One day, Vincent- Waverly's brother- got a chess board as a present at a church Christmas party. Waverly was interested in it.
Back at home, in their two bedroom flat, their mother told them to throw away the board because "She not want it. We not want it." Referring to the lady who donated it.
But the brothers refused. They learnt and played chess during the Christmas week and Waverly watched.
They wore serious faces, like something was at stake. At the end of the game one of them would let out a sigh of relief while the other would be annoyed.
Tired of just watching Vincent and Winston play, Waverly asked if they could teach her and let her play. Vincent refused to.
But when she offered her life savers to take place of the missing pieces she was allowed.
Later on Waverly studied and learnt more about chess through books. She studied each piece and absorbed the power from which it contained.
At night before she went to bed, she would stare for hours at imaginary battles and think of ways to win.