A game of chess

“Come on, Yoo-hoo.”

He slid his rook two spots from the other guy’s king. The other guy took his bishop.

“That’s just silly.”

He was standing over the board, and the other guy was standing, too. He was tall and thick, like a biker. The other guy was the engineer-type, a blue nylon jacket wrapped around his waist.

He retreated with his rook. The metal zippers on his leather jacket jingled as he slid the piece. The other guy took one of his pawns with a bishop.

“Fucking son of a bitch. I’ll kill you, Yoo-hoo.”

The board was checkered green and white, ducktaped to a table at 5th and Market. There were cigarette butts and sunflower seeds on the ground. The other guy slid his queen up the board and took his rook.

“Shut your mouth.”

He swiped at his king and knocked it half way across the board in resignation. Then he chuckled, and the other guy did as well. He fingered a cigarette in his left hand as he passed 50 cents across the table with his right.

They put their pieces back in place to start again.

“You ready, Yoo-hoo?”