It is only the beginning of the day and Margareth is finding herself already exhausted. It is busy in the brothel today because of the holiday, and there is no stopping the countless men flooding in.  Margareth had sold food on the street all her life making about $33 a day but since losing most of her family in the earthquake she was forced to change her occupation. With only her son and granddaughter left she feels desperate to provide for them and has begun to lie to them about how she earns her money. As ashamed as she is of her occupation, she feels that she can’t get out of the cycle she is in.

The men that buy her frighten her. While she is working, she tries to shut off her mind and become senseless, but sometimes the men are forceful and cause her pain. Sometimes they hit her or threaten to. Some days, business is slow, with no men coming to the brothel at all. But it’s days like today that are tough, with more than 20 men using her body for such a small amount of money. She only gets paid $1.50 per man, barely enough to cover her rent at the brothel. The 32 other girls who live in the house are also plagued by the same problems. Disease spreads rapidly, even with the use of condoms in place. If she had the money, she would restart her rice business. It would cost $133 to begin again, an amount of money almost impossible to attain. If she leaves, she will be forced to sleep on the street until she can find someone to take her in. Margareth has trained herself to have no expectations of any hope or anything good. How she longs for the day when she can escape this way of life.