The Chess Master

The old man sat in the park; he moved a Pawn forward and pressed the stop clock.

As he moved it, the sky brightened above, as the sun came out from the clouds and shone onto him,

like a torch. He had not come into this park before, it was his first time. He had visited other places

in different ways. But on this occasion he wore a long beard and his hair was grey. But he was

timeless as he glistened in the light like a jewel.  He was wearing a long baggy coat and grey trousers,

a chess board was in front of him.

In the park, people went by him, with their buggies or with children, people on the telephone,

people jogging,  people with briefcases, children with toys, or playing on swings immersed in objects

or their watches that kept their attention.  They did not notice him as they were all too busy to say

hello or greet him. He sat alone on a bench in the center of the park, no one opposite was playing

with him.

He moved another Pawn forward and pressed the stop clock.

The wind started to move; it blew around him like it was greeting him and stayed there like a dog

awaiting instructions. He moved his hand to the right and the wind left him and traveled through

towards the people in the park providing freshness from the heat. The wind would travel back

and sit beside him like a friend.

Birds that were in the sky would stop and fly towards him. They would sit around by him and

tweet their loudest like a choir in a church. He would stroke them, the birds were like children

wanting his attention. He raised his hand towards the sky and then they would fly away. He didn’t

need to give them bread or nuts, they came to him automatically. People did not notice the birds

or their  tweeting, they read their newspapers, or kept immersed in mobile phones or taking to each

other.

He then moved a Knight forward and pressed the stop clock.

The clouds above started to shift and the wind left from his side as he moved his hand again to

to the left. The wind seemed to move around him, before it left like asking permission to a king.

People around the park looked up at the sky complaining it was either too hot or cold. They pointed

up towards the sky and would shake their heads.  They did not seem grateful for the freshness

of the wind, they were too busy rushing about having somewhere to go.

A tear started to build up in the old man’s eyes, and the sky changed to a dark colour, as it burst

open as the tear fell down.  As the tear fell, rain came down at the same time. But the rain was soft

and gentle, falling like snow. But the people did not notice his tear, they ran under covers, swearing

and shouting at the sky. They looked at their watches, always having somewhere to go and shaking

their heads.  People in the park did not notice him or that the rain fell around him, like he was

protected in a bubble.  He did not get wet and wiped his tear away.

He moved a Knight diagonally and took a Pawn away.  He pressed the stop clock.

The leaves started to fall from the trees all around the park onto the floor, as far as the eye could see

and the season began to change like it was wearing a new outfit.  In the distance he could hear

deep breathing and gasping and finally stopping.  He could see their eyes closing and a close person

grieving. He could hear the grieving person screaming, shouting, blaming and saying his name in

vain. But it was their time to go.

He looked over towards over the hills as a bright light came from far away and towards him.  So

many lights would come towards him from different places and at different times. But the people in

the park could not see the lights.

He moved the Queen and pressed his stop clock.

The sky above changed colour and started to darken, as the light left and darkness came out to play

like an actor on a stage. He seemed to be bright in the park, like cats eyes in the darkness, he stood

out but the people did not see. They started to leave the park quickly, rushing around to find a bus

or to get home, parents grabbing their children. But they did not notice that the old man on the

bench  was still there on his own and did not leave.

He moved a Rook and pressed the stop clock.

It was quiet and empty in the park, as the people had left. The animal’s started to come out of their

hiding places, owls twittered,  crickets chirping as though they were singing his praise. The wind

came back from its travels over towards him touching his feet before it left to rest.  The badgers and

squirrel’s that were hidden from people, all gathered around him.

The bench in the centre of the park looked like a throne and the animals his servants sitting around

him, or singing his praise. It was nearly time for him to go and leave.

The animals did not want him to leave and the full moon shone bright like a lighthouse. The moon

would come out every time he came to visit and signalling his arrival.

He then moved the King and pressed the stop clock. The board showed -Check mate.

The bench was empty in the park and no signs were there of the chess board or old man. It was

lifeless and the moon had now disappeared behind a cloud. The animals started to walk away and

hide. But the stars burst out into the sky like diamonds that glistened, as the animals looked above

and bowed their heads and left. They knew that he would not return again.