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At the foot of a man-made path up in the hills, sunlight pierced down with difficulty

through the thick vegetation that was typical of these parts. The sound of insects and

birds chirping could be heard without difficulty, surrounding the area with a sound that

would be unnatural anywhere else but here. A small hut was just visible in the midst of

all this greenery, seemingly complementing the picture herein depicted. It looked like

something right out of a painting, with the natural occurring features serving as a

backdrop to the hut and the path, as well as the people that could be seen in front of the

hut. There were three of them; a little girl, a woman seated just beside the entrance to

the hut, and a man in the middle of these two. The woman had an eager look on her

face as she watched the man staring intently at the little girl, something he had been

doing for quite a while. His brows were furrowed, deep in thought, and he barely made a

sound as he continued his observation.

She couldn't be a day over 15, the man thought, sizing her up in the sparse glow of the

sunset. She stood there on the small veranda that made up part of his little abode, head

bowed, her eyes fixed on the dirty, roughly-cemented floor beneath her feet. An old

ghana-must-go bag hung from her shoulders, and coupled with the plain gown that

covered her body, she cast a rather forlorn look as the man continued with what could

only be understood as an appraisal. Maybe even less than 14, he decided, having

arrived at some sort of conclusion. At this point his gaze shifted to the elderly woman

who sat by him, and as he nodded his approval, she stood up, a beaming smile

covering her face. She looked at the child, waving her into the house that, for all intents

and purposes, had just become her home. At this point the child raised her head and

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strode forward, a placid look on her face. She followed the two adults into the hut,

shrouded in the fading rays of sunset.

The inside of the hut was as sparse as one could manage without lacking anything

substantial; the same rough patterns that covered the veranda were visible on the floor

inside – clearly the work of an amateur. Dry mud covered the walls, and there was no

ceiling. A single lightbulb could be seen hanging from one of the beams that held up the

roof, inadequately lighting up the place. The man gestured to the little girl, and she

followed him into yet another room, where she barely had time to drop her bag before

being led out to the back of the hut. There she saw a well and to the side, two smaller

buildings. One was a firewood kitchen, and the other was a bathroom, which also

doubled as a pit toilet, separated down the middle. When he finished showing her

around they both made their way back into the main hut, to the waiting woman.

The woman’s face was lit with anticipation, as the man led her into a corner of the room

where they proceeded to discuss in hushed tones. The little girl stood back, submissive,

taking in her surroundings. She had just finished looking around the room when her

eyes came to rest on the adults in the corner, and she saw an envelope exchanging

hands. Her eyes darted to the ground just as the man turned to look at her, a barely

concealed gleam in his eyes. The woman looked back in turn, satisfaction filling her

face. She walked up to the girl and placed a hand on her shoulder, telling her things that

the man could not hear from where he stood. When she was done she turned and made

towards the entrance, where the man was waiting for her. Walking off with the woman,

he locked the door, telling the little girl to wait for his return. Nodding, more to herself

than anyone else, she walked to the room where she had dropped her bag earlier. In

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the corner was a simple bed, big enough for two people. She made her way towards it,

looking around. She saw that this was the man’s room; his clothes were strewn around

the room, some on the bed, some on the trunks that stood across. A towel hung from

the edge of the bed, and a toothbrush lay resting on the window sill. An air of

resignation surrounded her as she sat there, waiting, in the dim light of the hut. A little

girl in a big man’s world.