Saturday, April 27, 2013

A Tale of Love and Backgammon

by B

A: An early college sweetheart, though we finally broke up before I went abroad. I returned from studying abroad to find he had a new girlfriend, new friends, and a new game: backgammon. I resisted.

W: Just a kid, barely able to drink. Four years younger but with a noticeable crush on me. The crush was mildly reciprocated. I offered to let him crash on my couch. He offered to teach me tavla, the Turkish version of backgammon. I agreed, and enjoyed. He had been traveling with only a backpack and he smelled like dust, body odor, and unwashed clothes. His nails were too long. The crush was over.

B: We played on the weekends. He taught me not to be a Turkish bastard in the game, while he acted as one in daily life. After we broke up, a phone call: let’s get together and play backgammon. I relented. A few hours later, in bed together, I cursed the game.

V: He claimed he was too good to play me, but I beat him. He won't hesitate to be a Turkish bastard when the game depends on it. He doesn’t know how to use a doubling cube. He’s the most annoying winner and the sorest loser I’ve ever met. We’re getting married this summer.

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