Summary

In “Girlie,” the 15-year-old first-person narrator leaves her home village in Akko to work as a house girl in the city. Her mother does not ask her if she wants to go but sends her away to make money for them. Her mom is a single parent and struggles to make ends meet. The narrator reports to a House Girls Center where she receives training and a placement. She now works for Madam and Oga. She runs errands for Madam and feeds her baby.

When the narrator goes to the market for groceries, she often stops to see Iya Tomato, the tomato seller. One day, Iya Tomato hits her on the head, knocking her unconscious. The narrator wakes up in an unfamiliar space. Iya Tomato emerges, insisting everything is fine and no one will abandon her again. The...