_____That was my wandering knowledge. Narrow streets descended from the mountains and scattered around the bay like the tentacles of a giant octopus. Every time the sea hit its head at the rocky shores over and over again there was a loud boom so that you could hear it wherever you were. I enjoyed my long walks down to the Chekhov's house and back through the passages so narrow that wild grapes there formed impenetrable walls. Trolleys crawled through the fog like big shiny worms. I could always count on a lift to the main station. If I helped the driver with his gear he would buy me coffee or cocoa.
_____"You wander late," Machu said, "I am afraid to go alone. If you accompany me to the place I will get you something too. Please."
_____"All right." I started to dress. Machu sat on the chair. He was shivering.
_____"Have some water," I said.
_____"Naa, thank you, that's Ok. I am just exhausted."
_____We climbed over the balcony to avoid the lady at the entrance and proceeded towards the chilly darkness with the port lights barely glowing from the down below. It was early for crickets and the dead silence filled the crooked, ancient streets with dark houses on both sides.
_____"We better keep to the sidewalk," I said. "Drivers are crazy here." Then I asked, "Do you feel that hungry every day?"
_____"Yes."
_____"Why don't you pack a snack yourself before the game? Or better tell the coaches about those headaches so that they provide you with regular meals."
_____"Are you kidding? Pack anything in the diner after breakfast when even crumbs are eaten in a second? As for the coaches, they will get scared and pull me off the tournament. That's when I am a leader? Would you miss such a chance if you were in my shoes?"
_____"I won't play if I am sick. To Hell with it."
_____"You are different. Winning is no big deal for you. When we played last time you could win if you tried harder."
_____"What are you saying?"
_____"It is not that you are soft. Just different. It is as if you choose when to win and when to draw. I am lonely. Others, they are too competitive. I thought we could become friends."
_____We went down in silence for a while. Just before the station in an especially dark place we entered a colonnade with a funny echo: squeaky, rattling like someone splits your voice into pieces. Machu caught me by the hand, "You're sure it's safe here?"
_____"Relax. You are a celebrity in chess but not in the world of crime. I doubt if someone decides to kidnap you for ransom, much less me."
_____We entered the lighted circle and entered the diner. An untidy woman at the counter hurled two portions of sausages at us and watched suspiciously as Machu counted his coins. He did that exactly as he played chess: covertly, sneaky, nervously releasing the coins one-by-one until it was enough.
_____"You don't need a receipt, do you?" One of the drivers I knew slapped me on the shoulder. "You, kids, better be fast. The militia patrol might drop by and we don't want them to snoop around here thinking we are perverts or something."
_____Machu swallowed his sausages in a gulp and also took one of mine. His cheeks got rosy and his voice became softer. He didn't look spooky now; just an ordinary boy with big brown eyes and long eyelashes.
_____"Do you like Lina?" I asked.
_____Lina was the only girl in the tournament. She was bright-eyed with a shy smile. That smile was tough to keep: other boys made it a matter of honor to win a game with her and the coaches were out for blood.
_____"Easy prey," Machu said. "Why?"
_____"Make a draw with her for a change. You are a leader, you can afford it."
_____Machu sighed. Then he took a gulp of coffee, "Why don't you make a draw with her? You play with her in the morning."
_____"I will. But I thought if we both do that it will be more fun. And good too. Good for her and for us both."
_____Machu's face froze. It was as if he drifted away for a while. Then he smiled. It was a really good smile, a smile of a powerful professional on the move. He pulled a portable chess set out of his back pocket.
_____"Always with me," he said, "We have to prepare to make it proper, so that she doesn't notice anything. Let's first decide on the openings. But we can't stay here."
_____"Don't worry. I know a gazebo at the embankment where we can stay until morning. I am not sleepy. How about you?"
_____"All set. No headache. I'll smash my guy tomorrow in an hour, just watch me. After that I will sleep. We will come here again tomorrow, right?"
_____From the railing of the gazebo we watched the ships and analyzed the games until dawn, developing the strategy. Machu wanted me to write down everything but I convinced him to let it go. When we were returning up the hill in the fresh morning air I said to him, "Hey, man. Those coaches, they don't know zilch about us, right?"
_____"It's better that way," he answered.
_____We laughed and the colonnade split our laughter into a million of shiny drops.