The Seer (Chapter 09)

Charlie was worried, I could tell. I knew Charlie better than anyone. When I asked him what was wrong, He hesitated a long time before answering. "We may be moving away, " said Charlie. Those words hit me like a kick in the chest by a horse's hoof. That had happened to me once, and this felt the same. "Why would you be moving? " I asked when I finally found my voice. "My dad just lost a huge sum of money, and I don't think he can pay what he owes." "Even worse, it may be just my dad who is leaving. He may be leaving me and my mom behind. I dreamed last night that he was in a U-Haul truck, all alone." "That's because you and your mom would follow in the car, Charlie." "Logical, except in my dream I could see the car being towed behind the truck, and it was empty! " "How did he lose the money, Charlie? " "He bet a huge sum of money that I would beat Bobby Fischer in that simultaneous exhibition up in Ogden." "Why would he do that? You had never even played before! How could he expect you to win? " "My dad thinks I'm a genius, " he said. "And I should have beat him, too. I had a forced win in seven moves, but I pretended not to see it and offered the draw. Bobby snapped it up! " "Why on earth didn't you just beat him when you had the chance? " "Because Bobby's ego couldn't take it. I could see it in his face. I knew he was losing one other game, and I just couldn't do that to him! He could never take losing to a fourteen-year-old." "He was only fourteen when a lot of other people lost to him, " I said dryly. "That's different, " said Charlie, but I really couldn't see how. (To be continued)