Charades by Sukhbir Cheema
I was playing a game of charades with my friends when it came to my turn.
I held the card up close and read the word in my mind.
“Funny”
Now.. how am I supposed to act out funny? As I wondered, I stood up and went in front while scratching my head. I took deep breath in and pretended to laugh.
“Haha!”
Someone shouted, “Laughter!”
I nodded my head and made circular motions with my hand. Yes! Close, what else! My mind yelled. I pretended to laugh again.
“Hahaha!”
“Making fun!” One shouted. I shook my head and laughed again, this time even more seriously. I want to win this game, you see. But my laugh was forced. It didn’t sound like a laugh, rather it sounded like a belch.
“Joke?” one questioned.
Close enough! I made circular motions again.
“Joking!” one yelled.
I shook my head. And pretended to laugh forcefully again. This time I made sure to laugh a little longer.
“Ahahahaha!!” I held my tummy.
“Laughing!”
“Laugh!”
I shook my head. Very close! But why am I laughing? I raised my hands in question.
Someone shouted, “Mad fellow!”
“Mental patient!”
This elicited laughter from everyone, including me. That’s it! This is it! I’m laughing because it’s funny! So I pointed to this moment.
Someone said, “Floor!”
I slapped my forehead. More laughter. I pointed at the closest person who was laughing the hardest.
“Owh! I know!” one exclaimed. “Mocking!”
No! No! I shook my head.
“Making fun!”
“Poking fun!”
“Being mean!”
“Existentialism!”
What the fuck is existentialism bro? My mind remarked as I laughed along with everyone. Then I pointed at each and everyone.
“Us!” they said in unison. One said, “We.”
I shook my head. Owh man, how am I going to do this? The thing with charades is, you got to act out the word without saying a word. So I scratched my chin to think.
Someone yelled, “Itch!”
“Scratching!”
“Thinking!”
Owh you morons! I raised my hands to stop them.
“He’s saying stop. Okay what is it bro?”
The sheer difficulty in getting them to say the obvious was so frustrating, that it became a hilarious affair. I burst out laughing.
“Laughter!”
I raised my arms in question. I raised my eyebrows. I laughed again. Why do we laugh?
“Joke!”
Close! I made circular motions again.
“Giggle!”
“Chuckle!”
“Chortle?”
I laughed harder this. Genuinely. And I pointed at myself.
“You!”
I shook my head and pointed both fingers at myself.
“Me!”
“I.”
Ahh for fuck sake, it’s so obvious, people! I laughed harder at the frustration of them not being able to see the answer. I kept both fingers pointed at myself.
“What is it bro?” someone said, frustrated.
I only had one answer; more laughter. I pointed at myself even more. Then someone finally answered.
“Funny!”
I heaved a huge sigh of relief.