Percy, “King’s pawn to e4.”
“I can see that Perce – I’m lookin’ at the board, ain’t I?” responded Eli.
And so began another day of chess in the park. Eli, the oldest Rowe brother, and the middle brother Percy, begin another day of battle. Of chess? Well, yes… And no. There is a chess board between them on the table, and during the course of the day pieces will be moved around, but the real battle is one of wit and banter. And today is shaping up to be one of all three.
“The Spanish opening. Gary Kasparov likes that as an opening move. Pretty good, Percy,” Jesse comments as he continues his stare off to the East.
“Shaddup Jesse, ” retorted Percy. “Who cares? It’s just a game.”
“Life is just a game, Perce. Yer right – chess, too – is just a game.”
“Ah, there he goes again. Look at ’em. Starin’ off into the nothing and once again philosophizing about life,” Eli interjected. “Thanks for that Percy.”
“Whatd’ya mean? I told him to be quiet.”
“Well, you be quiet and let me concentrate on my first move.”
The three went silent. Jesse continued his blank stare in contemplation of life while Percy fiddled with a hangnail as Eli rested his chin on his stacked fists and contemplated the second move of the game. A bird flew out of its nest from the branches above them and sang a song of solitude and joy. Once off on its quest to find a bevy of worms for the young ones still wrapped in the wound sticks above, a squirrel jumped and sprang its way down from the higher branches of its own nest and stopped short, barking at the three intruders at the base of his tree.
“Ah, you shaddup too ya tree rat!” snarled Percy.
“Shhhhh! What’d I tell ya Percy!” exclaimed the concentrating Eli.
The silence, sans the barking squirrel, continued on for several more minutes. To break the silence once again as Eli reached to move a pawn, Jesse spoke up.
“Hey, when was the last time either of you tried something new?” asked Jesse.
“What the hell?” asked Percy. “What do ya mean by that?”
“I think it’s pretty plain what he’s asking,” answered Eli as he finished moving his piece and sat back up straight, pleased with himself and now contemplating Jesse’s question.
“Hmmmm…. Something new, eh?” posited Eli.
“New?!? At our age? Ha! New is did I have gas when I woke up this morning,” quipped Percy.
“That sounds like some of yer deep thinkin’ Percy,” answered Eli. “Give it some thought, will ya? Let me think a minute Jesse…”
Jesse responded not to the two older brother’s exchange. He continued to stare off into the distance, as if to contemplate an answer to his own question.
Eli finally responded, “Sheesh, Jesse. I can’t remember the last time I tried something new. If I ignore my new toothbrush the wife exchanged in the holder, my life seem pretty routine – predictable even.”
With the first honest answer to his ponder, Jesse replied, “That’s what I mean. Does getting old mean new things are not meant to be?”
“For cryin’ out loud, you two! We’re three flippin’ old men… In the park… Trying to play a stupid game of chess – that’s the whole of it!” as Percy elevated his tone.
Eli was quick to cut off another tirade emanating from their older brother, “Perce, c’mon! For once just look inside and try to consider the question!”
As Jesse locked eyes with Eli in thanks, Percy took on a new air, “Okay, okay. When did I last try something new? It had to be not so long ago when I got frisky for some lovin’ and sought some satisfaction from the wife. For me, after all these years, THAT was new!”
The three brothers broke out into a belly laugh that derailed all of the emerging annoyance Percy had begun. As the laughter died down into a gentle cough here and there, Jesse responded, “Heh, Percy – I think you have us all beat on that one! The last new thing I tried was riding my grandson’s new bicycle. I was almost on the way to ordering a new hip or shoulder for that one!”
The three burst out in laughter again, then Jesse continued, “Eli – what about you? What was the last new thing you tried?”
“Well, to be honest… I almost tried not coming this morning for something new. We come here, we sit for hours, never seem to finish a game, and by the time we have to go home to get some dinner, our butts hurt so much that comments about that always seems to be our parting words.”
Jesse and Percy laughed at the truth of Eli’s observation. Once the chuckling died down, Percy asked, “So why then did you show up – again – this morning?”
Eli paused long and traded his gaze back and forth between his brothers. After a few moments, he bowed his head, closed his eyes and extended the mutual pause. Then he lifted his head and opened again his eyes to respond. “Because you are both my brothers… and I love you both more than you might know. And, for whatever it’s worth, I wouldn’t change these times together for anything…”
Jesse and Percy sat dumbfounded for a short moment. Then, in unison, as if they had coordinated the response, they both said, “Amen, brother. Amen.”