Post by dragonclaw15 on Jul 7, 2004 3:33:56 GMT -5
Checkmate
For the past few days, I've been hanging out at the local park. I had first decided to go in and walk around to think about stuff, but that stopped when an old man waved me over and started to set up a chess board.
I knew how to play, but not well, but I decided to try the old man on anyway. He's been beating me every day, and contrary to the old cliche, I haven't been getting any better. I suppose it's because I'm not really thinking about the game. I move the pieces, but that's all they are - pieces, and all this is is a stupid game. I had more important things to think about, and these games were only ways to kill time.
The old man beat me for the second time today. He looked across at me. "Son," he said, "why can't you beat me?"
I looked up. "Because..." I stalled for time a little, but the old man saw through my attempt.
"Because you're thinking about other things and not the game." He finished setting up the board again and rotated it so that he was now playing white. He moved a pawn forward. "At your age, I bet you're thinking about girls." He smiled, showing a mouth full of old and crooked teeth.
Without thinking, I made my own move. "Not girls. Just one."
"I see. How old are you, son?"
I hesitated. I wasn't even a fourth of the old man's age, and I knew what he would ask next. But I guess there was no harm in listening to an old man.
I sighed. "Sixteen."
"Do you love this girl?" he asked. My prediction was correct.
"I think so," I said as I watched him make his own move. "I would know if I knew how she felt about me."
The old man made a soft 'hmmph' sound with his nose. "Don't fall in love, son. I fought in the war, and I know - It's like...it's exactly like being shot."
I absently made my own move as he continued. "It hits you at first. Then it burns. And it burns. And even when the bullet's gone, it still hurts. Do you understand? I can tell from how reckless your moves are. You're not the kind of person who would just sit on his ass and wait forever. The bullet's gone, isn't it?"
I watched the old man's wrinkly hands as he moved his queen. "Checkmate." He stood up and shook my hand. "I hope you don't live to be as old as me."
For the past few days, I've been hanging out at the local park. I had first decided to go in and walk around to think about stuff, but that stopped when an old man waved me over and started to set up a chess board.
I knew how to play, but not well, but I decided to try the old man on anyway. He's been beating me every day, and contrary to the old cliche, I haven't been getting any better. I suppose it's because I'm not really thinking about the game. I move the pieces, but that's all they are - pieces, and all this is is a stupid game. I had more important things to think about, and these games were only ways to kill time.
The old man beat me for the second time today. He looked across at me. "Son," he said, "why can't you beat me?"
I looked up. "Because..." I stalled for time a little, but the old man saw through my attempt.
"Because you're thinking about other things and not the game." He finished setting up the board again and rotated it so that he was now playing white. He moved a pawn forward. "At your age, I bet you're thinking about girls." He smiled, showing a mouth full of old and crooked teeth.
Without thinking, I made my own move. "Not girls. Just one."
"I see. How old are you, son?"
I hesitated. I wasn't even a fourth of the old man's age, and I knew what he would ask next. But I guess there was no harm in listening to an old man.
I sighed. "Sixteen."
"Do you love this girl?" he asked. My prediction was correct.
"I think so," I said as I watched him make his own move. "I would know if I knew how she felt about me."
The old man made a soft 'hmmph' sound with his nose. "Don't fall in love, son. I fought in the war, and I know - It's like...it's exactly like being shot."
I absently made my own move as he continued. "It hits you at first. Then it burns. And it burns. And even when the bullet's gone, it still hurts. Do you understand? I can tell from how reckless your moves are. You're not the kind of person who would just sit on his ass and wait forever. The bullet's gone, isn't it?"
I watched the old man's wrinkly hands as he moved his queen. "Checkmate." He stood up and shook my hand. "I hope you don't live to be as old as me."
