It Turns Out I Was Just A Pawn

Flash's best friend was being tortured, being drug, being forced, going to a chess tournament on Saturday morning. Flash's best friend can easily think of a hundred other things he'd rather do on a Saturday morning other than get up for a chess tournament, but his mom was making him go. In a moment of compromise, she suggested that he ask Flash to go with him.

Flash, for the first time in 24 weeks of gifted class, was ahead on his homework by Friday afternoon (because Mom took over the planning, organizing and supervising of all things related to gifted homework this week) and so he received an instant and supportive "Sure!" from me when he asked if he could attend with his best friend. Later, I asked Flash if he might ask his best friend how he got involved in this tournament so that perhaps Flash might be able to participate at some point in the future. Flash looked at me with a stricken expression and said, "Why would I want to do that? I don't want to play chess in some tournament!" Well, all right then. Just thought I would ask.

So early Saturday morning, Flash left the house with a granola bar and a bottle of water for breakfast, $20 for lunch and the reminder from his mom that he was there to be moral support for his best friend and NOT to be a pain in the arse to his friend's mom.

The boys played together at the friend's house for a few hours after the tournament and when I went to pick up Flash, the mom said the boys had enjoyed themselves. I gave her a skeptical look. Flash excused himself for a moment and said he had left something in their car and that he'd be right back. When he returned, he was holding something behind his back and had a very funny expression on his face.

"What do you have?" I asked with trepidation.

And Flash presents me with a trophy.

His trophy.

He tied for first place in the tournament he didn't EVER want to participate in.

It turns out the mom insisted suggested they BOTH play in the tournament. At one point, they had to play each other and neither was certain of how to handle that. God was gracious enough to end their game in a stalemate so neither won and neither lost. The friendship remained in tact and no feelings were hurt in the process.

So now, when asked if Flash wants to paticipate in chess tournaments, I receive a resounding "Of course!"

Of course he does.