T.O.S.S.: Trio of short stories

T.O.S.S.#2

Failing memories

"I thought I forgot a part of my life"

It all began with me winning the Washington Annual Chess Championship Qualifiers for the 4th time in a row. "And the winner is ........ Alex Jefferson!!!" I got up wearing a quaint smile on my face to receive the prize. Gave the same old thank~you~very~much~I~am~obliged speech and dived into the party only to be greeted by a hostile mob of well-wishers. Soon Owain came along to help me out there; he is a childhood friend of mine, who is always there for me no matter what. Well, we talked about the news, chess, dominoes pizzas and what-nots before my watch made me aware that I had already missed my bedtime. Owain told that he'd drive me home I said no problem at all 'cause my cars were gone for servicing. He dropped me home in his Bugatti Chiron (He loves sports cars).

I was rudely woken up by my cruel alarm clock which somehow always manages to survive the blow from my pillow. Asked Walter the waiter to get my breakfast ready along with some iced tea. "It seems that you have been addicted to iced tea since you got back from Las Vegas, why is that?" inquired Walter. "Las Vegas?! I have never been there and what makes you think I have been to Las Vegas?" I replied in astonishment. "Please sir, I appreciate your sense of humour but now isn't the right time" commented Walter with a sense of insecurity. I assumed that he was just in a good mood and was joking around so I left the topic alone for the time being. It was a sunny Sunday I was supposed to go to the country club for my golf practice. Walter packed my golf kit and I headed to the club, forgetting all about the conversation between me and him.

When I reached the country club, to my amazement, Owain was there too. It's highly unusual for him to spend his 'precious' Sunday mornings on things like golf but anyways I like to have him around. He greeted me as soon as I stepped out of my car. "Two googlies in a single day, not bad," I said, "First it was Walter then you". "What do you mean?" he asked. So I told him about how Walter was kidding about my tour to Las Vegas, suddenly he said: "What do you mean joking about your tour to Las Vegas?" I replied that even he knows that I have never been to Las Vegas. "Hey, nice try but that wasn't funny, we went to Las Vegas last September for a tour, didn't we?" he said with some anxiousness. This didn't seem funny anymore I was sure that I hadn't been to Las Vegas though I had plans for visiting it I really could never get the time out of my busy schedule. "I need to go, bye," I said and got into the car before even taking my golf kit.

Owain was many things but lair was not one of them. I needed to find out if he was telling the truth or not so I hurried towards my travel agent's place. It took me fifteen minutes to reach my destination and when I got there I enquired about him. The receptionist asked me to wait for some time. I acquired the seat perpendicular to the gallery wall. And then it was time for the third bombshell of the day to drop on me. My eyes fell on a picture of me and Owain posing outside a casino. At that very moment, my travel agent came along. With some trepidation, I asked "When and where was this photo was taken?" to which he replied that the photo was taken last September during my visit to Las Vegas. I was speechless, I asked him whether he could show me our flight ticket which he did. The date was 17th September 20XX, Alex Jefferson and Owain Duke, from Washington DC to Las Vegas. Suddenly I had lost my appetite.

The very next day I called the best physiatrist in the whole state for consultation. This was a serious issue, forgetting a whole part of one's life is unbelievable. This could be a beginning of dyslexia, Alzheimer's or something else. The physiatrist told that this was a very rare case and there was a little she could do. "I think you should re-visit Las Vegas because familiar scenes may help in regaining the memory", she suggested. When she left I asked Walter to book a flight ticket to Las Vegas for the very next day. An hour later he returned. He said that oddly enough all the flight tickets have already been booked for Las Vegas and also that he received an e-mail from the Chess association reading that the Finals will be held in a week from now. Now I was in a troublesome situation: The tournament was important and so was my mental health; so I figured a way out: I could go to Las Vegas by road and tour the city for 3 days and then come back and utilize the remaining day for the preparation (anyways I am the undefeated champion for 4 years in a row).Nice plan.

As I stepped out of my car I knew that I have never been to this alien place. I checked in a hotel and went to my room. 'Vegas is a big city' I realized that when I saw the list of places to visit which Walter had made for me; so much to do in so little time, no time to waste. I went to each place in the city but I couldn't recall visiting any of those. All I could say the trip was pretty much a waste of time and energy. As I was returning to Washington, I tried to focus my brain on the upcoming tournament but all in vain. What would happen if this disease grew? How would I live then? Was it possible that I had also forgotten any other part of my life? : These questions began to haunt me. I started feeling dizzy, this was too much for my brain to handle. I saw everything my car crashing and slowly everything faded into darkness and then suddenly silence....

I don't know how long I slept but when I woke up I was in my bedroom. My arm was fractured, a couple of scratches and my leg was mummified. I looked around and saw a letter resting on the table beside me, I picked it up and began to read it. My hands were steady when I started reading it but they began to tremble by the end:

By the time you read this letter, the tournament will be over and I would have won it. You were the champion for 4 years straight and that had gone into your head, it was ruining you so I hatched out a plan to remove you this tournament. I bought all your friends, staff, travel agents, all physiatrist in the state and even all the flight tickets to Las Vegas just to win this tournament. And now I have won the tournament so you may who I am but remember; now all I'm left with is the trophy.                                                                                                                                                                                     ----- Owain Duke

THE END