Dedicated to the One Who Was Not My Murderer

We set off passing colorful curtains of black, red, and white, the sun, the huge body of the elephant, the body of the wolf. We pass and enter the green curtain with the lion emblem. You kneel, open the board, take the pieces one by one from behind your ear and arrange them. Your hands circle the board until the enemy rushes forward, stops, and says check. It’s then that you straighten up, stare into his eyes until his face goes pale, a sigh arises from deep inside. He pulls his beard and says, ‘Young man, put this aside, this is all about strength.’ He says dimples form on your cheeks, you whirl and say, ‘Let’s go around.’ Fortunately, Sheikh Abolghasem, who is present in the assembly, leans back, frowns, picks up a pen, and wants to write…