Losing War

Eli, the first grader in my aftercare classroom, sits across from me, dealing out a Harry Potter themed deck of cards. This is our fourth consecutive game of war, so I speed up the match anyway I can. I memorize my top couple cards, and only draw out cards lower that Eli’s. He is gleeful, amassing a pile of winning cards. I feign disappointment, shrug my shoulders at my bad luck. His dad shows up to take him home. Eli forgets to say goodbye. I try to decide if cheating to lose is morally any better than cheating to win.