GEORGE BERKOWITZ PLAYS RISK

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 13th 1977
Chicago, Illinois

George Berkowitz and his cousins, Abe and Darla, begin the match at George’s parents’ apartment at 1AM, after a night of boisterous Bat Mitzvah-ing. They have not consumed any alcohol, though George’s father promised George a ‘splash of wine’ before the night was through. George begins the match by capturing the entirety of North America, while Abe takes Africa and Darla bolsters her defenses in Australia. By the time 3AM rolls around, George has broken through to Asia and the three pause for a moment to listen to the sounds of an unidentified woman giggling in the living room. Darla cries when George turns in his third set of Risk cards and places a rather formidable army outside Australia. Abe refuses to turn in his Risk cards, despite George pointing out that the rules state he has one too many. Darla falls asleep. Abe uses the restroom; George searches for his father in vain. George helps himself to a warm bottle of port sitting uncorked and half-empty on the kitchen counter. Abe and George finish the bottle and pass out on the floor.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31st 1984
New York City, New York

George Berkowitz, dressed as a Ghostbuster, loses his friends, also dressed as Ghostbusters, at a crowded bar on Bleecker street. George is befriended by Mary Wu, who is dressed as David St. Hubbins from Spinal Tap, and she invites him to her apartment in Brooklyn. The two play Risk and smoke pot while her roommates watch Nightmare on Elm Street on VHS. George begins the match by capturing the entirety of North America, while Mary Wu spreads her forces thin throughout Asia. George is the first to turn in his Risk cards and, despite knowing that he could end Mary Wu’s Asian conquest right then and there, sends his new army to South America, hoping that by being soft on Mary Wu, he will boost the chances of succeeding on his own Asian conquest. The gambit pays off – by the time 4:30 rolls around, the game has been all but forgotten. George watches the sun rise over Brooklyn through Mary Wu’s porthole of a window while the two lie in bed, fully costumed. George runs his fingers through her jet black hair, humming an aimless ditty to himself, as in love with the world as he ever will be.

FRIDAY, JUNE 3rd 1988
Antioch, Illinois

George Berkowitz and his new wife, Jennifer, sit on the hardwood floor of their empty bedroom and set up Risk, which just so happened to be packed in the same box that their toiletries were in. Jennifer leaves to buy a celebratory bottle of wine and returns to George minutes later in tears. Jennifer tells George that she was accosted by several men on her way to the liquor store and ran home as fast as she could, fearing for her life. George curses the realtor, who swore up and down to them that their neighborhood was safe at night. Jennifer assures George that she will be okay, and that she would still like to play the game. George begins the match by capturing the entirety of North America, while Jennifer rolls a joint with the last crumbs of George’s pot stash. Jennifer admits that she has never played Risk before and accuses George of cheating when he destroys her army in Britain with a lucky spree of sixes. Jennifer loses interest in the game and the two journey out into the night to find a bottle of wine. The game is left on the floor for four full days before George puts it away. Jennifer never walks the neighborhood alone at night again.

SATURDAY, APRIL 25th 1998
Oak Brook, Illinois

George and Jennifer Berkowitz play Risk with three friends from work – Tim, Elena, and Jerome – on a new board that Jennifer bought George for their ten year anniversary. George begins the match by capturing the entirety of North America, while Jennifer secures South America, Tim takes Australia, and Elena and Jerome battle for supremacy over Asia. Elena quickly destroys Jerome’s army with the first set of Risk cards but weakens her defenses on the African front. Jennifer moves against Elena while George expands to South America and Britain. Jerome opens the bottle of wine he brought over and watches a nature documentary on the television. Thai food arrives and the five watch television together and eat. Jennifer receives a phone call from the babysitter, who is having trouble getting the baby to fall asleep. Jennifer’s army is destroyed by Tim, who sweeps in from India, and George’s assault on Elena fails miserably in Ukraine. Jerome announces that he is departing, despite being visibly drunk, and George is wiped off the map by Elena’s massive Kamchatkan army. Jennifer receives another phone call from the babysitter, who is now on the verge of tears. George and Jennifer pack up the board and leave. They discuss Tim and Elena’s impressive living room set and resolve to upgrade their own before the end of the year.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 12th, 2003
North Chicago, Illinois

George Berkowitz and his son, Terry, watch television at George’s apartment for an hour or so while rains patters lightly on the patio tile outside. George suggests that they play a board game to pass the time. Terry agrees, not wanting to upset his father, and the two raid George’s bedroom closet. George pulls down Risk and they set it up on the kitchen counter. George begins the match by capturing the entirety of North America, while Terry lines up his reserve figurines, creating strange shapes and stacking them atop one another. George invades South America, annihilating Terry’s presence there, and then exits into his bedroom to answer a phone call from his lawyer, Michael. When George returns to the game, the rain has subsided and Terry is outside, playing in the mud.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 10th, 2008
Austin, Texas

George Berkowitz brings Michelle, a woman he has met in his adult cooking class, to his modest two-bedroom apartment and they discuss Risk while drinking wine and cooking an Italian dinner. Michelle polishes off the sorbet and George’s DVD player refuses to play “The Apartment.” Michelle suggests they play Risk instead. George drives to Target and buys the newest edition and returns home to find Michelle on his couch, reading Tolstoy. Michelle sets up the game on a coffee table in front of the television while George pours them both a glass of port. George begins the match by capturing the entirety of North America.