Highland Springs High School
Class of 67
Highland Springs, Virginia
Monopoly at Twelve
| By Linda H. Johnson |
It is too hot for me and my sister, Cathy Lee, to do anything else but play Monopoly. We sprawl across the bare living room floor where it does
seem a few degrees cooler then the rest of the house. Mama yells at us from the kitchen, "Ya'll get on outside, right now, cause that fussing over
which one is cheating is getting on my nerves."
seem a few degrees cooler then the rest of the house. Mama yells at us from the kitchen, "Ya'll get on outside, right now, cause that fussing over
which one is cheating is getting on my nerves."
I do not cheat, but I always keep one eye on Cathy Lee, two sharp eyes if she is the banker and
makes too much change for herself. She is the meanest person I know and even though I am 18
months older and 20 pounds heavier, she can beat me up and that unnerves me badly. I am a
lot smarter than Cathy Lee and she hates that. She is stupid and has to own Baltic and
Mediterranean, which are truly the skid rows of all the avenues, just because her favorite color
is purple. It gets her nowhere and is the reason I always win.
I am laughing and howling when Cathy Lee lands on Park Place with three hotels and no chance
of making it past "Go" for that pidly $200. I use my book brain to carefully select the brilliant
words that will throw her into a rage, reminding her as I hold my nose, "Cathy Lee, you still got
B.O. Railroad real bad, but I don't want it." She despises that joke and as she picks up the board
and hurls it across the room, informs me "Now, Miss Monopoly, the game is officially over." Her
silver racing car and my little top hat slam against the wall. The orange and yellow cards are all
mixed up, but look pretty on the faded floor.
makes too much change for herself. She is the meanest person I know and even though I am 18
months older and 20 pounds heavier, she can beat me up and that unnerves me badly. I am a
lot smarter than Cathy Lee and she hates that. She is stupid and has to own Baltic and
Mediterranean, which are truly the skid rows of all the avenues, just because her favorite color
is purple. It gets her nowhere and is the reason I always win.
I am laughing and howling when Cathy Lee lands on Park Place with three hotels and no chance
of making it past "Go" for that pidly $200. I use my book brain to carefully select the brilliant
words that will throw her into a rage, reminding her as I hold my nose, "Cathy Lee, you still got
B.O. Railroad real bad, but I don't want it." She despises that joke and as she picks up the board
and hurls it across the room, informs me "Now, Miss Monopoly, the game is officially over." Her
silver racing car and my little top hat slam against the wall. The orange and yellow cards are all
mixed up, but look pretty on the faded floor.
Cathy Lee storms through the screen door hard enough to pull part of the hinge loose and now the door is hanging crooked. I'll have to spend
time on my belly reaching thru dirt balls under the sofa to retrieve the deeds and colored money. Then I'll have to find and count all the red
hotels and little green houses. The part that will take the longest is getting all the pieces and the money lined up and stacked neatly in them little
cardboard compartments. I don't mind, though, cause I love playing Monopoly.
time on my belly reaching thru dirt balls under the sofa to retrieve the deeds and colored money. Then I'll have to find and count all the red
hotels and little green houses. The part that will take the longest is getting all the pieces and the money lined up and stacked neatly in them little
cardboard compartments. I don't mind, though, cause I love playing Monopoly.
Posted November 21, 1997
