Millenial Chess
(When I gave birth to a girl in the elevator of the forty second floor,
long plastic slides were provided for us to glide to the ground. We were
the only ones who did not leave because my newborn's fist was stuck in the
elevator door. She began crying. I attempted to calm her with an explanation
of my favorite board game.)
In millenial chess, there are two levels. The lower level is made of two
thousand five hundred squares, the upper level, of nine hundred. There are
four kingdoms instead of two--black, blond, red and grey. They may become
allies, created treaties, sabotage. Terrain is covered. There are deserts,
mountains, lakes of Genevean blue. There are royal swans in the garden,
nipples in the ceilings. The Ringstrausse is recreated with all the moldings
and sites intact. Everything is scaled, multiplied, complicated. You may
bring natural disaster upon yourself or others. It is my favorite game.
This is my very favorite game. We will spend all our afternoons upon the
floor of our very large parlor playing millenial chess. I will be grey and
you will be blond.
She continued crying. Finally, the electricity was reinstated, the door
opened by itself and I walked out. I wiped myself off carefully to remove
any signs of birthing.
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