PHOTO PROMPT © Linda Kreger
Araba, Akuba, and Ekuwa invited the stranger to sit with them. Kwaku told of going with Boss Kobby when he was six and living in a hut on the shores of Lake Volta. His job was to dive underwater to untangle nets. He almost drowned many times. When he asked to go home, Boss Kobby beat him and said his parents didn’t want him, but he never forgot home. There were no happy family times as a child slave.
Araba called their mother on her cell.
“Mother, do we have a brother?”
A gasp was heard – then silence.
Rochelle Wisoff-Fields is the admirable host of Friday Fictioneers.
Today’s flash fiction answers some questions enquiring minds wanted to know after last week’s story, found here.
Learn more about child slave labor in Ghana here.
Ghanian names of the quads:
Araba (born on Tues)
Akuba (born on Weds)
Ekuwa (born on Weds)
Kwaku (born on Weds)
Tao Talk 
Unexpected end! 👍
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You may see more chapters in this story…
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Good!
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child slavery… every slaver ought to be shot on sight. It’s dispicable!
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Yes they should. Slavery is way more common than anyone realizes, and that is across the globe! I “picked on” Ghana because when I put “child slave labor” in google the anti-slavery website I linked to looked like it had “good” info on it.
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Oh that silence is so most telling… maybe not a stranger anymore…
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For sure.
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The mother’s silence speaks volumes
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Powerful story! Well done.
Susan A Eames at
Travel, Fiction and Photos
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Thank you, Susan.
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Oh man! That is horrible.
Well written, though.
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Thanks Dale. It is horrible.
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Still a worldwide problem, strangely hidden from our consciousness. Very effective. (K)
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Thank you, Kerfe. I’ve had some training on trafficking in all of its forms. One excellent book, with volumes of statistics to support everything is “The Slave Next Door” by Bales and Soodalter. I like the way you put it, because it is hidden from our consciousness. With training you can “see” it. Seeing it is just the first step. It’s vastly pervasive and difficult/impossible to eradicate with our society the way it is.
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My former babysitter/neighbor is working with the UN on trafficking issues, so I’m aware of it, but it certainly rarely makes the news. He’s lived all over the world–it’s everywhere.
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I know that there are big issues with the work visa classifications as the workers come in that pretty much set them up for trafficking. Also, the foreign diplomats, who have immunity, bring “slaves” with them to run their households. You’re right, it rarely makes the news because nobody knows how to charge it or prosecute it. I think states are moving in the right direction by developing trafficking task forces, which MI has, but that is like trying to get somewhere when you only have the steering wheel of a car. It takes a widespread network from the ground up to get any real movement. The victims themselves are so scared and vulnerable and often brainwashed they either can’t or are too paralyzed to speak out. I’m guessing your babysitter/neighbor has seen and heard a lot.
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He has indeed.
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Horrific but good well …
Isadora 😎
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Thank you, Isadora.
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Oh. very disturbing.
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Awesome! I love the names!
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Thank you, Carol Anne. I chose them from a list with name meanings and see names are chosen for attributes in Ghana.
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They are very unusual names, I like them a lot 💐
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That could get nasty, especially if mum sold their brother into slavery…
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Yes it could. I’m going to try to tie the story up in the next chapter.
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Dear Lisa,
What people are capable of and too often do defies imagination. I hope there’s a happy reunion in store. Nicely done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Dear Rochelle, you are so correct, and I hope so also. We’ll have to see what happens next.
Shalom,
Lisa
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Child labour has been and always will be around. Why pay children, they can’t fight back.
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Thanks for reading and your comment.
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If Kwaku is the bearded one, he actually was born on a Wednesday :) So was the first man in the line, come to think of it :(
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(Boss) Kobby was born on Tuesday, and Kwaku (their brother) was born on Wednesday. Araba (one of the 3 sisters) was born on Tuesday (maybe close to midnight?) so she’s the oldest. I don’t remember a bearded one? Kwaku is tall and thin with bushy hair. What am I not seeing?
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silence can be deafening in this instance.
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There are always secrets to be discovered. This was an enjoyable story – Thanks!
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Thank you for reading and your comment, Nan. Yes, there are.
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Kwaku lost his childhood working as a bonded labor. Now his mother does not want to acknowledge him! Did she sell Kwaku to save other kids? Sad story.
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Yes, he did and yes it is. I’m going to try to answer more questions in next week’s story.
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She probably had no choice but maybe there are happier times ahead. Nice one.
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Thank you, Subroto, for your thoughtful comment.
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Reality really slaps our priviledged faces in your good story here. It is unbearable that slavery still exists today in so many places. And it is unbearable that parents see on other means to feed their remaining children than by selling one into slavery.
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I appreciate your insightful comment, Gah. It IS unbearable!
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I hope he gets to go home. There are slaves in more places than Ghana I’m sorry to say. Not only that but the local authorities are complicit in some cases. It’s a terrible situation. A good story based on reality, Jade. —- Suzanne
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Thank you for your thoughtful comment, Suzanne.
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We told, there are so many forms of slavery,
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Indeed there are, Michael.
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Oh no… how terrible
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