PAWNS (♙, ♟)

When I see pieces of Pawns on a Chessboard, what come to my mind are Peasantry, Afflictedness, Waywardness, Nonentity and Servitude.

Take a good look at the environment in which you live today. So many people, right? You would definitely lose count if you should try. They are just so many.

In reality, according to a dictionary, "A Pawn is someone who is being manipulated or used to some end, usually not the end that individual would prefer." This category of individuals are usually the poor in the society. They could easily be used, disused, misused, and abused like they've got no choice. Generally, the masses are usually almost always in the category of Pawns, especially in Africa. Before so many political leaders come on seat, they make promise heaven and earth (better life for the people) but as soon as they become elected, they would pretend as if they had forgotten everything they did promise, or as if they never made those promises at all. People keep getting manipulated almost every time.

Now, Pawns, in the game of chess, are the most numerous and weakest pieces. They may move one square directly forward, they may move two squares directly forward on their first move, and they may capture one square diagonally forward. Here's the point, they've got very little chances of making progress, 'cause their movement is just too restricted and slow. Of course, the poor are almost always on foot. The rich drive pass them on the road, sometimes, splash water on them while they drive. The rich usually own their cars, as such, they always get to a meeting or a program right on time or even before time (if they want) unlike the poor who would have to board a train or vehicle and pass through a whole lot of stress, trying to overcome the lack of comfort of commercialization. Trust me, here in Africa, the heat wave, stress, lack of comfort couple with the high transport rate charged, are enough to cause serious depression.

These pawns are precisely eight in number at the beginning of the game, one on each square of their second rank. They're usually arranged in front of other pieces. In other words, they always serve as the first to make a move and as such the first target of an opponent player; they receive any initial strikes coming from an opponent, and so, they usually go down first before any other. Isn't that a setup? That's exactly what rulers: kings, governors, masters, presidents, etc do. They go with bodyguards, soldiers all around them for security and protection.

These people working under them would do anything and everything to protect them. They rather would put their lives on the line than allow their bosses get hurt.

*PEASANTRY

According to an English Dictionary, Peasantry has to do with ignorant people of the lowest social status. Now you understand why they could easily be manipulated. The government take advantage of them, the rich and educated do not value them: they are simply the pawns of the society.

Pawns, like I said, are arranged in front of all others. So, they are usually the first recipients of any danger coming from the opponent-player. They don't have the capacity to move as fast as other pieces.

In the real world, they are just not strong enough to fight and fend for themselves. Should they dare fall into misfortunes, there would be little chances of getting rescued.

*AFFLICTEDNESS

The afflicted is someone who is been caused pain, suffering or distressed.

You know what? Affliction is one of the major reasons why so many people are weak and unable to function actively in various endeavours. Wealth is, at least more than fifty percentage, a function of health status. That's why they say, "Health is Wealth." Healthy people are already fifty percentage closer to being wealthy. But an unwealthy person who is unhealthy as well, is a long way from being wealthy.

So, the afflicted are part of the pawns in the society. They suffer from health pain, emotional pain, social distress and the like.

*WAYWARDNESS

If I were to give an explanation on how this word, wayward, came about, this is what I would say: unspecified direction. When I say rightward, leftward, upward, downward, eastward, you understand am talking about a direction towards the right, left, up, down, east, respectively. But when it is "wayward", then that way/direction is not specified. It could be any way at all, and just any way is no way, and is a way that would get lost.

A huge number of youths today are given to wilfulness. They are so stubborn, having no regards for authorities.

They are so perverse; they deliberately ignore morality and err without any form of remorse, and they so much feel they know what they're doing, they don't need anyone's advice.

*NONENTITY

This is the state of not existing, or a person without importance or significance. Are there no people like that in your environment? Look closely. You sometimes see them around, but no one actually knows or recognizes them. Seems like nobody gives a care about their existence. They give up on hope, 'cause nothing seems to be working out to their favour.

*SERVITUDE

Servitude is the state of being a slave. The psychopath is a slave, and he is enslaved to promiscuity, disorder, sociopathy and glibness; the insane is a slave, enslaved to delirium, irrationality and confusion; the prisoner is a slave, because he has no choice of his own, his fate is determined by the law, he barely sees the light of the day; the uneducated are in some way enslaved to ignorance; now, the sinner, believe me, is a slave, he is enslaved to misdeed, fear, infirmity, calamity and the like.

Now, back to Chess Game, the pawns are almost always usually the first to be kicked out of the game. You know why? The king is always the target of the opponent player, and the easiest way to trap the king, is by clearing any obstacles on the way. Pawns are regarded as stumbling blocks, and so, they die first!

However, like I rightly mentioned in my introduction, a Pawn in the game of chess can actually become a king. When a pawn succeeds in getting to it's last destination on the opponents side, it is crowned king. And all rights and privileges that an original king has, it is as well given the same.

My point is, a pawn in the society always has hope. It isn't the end of life. If the tiny chess game pawn could struggle to get to the end, thereby receiving a crown, why can't you (if you happen to find yourself among pawns category) make it in life? Just very few are born kings, many others worked their way to get to where they are.