My boy discovered our old mahjong set and pulled it out.
It was from my grandparents.
They didn’t like this set because the engraving was shallow.
You can’t feel the tile’s identity before looking at it.
Mahjong is truly a great rummy game.
Traditional Hong Kong scoring, three points minimum.
Unfortunately the kids aren’t ready.
(I’ve tried.)
But they’re ready for Mahjong Solitaire.
I remember hating this knockoff.
Wishing for the real MJ on the computer.
The only available program on the 386.
Thirty years later, I downloaded a couple clones on the phone to review the rules.
We started playing.
First the classic pyramid,
then some wacky stacks,
ended with a big simple cube.
The iPhone is a lot easier to set up.
Click a button.
The physical set lets us do anything we want.
It makes real sounds.
Direct visuals.
Interacts with gravity!
You can actually feel the tiles.
Even if they weren’t engraved deeply enough.
䷧䷵
My cousin’s grandfather could play the game without sorting the tiles in his hand.
(he was a ship’s captain)
All the history, all that skill, gone as the wind.
What will we leave behind?
The kids in their turn?
Wisps lingering in the ether.