Just the Two of Us: The Terror of Infinite UNO
A weekday off.
That is the real thrill of a shift-based job.
What should I do?
I was feeling so excited.
Reading a book slowly would be nice.
Watching movies lazily is also hard to pass up.
Looking back now, I was giddy with anticipation.
However, reality did not turn out that way.
My eldest son developed a fever.
Daycare is closed.
A holiday for just the two of us begins.
It has been a while, actually.
Time alone with my eldest son.
Perhaps we haven't had an opportunity like this since my second son was born.
This isn't so bad.
What should we do to pass the time?
What should we have for lunch?
My eldest son has a fever but is energetic.
He gets bored immediately.
I tell him we can't go outside to play.
We play with LaQ, and then enterInfinite UNO.
My four-year-old eldest son has recently become able to play games with rules.
Because it's so fun, he can't stop.
Whether he wins or loses, the UNO game never ends.
It's even more so when it's a day off and there's nothing else to do.
It's... it's painful.
UNO with just two people isn't very exciting.
"Well, shall we finish up now?" I say, putting on a transparent act.
When he asks "Why?", I have no answer.
Is it still only morning?
The day is long.
For a split second, the thought of going to the park crosses my mind.
However, if he has too much fun, he might say he wants to skip daycare tomorrow too.
Hmm.
Spend time without being bored, but without having too much fun.
That's tough.
Should I make him do some sutra copying?
A sophisticated four-year-old.
While imagining such fantasies, I indulge in Infinite UNO.
And finally, I am liberated from Infinite UNO using lunch as an excuse.
He has a fever and, although he doesn't seem to realize it, he seems to be feeling unwell.
He has no appetite.
When I take his temperature after eating, it has gone up.
I have him take fever-reducing medicine.
I think to myself, deeply, how well he has learned to take it.
Then, Dad puts forward a theory with little evidence: "You have a fever and you've taken medicine, so you have to sleep."
My eldest son completely believes that theory.
Or perhaps, my kind eldest son sensed by instinct that Dad was trying to avoid Infinite UNO.
And then, off to a nap.
I'm off to a nap, too.
No, to those of you thinking, "You don't need to take a nap, do you?"
You're naive.
It is as clear as day that once my eldest son wakes up, the infinite UNO will resume.
If so, I must recover my strength while I can.
After all, my stamina was ground down by the infinite UNO this morning.
They say that not knowing when something will end puts a tremendous strain on the human psyche, or maybe they don't.
However, my eldest son, who is feeling unwell, is fast asleep.
He must have been exhausted.
And yet, he pushed himself to play infinite UNO.
Huh?
Is it only Dad who's exhausted?
You're saying I should enjoy it with him more?
No, there is a proper limit to everything.
Even with movies, you'd be exhausted if you watched three in a row, and you can't read for hours on end either, right?
I think the proper limit for UNO is three games.
It should be clearly stated in the manual.
It should say, "Playing too much will wear down your spirit. Take breaks in moderation."
If it did, Dad could confidently say, "Look, even the manual says infinite UNO is bad. We're done."
And I could say that with pride.
I intended to talk passionately about the time I spent alone with my eldest son for the first time in a while, but when I opened the lid,it was just slander against UNO.
Maybe I have a fever too.
Should I touch on the good points of UNO for a bit?
UNO is almost entirely luck, so there's no need for petty tricks like holding back when playing with children.
The rules are simple, yet there are many developments, making it exciting. (Though with two players, there are dead cards, so the excitement is somewhat diminished.)
You can play even if you don't have a full deck like with playing cards.
The price is around 1,000 yen, so it's good value for money.
Okay, if I praise it this much, I probably won't get bashed by UNO supremacists.
Even the most fun games should be played in moderation.
We reached that realization after spending time together.
Oh, you still don't have UNO at home?
Then think about it before you buy it.
Ask yourself if you can withstand infinite UNO.
Don't just pick it up with the simple-minded thought that it's cheap and that you used to play it a lot back in the day.
That deck is the gateway to an endless game.
If this essay helps even one person avoid infinite UNO, then it will have been worth it as an essayist.
See you later.