AMMA DARKO: Faceless
Examine the significance of Fofo's visit to Odarley in the novel.
Fofo and Odarley are street children scrounging for a living around the Agbogboloshie market area. Fofo flees one early morning to Odarley's shack after her es-cape from the hands of the rapist, Poison. The plight of street children is highlighted during this visit. An attempt has just been made by a 'street lord' to rape Fofo, a fourteen-year-old homeless girl, as she sleeps in front of a provision shop in Agbogbloshie market. In her unprotected condition, she is exposed to the va-garies of the weather and the ravages of lawless men. Odarley's shack offers only a slightly better protec-tion. The description of the shack is striking. The lack of adequate ventilation and children strewn about the single room in various states of undress, underscore the poverty, destitution and degradation which chil-dren who are forced to fend for themselves have to face. Social immorality has now become a part of the children's lives.
The shoeshine boy and the iced wa-ter seller are fast asleep, naked. Odarley surmises that the couple had sex the night before. Indiscrimi-nate sex no longer shocks the children. Odarley is, herself, a part of the group. Thus, she conjectures that because she still has her underpants on, the shoe-shine boy had probably mistaken the iced water seller for her. The import here is that she and the shoeshine boy have had sexual encounters in the past. It is in these circumstances that Fofo comes to visit Odarley. In addition to the lack of morals already mentioned, the scene paints a vivid picture of the squalor and filth in which the children wallow during the course of thier daily lives. Odarley and Fofo ease themselves at a rubbish dump in the vicinity. They are not the only ones there. This is a popular place of convenience. Though there is mention of a public toilet, the motiva-tion to go there appears to be very low. While the "busi-ness" of easing themselves is in progress, it is learnt that Fofo is suffering from constipation, probably as a result of her having had to live only on bread and water the previous day: "Yesterday was a bad day". This information is introduced so casually that the impres-sion is given that it is a normal occurrence. The focus here is on the deprivation of the children.
The atmosphere of insecurity in the location is also quite adequately conveyed. Macho, a street bully and petty criminal, pounces on the children as they are easing themselves, frightens them away and grabs Fofo's plastic bag which contained all the money she made the prevoius week. In this vicinity might is right and only the strong survive. The victims cannot seek redress from the law. Strength and power reign supreme.
Points to Note:
(i) Lack of security/protection
(ii) Lack of decent accomodation
(iii) Prevalence of social immorality
(iv) Lack of convenience
(v) Prevalent lawlessness
(vi) Prevalent squalor
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