Dust and Echoes

It was two hours before the guys would arrive, but the preparations had begun. The couches had been turned around in the front room. Tables had been set up in front of one, the other had a space for the projector. Hawk had started bringing a projector a couple weeks ago the wall in the front room made a perfect screen. Power strips were ready on each side.

Next I would need to prep the great room. This room was a little easier, my TV would be one of the screens used. The fireplace was big enough to hold a couple of the televisions. With an extension cord and a power strip, the power was completely ready to go.

I followed the power with network wires, a giant spider, crossing two rooms with yellow CAT-5. The the ends of the wires pointing to where each of the XBoxs would go. Not 360s, these were original XBoxs and the game was HALO.

Laptop was set up on the counter with most recent ranking changes and ready to sort teams. Beside it was the most important item of all, Swiss Cake Rolls. I wouldn't open them before we got started. Part of the ritual. According to the rankings, Ghost had retained first and Penguin second place. This was no surprise. We played 10 games last week, fairly balanced between red and blue teams. It was still 45 minutes before anyone got there. I sped the rest of the time playing the single player campaign.

In about 15 minutes the house goes from being me, to the twelve guys of the league. We're standing around the laptop waiting to see the teams it makes. Ghost and Archangel are on my team, it should be a good night. Here I am Spider. I don't have great aim. My specialties are getting the flag in stealth and driving the Warthog. The guy who worries about the house not selling in Kalamazoo is gone. Everyday life, everyday problems don't need to exist here. The biggest problem we will have is if the salsa Cica brought runs out or team are so imbalanced that football on the longest is an abusive slaughter.

The time goes by so quickly. One game bleeds into the next. The data is all recorded on the computer. I'll post statistics on Monday and through the week we'll debate about the ranking system. We leave not wanting to stop and spend the week anxious to get back. This feels like it could last forever. This bubble we could duck into for a time, shielded and with each other.

People move. XBox live gives us the illusion we can capture this from home. Time passes. We try other games, but not everyone can buy them. The league becomes an Xbox clan and the clan slowly ceases to function. There is no bang, it just rolls to a stop.

There is a part of me that longs for these days again, not just the memories evoked by a lone Swiss Cake Roll. There is another part of me that is satisfied with what was and realizes those moments can never be recreated.