Your move, grandad

The lounge in the nursing room was silent apart from a young man listening to his elderly grandfather.

“So this piece, the bishop, moves in a diagonal line and this one…the…the?”

“…the rook, grandad.”

“The rook moves in a straight line?”

“That’s right. And the knight moves in a sort of “L” shape, moving two squares in a line and then one square at a right angle. All the pieces are different.”

“Oh no no no. I don’t think I can start a new hobby at my time of life. What’s it called again?”

“Chess.”

“Chess. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of that before. Who invented that? What a complicated game! I’m surprised that anybody can remember the rules.”

“People take it very seriously, grandad. They study it for years and become experts. I think you would enjoy playing it.”

“How’s school going?”

“I’m at university now. It is going really well. I’m just back for the Easter holidays. That’s why I’ve come to see you.”

“It is lovely to see you. Lovely. It is thirsty work this game. I could do with a nice cup of tea. Can you get me a cup of tea?”

“Well, I will ask the carers if they can bring you a cup of tea.”

There were no carers to be seen in the lounge of the nursing home. Just a few elderly residents sleeping peacefully in their armchairs. Colin went out into the corridor and headed to the office by the main entrance. One of the staff was sitting at a desk completing some paperwork.

“Hi. Sorry to bother you,” Colin said. “My grandad’s asking for a cup of tea.”

“OK. No problem. I will get him one in a few minutes. Would you like one as well?”

“I’d prefer a large latte. Joke. A cup of tea would be fantastic.”

Colin headed back to the lounge. His grandad had nodded off. Colin gently woke him up by tapping his shoulder.

“Are you OK, grandad?”

“Fine. Er…how’s school going?”

“I’m not at school now, grandad. I’m at Durham University in my first year reading History. They are going to bring you a cup of tea in a few minutes.”

“Lovely. Nothing like a nice cup of tea to get the brain cells working. When am I going home?”

“You are home. This is your home now. This is where you live.”

“No. When am I going home?”

“You’re not going home.”

“But I don’t like it here. I just want to go home. I don’t have any friends here.”

“But it is a lovely place. You will get used to it. It is the same for me. I’m getting used to being at university. When I started I didn’t have any friends. I had to make new friends. I had to get used to a different environment, a different routine. Everything was strange. It is the same for you, grandad. You will get used to it. You will make new friends. You will build a new routine. We all go through different stages in life. I’m moving from being at school to being at university. You are moving from being in your own home to being in a nursing home. We all have to go through different stages in our life. Nothing stays the same forever. I remember my first week at university. I was lost. I did lots of stupid things. People I thought were my friends let me down. People that I didn’t like turned out to be my friends. You are going through the same thing. You will get used to living here and you will make new friends.”

“I don’t like it here. I don’t have any friends. I don’t understand why I’m here. Where’s your grandmother?”

They both sit in silence for a few minutes. The carer brings in two cups of tea. The old man sips the tea but it is too hot for him.

“So shall we play a game of chess then, grandad?

“I don’t know. We can have a go. You start and then you can help me to play it. I will probably pick it up, won’t I?”

Colin moved one of his pawns forward two spaces on the board.

“Your move, grandad. Shall I help you?”

“I’m just thinking. I’m trying to work out my tactics. I’m considering all my options.”

“Most people usually start by moving one of the pawns.”

“I’m thinking about moving one of the bishops. Did you say they go in a straight line?”

“No, a diagonal line.”

“Right. So the bishops move in a diagonal line. Right. I think I’ve got that now. OK. I will move my bishop.”

“No you can’t. It can’t jump over the pawn.”

“The prawn?”

“No the pawn. It would be better for you to move one of your pawns.”

“Oh I see what you are doing. You are trying to trick me into making a stupid move so that I lose and you win. Well, I’m not going to fall for one of your tricks, am I? I may be old but I’m not stupid.”

“No grandad, you’re not stupid.”

“Which team am I?”

“You are playing the black pieces. I am the white ones.”

“What are the small pieces called again?”

“Pawns.”

“And you are playing this game at school?”

“No grandad. I’m not at school anymore. I’m at university studying History.”

“History? I thought you were interested in football. You were always interested in football. We used to play football in the garden, didn’t we? I used to go in goals and you tried to score a penalty. It was you that was interested in football, wasn’t it?”

“Yes grandad. I was interested in football.”

“What’s this game called?”

“Chess.”

“Chess?”

“Chess.”

“This is such a complicated game. I don’t think I will ever get the hang of this, will I? Whoever taught you how to play this?”

“You did, grandad. When I was seven. It was you that taught me how to play chess. Don’t you remember?”