Chapter five
719 Words
The First Conversation
The compound was unusually lively that afternoon in Boame Village.
Laughter filled the air.
Voices rose and fell in excitement.
Auntie Esi moved around proudly, making sure everything was perfect for her important visitor.
But in the middle of all the noise and celebration…
Afia remained invisible.
---
She stood quietly at the back of the house, washing a pile of dirty dishes. Her small hands moved quickly, her focus sharp. Sweat trickled down her face, but she didn’t stop.
Work had taught her one thing—
Never be slow.
---
From the veranda, the visitor watched.
Mr Matey sat comfortably, observing everything around him. He had already greeted his sister, eaten, and relaxed.
But something had caught his attention.
That girl.
---
He had been watching her for a while.
The way she moved.
The way she worked without complaining.
The way she stayed quiet, even when spoken to harshly.
It wasn’t normal.
Not for a child.
---
“Esi,” he called calmly.
“Yes, my brother?” Auntie Esi responded quickly, rushing to him.
“Who is that girl?” he asked, pointing slightly toward Afia.
Auntie Esi glanced over and shrugged carelessly.
“Oh, her? Just a village girl. She comes here to help with chores,” she said dismissively. “In return, I give her some food to take home.”
Mr Matey’s expression changed slightly.
“How old is she?”
“Maybe twelve… I’m not even sure,” Auntie Esi replied, unconcerned.
---
Mr Matey stood up.
“I want to speak to her.”
Auntie Esi blinked, surprised. “Her?”
“Yes.”
---
Afia didn’t notice him approaching until she felt a shadow over her.
She quickly stood up and wiped her wet hands on her cloth.
“Sir…” she said softly, avoiding eye contact.
---
Mr Matey studied her closely.
“What is your name?” he asked gently.
“Afia, sir.”
“How old are you?”
“Twelve… sir.”
---
He nodded slowly.
“Do you go to school?”
Afia hesitated.
Her fingers tightened around her cloth.
“No, sir…”
“Why?”
She swallowed hard.
“My father is dead… and my mother is not strong. I have to work… to take care of my younger ones.”
---
There was a brief silence.
Even the air seemed to pause.
---
Mr Matey looked at her differently now.
Not as a worker.
Not as a poor village girl.
But as something rare—
Strength.
---
“And you do all this work every day?” he asked.
“Yes, sir.”
“And you don’t complain?”
Afia shook her head softly.
“If I don’t work… we don’t eat.”
---
Those words hit deeper than anything else.
---
Behind them, Auntie Esi watched quietly, confused.
She had never seen her brother take interest in someone like this before.
---
Mr Matey took a slow breath.
Then he spoke.
“Afia… would you like to go to Accra?”
Afia’s head lifted slightly, surprised.
“Accra… sir?”
“Yes,” he continued. “Come and stay there. You can help around… but you will also go to school.”
Afia’s eyes widened.
School?
For a moment, she thought she didn’t hear well.
---
“But… my family…” she said, her voice shaking.
“I will make sure they are taken care of,” Mr Matey said firmly. “You will not suffer there.”
---
Afia’s heart began to race.
This was something she had never imagined.
A way out.
A chance.
A different life.
---
She glanced at Auntie Esi, unsure.
For once, Auntie Esi said nothing.
---
“Think about it,” Mr Matey added. “I will be leaving in two days.”
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Afia stood frozen.
Her mind was filled with questions.
Fear.
Hope.
Doubt.
---
That evening, as she walked back home with a small bowl of food…
Everything felt different.
The dusty road.
The quiet trees.
The setting sun.
---
She looked ahead, her heart beating fast.
Could this be the answer to her prayers?
Or just another test?
---
For the first time in a long while…
Afia allowed herself to imagine a future beyond survival
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- Writer
