The house was quiet, not a murmur or even the sound of wind whistling.

“No fuckin’ way. What the fuck?” I roared looking at the computer screen. My perfect life suddenly shattered.

My Mammy ran into the room.

“What’s wrong?”

There was a moment of silence.

“It’s not that bloody chess again? For God’s sake.”

I’m too annoyed to speak. My blood is boiling, my eyes bulge. I had just thrown away my queen, blundering to another catastrophic defeat. My queen had been a thorn in the side of the enemy till that point. How could my Mam not understand the anguish.”

“That’s it no more chess in this house. It’s banned. You can go up to your own house if you want to play it. Imagine, if your nephews heard you roaring like that. Such a bad example. And you, in your mid-forties”

“You can’t ban chess. What are you? The Taliban?” I replied mockingly, “So, I can go drinking and whoring but no chess?”

“That’s right.”

“Even kill?

“Yep”

“Are you a secret Osama or something”

She wasn’t joking. Now my time spent visiting is about getting a few quick games in here and there.. Anything to feed the monster inside. If I get caught, the computer is off no matter the damage to my ratings.