THE BOARD OF LIFE

Gloria Phifer

The name of the game is “The Board of Life.” The object of the game is to place the participants of the board, onto their proper positions. When all are put in order, the game is won and the participants are winners. 

(And we as the audience either cheer or boo).

The proper placement of the board is as follows:

The head square at the top of the board is the “Key position.”

The object is to move the king into his proper place on the head square.

Directly, below the key position, is the “queen’s position.” Her position supports and undergirds the head position, and she voluntarily summits to the king, who is set over her.

The remaining squares, are filled by the “follower positions.”

When the king and queen are in order, the followers are free to move from one square to another.

Examples of the remaining squares on the board are as follows:

a.      The space of creativity.

b.      The space of promise and potential

c.       The space of growth and maturity

d.      The space of productivity

e.      The space of obedience.

These positions are played in more or less movement, dependent upon the king and queens positions.

If the top positions are moved out of order, the whole board is out of balance. The followers topple about without a firm footing on The Board of Life.

One of the important rules of the game is, no participant can be moved from their positions without their voluntary will.

Now that the rules are given let’s play the game!

 (Yay …yay)

At opposite sides of the board are the two players. They are sworn enemies, who have a history of opposing each other.

At one side of the board is the Usurper. (Boo-boo) He sports a new set of gleaming horns for the occasion. His black mustache and beard match his coarse eyebrows. His piercing, darting eyes, are at this moment calculating his first move.

The Director, is The Maker of the Board of Life. He is the all-time Champion of the game. He is confident and poised, as He tenderly sets the participants on the board.

In the “key position”, The Director places the king. The king is dressed splendidly in his royal attire. He wears, his Director-given, crown of authority. His resemblance to The Director is obvious, for he was sculpted in his Makers image.

The queen is set in her position. Beautiful in attire, she is gentle and graceful. She wears a delicate crown atop her flowing curls. She is robed in purple and gold, denoting her royalty.

She also reflects the image of her Maker. Inside her bosom is a sweet and gentle jewel called, “spirit.”

The followers are placed on the board. They are small images of their king and queen. Dressed in knee knockers, they move freely and securely about the board; confident of their king and queens positions.

The Usurper takes the advantage and makes the first move. He approaches the king and whispers, “I know a square on this board where you would be happier. You would still be king, but you could be aloof. You could watch the board from a safe distance. The square I put you on would give you more freedom. You would not have to bear the responsibility for any judgements or decisions.

The king, after some consideration, heeds the lying voice and moves onto a square in the corner of the board. 

(Boo boo)

The Usurpers black mustache curls at each end of his insidious grin. His first objective has found success. The “key position” is open.

 His next strategy is to approach the queen. If he can convince the queen to move up into the “key position”; the two top positions will be out of order; and the whole board will be unbalanced, resulting in chaos. 

(We are holding our breath.)

“Queenie, the “key position” is open. You could run this board. You could do better than that old king of yours. Come on Queenie, live a little. Move up into that top square. If you don’t fill it, it will remain vacant. No one else will take the responsibility. The board is dependent on you!”

The Usurper giggles with glee, as the queen moves into the key position of the board. 

(We all groan).

A great shaking commences, as the board becomes unbalanced. The followers are thrown about, losing their footing.

The Usurper steals the crown from the king’s head, and replaces it with a dunce cap. The king sulks in the corner. Instead of finding freedom, he has lost his authority.

The Usurper plops the king’s crown on top of the queen’s head. Now she is burdened under a double crown. She is a funny sight as she struggles to steady both crowns. She can never succeed in getting them straight.

 She blows a curl out of her eye, as the crowns sit cockeyed on her head. The sweet, gentle jewel in her bosom begins to tarnish. She yells and nags the king and the followers. She must run this board. With her will, she tries to manipulate the other positions.  Her once, gentle poise, is now stooped under her burden of two crowns. Her beautiful face shows anger, because her efforts are ignored and not appreciated!!!

The whole board is in chaos. The king can see his mistake in leaving the “key position.” He wants the crown, and head square back, but he cannot get there.  His queen has taken his position and wears his crown. He groans. His countenance is sad, and his self-image suffers. He is still a king, but a king without a crown or “key position” on The Board of Life. 

(Aww)

The Usurper roars with laughter at the sight: the king in the dunce cap, sulking in the corner. The haughty queen shuffling two, cockeyed crowns, and the followers toppling from one square to another.

“This is just too perfect for words. Your Board of Life is a laughing stock!” he gloats to the Director. “I’m winning this game!” he shouts with glee.

 (Boo boo)

But wait!!! Do not despair. It is the Director’s turn to play.

The first move is strategic. He must convince the queen to move from the king’s position back to her own square. No other move can be made before that. She is in the “key position.”

Gently, but firmly, The Director begins to persuade her to move into her rightful position.

But, with the change, she knows she must give up the “key position”, and she’s not sure she wants to relinquish the control she thinks she has.

She firmly plants her feet and places her hands on her hips…one of the crowns slides farther down. She scoots it back up. “I can play this game from this “key position!” she spouts at the Director.

The Usurper roars with laughter, as the queen opposes the move. 

(Boo boo)

“What’s the matter Director, having trouble with your little Queenie?” he doubles over with evil laughter.

Ignoring the Usurper, the Director continues to work with the queen. He reveals to her the chaos of the board. Her king is sulking in the corner, wearing a dunce cap. Her followers are toppling about, with no direction to follow. She herself, is at the top of the board, with no king over her. How can she be a queen without a king?

 Lastly, with great tenderness, He reveals the heavy weight she bears and how foolish she looks wearing two cockeyed crowns.

The Usurper’s laughter catches in his throat. The queen agrees to move, but she is not sure of her right position on the board. She looks to The Director and He places her in her rightful position, directly below the “key position.”

Standing on her square, the queen sees the “key position” is vacant. She is tempted to return to that place of authority. She feels fearful and insecure because there is no king over her.

“Hey king, get in your position!” She yells, with her nagging voice. “Get over here and take your responsibility!” she demands.

The more she yells, the stubborner the king becomes. He sticks his fingers in his ears and turns his back to the board. “Who wants that old “Key position “anyway? There was too much responsibility at the top of the board. Besides, I’ve gotten use to being a dunce. That old queen isn’t going to intimidate me! She’s not going to tell me what to do! Crown or no crown, position or no position…I’m the king! He stomps his foot in protest! (Oh oh)

The Usurper is rolling on the floor in hysterics, clutching his sides in delight. 

(Boo boo)

“How’s your Board of Life working out Director?” He mocks and roars. “Got your participants into position yet? Hee Hee, Ha Ha…”he laughs evilly.

The Director pays him no mind. He begins to deal with the queen. 

“Let’s take that second crown off and give it to the king.” The Director suggests. “You are so weighted down and you look so lovely in your own delicate crown.”

The queen voluntarily removes the king’s crown, hands it to the Director, Who helps her balance her own crown.

 (Yay yay)

“Isn’t that much better?” The Director asks in admiration. The queen smiles in agreement. “It is a relief. That second crown was such a burden.” She admits.

The Usurper is up from the floor, with fear written on his evil face. He is losing the game!!! 

 (Yay yay)

The Director approaches the king. “Your queen has given you back your crown. Will you accept it and take off the dunce cap?”

After much persuasion, the king removes the cap and the Director replaces his crown…his authority. At first the crown feels strange, but soon the king stands with dignity. This is his Director-given crown, that he is destined to wear. He holds his head high and looks across the board at his queen.

She is lovely in her position. She is a sight to behold, in her royal purple and gold garments. The jewel in her bosom, is beginning to shine again, in sweetness and gentleness. 

(Aww)

The Usurper is tense. The board is beginning to change right before his eyes.

The “key position” is still vacant, if he can get the queen to return to it, the board will remain in chaos.

“Hey Queenie, get back in that “key position.” You can control this board. How do you know your king will know what to do if he gets back on the square? Can you trust him to run the board the way you think it should be run? Don’t take the chance Queenie! Move!” The Usurper yells beside the board.

The queen ignores the racket of the Usurper and looks to The Director.

“Please place the king in his position on The Board of Life. Set the king over me.”

No! No! No! Screams the Usurper and he falls backward in his chair.

The Director begins to nudge the king with gentle prodding’s and strategic moves. The queen never takes her eyes off The Director. She knows He is The One in control! The whole board is dependent on His workings.

The king voluntarily follows the directions of The Director and slowly moves from the corner square.

The queen stands firm, though the Usurper is trying desperately to gain her attention.

Closer and closer the king moves until he is positioned at the top of the board and placed in the “key position”, as the king of the Board of Life.

The board stills from its quaking and is balanced. The king and queen and followers break into shouts of victory!

The game has been won!

 (Hallelujah) 

The board is in perfect order, just as The Director has always meant for it to be!

The Usurper scowls, for he has lost another game! 

The Director smiles confidently “You forget Usurper, I’m The Maker of The Board of Life and I know how to win this game!!!

(Clap, clap, clap…Hallelujah.)

The Usurper slinks away into the shadows…the victory of the Director is too much for him.