The Game

A Story by Reasic

Just something I thought about making for a while.If you loved the story, that's awesome to hear. If you enjoyed the story, thanks for reading. If you did not like it, I'm sorry for wasting your time.

The Game

There was once a young man who played chess. He sat at a table in the park and waited for opponents to play against, waiting next to his chessboard. All around him, people were playing games together in pairs of two, pairs with one woman and one man each. He sat alone at his table, impatient, uncaring and bored. Why was he always so alone? Everybody else had a partner to play with. Why not him as well? Was there something wrong with him?These thoughts went through his head over and over everyday for a long time. There was someone whom he played against a few years ago, but neither he nor his opponent were enthusiastic about the game. So now he sat there...waiting for someone.

Then, a woman showed up out of nowhere. She walked over to the man's table and smiled at him. He realised that she was extremely beautiful. Not the kind that turns heads when one walks into the room, rather the kind that would make one feel warm inside when one sees their smile. The man put on a fake smile and welcomed her to the table, gesturing for her to take a seat. She pulled out a chair and they started playing. Being a gentleman, the man offered the first move to her. This was not only out of courtesy, however, as the man used this strategy to learn more about his opponent. When they take the first move, one can adapt and counterattack against this move...most of the time. The woman surprised the man, showing qualities which he never imagined her to possess. He soon realised that her beauty hid a keen intellectual and creative mind, a fiery fighting spirit and a stubborn attitude. What she lacked, however, was strategy. The man played against the woman, toying with her, and enjoying the game until, finally, dusk came and it was time for her to leave. But the man surprised himself and asked her if she would come again the following day. She declined the offer, saying that she was to attend a fair on the other side of town, where she would be selling goods. Disappointed he asked about the day after. She gladly accepted and waved at him as she left. The man felt something burning inside of his chest and smiled. He was so excited that he hit his hand against the table, hard enough to make him wince.

The next day, the young man decided to go to the fair. The decision made him uncomfortable and worried. He was not someone who enjoyed socialising or going to events like the fair. He enjoyed waiting at his table challenging the occasional stranger. But something about that woman...something about her made him want to explore things out of his comfort zone. So he chose to go to fair and hoped that he would be able to see her. When he arrived at the fair, he stood at the entrance for a couple of minutes, unsure about what to do next. He did not know what her stall looked like. He had no idea where she would be, what she would look like or how she woukd react to seeing him there. Maybe she didn't want to see him? His train of thought was interrupted by a shout and the feeling of someone grabbing him. Startled, he looked down at the small person and realised that it was the woman. He had been so caught up in the chess game on the previous day that he hadn't even noticed how short she was, almost the same height as his shoulders! She was wearing a green dress and had her hair tied up in a ponytail. She smiled up at him and told him that she was glad to see him. In an instant, she had dragged him to her stall where her parents were busy selling their products. The man greeted both of them, conscious about his appearance, and tried to look as gentlemanly as possible. They greeted him warmly and made him feel welcome and, just like that, he was running the stall alongside the family, smiling ike a maniac and laughing as he enjoyed the event.

For the next few months he would regularly meet the woman at the park to play chess with her. Sometimes going easy on her, sometimes obliterating her. It was a game he enjoyed and one which he loved sharing with her. She usually brought home-baked goods which they would enjoy together during the daytime. During the night, he would sit outside of her window and constantly talk with her about the simplest things. He learned she enjoyed reading, just like him. She learned that he played piano as well as chess. He learned she was an only child, born as a miracle to her parents. She learned that he had a funny sense of humour, which she became used to. And so, little by little, the chess player began to open up.

Christmas came and went as well as the first day of the new year. This day was also the woman's birthday, but the young man could not spend it with her as both their families were in different parts of the country for the holiday season. What he did do, however, was give her mother a birthday gift which she agreed to give to her on the stroke of midnight at the beginning of the new year. The gift was an quill which had her name ornately carved on in gold. When they finally met up with each other again, she jumped across the chess board and hugged him as tightly as she could. The gesture warmed his heart and he hugged her back, cherishing the moment.

More months went by, in which they surprised one another with small things, both in the chess games and their real lives. He surprised her with a picnic which he set up on valentine's day. She surprised him with a dessert banquet on his birthday, a day on which they shared their first kiss. They also went to a ball, but the event was not as enjoyable to the young man, as he was uncomfortable when being in a crowd of people. She told him that she still had fun, regardless of the fact that they barely danced. They enjoyed playing chess together and they argued over silly things. They cuddled together under the stars and fought against one another for stupid reasons. There was even a time when they went on a holiday to a neighbouring country together, where they took care of each other (although he was the one who constantly cleaned the house and organise everything so she would be happy).

A long time had passed and it was again time for another fair. This time he went along with her family and set up the stall at sunrise. They again worked throughout the day and afterwards he presented her with a piece that he composed on the piano. It was not a particularly good piece and it was terribly composed, but she enjoyed the gesture and kept the sheet music in her room. It was more or less around that time that things had become a bit less...magical.

She complained about his childish sense of humour and did not enjoy the way he talked about certain subjects. She said she found his attitude and manner ridiculous and embarrassing, sometimes even calling it pathetic. He argued that she had stopped treating him like the one she loved and more like a friend. He said that she no longer showed affection at all and that her snide comments were not seen as jokes by him. And so, during their next chess game, she lost. It was the first time that they had not ended up in a draw, but he was not the victor. The woman had simply given up and left. He did not see her for a week and later on received a letter, the contents being a message that ended their relationship, stating that he was like a brother to her. Heartbroken, he chose to go along with her wishes, as long as it will make her happy. He remained at the park, everyday, waiting for someone else to play chess with. After another lonely week, he asked her if she would mind helping him with something. He was planning on giving treats and biscuits to some of the friends he had made in the park, friends which he would never have made if his confidence had not been boosted after meeting her. She accepted his invitation and went to his home, where they baked together. The day went smoothly and they laughed together, enjoying each other's company once again, and then she kissed him. He was surprised by the gesture, as it was an extremely passionate and affectionate kiss. She left him standing there, dazed and confused. And he chose not to give up on her.

Another Christmas and new year arrived. This time, he had arranged a surprise during her birthday. Months before, he had made arrangements to travel towards their family home one day before her birthday. At the house, he hid in the guestbedroom until midnight at which he walked out onto the veranda and presented her with her birthday gifts. She was delighted to see him, and both man and woman were once again in love and happy to spend a week together. They went to the beach and looked at the stars, the swam together and cooked together. It was a magical time. Upon their return to the town, they resumed their previous routine, playing chess together and enjoying each other's company. However, the days they spent together became less and less. Both of them had work to do, work which consumed too much time. He was also part of a group of friends which he made at the park, and they had weekly gatherings which also consumed time. She focused on her work, intently, and became obsessed with it. They attended another ball together, but the exact same happened as on the previous one. Valentine's day came and went. He surprised her yet again with an event, a dinner which he skipped work for. She appreciated the gesture and looked like she was enjoying the evening, but he felt as if she was not sincere. She had not given him that smile which made him fall in love with her in almost a year.

The young man was torn between emotions. The relationship was clearly not going well, and he did not know how to fix it. He spent some time, trying to think of how to handle the situation. During this time, she barely communicated with him, and each time he saw her, she looked less and less pleased to see him. And then she completely changed. The warm, loving person he had loved vanished and changed into a cold woman. She no longer showed any sign of caring for him and barely acknowledged his presence. She insulted him and ignored him. Finally, a time came when he decided that enough was enough and ended their relationship. It was the second time that this happened, but this time, he avoided her. They stopped talking altogether and it was over.

Years after he met her and months after he left her, the young man saw her again at another ball, hanging on the arm of a different man. An intense jealousy rose up in him and he was tempted to go face her partner head-on. But he stopped. She was smiling. That beautiful smile which he fell in love with. That smile which he had not seen in a long time. She was not beautiful to everyone, he realised. She was only beautiful to those who loved her. And he finally let her go. The man still loves the woman and is content with her happiness. She left his game in search of another one. And now, the man sits in the park with his friends, spending his time with them and his chessboard.

There was once a young man who played chess. He sat at a table in the park and waited for opponents to play against, waiting next to his chessboard. He sat with his friends at his table, impatient, uncaring and bored. And he still felt lonely, only this time, he knew what his heart was missing. It had been a giant game of chess, in which she made the first move. They each played their moves, surprising one another and enjoying what they had. But she lacked strategy and did not like how the game was being played and he was competitive and wanted to play on. So she left the game and did not finish it, leaving him to play alone. The queen was gone, the king was alone, and the only way to play further was to give up.

END