My opponent scored forty two higher than me. It was my turn to move. Beads of sweat started to build up on my forehead. In the corner of my eye, a mocking grin was clearly flashed as if saying “I speak English, you can’t beat me!” followed by an exaggerated yawn. If there are 600,000 words in English dictionary then there was no any reason to pass a turn. I could do this. I couldn't take defeat, not from a snooty bloke from down-under who short cut mosquitoes to mossies, lollipop to lollies and spell “a lot” (when he means abundant) in one word with a double L. Besides, Webster had always been a constant buddy since grade school and he would never let me down since.
I recalled when I first get hooked to Scrabble (and I never traded it to my brother’s game boy or brick game), I was 12 years old then. Every night, my aunt would always come to our house just to play scrabble with mom until midnight. When they lay the board ready on the table, I would pull a chair and watch intently and would even volunteer to take the score for them so I could stay up late. Seeing them having fun groping with words out of tiles, I would asked if I could join them. But as a young girl with limited vocabulary, they do not find me challenging and definitely a mismatch for them.
One day, when mom was out and my aunt was not around to play, I took the board from its hiding place, near a shoe rack. I hurriedly fetched my schoolmate who happened to be a neighbor and showed her the board game so excitedly as if I found a rare treasure. I thought she’d feel the same excitement I felt, but her face didn’t even light up a bit. I tried to explain the mechanics and rules hoping she would be interested, but she remained dry and motionless. She said she’d rather play skipping rope if not “piko” than sit down and form words out of wooden tiles. I was a bit frustrated but I never lost my enthusiasm. So I played alone taking two heads in one game. I pulled out a red hardbound dictionary out on its shelf and laid it down beside the board game as I was very sure that I would need it.
Continues practice helped me learn quickly. My vocabulary broadened after a while. Although mom considered me a lame opponent, she still played with me once in a while. But through her witty maneuver, my techniques developed. Planning ahead to create a long word enabled me to use all tiles in one turn, thus, giving me a higher points. A bit more round and I was learning to avoid my opponent easy access to bonus point square. I was learning fast and at last, winning. Scrabble gave me the rush of endorphins, in the process giving my brain a bit of exercise while beating someone across my seat. It benefited me academically, my mathematical skill improved. The awful lot of counting up words in different direction made me pass my Arithmetic subject.
On our recognition day, I accepted a piece of paper with my name on it, written in stylish font and bold ink, above was written in all caps... BEST IN SPELLING. I thought spelling is an important skill, but to mom who walked with me through the stage whispered, “I’ll be happy to play scrabble with you again because you made me proud!” My heart was pounding with joy and I felt like I accepted a valedictorian award that day. As I strode back to my seat I whispered, “Thanks to my Butts”, my eyes still glittering with pride.
Yes, if it weren’t for Alfred Butts and his genius invention 60 years ago from today, I wouldn’t be acquainted with words that have become my teacher, my playmate and my friend. Then called Lexico and later changed to Criss-Cross, but it was the “Scrabble” that has found a new life in me not only as a game but a learning tool. And unlike other electronic gadgets that turn obsolete over time, this forgotten game board remain its ingenuity. For almost three generations, the validity of tile distribution and basic cryptographic analysis of English language have remained accurate and effective as tested over billions of games played.
My mom just shrugged her shoulder when she saw that I bought a Scrabble Deluxe with turntable which cost equivalent to 20 regular wooden type.
“I’m the one to blame why you turn nut over that board game” she said.
Today, no more a kid, but the sight of scrabble still elates me. New words keeps coming, dictionary is still present on every match I play. However, sick of counting, I let my niece, who happily volunteer to count the score and nudge players to play their move.
Right! It was still my turn!
“Here you go, mate!” I said as I place Q on triple letter score forming T O Q U E vertically and Q I (pronounce as chi) horizontally. That move gave me sixty nine points and only 2 tiles away from winning. Poor “Aussie” who almost fell on his seat, asked what the hell is toque? I handed him an old Webster dictionary while I lift my hand to cover a yawn that whips his ass and spell “L O S E R”.
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