It Wasn't a Dream, it was a Late Night Chess Game

Football and my little sister were my life. She was eight that year and I was eighteen just about to graduate. She came to my games, I went to her dance recitals, life was good and we were involved in our family and our community. It was the last day of school and I had gone out celebrating with football buddies. We went out and cruised around and did what any eighteen year olds would do on any graduation night, we partied. Now I won't go into details, but it was a wild one.

I came home much later than usual, and I noticed that my parents were still awake; and home, which was weird because my mom's van wasn't in its usually spot in the driveway. It isn't a normal thing for them to be up at this time of night, they're definitely early birds. They didn't say a word when I walked in; I took it as a sign of "don't ask don't tell" kind of thing. Sadie's lights were on in her room, but knowing my sister she's going to give me a hard time about the things I did that night. Not that I blame her, I protect her from bad sides of life, she's my little sister, always called her my little angle. "When she's eighteen she can take off her halo" Is what I always tell her. She's so innocent and has such a good head on her shoulders I wouldn't put it passed her to have a Shirley Temple on her 21^st birthday.

My room was nice and cold like I like it. Especially after an eventful night like that, but my bed was so warm, it felt warmth that soothed my soul. Sleep came easy that night and I fell right to sleep.

"Wake up."

"Wake up- drunky!"

It was Sadie, in her little pink dress. "I'm not drunk, and what the hell are you doing girl it's three-o'clock in the morning.

"I couldn't rest," she softly said "Not just yet, and keep it down don't wake mom or dad!"

"Go back to bed; wake me up in the morning." I grunted and pulled the covers over me.

She swiftly glided to my side of the bed and put her arms around me and whispered "please big brother, you always promised you'd teach me chess."

"That boring game?" but she always had a power over me, most siblings hate each-other; and at time's I would have loved to smack her around. But this time she won me over. I don't know if it was the sweet little "please big brother" or the fact that I had been putting it off for years, and it's not like I have anything important to do tomorrow-school's out.

"Remember, Quietly!" Down in the living room set aside underneath our oak wood coffee table we had an extremely dusty un-used chess set. I pulled it out and started heading over to the kitchen table on the other side of the house. The carpet in the living room went up a step and turned to tile flooring. To say the least my feet would have been warmer standing on an ice skating rink.

"Wow this floor is freezing!" I said

"SHHHHH! Keep your voice down don't wake up mom and dad"

"Aren't your feet cold? What's wrong with you?" I questioned her

"No they aren't and nothing's wrong can we just play the game now?" she blurted with her eight-year-old snotty, but cute, attitude.

Even though I've only played chess about ten times in my lifetime I still know a little bit about it, at least enough to play with my little sister. So I showed her how to set it up first. "Now the king and queen are in the back middle protected by their army" I started

"I can be the queen for now right?" she interrupted me

"Of course, we both have queens and how about you be the queen in real life, and I'll be your knight and protect you." She smiled and looked at the ground, and said I'll always protect you too, and that's a promise brother..."

"Well I promise too." I continued on and showed her how they moved and what they'd do. I don't think she paid attention to a word I said though. She talked about everything, her day, her friends, her teachers, mom and dad, and even me

So we started off our game and I moved my pawn two spaces. "Hey! How come you got to move two spaces" she shouted

"Because sister, you have a choice to move these ones up one or two, weren't you listening at all?" I asked.

"Ok, ok." She starred at the pieces for a few moments. She was staring at one piece the whole time, and after about fifteen seconds passed.

"Any day now Sadie..." I said impatiently

There was something unfamiliar in her eyes. I couldn't read it, couldn't see it. She went to grab her pawn, I thought to match mine. But she hesitated and said, "You know what, I don't think Chess is for me, I'm going to bed goodbye--I love you" I went to hug her goodnight, but she started out the door. "Goodnight, I'll always be your angel"

My sister was a strange little girl sometime, but she was very smart, and very imaginative. I thought about what she said for a moment and said to myself "She is my little angel, I love my sister." So I put away all the chess pieces and went back up stairs into my room. Her white queen was in my pocket for some reason, must have happened when I was putting the game away I thought. I laid down in my cold room and warm bed and fell right back to sleep.

I woke up earlier than usual that morning, with a dry mouth of course, and a few hazy memories of the night before, the party at least. I was pretty sober when I saw my sister. She let me get a few hours of sleep in before bugging the crap out of me last night, and I thank her for that. I walked into her bedroom door to wake her up and get her back, I didn't see Sadie, but I did see her pink dress on the dresser. "Where is Sadie?" I asked my parents

My mother was crying I'd already noticed that. And a wave of fear and the pain rushed through my veins and heart and in the pit of my stomach I felt dread, of what was unknown to come. My father stood up to me looking straight at the floor. His eyes were red and still damp as he started to tell me what had happened. "Your mother picked her up from school yesterday; all she could talk about was how much time she'd get to spend with us during the summer now that school was out and how much she looked up to you, (he really started to choke up at this point and my mother wasn't helping either, tears were pouring out both our eyes and mine weren't saved either) and loved you and all of us. The light turned green on 67^th avenue and as your mom and she went through the intersection a drunk driver hit her side of the van going seventy five miles-per-hour, after running a red light. He was in a large truck, and Sadie was killed instantly. We didn't want to tell you we know you were out with your friends last night and we didn't want to ruin your night, we're so sorry son." They both started crying and holding each other as I stood there in shock.

I walked back into my room without saying a word, sat on my bed. I felt familiar warmth from the night before. As I looked up at my dresser I couldn't believe my eyes. There she was, a beautiful white marble queen. She will be my guardian angel. That's what she meant. Thanks for the sign from the other side my angel. I'll miss you, but I feel you inside.