The Seer (Chapter 09) Poem by Kim Barney
The Seer (Chapter 09)
Charlie was worried, I could tell.
I knew Charlie better than anyone.
When I asked him what was wrong,
He hesitated a long time before answering.
"We may be moving away, " said Charlie.
Those words hit me like a kick in the
chest by a horse's hoof. That had happened
to me once, and this felt the same.
"Why would you be moving? " I asked
when I finally found my voice.
"My dad just lost a huge sum of money,
and I don't think he can pay what he owes."
"Even worse, it may be just my dad who
is leaving. He may be leaving me and
my mom behind. I dreamed last night
that he was in a U-Haul truck, all alone."
"That's because you and your mom
would follow in the car, Charlie."
"Logical, except in my dream I could
see the car being towed behind
the truck, and it was empty! "
"How did he lose the money, Charlie? "
"He bet a huge sum of money
that I would beat Bobby Fischer in that
simultaneous exhibition up in Ogden."
"Why would he do that? You had never
even played before! How could he
expect you to win? "
"My dad thinks I'm a genius, " he said.
"And I should have beat him, too.
I had a forced win in seven moves, but I
pretended not to see it and offered
the draw. Bobby snapped it up! "
"Why on earth didn't you just
beat him when you had the chance? "
"Because Bobby's ego couldn't take it.
I could see it in his face. I knew he
was losing one other game, and I
just couldn't do that to him! He could
never take losing to a fourteen-year-old."
"He was only fourteen when a lot of
other people lost to him, " I said dryly.
"That's different, " said Charlie, but I
really couldn't see how.
(To be continued)
EXCEPTION: This chapter and 11b are really one chapter. Poem Hunter has apparently started new size limits and I had to break this chapter into two parts.
Just find chapter 01, read it and then click the 'next poem' button, which will get you the next chapter.
This is a work of fiction, although some of the people and places (and events) are real. Charlie is a fictional character, totally made up. I have never known anyone like the person he is described as being.
I have never been kicked in the chest by a horse.
Bobby Fischer was a real person, and he really did hate to lose, and not just at chess. He hated to lose at anything. When he played that simultaneous exhibition in Ogden, Utah, in 1964, he stayed at the home of my friend, Carl Thorstensen. I was not there. I had not yet met Carl. I met him later. We became good friends, and he told me the story.
Carl had a table tennis (ping pong) table in the basement of his house. He invited Bobby to play a game, and Bobby agreed. Bobby won quite easily, something like 21 to 14. They played another game and Carl did much better, almost winning several times before Bobby finally managed to win something like 26 to 24. Bobby refused to play any more games.
Someone once asked Bobby what he most liked about playing chess, and his reply was something like this: 'I like to watch my opponent's ego crumble.'
He could dish it out, but he couldn't take it. My fictional Charlie knew that.
(written in Recife, Brazil)
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
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5/10/2024 3:36:57 AM # 1.0.0.1119
Really enjoying The Seer where was I? Should have checked your site much more. busy is no excuse