Slowly, Seth separates the top half of the box from the bottom. I’m hit with the aroma of the old Monopoly board. It smells like old books. I’ve never played with this many people before. Eight grown men arguing over token pieces? This will be interesting. Seth doesn’t hesitate to shout dibs on the car. Kolton states that since it’s his house, he will be toting the car. I swear the car token of Monopoly has the same ego-connotation of a grown man driving a modern day Mustang; car token = small penis. The argument of “No, mine is smaller. I should get the car” is keeping me occupied while they play rock, paper, scissors to decide. Now that everyone else has a token, I get to choose between the thimble and the iron. I saw in a Monopoly documentary that the thimble is hardest to see on the board. That’s the obvious pick. It’s game time.
I pick up the small smooth dice and roll. Double six! Electric Company. I hate that I can’t buy anything first round. Stupid rule. I roll again. Look at my little thimble go! Finally my $200 bucks and Reading Railroad. Oh the historic railroad. At the time I was too young not to be excited. Looking back now, it wasn’t all that great. I can’t believe I finally get to ride the train! A snowflake falls on my eyelash as Dad and me wait to board. The heavy set man with the cool hat rips our tickets. “Welcome aboard little one. We have a special visitor stopping by.” The whistle sounds. We’re off. It’s been forever and all I’ve seen is naked trees and snow. It’s still pretty. Why is there a sudden, overwhelming amount of commotion coming from the front? Oh my god...I mean gosh. I’m not suppose to say that. Is that Santa? Holy crap. Holy crap. That is Santa! What am I going to ask for? Ohmanohmanohman.
Josh already has two magentas. Someone needs to land and buy States Avenue before Josh. Yes! Mark to the rescue. Sweetness. I can’t believe it’s fucking raining. Athens is one of the ugliest places when it rains. Oh man, she’s gonna cry. We should probably cross. Damn the streets get slick when they’re wet. The Artist is still playing at the Athena? We hardly both fit underneath this tiny black umbrella. Carpenter street. Almost there. I wish she would just bring her own. Is it not obvious that I’m in misery being this close to her? Yeah, she’s gonna cry. Taking her to dinner was probably a bad idea. Certainly it won’t be that much of a shock to her. We’re both miserable. It’s been like this for a couple weeks now. God is this what Zach was saying when he told me relationships were work? Finally. 120 State Street.
“Hey. Maria...listen...I um. Well...”
“Yeah. I know.”
“Wait. What?”
“I’ve been thinking about how we’ve been acting the past month and I’m not happy. Are you?”
“Good god no. Sorry I didn’t mean to laugh”
“It’s okay. We are kind of a joke. Thanks for walking me back. Stay dry.”
All eight of us are all over the place. With so many opponents, it’s near impossible to get a monopoly. I need to pick a partner. With only Boardwalk and Reading, I’m just a sitting duck. I need Park Place from Josh. After much due diligence, I get States for Reading from Mark, then Park Place for States. Josh and I own the board. Two houses on each please. After I roll a ten, I land on the corner and go directly to jail. Damn. Could he put these handcuffs on any tighter! I’ve been compliant with everything he’s asked. Yeah yeah, I’m watching my head. Don’t worry. What is he looking for in my car? What did I do to make him want to check? Alright Anthony lets go through this again. We were just driving around and wanted to check out the old park we use to play peewee baseball. All three of us were heading to different schools when the summer was over and we were feeling reminiscent. That’s the truth. Did he truly think I was about to make a deal? What was he asking Billy and Seth? Oh great, he’s coming back.
“Come on bud. You’re okay to go.”
“That’s it?”
“ Have a good night son.”
That was weird. Good thing Seth has a cop for a dad. Small town politics aren’t all that bad.
An hour and a half in and we’ve dropped half the players. Derek was the first to go. He’s still pissed. Actually it’s probably because of the BCS game. Why did he put a hundred bucks on Notre Dame? Kolton won’t stop bitching about Josh giving me his properties so he could sleep. Seth lands on Chance. “Advance Token to Boardwalk.” I’ve had four houses on it for half the game. He shows us the card. The Monopoly Man is on it. He’s pushing a baby carriage and is carrying his dog. It reminds me of Ben Robey. Old junior high basketball coach turned father.
“Hey Ben.” He’s got Luke. He’s getting huge.
“Anthony! How ya been? You going to the festival?”
“Yep.”
“And the Avett show tomorrow? You’re a busy man. I’ll pick ya up around 2? I think we’re grabbing BD’s for lunch.”
“Good deal.” I see him everywhere! It’s a bummer he’s not coming in. After all it was him who recommended I go to the Nelsonville Music Festival. So many good artists. Iron & Wine, Dawes, Old Hundred, M. Ward. And I can’t believe I’m seeing the Avetts for what, the fourth time? Third time with Ben. No wonder I’m always broke.
Seth can’t pay up. He’s gone. Of course the other two would forfeit. We hardly ever finish a game. Since he was the first to go, Derek has to pack up the game. We all gather around the television to watch Derek lose money. I’m still in the mood to reminisce but I know I’ll just bore the guys with my Monopoly stories. Hopefully States Avenue and “Go to Jail” have a more colorful story to tell next time I win Monopoly.
Your essay “Don’t Pass Go” is one of the more inventive set-ups that we’ve seen so far, and it opens up delightful avenues, but at this point it seems disconnected, as though you have four scattered properties and no essayistic monopoly.
ReplyDeleteThe essay is much like the film Slumdog Millionaire. In that, the main character answers a series of questions and only knows the answers because of his own tortured biography. As the film flashes between questions and memories, we see a complete life being built up. Your essay has similar potential. You can give us vibrant scenes of friendship and monopoly glee, while also giving us vibrant and connected memories that will help us see the speaker, a coherent Anthony recreated on the page.
In this revision, the art will be the connections you can make for us. Be creative as you think about all the ways bits of Monopoly playing can work as an entrance into whatever theme you choose to be the uniting factor.
Good, funny writing in places. Funny bit about the car token; great writing about the umbrella-misery. Give it another shot and bring it all together.