The Game

Last night was again a night without sleep. My excuse was the dinner, too much cheese I said to them. But the true is different, worse. The kids are partially guilty, but actually I am the only one to blame. Looks like a game, but it is not funny, not for me at least, not anymore since I was eight.

But it is becoming too complicated. I will try to put it much more simple.

Yesterday we were at the school. The kids are in a baseball team and there was a match against another school. A lot of people were there. Maybe forty to fifty families. Well, I must say, there were sixty seven cars in the parking lot. I know. I counted them. Only seven were red, but all of them were even.

We were going to the school. As usual at the highway there were more cars than space, the same nice traffic jam of every day.

The kids don't like the jams. To be fair, no one likes them.

They were busy looking to the other cars and talking about the people inside. I thought they were searching for some other kids, some of their friends. They caught me by surprise. They were playing the game, that silly game. I was not able to believe it. They didn't play it in years.

I was able to hear them. First, they started looking for any one, then they were going more to the specific ones. I was afraid, I mean, really afraid. I don't want for them to know. Not now at least. Better, they should never know. Actually no one should know. I don't know why I am writing it down here...

But again, I am becoming too complicated. They, the kids, they were playing "just a game". I am sure everyone knows the game. I used to liked it when I was a boy, so long ago. Rules are very easy. You just suggest a plate number detail, like for example that the last cipher is 8 and the first one who sees a car with the corresponding plate number wins and choose the next victory condition.

As I said, I really liked the game until one day. We were back from the zoo. There was an accident on the highway, it was the worst traffic jump I have seen in my life. At the beginning everything was fine. I won a few rounds, my little sister and my mother the others.

That was the last time I played...

Well to be honest, it is not totally true.

I am still playing and that is the reason of my fears, of my sleepless nights.

That last game as I was eight, I won the previous round and I chose the victory condition.

It seemed as normal as any other one.

Red car with odd plate number.

That was more than forty years ago.

I am still searching for it...