Desire, lust, and anticipation had driven them for the first eight days. They had needed each other in an animal instinct way, but as the days passed, the love making actually increased. The need for each other grew and the satisfaction after making love was intensifying. When they weren't making love, she had thought of other things for them to do. 

She said, “I brought some games and books for us.” He asked excitedly, “Did you remember to bring Yahtzee?” This was a game he had specifically requested. “Yes, I remembered Yahtzee. Why is it so important?”

“Memories, my Love. It brings back memories,”. “What kind of memories does it bring back? Losing?” she laughed. ”Well, let’s just say it brings back very fond memories from my past.” He paused for second to reminisce before he continued. “As a youngster I would always go next door to my Great Uncle’s house and play Yahtzee. We played while listening to the radio, eating desert, and drinking hot chocolate. The only thing that would stop us from playing was when we were watching "Mutual of Omaha Wild Kingdom" with Marlin Perkins and his sidekick, Jim, who did all the dangerous scenes with the animals.” She said, “I remember. That was a brilliant show.”

“We would sit at my Great Uncle’s kitchen table playing Yahtzee till we heard the theme song. Our eyes would shift towards the TV and it wasn’t long before Marlin would say something like this. ‘Here comes a tiger rushing at Jim, if he doesn't move at exactly the right moment his sharp teeth and claws will tear Jim to shreds’. Of course, Jim would always move at exactly the right time, and the show would always have a happy ending and then the Yahtzee game would continue until it was my bedtime. Since my great Uncle lived right next door it was easy to get home so I could stay late.” His face was beaming when he finished telling her this story. However, he could tell by the look on her face that Yahtzee wasn’t special to her. He was surprised to know she didn't even remember how to play.

In a mocking voice he said, “I guess Yahtzee isn't like riding a bike, once you learn how to play Yahtzee you ‘can’ forget.” He was laughing and at the same time she gave him a dirty look. “Come on let’s play a game,” he said as he tore off two Yahtzee score sheets that have different combinations you need to get by rolling five dice. Such as a full house, a large straight and the pinnacle of all rolls called “Yahtzee”, which is five of a kind.

“You first and always yell ‘Yahtzee’ when you roll the dice,” he said as he handed her the five dice and a cup that you put the dice in. He rattled them around inside before dumping them on the table as if to show her how it was done.

“Why do I need to yell, ‘Yahtzee’?” He was shocked by her response, “Why, you ask? Because everyone knows that it is an unspoken rule that every time you roll the dice you have to yell, ‘Yahtzee’.”

She yelled, “Yahtzee” in the spirit of the game as she rolled the dice and got a full house which was worth twenty five points. It was now his turn, so he dropped the dice in the cup and rattled them around. Something wasn’t right. There was nothing magical about the sound it made. He gasped in horror as he looked at the cup and realized it was plastic. It was not the leather cup lined with felt from his old ‘Yahtzee’ playing days that gave off a symphony of sounds when the dice rattled around inside.

She saw his look and said, “What’s wrong?” In an exasperated voice he said, “This cup is made of plastic. Everything is made of plastic now. So cheap. Ah, forget it, don’t let me get off on a tirade. Your turn.” As she picked up the dice and dropped them in the cup she saw a smile forming on his face. He was thinking about his Great Uncle. The man he had spent so much time with. The man who taught him more about life than any textbook ever could.

Randy said, “Ya know, I think my Uncle was teaching about life through Yahtzee. After your first roll you see what you have. You weigh your options on what numbers to give up in order to reach your final goal. In Yahtzee and life you wait and watch as the other players take their turns. Their choices affect yours and ultimately decide the final outcome. Decisions, strategically made based on what is happening in your life determine success or failure. Both based on your own definitions.”

“You’re so lucky to have had so many mentors in your life.” She said, “I agree, Life is one big Game.”

They never finished their game of Yahtzee. It wasn’t important. For her, hearing some of his childhood stories while they had played were very significant. It gave her more insight into the Randy of today since they had not shared many stories in their previous lifetime together. The sun had gone down long ago and the only light in the house was from the candles. They looked into each other’s eyes and the present clouded and suddenly they were looking into the past.

They could see each other as if they had gone back in time twenty-six years to the day they met in college.

He saw Debra standing in the doorway talking with someone. Her slender body aligned with the doorway looking so fragile from a distance. The correct proportions of her body made others’ appear out of place, heavy, somehow lacking what she possessed. Her brown eyes were not round, but slender ovals that revealed none of her secrets. Her nose sloped down the center of her perfectly symmetrical face. Her lips were narrow and red, contrasting with her pale skin. Her hair was brown and wavy, hanging long on her curved back, short in the front as to not cover the exquisite features of her face. Her arms were at her sides, while her eyes surveyed the room, not focused on the nameless person she was speaking with.

She saw Randy picking up a glass. His hands appeared to be chiseled from marble. He had long narrow fingers, and blood vessels protruding from the back of his hands. They were defined, hands of a worker, hands of a strong and able person. His chin was the dominant feature of his face, stark and rigid. His smile was happy and soft, the opposite of his chin, yet they worked together. His brownish green eyes sparkled as he talked, telling a story to those who looked closely. He was lean; the lines of his body were smooth as he stood there with his muscles relaxed.

She said, “We missed so much time together,” with a sad look on her face. “Yes, but time is nothing. Look at us. What do you see?” Their faces had aged but time had been gentle with both of them. Theirs were bodies that had changed into another form of beauty. She knew twenty-six years had passed. That time was gone. But for this moment, in this place, the “pure love” flowed between their bodies and they were at peace.

Next Chapter: Chapter 30 The Wolf