ARIAKA

This year, Scrabble Association of Uganda (SAU) decided the qualification for the world championship would take a long odious and tedious route.  Players will brace qualifiers across the country through two – thirds of the year.  The East and Central Africa Scrabble tournament would count too. 

Whosoever accumulated the highest number of points would qualify to represent Uganda in Malaysia in November.  I thought there was a flaw in this system.  What if for a reason or another, a player is justifiably unable to attend one or two tournaments?  Should we not therefore take the Kenyan route of the best three finishes to determine that special player who will carry the national flag. 

The SAU executive meeting sat early this year to consider and pronounce itself on these and other vexing matters.  First, the executive had to be reconstituted as Chris Ntege, until now the SAU chairman, was leaving the country and a new steward was needed to steer the ship.  The SAU assembly sitting on January 27^th, at Nakasero Senior School returned another Chris, Chris Kalibala, a FUFA delegate for western Uganda as the new honcho at the helm of the association, with yours truly retained in absentia, into the role of Publicity Secretary.

In March, the executive committee again sat, in Mbarara to set the tone of the qualifiers and with it sow the seed for the winner.  It was agreed in that meeting that ECASA would play the pivotal role of determining that special person to be handed the mantle to earn Uganda a second slot at the world championships.  ECASA points  would be weighted, the meeting agreed. 

For me the journey to qualification started late.  I could not attend the first qualifier owing to a personal tragedy.  So Nakasero Senior School was a no show for me.  With it, a most difficult campaign had started a herculean task.  I therefore needed a morale booster.  This, I got from a speech by JFK who eruditely put to the world America’s character.  He said, we choose to go to the moon, (rising tone) we choose to go to the moon,  (even higher tone) we choose to go to the moon in this decade and do many other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.

When in February we set off for the second qualifier hosted by Mukagwa Club in Jinja, the stakes were already higher for me.  In that tournament, the female anopheles mosquito had conspired to dim my stars.  Chris Ntege sensed that and made a meal out of me on second day.  I finished third on 11 points.  A bad beginning already.  They say a bad beginning has a good ending. Hope so.

The following month, we decamped to Mbarara.  This was my turn to turn on the heat and save my qualifications from running aground.  It was my turn to take the steering wheel, press the gas pedal and vroom into the lead and into the future.  Edwin-Mugisha the phenomenon won Mbarara and with it my hopes were surely dimming. I managed position three on 12 points.

The next tournament would be ECASA and I was excited as my chances would improve.  In ECASA, the best placed Ugandan player would carry a huge advantage into the qualifications matrix as the weight would insure an insurmountable lead on other slot contenders.  As it turned out, this was my worst ECASA outing, performing well below par.  With Edwin on 13 points, my 10 points could not only mean that I had to take JFK’s quote literally.  That I had to do the hard things as the easy options had run out. 

It is an uphill task.  It is a hard thing to do.  It is like going to the moon in 1963.  It is mission impossible.  But there is no choice; I have to undertake this tough journey so as to leave a trail. In all purposes and intends, Edwin-Mugisha had qualified to represent Uganda in the World Scrabble Championship in Malaysia this year in the ECASA tournamnet.  What with 13 yet to be factored points.   Edwin-Mugisha walks with a bounce to his steps these days.  After ECASA, Edwin-Mugisha now walks with an illustrated bounce.  The future of Ugandan Scrabble is living his dream.  He says, he will storm the world championship.  But I have to put that to the test.  There is half a chance that I can qualify.  If I win all the remaining qualifications, if I surmount Edwin’s lead, I will win.  It is in times like this that a man’s character is tested.  I take the test.

Qualifier number four fell on Labour Day and Mr. Biggs club on Lumumba Avenue in Kampala was the setting for this excruciating tournament.  In the run up to this event a lot of bravado had been exchanged between yours truly and Edwin-Mugisha.  I had to win this tournament.  Nothing more nothing less.  When the games begun, Dr. Meko Godfrey and Greens Kamugisha had other ideas.  On day one, Dr. Meko won eight games in a row with Greens keenly behind.  Edwin-Mugisha was third and brimming knowingly.  I was further afield having succumbed to the leading pack and having suffered an upset to Dennis Owor, the home boy.  To my horror, this tournament is getting out of hand and I must win it at the greatest of odds.  Day two offered some welcome reprieve and a worthy respite.  I won all my games to take this tournament on spread.  My first tournament win was very sweet. Dr. Meko, Mr. Greens and yours truly all gained 11 points.  

In June we had two one-day tournaments.  A dress rehearsal.  Setting the background for oncoming qualifiers at Mr. Biggs and the very phenomenal final at Mukagwa Club.  I easily won the Uganda Martyrs tournament 9/10 and followed that with Hero’s Day 8/10.  This feels good.  I am setting the pace, building the crescendo to the penultimate and the grand finale.  As we exchanged braggadocio with Edwin – Mugisha, more like a boxing match, the fifth qualifier beckoned.  Mr. Biggs Club on Lumumba avenue and later YMCA was at hand.

In July, we descended on Mr. Biggs.  Going into this tournament, Chris Ntege had put a bounty on my head on account of my form.  He offered UGX 5K for anyone who would take a game from me. On Day one, I was cruising easily until I landed on Edwin who put a stop on my clean sweep of four games.  Deo Mbabazi took the cue from Edwin and settled an old score.  Greens Kamugisha did not want to lose out on the cash, he handed me another defeat.  I said enough was enough.  On day two, I won all the games to win this qualifier 15/18.

In the SAU executive meeting that evening, it was decided that the ECASA points weighting would be a factor of three.  My plea for factor two fell on deaf ears.  Members wanted maximum respect for ECASA.  The ramification of this development, that Edwin-Mugisha now has 13×3 (39) against my 10×3 (30), a massive nine points deficit. 

So fellows, you can see, my waterloo was not Mukagwa Club, but YMCA in Wandegeya, Kampala.  Suddenly the standings read: Edwin-Mugisha 84 points, Geria Richard 79 points, a gap of five points.  At factor two, the headline would be hailing a new KING with the onus of earning this fair country another slot at the biennual world scrabble event.  For Edwin-Mugisha, Mukagwa is simply a walk in the park.  I envisage him humming a familiar tune. I see him reading a book to easy the mind, yet fortify the cerebral cortex and the medulla oblongata.  I see Edwin easying the amygdala, smelling victory.  I am racing the mind, starting off a storm.  The stake can not be any higher.  Edwin-Mugisha now needs to lose four games to qualify while yours truly must win all his games, literally.

Going to Mukagwa Club was not easy.  To complicate an already fragile situation, an old friend had decided that he will sanctify his marriage on Friday.  The day fell on July 31^st, 2009.  The wedding fell on an inopportune moment when I needed to rest so as to gain the stamina to storm Mukagwa Club and snatch Uganda’s slot from Edwin-Mugisha, then carry the national flag to Malaysia.

Anyway, I attend this wedding.  The temptation at weddings is too much to resist.  Lots of meat, lots of the frothy stuff at the right temperatures, too much music, too much noise to help my preparation for the grand finale.   With an unwilling cupid’s arrow, I finally leave the wedding , but this is in the morning on Saturday August the 1^st, 2009. I have not slept, I have not rested.

I sent Edwin a message.  I say, call me when you wake up.  So, Edwin, as faithful as ever, obliges and calls 78me up at 5.30 am. I have barely rested.  But Edwin finds me awake.  I switch the phone off, and delve into another 30 minutes of sleep.

At six thirty, I summon the strength to leave the warmth and comfort of the bed and dare into the cold Wakiso morning racing to catch the bus to Jinja.  Edwin is already in the bus.  Edwin would be the first of the visitors to alight at Mukagwa club.

At 9.30 am, I finally reach the club.  Nature is beautiful.  It was in Mabira forest that I finally put my head together, reflecting on JFK, it was in Mabira forest that I begun to believe. Greens was on the same bus.  Greens must have slept.  I did not hear a word from Greens.  The green in the forest, the clean air gave me the needed tranquility.  There was a little altercation in the bus.  Carbon fumes from the exhaust was into the bus at some point.  This was driving me insane.  It was in Mabira that we made peace with ourselves.  The breathtaking beauty offered us the peace of mind and it calmed my nerves.  So, I decided, I should sleep.  I slept for thirty minutes and awoke at Mukagwa club.

I needed to eat.  So I checked out a street makeshift eaterie and reminded the lady to prepare KATOGO (cassava and beans, Irish potatoes), some eggs and hot black tea.  I needed energy, I needed heat to warm up the body, I needed the sugar to awaken the head.

Pairing.  I pick table number five and to my dismay, I have no opponent.  Kiganda and Paul have arrived late and no one has picked me.  The tournament director decides to pair three of us.  Kiganda is the lucky man.  He tallies yours truly.

Game 1

In this game, Kiganda Joseph, a former Makerere University Champion, panicked too much. He managed four bad plays, playing RAILERS in the end as a consolation.  With JEREED (38), BEAUX (38), NATURINg(67), QUADS (63) GESTAPO (88) and finally RAREFIED +5 (78), Kiganda gifted yours truly, a massive spread of 334.  Finally scoring 554 against 233.

Game 2

Nelson Kyagera had announced his intentions in the first game.  He had amassed over 200 spread.  We meet on table one.  I play FLIP (18), he played REF (8) at this point.  I place HEBEN (24) he responds with QIS for 24.  I ran AUDIBLY (79) and never looked back. I place high scores, seven over 30 points including two over 40 scores and THROATS for 74.  Nelson manages only two 30+ high scores.  Scorecard reads in my favour 510:269.

Game 3

Ssali Steven denied a clean sweep of the Martyr’s Day tournament in June.  We call him Kikoffira, a corruption of the wide rimmed sun hat.  The word borrowed from Hebrew KAFFIYEH. I would have matched Green’s record of 100% at a one day event.  I feel my body feels right.  Ssali is WORN (14).  I disagree NAY (14).  When I notice Ssali struggling with his rack, I daze him with KATIONS +5 (85) and follow that up with MODELED (75).  He responds with XU (37) HEN (28).  I pull away with FLIC (33), JAZY (43) and VITE (37) to end the game at 445 against 257.  3/3 is a good start.   That is a thrust to game four.

Edwin-Mugisha is running on a clean slate too. He is on fire at 3/3.  Naturally he joins me on table one.  I have sperm count spread of 764.  I say to myself, for me to win this tournament, for me to qualify, only one man matters.  I train myself on that man setting him up for target practice.

Game 4

It is a ping-pong at first. He lands THY (18), I respond with WOF 22.  BLIP for 24 I blunder with BOAP (—).  Edwin lips for joy knowing he is having me for lunch.  That was my first slip. When he WELDS for 24, I land BOTT for 22. The drama had just started.  Edwin SMUSHED me (96) to surge into a 120 lead.  I PAINTED (80).  Holding EEEQRRS, wondering the audacity of picking, I play REQUERES +5 (76) through a U he mercifully provided.  Then ADVISING (92) through and G he mercifully provided on triple lane.  This feels good. Finally finishing him off with ANERGIA (76).  The high score of WOX (39), ZEIN 48 and JOY (34) (that should be agonizing) came too late and I am brimming ear to ear. I told you so.  I win 495 to 393.

Game 5

Greens Kamugisha had the task of putting a stop my clean run.  This game was my first challenge.  No bingos either way.  I won it owing to six over 30 scores.  His highest score was IF (30).  Final score: 369 to 359.

Game 6

I found Wekiya Emmanuel waiting for me.  He gave me the second fright in this tournament.  Inexperience was written all over his game.  The tile gods had camped on his rack.  But he failed to use his blessings.  Although a played RESELLS (70) in the end, I pulled away to victory with VAWTE (30), KUDOS (46) LACING(44) and ASSOARTED (72) to win 440 to 365.  So far 6/6.

Game 7

SIP is the linchpin of Mukagwa Club.  They call him the superhero.  Going into this game, the environment was charged. Players were heaping cash rewards on SIP if he can pull an upset.  A total of UGX 4, 000 was raised for him.  I matched it.   In the end, he was no match as I ran RENTALS and a joyful nine letter word INGRAFTED (71).  He did not play any bingos.  I win 494 against 279.

Game 8

Kasigwa is what we call MZEE kijana.  A grizzly, young man.  His game is admirable. But he is prone to mistakes.  He believes in picking the high scoring letters.  As he fishes or hold s these letters, I happily romp away WAQF (39), SILEX (38), LAZIER (75) ZINEB (32) PADDIES (75) and joyfully, ENJOY (48) and ran him out 450 against 317. Scorecard reads 8/8.

Game 9

I am paired against our secretary general.  An officious and judicious man.  Ahmed Sennoga arrived alte for this tournament because he had to trouble shoot back in Kampala.  Now Edwin-Migisha pays him to shoot the trouble  I am causing, running away to victory with no single challenge.  Sennoga has a theory, that he has no luck against me in tournaments.  To that I say amen.   With ASININE and BOVINES for a combined 163 I ran to 454.  He plays hard ball, several 40s and 30s, plus TRAINED (77) to end on 403.  PHEW.  Another deserved win. So far 9/9

Game 10

Chris Kalibala, my chairman arrives on this full of optimism.  He his egged on by the players who promise to reward him if he fells me. He scores heavily, QUEER (32), HINTS for 32, PERK for 30 and several over 27 scores.  I reply with IRATE (39) a number of over 30s of my own and RESIGNED for 89 to tally 454 against his 303. 10/10 at this point.

Game 11

I am paired to play Dr. Kirunda.  However, the old man has heart to retire as an emergence at the hospital requires his attention.  I get my first abye.  Record on Scorecard: 11/11.

Going into the evening, I feel good.  So far I have a perfect record. Could this be the time records fall? Could it be the time to break the jinx and make the national record of 18/18?  Well. It could as well be.  Tomorrow is another day.  So I seek a light meal for super, mandazi, peanut butter, samosas and tea.  Then get to the club for two drinks and retire for the day.

Game 12

It Sunday August 2^nd, 2009.  Time check, 9.00 am.  This is the last of the SWISS pairing system.  Paul, the chairman  of Mukagwa Club is my next opponent.  But Paul delays and gifts me another free point.  Record 12/12.

Game 13

Again Philips Edwin-Mugisha. He who wants to reset the natural order of things.  The natural order being a dominant Philips. Cheeky is it not?  I draw COTTAGES, INMATES and OLEINES.  Edwin responds once with AEROTONE, then follow that with heavy scores: GRAB 37, LIVED 32, JUNGLE 60, ZERO 48.  But they come to late to save his blushes.  I take it 485 against 413.

Game 14

If there is someone I wanted to play in order to qualify, he is Edwin-Mugisha.  We practice together, so he knows my game and I his.  It is normally a high tempo game.  But the pressure on Edwin to stop my free run is too much and this game is relished by all the players.  The build up in this game was slow and cautious. Then Edwin lands CARSENE.  I challenged it off the board.  As I balanced the rack, he returned CAREENS (69).  I respond with AGREMENS (90).  The caution continues.  He scores VIXEN for 47, LAZE for 37 and some inconspicuous scores in between.   I take the cue and round him off with ROSALIA +5 (81) to score 430 against 317.

Game 15

Owing to Edwin’s 10 points, and that others in between are one point or two behind the queue.  I am paired to play Edwin again.   Holding BDEERIT, I try REBITED. I notice my folly, but this was too late.  Edwin challenges it off the board.  He lands PEWTERS (82) whence without batting an eyelid, I place BESTRIDE through the S for 63.  When on the next move I play SAZ (44), Edwin quickly respond with DOUANIER (70) to give me another opportunity.  I land POINTERS (80) followed by REGULINE +5 (77).  I felt pity for Edwin.  But no pity I show. He fights back like a wounded buffalo, VOX for 45 and FUTURES (67) later. I wrap this game 462 against 425.  Stand up for 15/15.

Game 16

At this point. Ssali Steven is thrust my way.  He has 10 points with a superior spread.  I give Ssali no chance, landing ANERGIAS, QUAERES and ALERTEST.  He finds FINDERS coupled with some high scores.  But the Score sheet reads 362 to 486.  I am sure Scrabble is a word game, a mind game as well as a game that requires some arithematics.  But in this case, my minds must have slowed down for I register the Spread as 144.  Ssali, recovering from this game must have been difficult, for he attested to this mistake.  The ramification could not have been any grim.  Edwin had lost to Greens Kamugisha on table two. So Edwin and Ssali tied on points, but separated on spread.  Okay.  Do the arithematic, 486 minus 362 = 124.  It came to pass that Edwin returned to table 1, on account of a superior spread of +2.  Yet, Ssali should have remained on table one if I had done the correct maths.  Ssali would have had a spread of +308 against 294 for Edwin.  This mistake was the defining moment of this qualifications.  Despite all my efforts and keeping this qualifications very hard for Edwin up to the last moment, it took a memory lapse. It  must be the sleep deficit.  It must be the sweet deadly carbon monoxide I in haled on the bus.  How on earth can this happen.  Anyway, I have consolation in my head to head record against Edwin. Besides, I must completely dominate him to earn the ticket to the championship.

Game 17

As I said, the calculation error meant Edwin returns on table one despite losing to Greens on table two.  He has 2 points better than Kikoffira and now? Amazing.  A man loses a game, he is then rewarded to play on table one. Scrabble can be strange.  Anyway I meet Edwin for the fifth time.  So far, I am 4/4 against him.  On the third move, I place FINAL for 33.  It must the be the final nail on the coffin.  He replies with POOTLES +5 (85).  I keep this game close, then unleash ENQUIRED for 104.  ZEE (32) and STATERS (67) and YOW (33) stretched Edwin to 16 points ahead of me.  The picking now decided OOEAIUN.  What do you do?  Wash?  I decide NAZI 13 followed by TABOO 24 REINK 28 and KILL 24.  I thought the message will sink that I intend to kill of this qualification.  Edwin persist, taking the threat seriously scoring JUCOS to take the game beyond me.  Holding the second blank, he finishes to complicate this qualification series. Final score, Edwin wins 433:408.

Game 18

In the final game, I start with DEPTH 30.  He responds QUAT for 26.  My rack is heavy with vowels.  I had read the dumps to prepare for the horror of pickings.  When Edwin plays COZE , I see the chance to dump CANADA.  But I have to content with NNIGNRJ.  Thankfully, I sport A and play NINJA for 60.  That must be a cue.  He plays STIRRUP, ANSERINE and scores EMOVES to garner 181. He later played FIRY; which I did not challenge as I focused on ROUNDING and BAST for 121.

This man is edging me out of the slot.  At 16 points and him at 10, it was foregone that I am the man to go down South East Asia.  But the turn of events is horrifying.  He is 11/17. What is more, I will lose 50K offered by Chris if I qualified.  Edwin has been a costly opponent.  He wants the slot. Which I must not lose.  I have already lost UGX 50K for not winning the tournament 100%.  Yet I will lose more money if I do not qualify. I recollect my thoughts and focus on the game. Watching the board and tracking the tiles, I figure SOIRDENEKU.  Okay, what is the probability that Edwin will play SORDINE, INDORSE INDORSEE.  The board offered two options. INDORSEE/COZES and SORDINE/ROSINED.  If I play SCOG, I open another frontier for him for INDORSES.  I take the chance.  But to my horror, he lands ROSINED, a photo finish.  He wins that all important second point to settle at the barest of minimums, 12/18. Edwin-Mugisha is animated. He blasts off, running like a headless chicken, completely nonplussed.  You thought he won the lottery. 

I won the tournament in record fashion, 16/18.  But the two crucial games failed. I also win first alternate player.  Greens takes third spot on 11/18 points and with it second alternate player.  I made the qualification very hard, I also provided the wisdom for this protégé.  Practice I had told him.  I have won five consecutive tournaments.  But I cannot make it.  Congratulations to Edwin for living up to his promise.  But I promise, it will be harder next time. The pot may have broken at the doorway, the last straw may have broken the camel’s back.  I will keep it very hard.  Next time , it will be very very hard. I have resolved to clean the rough edges.  Next time, it will not be easy.  I quote Ralph Waldo, “Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail”.