“Just roll the die!!” Judy shouts.

“No, pull a card!” Mary says.

“Do the backflip for passing 25,” Winter suggests.

“That doesn’t help at all!” I say, “There’s too many things I could do, and yall are only saying the wrong ones.”

“But those are the rule Kindel, that’s what makes it fun! You only know what you shouldn’t do, never know what you should, and only know who wins via the banker slash rule keeper slash king of the world who makes it up as we go!”

While Judy’s ‘instructions’ of the game could be helpful to one who doesn’t know how the game works, I do know how the game works. Which in fact means that I do not know how the game works.

And Ash’s neutral smile and impeccable acting ability, there’s no way this is gonna turn out well for any of us. I’ll either end up in jail, doing a back bend for 3 minutes, eating an orange with the skin, or going back four spaces.

I take a deep breath, review my hastily taken notes on what’s happened so far, and make my decision.

“All right,” I say, “I’m gonna play my get out of jail free card, pay Winter $6, and advance 3 spaces.” I look up to Ash, hoping to get good news but knowing that could possibly happen.

Except, she nods?!

“Very good,” she says, moving my game piece 3 spaces forward.

I get up from the dining room table and cheer!! Judy, Mary, & Winter cheer along with me. It’s only a step, but we’re finally figuring out how to play. And now that we’re on this path, we might actually win the $20 gift card to chipotle…