Not Our Game
March 3, 2024 – Yonkers, New York, USA
Elena Cavinatto and her new boyfriend, Milo, arrived first at her parents’ house for Sunday dinner. While he still stood in the doorway, Momma and Papa Cavinatto quizzed Milo about where he lived and mutual acquaintances they might have. Elena’s older sister, Isadora, arrived before Milo felt too overly scrutinized.
Isadora held a canvas bag and did not set it down after removing her coat. With only a quick glance, Milo recognized the family resemblance between Elena and her sister. But Elena was lucky to look more like Momma Cavinatto, while Isadora took after Papa.
After they were introduced, Milo gestured toward Isadora’s bag and asked, “What did you bring?”
“It’s a secret. You’ll find out after we eat,” Isadora replied.
The other family members paid no attention to Milo’s question or Isadora’s answer. Milo figured the bag was either a harmless personal quirk or part of a minor dinner ritual. He did not give it another thought.
Since Milo was a new addition to the usual dinner crowd, the others fixated on him like he was handing out ice water in the desert. Momma and Papa cheerfully asked about Milo’s work and family. He knew he was being judged but did not feel threatened. Just the opposite. After only half an hour, he felt as if he had known the Cavinattos for most of his life.
When they sat down to eat, Milo showered compliments on Momma for her chicken and rice recipe. “Best meal I’ve had in a long time,” he repeated.
“Aren’t you sweet,” Momma replied. “Flattery like that will get you a lot more meals in the future.”
Momma brought out a chocolaty brigadeiro cake and after multiple slices, everyone leaned back from the table with full stomachs. They enjoyed a few satisfying seconds of silence before Papa turned to Isadora and said, “Let’s clear off the dishes and get this over with.”
Milo watched in wonder as dishes were instantly moved from the table and stacked next to the sink. Isadora rushed to grab her canvas bag and then dramatically pulled out a box containing a board game. The game was called Ticket to Ride. Milo had never heard of it but apparently the family knew it well.
Papa took one look and let out a disheartened sigh. The smile on Momma’s face drooped into a flat line of resignation.
“This is one we can play with five people,” Isadora announced with authority. She pulled open the box and expertly laid out the board, cards, and playing pieces while everyone else watched.
“You need to give me a quick reminder about the rules,” Papa said. “Milo have you played before?”
Milo shook his head.
“Okay, go slow so Milo understands everything.”
Isadora continued with the game setup as she launched into a long explanation about collecting cards and placing pieces to form trains along the board’s outlined routes.
“You get points for a finished train and when you connect special destinations.”
Elena recognized that Milo was lost with Isadora’s explanation, so she offered her own simpler version. “Every turn you either collect cards or use the cards you already have to build trains. Don’t worry too much about the rules. You won’t beat Isadora.”
Milo grinned at Isadora. “Are you a Ticket to Ride expert?”
“She’s an expert at every game,” Elena interjected. “Anything you play on a table. Card games. Strategy game. Move around the board games. Trivia. Drawing. Tower building. Everything.”
“Do you study games and practice on your own?” Milo asked Isadora.
“It doesn’t matter if she’s played the game or not,” Momma answered. “We’ve tried studying new games in secret. She comes along, reads the instructions once, and beats us.”
Milo laughed in disbelief. “She can’t win every time. There’s always some luck involved.”
“Yes, she wins every time,” Elena insisted. “Trust me, Milo. I’ve grown up without ever seeing her lose a game. I can’t explain it, but she always has enough luck to beat us.”
“That sounds pretty amazing,” Milo answered.
“No, it’s annoying,” Elena replied with a huff. “That’s why we only play one game a week. She gets to choose as long as it’s only one.”
“And you’re good at card games too?” Milo asked Isadora. “Have you ever thought about becoming a professional gambler?”
Isadora grinned like she was brushing away a compliment. “I only play for fun.”
The Ticket to Ride game began and Milo witnessed Isadora’s powers firsthand. She always seemed to draw the card she needed and anticipated every move by other players. She won easily, with more than twice as many points as Milo or Papa.
“We could play again if you want, since we have a guest,” Isadora suggested.
“No, no, no. You remember our agreement,” Elena replied.
Isadora let the idea drop and everyone helped wash the dishes before moving on to their next scheduled activity, a walk to the Hudson River. Milo enjoyed the scenery and the company. Isadora’s impressive winning streak was still on his mind and he continued to suggest games the family might not have played. Elena confirmed they had tried them all.
Papa grew philosophical and said, “That we keep playing is one of our greatest achievements. We’re proof that peace and happiness are more important than winning and losing.”
On his way out the door that evening, Milo was invited back the next Sunday and he happily accepted. During the week that followed, he did not think about how comfortable he felt around Elena’s parents or the pleasant walk to the river. He thought about Isadora’s extraordinary win streak. He became obsessed with finding a game she might lose. He visited local toy and game stores and shopped online. When he arrived at the Cavinatto’s on Sunday, he carried a mysterious canvas bag of his own.
“I thought maybe you’d let me pick the game today,” Milo announced.
Everyone agreed with the idea. After another delicious meal, Milo unveiled what was in his bag.
“Candyland?” Elena cried.
Milo smiled over the brightly colored game box decorated with cartoonish characters. “Yeah, I used to play this all the time as a kid. It’s easy and fun.”
“It’s very cute. I’m happy to play,” Momma said.
Isadora eyed the box suspiciously but after all the different games she had brought home, she felt obligated to play this one.
Since Candyland only had enough game pieces for four players, Papa agreed to sit out. Milo explained the rules in less than ten seconds: You pick a card from the deck and move to the next colored space shown on the card. The game involved zero strategy.
Players took turns drawing cards and moving their pieces toward the Candy Castle at the top of the board. Isadora’s face clouded over as she realized she was behind and her only hope of catching up depended on the cards randomly stacked in the deck. With only a few cards left, Momma drew a double-orange square card, which took her all the way to the castle.
“I won?” Momma cried in surprise. “I’ve never won anything before!”
“Congratulations! Wasn’t that fun!” Milo called.
Isadora looked at the board in confusion, carefully counting the spaces. “I guess you did win,” she said with a bewildered frown.
“Ha! Now you know how we feel after every game,” Elena said gleefully to her sister.
Isadora only frowned deeper.
“Hey, it’s only a silly game,” Milo interjected, trying to sound conciliatory. “It only took a few minutes. How about we try again?”
The cards were reshuffled and the player pieces returned to start. The next game ended with Elena winning. Papa won the third game. Finally, during the fourth game, Isadora reached the Candy Castle first. She did not smile or laugh with the rest of the players.
Papa was quick to notice the strange mood which took over the home. He suggested they stop playing the game and walk to the river. The group left the house in silence and could hardly think of anything to say to each other. Isadora kept her head down. Momma and Papa were much less interested in Milo than they had been a week earlier.
When they returned from the walk, Elena decided she had something she needed to do at her apartment. She gestured to Milo that they should leave.
“I had a good time again,” Milo said to Momma and Papa. He pointed to the Candyland board and box that were still on the table. “You can keep the game in case we want to play again. I don’t need it.”
Isadora left shortly after Elena and Milo. Her eyes purposely avoided the table and Candyland.
The game remained untouched through the evening as Papa carefully thought about what happened. The contentment that had been built for years was quickly knocked out of balance. Papa did not want to blame Milo. He blamed Candyland. He packed the board, cards, and pieces back into the box and carried it down the street to a dumpster. After throwing it inside, he returned to tell Momma it was gone forever and would never bother them again.
“It was only a children’s game,” Momma said.
“Not every game can be for us,” Papa replied. “Not every game is good for every family.”
Momma nodded like she understood. “You’re a good father. You know, I’ve already forgotten what winning feels like. But I wish the kids were still here.”
“We’ll tell Milo he doesn’t get to pick any more games.”
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