The Littlest Prostitutes
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IT IS BARELY MIDDAY AND THE THEATER OF THE flesh is well under way in one of Thailand’s notorious red-light districts. The massage parlor is already swallowing clients through its dark doorway; cheap perfume hangs in the air. The Home of Body Building exudes a sour sweat from the hall where older men are eyeing prancing young boys. But in a nearby shelter for former prostitutes the scene is demure, as girls settle down for group therapy. This day, a visitor is taking Polaroid pictures and passing them around. The pictures make the girls look like small, spindly birds, rather than sex objects. It is hard to imagine that not long ago these children, aged 11 to 14, worked as prostitutes, used by men three and four times their age. As soon as Lek sees her photograph, the quiet 12-year-old girl is transformed. She jumps up and pokes wildly at her image. She has never told her life story, but now she belts it out. “This girl was sold by her mother,” Lek shouts. “This girl was 10 and she was sold to a woman called Auntie. Auntie put her in a brothel. Auntie beat her and made her work.” Lek grabs a stick and begins striking the air with every new point. “This girl had a lot of pains,” she yells. “She had terrible headaches. She cried a lot.” The words pour out louder and faster. She worked every day, there were many men, Thai men, foreign men. Then, after two years, she was sold again. Auntie sold her to a bar owner. Drained by her anger, Lek throws herself on the floor. Next to her, Sister Michele, a young Catholic nun from India, bends down to cradle the girl. More : query.nytimes.com |