Life of a King Page #5

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Jerry Simpson,

assistant coordinator.

It's a pleasure to have you here.

It's a pleasure to be here, sir.

What are...

What are all the computers for?

That's how we play chess here.

It's the way of the future.

I trust you've used them?

Yes, sir.

Computers.

All right, I want you to concentrate

and picture your end game.

What's with the computers?

A modern way of playing.

Man, that's bull.

I want to play street style.

You are going to play on a

computer and behave, you hear me?

Now, listen.

No trash talking, no cursing.

Just play your game.

No trash talking, no cursing?

That is my game.

They're ready to start.

You need to register.

Right. Right.

Give me your consent forms.

Good. Good. Good.

Hello.

I'm Eugene Brown.

Registering my kids.

And the eighth?

Here's the thing...

Actually, I left it in

the car, my registration.

Is there any possible way you think

I could have enough time to go...

If you're quick.

Thank you so much.

All right, sir.

You're all set.

Great.

Eugene Brown.

I'm Roy Woodbury, host a

talk program over at KCAM.

KCAM:

Right. Yeah.

Yeah, I just wanted to come

by and tell you I heard about

what you're doing over there

at that house. It's good stuff.

I got an assistant who

lives over that way.

Oh, yeah?

- Yeah.

Is he one of your students?

Yeah. Yeah.

Tahime Sanders.

Is he any good?

Exceptional.

Well, I just wanted

to wish you good luck.

Oh, hey, sorry, I'm distracted.

I haven't had jitters

like this in years.

Come on, man, that's the fun part.

Relax. Relax.

Think.

Checkmate.

Checkmate.

Yes!

Yes!

All right.

We have a problem.

After reviewing some

of your students' forms,

it's fairly obvious that

one of them was forged.

Now, Linda over at registration

alerted me to the fact that

initially you didn't have

some of these forms signed,

so I took a look at them,

and if you look,

this one clearly was not

signed by an adult.

Now, you forged a consent form,

and failed to submit any of the

students' birth certificates.

Can I talk to you for...

I'm comfortable talking right here.

Some of these kids

don't have birth certificates.

Everybody's got

a birth certificate.

Not where we come from.

Then it's done.

I'm sorry, but rules are rules.

Alan wins.

No.

Wait.

Eugene, that was

an absolute travesty.

A crime.

Wait.

Well, there's nothing we

can do about it right now.

That's not necessarily true.

Why don't you and Tahime come

on the air tomorrow morning?

State your case.

Get the word out to the community.

For those of you just tuning in,

we are joined in studio

by Tahime Sanders

and his coach, Eugene Brown,

who were robbed

of a chess championship

this past weekend

at a local tournament.

Now, tell us,

Tahime, what happened?

Shed some light on this most

egregious theft of a championship.

It wasn't theft.

Come again?

It was not theft.

The rules were the rules

and we didn't obey them.

Mr. Brown,

I-I was there.

It is the job of Tahime

and every, every person

playing the game, black or white,

to beat them at their own game.

Their own rules.

We didn't do that.

Mr. B, we won.

We can't change the rules, Tahime.

We have to learn

to win within them.

That's what this is about.

But isn't creating a champion

what this is all about?

No, sir.

No, it's not.

It's about learning

how to play the game.

It's about changing minds.

And, in turn, learning about life.

The championship

isn't the end game.

The championship is a byproduct.

All right, then.

There you have it.

We'll be back in a minute,

plus weather and traffic.

What the hell is wrong

with you, brother?

You come down here

just to sell your guy out?

On the air.

I was making a point.

Yeah, well, you did that.

Tahime.

It's Mr. Brown, Tahime.

What are you knocking for?

Tahime ain't here.

You're who?

Eugene Brown, ma'am. I'm

sorry to bother you.

But your son comes

to my chess house.

Not anymore he don't.

Please, Ms. San...

Listen, you go on and

hustle somebody else's kid.

Selling my baby all them lies,

he's going to be a chess champion.

And he going to go

to school for chess.

You stay the hell away,

you hear me?

It ain't like that, Ms. San...

I said, stay the hell away.

Ms. Sanders.

Ms. Sanders.

Your son is the real deal.

You need to come and see him play.

Hear me?

I wasn't there for my kids

and I regret it every day.

Your son needs you.

He needs you.

Hey. Mr. B.

What you doing up here

at the Taj Mahal?

Y'all seen Tahime?

Yeah, he was with Clifton.

They were around some other dudes

in a car I've never seen before.

He said he had a job

or something about a...

the rec center.

Rec center, huh?

I think.

All right.

Hey, y'all come by

the chess house tomorrow.

We're having a mini tournament.

All right, Mr. B.

Right.

Tahime!

Hey, hey, hey, y'all seen Tahime?

No.

I ain't seen him.

You sure?

Tahime who?

Sanders.

Come on, Tahime.

Come on, baby.

Come on, young king.

Come on.

Hey.

I think Tahime is in

some real trouble.

It's amazing because you're so good

at caring about other people's kids

and completely incapable

of caring about your own.

Marco.

Oh, hey, man.

It's good to have you home.

Marco.

Hey.

Hey.

Tahime.

Where you been, man?

Huh?

You in trouble, son?

For what?

Don't "for what" me. I saw you get

arrested outside the rec center.

Man, I ain't get arrested.

That was Cliff and some other guys.

I thought you was with them.

I was.

I was in the car but...

Once I found out

what they was doing,

I just thought before I moved.

I'm glad you made

the right decision.

I guess.

You know, everybody else

says you're a phony.

I know you're not.

It's a bit much, son.

Some of these players

are rated 2,400 and up.

But it's in the district

and I want to play.

For me and...

Peanut.

Well, come on in here and

help me move these boxes.

Yeah.

Yo, it's Clifton.

Clifton.

Surprise!

What's all this?

What?

You forgot your own birthday?

How'd you know that?

Ms. King and I spent a couple

hours digging around city hall.

No more disqualifications.

This time we're going to beat

them at their own rules.

Come on, T.

Make a wish.

Really?

This place?

Yeah, this place.

All right.

I'm going to go run some errands.

I'll be back.

Thank you, Katrina.

First off, don't be mad at Trini.

She wanted no part of this.

I'm sorry I pissed away

the best years of my life.

And they weren't the best years

because I was a young man,

they were the best years because

I hadn't ruined your trust yet.

Man.

I don't even know you.

I'm-I'm trying to change that.

I need you, son.

I love you, Marco.

I always will.

No matter what.

Hi, Ms. Reavis.

Principal King said I can

make an announcement?

Attention. attention.

I would like to announce

our very own Tahime Sanders

will be participating

in the Eastern Champion...

Open Chess Tournament

this upcoming Sunday.

Everyone is encouraged to come on

down and watch him kick some...

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