,” Maye added.

Chris shook his head in disbelief. “This is amazing,” he said.

“Tonight’s event is called Leaf Jump from the Top Rope—”

“Wait,” Chris interrupted. “Let me guess. People are gonna jump off the top rope into a giant pile of leaves?”

“That’s exactly right,” she said.

“I absolutely have to do this. You’re telling me I can do a diving leg drop from the top rope?”

“Yup,” she said.

Chris’s face got very serious. “So you’re saying I can do a 450° elbow drop into those leaves?”

“Um,” Maye hesitated. “I think so? Is that a wrestling move?”

“You’re telling me I can do a backwards-facing diving senton off the top rope and into those leaves?”

“That actually sounds dangerous…”

“I can try an imploding corkscrew 450° splash up there?”

“You might need to check the waiver before you…”

“A flying spinning heel kick?”

“You know what?” Maye threw her hands in the air. “Sure. You can try almost anything from the top rope, but I am not responsible if you get hurt again,” she said.

“I don’t know…” Chris sat back and crossed his arms over his chest, looking uncertain.

“You don’t have to do anything, you know?” Maye pointed out. “You can just watch.”

“Welcome to this evening’s main event!” Mayor Mayer announced. “Todd is going to start us off tonight. Let’s count him down! 3…2…1…Go!”

Todd leaped from the top rope of the ring and belly-flopped into the giant pile of leaves.

“I can do better than that,” Chris said as he got up from his seat.

“Next up,” the mayor announced, “the newest member of our community, Mr. Christoffer Robert R. Walker!”

The crowd cheered as Chris climbed up the corner buckle to the top rope. He carefully balanced as he slowly stood up, then raised his arms to incite an eruption from the residents. As he launched himself into the air, he let out a roar. Chris rolled ninety-degrees so his back was horizontal to the mat and stuck out an elbow, then crashed through the leaves and onto the mat. The crowd fell silent, and Maye held her breath for what felt like minutes waiting for him to reappear. Finally, Chris popped up from the leaves and threw his arms into the air once again. He made his way through the crowd and back to his seat, high-fiving every hand that was raised in front of him.