THE CHESS GAME

11: TWO GREAT WARRIORS

I SLAMMED MY body on the couch because of the tiredness and heaviness that I am feeling. It is very hard for me to move because of the thing the is attached to my waist. Some try to detached the 5-kilo thing but to no avail. It really needs a key to remove it.

"Jobigirl, I need a coffee. I really want to sleep now," she said in a bossy tone and headed towards her bedroom.

Without any ado, I followed what she said---the Queen's order. Tsk. I also wanted to rest so it is better to just follow immediately her command to avoid any conflicts and arguments.

Right after I am done making her coffee, I immediately give it to her, and then I head straight to my room. I felt weak because of the heaviness of my body. Soon after I reached my bed, my body automatically slammed against it and I fall into my deep sleep right away.

♨♨♨

I HEARD THREE knocks on my door, the reason why I immediately opened my eyes. I stretched out my hands.

"Jobe, it is almost 2 pm. You better get up." it's Veah's voice and few moments she knocks again because I had no response. I just felt sick. "Jobs..."

"Yes, Mami V." I slowly said with a cracked voice. And then I just realized that I called her Mami V. Well, to be uniformed with them.

I then quickly get up and there, I suddenly let out a moan and my body slammed back to the soft bed. I forgot that we have 5-kilos around our waist! Urgh, this is so frustrating.

I slowly get up instead for me to balance my body very well and to adjust also. After I've done taking a bath and all, I went to the living room.

"Urgh, I felt very heavy right now." Gina suddenly muttered right after she goes out of her bed. Weakness was also obvious in her voice.

We are now sitting on the couch. We are still waiting for others before we will proceed to our classroom. We still have a history class as Sir Jessie said to us.

From where I am sitting right now, I saw the boys going out already from their dorms. Their stair is just above ours---slanting---so whenever they go out, we can see them.

Josh and other boys suddenly looked down at us, resting their arms on the railings of their stairs. "Let's go!" he shouted in our direction.

I was about to reply but Lori suddenly blocked my sight to Josh. I can only see her back instead of Josh.

"Wait for us! We will go together in the classroom!" Lori obviously is smiling while saying those words. I don't know what's the boy's reaction. After that, she diverted her gaze on us and she quickly rolled her eyes to me. "Let's go," she said and lead the way out of the dorm.

The boys waited for us right above our stairs and soon after we reached their direction, Lori immediately locked her arms to Josh's arms and began to walk. I even saw her scornfully looked at me that seems like she wanted me to feel envy but I just ignored her. I just looked away instead. Duh, I am not as immature as she is. I will never be envious.

♨♨♨

"THIS AFTERNOON, you will be able to get to know the people behind the triumph of the White Community. Because of these people, we experienced good life." Ms. Alyssa started the discussion.

Indeed we experienced good life. But behind the good life, we have experienced, there is also someone that is suffering.

"I will introduce to you the people who brought the first victory to our community." she went on. Then the picture of 16 adults flashes into the screen. "These are the 3rd Batch of White Chess Warriors that prevented Blacks to win again---thrice."

She showed us different faces. From king right up to the pawns. They are not quite familiar to me except for my colleagues who keep on saying that they knew them.

Then suddenly, the screen flashes us---somehow---a familiar face of a girl. I immediately look at Lori because of may resemblances they have shared. But her reaction did not change. She's not even showed any hint of recognition when she saw the image. Okay, maybe they are not blood-related, I was just overreacting. Also, that girl is Jeanly Natividad, far from Lori's surname---Janes.

"Then, these are the two great warriors." Right after Ms. Alyssa said those words, my eyes immediately grew bigger especially when I saw the two images. I gulped. "Racy Perez, the first-ever pawn who killed the Black's king. Together with her that time was the Knight, Alfred Krista," she said and then looked at me. "Ms. Krista, they are your parents, aren't they?"

When she asked that, everyone immediately shifted their sight to me. I couldn't believe that my parents were part of the chess warriors. They did not mention it to me.

I just slowly nodded my head. Gosh... my parents were considered great warriors while their daughter seems useless. And did I hear it right? My mother is a pawn? How could she be able to kill the opponent's king even if she was just a pawn? Take note... my mother KILLED the King! Never in my mind that my mother would do that.

But I understand. She's on the game and if she did not do that, they may lose the game, or worst they will end up dead.

"How pitiful they are, aren't they? They are both very brave yet their daughter cannot do more and is useless. We don't know that maybe at the start of the game, she will be dead right away." Lori said in a low voice that is enough for me to hear it and then I heard their mocking laughs. The poker face that she showed a while ago was vanished and replaced by an annoying one.

"Don't say that." Josh suddenly said with full conviction. He kept his voice low.

"Well, I was just stating the fact---"

"Haven't I told you the past days to not said any belittling words or any offensive one to her anymore?" he said strongly.

"But, Josh—"

"Shut up, Lori," said Josh coldly causing Lori to stop.

I only listened to them. From my peripheral view, I saw Veah looked in my direction. She probably heard Lori and Josh.

I cannot help but to just close my eyes and ignore what Lori said. After all, she's right. My parents were part of Chess Warriors before, the reason why I am here. And I think I could not be as great as my parents. I am just nothing---yeah, I know that.

I'm also weak. All I can do is complain and give rants to Lori. In other words, I was just good at saying brave words but I cannot apply those in my actions.

???

THEY ARE now inside the dorm while I am on the rooftop, swaying my feet below while hugging the railings. It is already 5 in the afternoon which is why the temperature is not as warm as it is earlier. All I can feel right now is the freshness of the wind passing by me.

I suddenly looked behind my back and there I realized that the bridge that I had seen when I first entered here is connected on the rooftop---the side facing the field. I stood up and went to the long bridge. Just opposite to where I was sitting.

As I reached there, I immediately saw the open field below. I started walking on the long bridge. As what the girl said before, the ends of the bridge are just connected to our dorms---ours and the Black's. The curve of this bridge goes upward, this means that I was pacing upward and this is really quite long before I could reach the center.



However, few more walks before I could reach there, I eventually saw an image of a man. I quickly stopped before he could feel my presence. He is sitting, facing towards the Black's dorm. I only saw his back yet I know that he is from the Black community.

The staff said before that it is better if we will not cross out paths here to avoid trouble and so I just decided to leave this bridge. But when I was about to turn my back, the man suddenly spoke causing me to face his back again in shock.

"Why this needs to happen?" His voice sounded gloomy.

Is it me whom he talked to? Did he know that I am behind him right now? I gulped and just let out a sigh.

I was about to answer him but he spoke again. "Why do we need to sacrifice ourselves just to have the freaking opportunities and goodness of life?" then he suddenly stares above the sky. "Will we be like this forever?" his voice cracked.

At this moment, I just realized that he is not talking to me. And wait... his voice seems familiar. Oh, right. He's the guy that I had a conversation with back at the mini-park. It's Wawa.

"We already suffered too much..." he muttered in a low and sad voice. "What if we will lose again? What else can we eat? Soil? Grass? Trashes? Damn it!"

I just stared at his back. I want to sympathize with him but I guess it will not work because we see each other as opponents ---which should not be in the first place.

I remembered what Mami V said to me about Wilhelm. What if he did not die? I want to experience the peaceful Shah that we did not experience anymore.

After a while, I saw him lowered down his head and his shoulder suddenly shrugged. I heard his sob. I suddenly felt a pain in my chest after realizing that he's crying.

"And right now, I just knew that my grandfather has died because of hunger? What kind of punishment is this?!" he suddenly raised a voice in frustration causing me to move my feet backward. I even saw his fist clenched.

But unexpected happened. I forgot that this bridge is not plane but edgy, plus the added weight on my waist. As I moved backward, my foot slid downward and I fell off a little causing me to let out a quick shout.

"Ouch..."

I groaned when my butt hurts as it hit the floor of the bridge. I immediately stood up, stretched my arms and feet, and I also swayed my waist all around. Then I fixed myself.

"How long have you been there?"

I suddenly stiffened when I heard his voice. My eyes grew bigger realizing that I forgot I was listening to Wawa. I then slowly turn my back and look at him slightly above. His serious face meets my gaze.

I immediately shook my head. "N-No... I j-just arrive." I smiled at him awkwardly and I prevented myself to gulp even just a little.

"Is there anything you just heard from me?" he asked in a monotonous tone.

I shook my head again. "N-Nothing. W-Why? Is there anything that I shouldn't hear?" I lied. There is no way I'll admit that I heard what he was saying earlier.

He did not respond to me anymore, instead, he just stared at me. After a while, he turned his back and just started to walk away, leaving my sight.

Whew!

♨THE CHESS GAME♨