Life After the Party Begins, Part 2

This is a draft that somehow was lost instead of being published.  It was written in 2012.

We brought our favorite set of Rummikub to Perú with us.  The tiles have a lovely feel - like ivory.  They are heavy and smooth and feel delicious under my fingers while mixing them up before and between games.


We often look at the games available in the stores here.  I have seen a Rummikub game for sale at the office supply store on Flora Tristan.   They want 75 Nuevos Soles (New Soles).  That is equal to $27.78 American.  I would really like a second set so we could play with a big group, but that is too much.  I have also seen the game for sale at Wong (our favorite grocery store) for 80 Nuevos Soles  ($29.63 American).  I long to find a thrift shop or mano segundo store (second hand) here.  I want a bargain - three (Eight Soles, ten céntimos) to four dollars (Ten Soles, eighty céntimos)  for a good used game would not be too much for me.  

At the Gallerias (a hundred little, hole in the wall shops under one roof) on Flora Tristan we have found a Rummikub game.  They only want 20 Soles.   The box looks just like many of the game boxes in the states.  And it's heavy, which is a good sign.  We buy it without too much consideration.   At home we open it in great expectation and are quickly dropped into reality.

This is a pirated game!   The tiles are less than an inch square, made of a rough, lightweight plastic.  We have to put the number stickers on ourselves.  The red and orange numbers are so similar that it is difficult to tell them apart.  The sixes and nines are identical.  The back of the tiles are hollow and ugly with plastic "skin tags" sticking up on many of them.  They do not feel delicious under my fingers.

               Of course, Twenty Soles is only $7.40 American!  WHAT WAS I THINKING??!!!!

My new lema (motto) is "Beware the Bargain!

"We happen to know people who like to party.  It is one of the lovely things about our life here in Perú.  By "Party" I mean people who like to get together, laugh, play games, talk, laugh, dance, eat, and laugh some more.  As far as we know they do not go in for alcohol or other mood enhancing substances.  The best thing is that they create an enhanced mood by getting together, laughing, playing games, talking, dancing, and eating.

Three parties this weekend alone!

The first is a visit to Miriam, Ricardo, and Ricky.  We think it's just a visit, but it turns  into a party (with the exception of eating and dancing).  We take along our Rummikub game because we have invited ourselves over, and maybe this will help move the conversation along.


We brought our favorite set of Rummikub to Perú with us.  The tiles have a lovely feel - like ivory.  They are heavy and smooth and feel delicious under my fingers while mixing them up before and between games.

We visit for a while (talk) and then we pull out the game.  They have never seen it before, but they are fun-loving people, so they agree to play.

Miriam clears away her work from their glass-topped dining table.  We dump out the tiles and explain the game.  We are five, and there are only four tile holders, so Miriam and Ricky play together.

Ricky loves the game.  He dying to win and comes up with several strategies.  The first is slowly creeping his hand toward a face-down tile when it's not his turn.  But he is never quite subtle enough, and someone stops him each time.  Often when his turn comes he crosses himself two or three times. Once he begins to pray to the Virgin Mary, but his mother quickly puts a stop to that.  Several times he disappears under the table, and I do not quickly grasp the significance of this until he has gone under several times and been pulled out by his mother while Bruce laughs and says, "Ricky, no te puedes hacer esto!"  (Ricky, you can't do that!)

I finally get it:  he's looking through the glass table top to find a tile he needs!

We play two rounds, laughing and getting after Ricky.  On the first round Ricky and Miriam win.  He's so happy.  Ricardo wins the second round.  Everyone is happy.

We gather up the game to go home.  It's my favorite set of Rummikub tiles.  I wish I had brought another set as well so we could give it to them.  I CANNOT part with these tiles.