Rumeo.
Or as some call it, Rumikub.
I was raise on Rumeo. My Gram taught me how to play when I was 6 or 7. Every week, we spent hours with these tiles and with each other. We ate M&Ms, drank tea, laughed, talked, and played some serious games. I am not competitive, except when it comes to cards and Rumeo. My Gram was the exact same way. These were the only times in life when we went head-to-head and showed each other no mercy. But win or lose, we praised each other. No room for talking smack at Gram's dining room table. Win and lose graciously or don't play.
My aunt knew how to play too and I played with her sometimes. There were rare occasions when the three of us played together, but those games would get rather prickly so we would stop at one or maybe two for the day (instead of the marathons we usually played when it was just the two of us).
Then Kevin entered the picture. He was deemed Rumeo-worthy and would play with us.
One day, Gram presented me with this Rumeo set. I had arrived! I had my own tiles that I could take with me wherever I went. I was overflowing with gratitude and joy. Gram thought enough of me as a player to gift me with our game!
My parents HATE GAMES. I do not think I wrote that big enough. HATE GAMES. When I was 16 I had a very very severe case of mono (thanks to a boy named Timmy...i guess i had a little to do with it too). I went for extensive blood work and they determined mono, with the added bonuses of strep and a rash. Good times. One day, Mom came to my bedside with my Rumeo tiles and said, "Do you feel up to a game?" I burst out in tears. I knew I must be dying and that they lied to me about the mono. There was no other reason my mom would play a game with me. Once she calmed me down, I was too worn out to play, so I slept for several hours, woke up and taught her how to play. She only played that one time. But the moment will last forever.
When my Gram passed away, her Rumeo tiles stayed at her house, on the floor, in the corner of the dining room. That is where they were kept from the day she bought them. My aunt moved in to the house and we continued to use the set. When my aunt passed away and the house was cleaned out, we gave the set to Kevin. He was so good to Gram and my aunt, always helping them around the house, popping in just to say hello, giving out hugs and kisses and warmth. Rumeo worthy.
For several years, I tried to introduce my girls to the game, but it didn't click. Until this past weekend. Sunshine Girl kicked our butts. The Bug wanted to play again and again. I am keeping the tiles out now. A new wave of good times and love will be created by sliding around tiles and laughing and seeing those wheels turning as we each try to be the first one to clear our board.
*to find the origins of Thursday's Thing, click Here
11 comments:
I got tears in my eyes reading this! What a wonderful tribute to your Gram. She is surely smiling down that another generation have become players. Great post!
(Reminds me of playing pinochle with my Grandpa. That's a story to tell some day.)
I have never played but I know my mom and dad have the game and they say it is great. I am going to suggest giving it a try our next family night. Thanks for sharing your warm memories!
What a wonderful story Christine! Thanks for sharing - you've put a smile on my face today :)
We are big gamers over here. You sort of have to be in our house ... when we're up in the Adirondacks there is no TV only books, games, puzzles and the lake.
I loved hearing about your Gram and this game. We don't know this one, but will have to check it out. We love all the old games up at our camp: Touring, Bali, Canasta, Mancala ... their boxes are tattered, but hearing my mother-in-law's stories about playing them as a girl are wonderful. My girls will play for hours with her, and it is such an amazing gift of memories for them.
Oh, wow, your post brought back so many wonderful memories for me, Christine! Loved your story!! A generation (or two!) ago, I fondly remember my mom, aunts & uncles, great aunts & uncles playing the card game Pitch whenever we had afamily get together. Then came our addiction to playing cribbage. God forbid should my mom put the hex on the cards, you will surely lose to her! We played that for many years when we would all get together. A few years before my mother passed away, she learned how to play Rumikub from her neighbors & that sort of took the place of cribbage. I enjoyed playing Rumikub with her & her excessively gabby neighbors. Happy memories!
Oh, yeah! What a wonderful post ... I love hearing that your Gram didn't allow no talking smack at her table, she taught you to play graciously and to appreciate the game as you are teaching your girls. The set/tiles are truly beautiful and I'm so happy that you shared this.
Hope things are getting a little bit on the normal side for y'all.
Wonderful post Christine thank you for sharing about the bond between you and your Gram through a game. My Grandma taught me Yahtzee and we would play all day long when I would go and stay with her in Six Mile Run PA during the summer.
The game of choice around our house now is Mexican Train Dominoes it is good for hours of fun!
Therese
I loved hearing the story of you playing with your Gram. I'm not familiar with that game but board games were great fun when I was growing up and I still play them with my own grandkids. There is something about them that allows us to act silly and good memories are made. I am loving your Thursday writings.
What a great story! Memories like this are priceless. I am glad you have successfully been able to introduce this to the younger generation! It is sad seeing old fashioned games die out with today's technology.
I have never heard of this game but, what a wonderful memory you created. I hope that my step kids remember the fun and laughter with my Mom as we played our board games.
You made me laugh and get misty eyed, too; this post is truly sincere.
So many games listed here in the comments and your post- I've never heard of before now.
Growing up we played lots of board games, card games, tile games- I miss that ♥
What a precious memory! And it's great they you are carrying on that tradition with your kids.
I had never played Rummikub until I started dating my husband. It was a game he and his family played all the time and I picked it up pretty fast as my family played a lot of Rummy (card game). We haven't played in years, but went through a phase when we played OFTEN. You've got me wanting to break that box out of the closet and dust it off ;)
Post a Comment