With a wide smile and bright eyes, Ogel made his way through Hargeon with another request in hand. His first request involved helping a police offer bring down some teenage punks who sprayed graffiti on different shops. Once had had done that, he felt like he was on top of the world. He felt elated that him partaking in these requests made a difference in the town if not the world. He enjoyed helping others and getting paid for doing so was just extra. The money was not what intrigued Ogel but the ability to make a difference was what mattered. With that in mind, Ogel would tackle requests with the notion of helping people out as opposed to making money.

It took over an hour of asking for directions and getting lost till he found the location for the request. It was a park that was filled with people from different ages. Geezers took up park benches chatting with one another or playing cards while the younger adults watched over their children playing. In the midst of all this was a small section where a young boy played chess against different participants. As Ogel approached him, the young boy shook the hand of an older man who he had just defeated in a game of chess. "Are you Bart?" Ogel asked as he showed him the request. Grabbing it, Bart looked at Ogel and responded with a nod of his head. Shaking hands, the two boys sat opposite of each other as Bart began to set up his side of the board. "Aren't you going to do the same?" Bart spoke as he looked over at Ogel who looked at the chess board dumbfounded. "Actually, I've never played this game," Ogel responded as he rubbed the back of his head.

Gasping, Bart fixed his glasses as he finished setting up the board. "Then why'd you take my request if you don't know how to play?" he asked. Thinking for a moment, Ogel pointed a finger at Bart, "so I can help people! I may not know how to play but you can teach me! It'll be fun!" Sighing, Bart began to explain the rules of chess as he helped Ogel set up his side of the board. He took his time explaining the different pieces and what role each piece had. The goal of the game was to take out the king of the opposing player, exclaiming 'checkmate' at any moment you had the king in your line of sight. A fairly simple concept but with many intricate strategies. Bart was a master of this game and Ogel was about to play for the first time. The rules themselves were easy to understand as were the roles of each piece but the hardest part would be adjusting to the opponent and knowing how to counter. Ogel did not have this kind of thinking though. His plan was to try and win while ensuring Bart had a good time. After all, his goal for doing requests was to ensure he got the job done and everyone was happy.

518/1,000 Words

The game of chess between the two boys began as Ogel made the first move. He moved one of his pawns up a space and Bart did the same. Ogel did not understand the joy in playing a game such as chess when you could be playing with building blocks or the alike. They were creative and allowed for flexibility and the ability to think of anything and bring it to life. Chess was just boring to him. Of course, he had to give it a chance but the rules seemed boring and the game itself only consisted of moving pieces. He was not going to complain though as that was not the reason he was here. He was here to play a game of chess and that was it, nothing more and nothing less.

"You know, we kids have it tough," he began to speak as the game of chess was beginning to pick up slightly. Ogel looked up at Bart after moving his rook and listened to the young chess player speak. "We have to live with the constant pressure of doing something amazing. I mean, I'm just a kid, not even a teenager yet! But my parents don't see that in me. Since my brothers are all amazing scholars they expect the same if not more from me. It's not fair you know. That is why I come and play chess here in the park. It helps me get away from the constant pressure I feel at home," he stopped for a moment as he adjusted his glasses and continued to play the game. For a moment, Ogel felt a tug at his heart strings. He understood where Bart was coming from as he himself had a similar pressure but not to the extent Bart explained it. His parents loved him and he was sure Bart's parents loved him too but in their own way. "My brothers are amazing, I'll tell you that much. But I know that I can become a better scholar than them! I maybe the youngest but I'm the smartest. They've never beaten me at a game of chess and it's not because they don't try! I just know I'm that good but you see, there's not a career I can make from playing chess. I don't know what I want to be yet but when I do know, I'll shove it in their faces! Like this! CHECKMATE!"


Looking down at the board, Ogel had been making plays mindlessly as he listened to Bart speak. As a result, he found himself cornered as Bart surrounded his king from all side completely controlling the board. "It was your first time but you need to play more if you want to even be decent. By the way, thank you for listening to me ramble on. It's like a huge weight has been lifted off my chest. Take this payment as my thanks," Bart said as he tossed Ogel a sack of jewels. Grabbing them, Ogel gave a smile as he exchanged goodbyes. Bart was a good kid and Ogel was hoping they could meet again.