The game of Clue, unlike some of the other luck based games, required a certain amount of logical reasoning. The premise of the game centers on a murder committed by a murderer, using a weapon, in one room of the “mansion.” The possible murderers include Professor Plum, Colonel Mustard and Miss Scarlet. The weapon array includes a lead pipe, a wrench and a candlestick. The possible rooms where the murder took place include the library, the dining room, and my favorite, the conservatory(mostly because I never knew a house that had one.)

After a roll of the die, a player can enter a room and make a calculated guess to solve the murder. Each player has been given cards representing several rooms, several weapons and several characters. They can prove the guess wrong by revealing one of these cards. The game proved particularly challenging in my childhood because it required three players. I could always count on my brother, but we had to convince my sister Patsy to join us. She hesitated because being much younger she really didn’t understand how to play and would make random guesses regardless of them having been proven wrong earlier in the game. Hence she usually lost, reducing her interest in playing.

Since it was Jimmy and my favorite board game we tried various strategies to get Patsy to join us. We would insist that it was a REALLY FUN GAME. We encouraged her by saying “I bet this time you will win.” Heartless I know because we were 11 and 8 and she was only 5. But she always wanted to be included in our games, so she usually capitulated.

As I wrote this, I remember how much I miss her in my life.

Here’s to you again, kid.