Keith Parker

Castling the King

I haven’t won a game of chess since. I still try. I still lose. I play black. He plays white. He is my son. A girl in high school taught me the Sicilian Defense and how to castle a king. You never forget a girl who teaches you something dangerous. I play black. He plays white. He is my son. The girl from high school, her mascara smudged, pulled me away from the casket.