Read the Zapfic serial #GHAWG on LeoThreads to follow the transformation of a courier into a Harley-riding tool of God.
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Cover image is a screen capture of LeoThreads edited with MS Paint
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TL;DR
What is GHAWG?
Zapfic Entries 36-42
Β Β 3οΈβ£6οΈβ£ 2023-April-09 00:31:48
Β Β 3οΈβ£7οΈβ£ 2023-April-10 00:57:28
Β Β 3οΈβ£8οΈβ£ 2023-April-11 00:17:07
Β Β 3οΈβ£9οΈβ£ 2023-April-12 00:21:25
Β Β 4οΈβ£0οΈβ£ 2023-April-13 01:47:12
Β Β 4οΈβ£1οΈβ£ 2023-April-14 00:21:39
Β Β 4οΈβ£2οΈβ£ 2023-April-15 00:52:49
Story Arc So Far
Next Week
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What Is GHAWG?
#GHAWG is short for "God's Hog: A Watchful Guardian." This fictional story tells how David Guardia, a courier and business owner from Bayonne, New Jersey, US moved into the next phase of his life after spending the final ten years of his ailing father's life helping him.
More details can be found in the first post of this weekly recap.
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Zapfic Entries 36-42
3οΈβ£6οΈβ£ 2023-April-09 00:31:48
The angry bar patrons surrounded me after I beat their guy. With a bottle in each hand I looked like an American Musashi. Before mayhem could ensue someone was choking, I dropped the bottles to administer the Heimlich maneuver.
ποΈ The masterless samurai known to us as Miyamoto Musashi had written {δΊθΌͺζΈ, Go Rin no Sho} (The Book of Five Rings) around 1645. One book cover inspired this description of David Guardia for #GHAWG:
Source: Goodreads.com
3οΈβ£7οΈβ£ 2023-April-10 00:57:28
"Are you OK?"
He nodded. We all saw he was OK.
The mob decided to give me space.
The man shook my hand firmly;
I did likewise. I told the bar owner
as far as we're concerned,
the match didn't happen.
So I forfeited my winnings.
ποΈ This was a transitional zapfic entry. It's only purpose was to advance the story.
ποΈ It's been said that if something isn't recorded or documented, then it didn't happen. That's the approach David Guardia took to the arm wrestling match he had won. This was so that it could be redone with contestants who truly wanted to participate.
3οΈβ£8οΈβ£ 2023-April-11 00:17:07
After I arrived at Sandusky, Ohio I located a motel where I could call it a night and catch my Zzz. The next day I found a diner for breakfast. After I finished my steak and eggs meal I heard a voice near me say, "Thank you."
ποΈ As I noted in the previous post, Sandusky, Ohio was chosen as a reference to the 1995 Chris Farley comedy movie Tommy Boy.
3οΈβ£9οΈβ£ 2023-April-12 00:21:25
The man I rescued with the Heimlich maneuver stood by the table with hand outstretched. I shook his hand firmly and invited him to sit with me. I was going to ask how he found me, then I decided I was better off not knowing.
ποΈ This zapfic entry and the following entry should be considered one entry, but LeoThreads' 240-character limit forced me to split it. That happens a lot with zapfic, especially if it's a serial like #GHAWG.
4οΈβ£0οΈβ£ 2023-April-13 01:47:12
"You saved my life back there."
"I can say the same about you.
Thank you also."
"I'm Manny Rey."
"I'm David Guardia."
Manny reminded me of my father
only 30 years younger. I told Manny
about my trip to the rally at Sturgis.
ποΈ Manny Rey-- two words, but one name-- is an integral character to #GHAWG, and not just because he was the man David Guardia had saved by using the Heimlich Maneuver. This will become apparent later in the zapfic serial.
ποΈ One reason I had chosen the name "Manny Rey" for this character is because it refers to the character actor Steven Bauer played in the 1983 version of the movie Scarface. His name was Manny (Rey) Ribera, and he was Tony Montana's friend who came to Miami with him from Cuba. Al Pacino played Tony Montana, and he normally called Manny (Rey) "Manolo."
4οΈβ£1οΈβ£ 2023-April-14 00:21:39
"You'll meet Harry Hoqualogue,"
Manny Rey said. "He still rides with
The Mongols. I have this message
for him."
He hands me a sealed envelope.
"I have other things going on,"
he continued, "So I won't be riding
into Sturgis."
ποΈ "Hoqualogue" (pronounced "ho-ka-lohg") is a name I made up; it's at least a name I have never heard anywhere. It will be mentioned a few times in the course of the zapfic serial, but the reason I made up this name won't be revealed until David Guardia comes face-to-face with Harry Hoqualogue at Sturgis. (Hint: this reason is nothing profound, mysterious, or esoteric.)
ποΈ So much to unpack about how I decided to include The Mongols in GHAWG:
The Mongols is one of a number of "outlaw" motorcycle clubs in the United States. It's not because they are criminals (although some criminals have been known to be members of The Mongols since being founded in 1969); instead, it's simply because they are not members of the American Motorcyclist Association. Technically, David Guardia is an outlaw biker-- but only in the most literal sense of the term since he isn't part of any organization or club.
To further complicate matters, there is an actual outlaw motorcycle club whose name is
Outlaw Motorcycle Club(which I only discovered while preparing this post); The Mongols are not associated with them, either, but both clubs are outlaw clubs.The first time I recalled hearing about The Mongols as a motorcycle club and not as the hordes of Genghis Khan was while watching Jesse "The Body" Ventura mention in one of the World Wrestling Federation programs that he used to ride with The Mongols. As a WWF wrestler, he was one of the star heels of the organization, often talking smack about babyface and WWF heavyweight champion Hulk Hogan.
4οΈβ£2οΈβ£ 2023-April-15 00:52:49
"How far will you be going?" I asked.
"Illinois, near Wisconsin & Iowa."
"I'm new to this region, and we're
both heading west."
"Are you proposing we ride together
for a while?"
"I am."
It's as if Manny Rey read my mind.
ποΈ I picked the area where Illinois borders these 2 states because the #GHAWG zapfic serial will take on a different tone once the story shifts into Iowa. With only Iowa and South Dakota remaining on the ride to Sturgis that's not much time or distance-- or is it?
ποΈ This is when David Guardia notices something peculiar about his new riding companion. Nothing sinister or unsettling; instead, it's closer to the eccentric end of the spectrum.
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Story Arc So Far
David Guardia gets some entertainment in the form of an arm wrestling contest he had zero idea was taking place, it things go downhill from there.
Only someone choking at the bar where the arm wrestling contest was taking place gave David the opportunity to escape in one piece.
While he thought that was it after he reached Sandusky Ohio, he finds himself again with this person whose life he saved. This is where we meet that character Manny Rey, an older man who resembles a mature yet much younger version David's father. This partly puts David at ease with this stranger.
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Next Week
The next post will feature GHAWG entries 43-49 and explanations for each entry. Act 2 for GHAWG continues.
GHAWG itself continues at LeoThreads, where the seemingly-long interlude between Act 2 and Act 3 comes to a close. David Guardia is in his own world, unaware of his situation as he's in the hospital recovering from broken bones and wounds he sustained when a fuel tanker exploded close to him and threw him 100 feet away. What he discovers in his own world will blow his mind.
Catch the latest zapfic entries for GHAWG at LeoThreads. Get caught up with GHAWG with these weekly summaries at LeoFinance and at the Scholar and Scribe community.
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GHAWG Navigation
To find other weekly summary posts such as this one-- or to read the serial without annotated commentary-- use the GHAWG Navigation threadstorm at LeoThreads. Within LeoThreads, hashtag #GHAWGnav brings up the navigation.