Quiz Night at the Centre

Every second Thursday the community centre on Baker Street held a quiz night. Sofia had never been before, but her colleague Raúl had been insisting for weeks that she should come. “It’s a friendly sort of place, isn’t it?” she asked as they walked in, trying to sound casual. “Of course,” Raúl said. “Nobody takes it too seriously.”

At the door a volunteer ran through the rules. “There’s no need to buy a ticket in advance, but every team must write its name on this card, and phones are strictly forbidden during the game.” Sofia slipped hers into her bag and, after a moment’s thought, chose the name The Late Learners.

The first round was geography. “I love maps,” Raúl whispered. “So do I,” said Sofia, “but I’m hopeless at capitals.” At the next table a man confessed that he couldn’t name a single river, and his partner, with evident relief, replied, “Neither can I.”

The second round was music. The quizmaster played a few seconds of a song, and Sofia declared confidently that it must be a Spanish singer. “It can’t be,” Raúl said gently. “The lyrics are in Portuguese.” He was right, and she felt her face burn. The following question was so baffling that nobody at the table dared to answer.

The contest was so close that the quizmaster had to resort to a tie-breaker. Sofia was exhausted by then, but the final question was a fascinating one: which animal sleeps standing up? “Horse!” they shouted together, a fraction of a second before anyone else. They finished third, and Sofia was absolutely thrilled.

On the way home she was already planning her return. “It was a thoroughly enjoyable evening,” she said. “I’ve been looking for a hobby like this for months. And it’s free next time, isn’t it?” Raúl laughed. “It’s free every time. You only have to bring a decent team name.”