Phantasmagoria
A Game Of Another ind

Arrivinghome after registering at the Game Emporium is a relief. I can hearHannah in the kitchen washing up the dishes, and I can hear the moansof Jayden losing as he is playing on his X Box. As I go through tothe kitchen, I embrace my wife as she is drying her hands on a towel.

''Stopit, Nash!'' Hannah says as I begin to tickle her around her stomach.She giggles as she tries to bat my hands away. I smile as she turnsto face me. I love the way she laughs.

''I amso happy to be home,'' I tell her as she looks into my eyes. Shesmiles at me before giving me a kiss.

''Homein time to put Jayden to bed,'' she quips. I look up at the clock onthe wall above Hannah's head and see that it is 7:45pm. Wow, timereally does move fast. I was at the Game Emporium for 2 hours? Irelieve a deep sigh and hang my head as I dread putting my 7 year-oldson to bed.

''Do Ihave to? Can't you do it?'' I try to give my best weakest impression,but Hannah raises one eyebrow at me and kisses her teeth.

''Me acook fi you and me pickney and you wan' me fi mek 'im go sleep?!''Hannah gives her best Jamaican impression. She sounds just like hermother. I can't resist laughing as she berates me.

''Wahyou talk 'bout, gyal?'' I try my best Jamaican impression, but Ithink it falls very short of my wife's one. She grew up with aJamaican mother, so her one isbetter.Hannah burst out laughing and I join in. I admit I was pretty bad atthat. Hannah's a natural.

''Thatone was worse than the last time,'' she tells me after we finishlaughing.

''Whatare you talking about? That was my best yet,'' I muse further. I pullher in to me so that we can share a kiss. She smells like vanilla,cinnamon and peach. Mmmm, the aroma is beautiful. I soak up the smellof her as I get lost in our embrace.

''Nash?Can I have my body back? I need to serve up your food,'' she says asshe is trying to wriggle from me.

No.

I wantto it to stay like this forever.

Butthen again, I am getting quite hungry. I free her from my grasp asshe she goes to the stove. As she opens the lids of the pots to servedinner, the room becomes filled with the beautiful scents of chickenstew, rice and vegetables. Man, my wife can cook.

''Whyare you so damn perfect?'' I ask her rhetorically. She is so amazing,I don't know what I would do if I didn't have her.

''Notthat perfect. I might have slightly overcooked the vegetables.Sorry,'' she replies after she serves up my food. Overcooked orundercooked, I'll eat anything she gives me.

''Whaaaat?Overcooked it? Thought you were Jamaican, Missy,'' I playfully tellher. She chuckles as she goes over to the table and places my plateon it.

''Beingmarried to you has made my cooking go downhill,'' she says back as ajoke. Very funny.

''Hah,that was harsh,'' I tell her. She rolls her eyes at me. ''Mmmm, thissmells delicious,'' I say to let her know she has cooked an amazingmeal. I go to sit down at the table but she stops me before I canpull out the chair.

''Er,excuse me, Mister. Go and put Jayden to bed please. He's eaten hisdinner already. And wash your hands too,'' Hannah orders me sternly,pointing her finger straight at me. I look at her pleadingly but herfinger isn't budging. I thought I could get away with it. Oh, man.

''Alright,I'll do it,'' I say as I saunter out of the kitchen. I go into theliving room and see that Jayden is engrossed in a video game he isplaying. I come up behind him and ruffle his curly afro.

''Hey!I'm playing, Dad,'' he moans as he knocks my hand off.

''Well,little man, you've got to go to bed now, you can play video games inyour dreams,'' I tell him. I go over to the television and positionmyself to turn the console off.

''Nooooo,wait, please!'' Jayden begs me to stop.

''Comeon, it's coming up to 8 o' clock. You need to rest well for schooltomorrow,'' I explain to him. He looks at me in a dejected way.

''Do Ihave to go?'' he complains. He looks down at the ground and puts hishands under his chin, resting them on his folded legs. This guythinks school is hard to deal with, wait until he grows up. I benddown to come to his level and tuck my fingers under his chin to liftit up to meet me.

''Yes,you do. It would make me and Mom really happy if you did. And Ipromise you I'll buy you ice cream after you finish,'' I bribe him.As soon as he hears those words, his eyes become larger than hisface. Ah, the joys of parenting.

''Really?''he says as he shoots up from where he was sitting. I stand up slowlyand let my smile reassure him.

''Ofcourse. I'll get you the one with two flakes,'' I bribe him further.I need him to go to bed, so I can eat my food. I'm already missingthe smell.

''Ilove you dad,'' Jayden says as he rushes at me and hugs me. I rufflehis hair once more, and he looks up into my face with his happybluey-brown eyes. Ah, he melts my heart.

''Ilove you too, Jay,'' I return as I bend down to kiss him on hisforehead. ''Go brush your teeth and get changed; I'll meet youupstairs,'' I tell him before he bounds out of the room and goesflying up the stairs.

''GOODNIGHTMOM!'' he shouts from the stairs.

''Boy,where is my kiss?'' I hear Hannah shout from the kitchen. I smile tomyself as I hear Jayden rush back down again. I turn to his videogame, which had been left on pause. I don't think he has saved it, soI do it for him. As I save his game, I think about the game I will beparticipating in in less than a week. I won't be playing a characterfrom a video game; I will be the character. My mind will be pluggedin to a freely imaginative world, where there will be things thatwill be unpredictable.

I wantto win it for the sake of my family, but am I really doing it forthem? Am I really just a slave to the government? Is it a case ofonce a soldier, always a soldier?

No.I'm not a slave. But I am a fighter. And I will fight for my family.

''Youput him to bed yet, Nash?'' I hear Hannah call to me. I turn around,go to the door way of the living room and lean my head out to replyto her.

''No,I'm going up now,'' I say. I go over to the console and turn it off,and then turn off the television. I head upstairs to Jayden's bedroomand look at him as I enter. Always ready with a book.

''Notthat book again,'' I say, pretending to moan.

''Butit's my favourite,'' he responds. He has a big smile plastered on hisface. He knows that he is cute, and unabashedly manipulates me withit. I smile to myself as I go over to his bed. I sit down on his bednext to him and pick up the book. It's called 'The Man with BigDreams'.

''Doyou want to hear my dream, Daddy?'' Jayden asks me, looking up at me.

''Ofcourse I do. What is it?'' I ask him back. Might be about him beingSuperman again. He always dreams about him.

''Idreamed I was you, and that I won that game that everybody's talkingabout,'' Jayden relates. He dreamed he was me? I briefly chuckle athis naivety and innocence.

''Ihope you do win it Daddy. I will pray for you everyday to win it,''he tells me. That's sweet. He has faith in me. Sounds like he hasmore faith in me than I do. And he has a better imagination too.

''Thankyou, Jay. I hope I win it too,'' I tell him. I kiss him on hisforehead and he gives me a hug in return.

''Iknow you will,'' I hear him whisper as he hugs me. That alone givesme the courage to want to win the game. As he settles back down intohis bed, he looks at the book in my hand.

''Right.Ready for the story now?'' I tell him as I begin to open up the book.He nods at me furiously with a massive grin on his face. Guess he isready.