Lord of the Flies

---Last week I was sitting in Street Girls Aid with three crying kids in my lap, a girl putting her pencil in my hair, and a toddler trying to offer me his lollipop. As I sat juggling all these kids I noticed a man outside the courtyard wall. He was just standing and looking at the kids, until he picked up a rock and through it at one of the little girls. He walked along the wall until he came to a small group of boys who were playing on the ground. I put my kids down, gave the little girl back her pencil, and went over to the other volunteers. "Any idea what the hell that man is doing?" I asked. "Looks like he's just talking to the kids" my friend Ariel answered. "Well he makes me nervous," I said. "Let's keep an eye on him." "Alright. Let's just see how things play out."
---I went back to my still crying kids and kept my eye on the creepy man outside the courtyard. With his eyes rolling back to his head he would whisper to the little boys. My stomach was turning, and I knew this was trouble. As he burst out laughing I saw the three little boys begin to fight each other, ripping at each other's clothes and pushing each other. Ariel and I quickly broke up the fight, and told the boys to play nicely. I had barely turned my back before one boy was laying on the ground, getting his stomach kicked in by the other two boys. I ran over and grabbed the little boy off the ground and carried him over to the steps, letting Ariel reprimand the abusers. After telling the boys off, she went over to the man at the wall and asked him if he needed any assistance. "No, I am not talking to them." He replied. "Well then I think you should leave. Now." Ariel's motherly instincts were radiating, and her voice held the power of an American woman. He began to turn to leave, but made sure to yell something in Twi before he went on his way. In a flash, the two boys ran over to me with terribly devilish smiles. They grabbed the beaten boy's arm and leg and began to pull. I pushed them and grabbed the boy, trying to run to the other side of the courtyard. The man at the wall yelled something again, and suddenly I was playing tug-of-war with this little boys body, me holding his abdomen while all the children in the courtyard began pulling at his limbs. I screamed for help from the Ghanian women inside as the little boy was literally getting torn limb from limb. They're stern voices and sharp hands quickly broke up the battle, and the bruised boy was brought inside. Frightened, and spent, I told Ariel it was time to go.
---That twenty minutes at the crutch was one of the most bizarre, and frightening moments I've had in my life. That man scared the life out of me, the way he looked at the kids and spoke to them, it was surreal. On my cab ride home I had time to think about what in the world had just happened, and Ariel and I exchanged our reactions. The thing that couldn't get out of my head was actually the Ghanian women. I thought about what would have happened if Ariel and I weren't there, and hadn't had the courage to tell that man to get the (expletive) out of there. There would have been no way the Ghanian women would have said anything to him, and he could have stood there all day telling those kids to fight, and after that who knows what. It makes me reflect on my own society and how grateful I am that women have the place that we do. I only wish women were treated and respected like that in more countries.