Sex worker leaks secrets

Sex workers in Accra and Tema are becoming wiser than the biblical serpent. Because of their disgust at unannounced police swoops and harassment, the prostitutes are adopting more ingenious ways to perpetuate their illegal flesh trade. And if they succeed, the traditional brothel will soon be phased out.

Spectator investigations have it that instead of sex workers getting holed up in sleazy one-room apartments, hanging out in beer bars to grab clients or operating under madams who give them a cut of their nightly earnings, they are now going high-tech and digital by using e-mailing and cell-phones to book and co-ordinate their appointments.

For clients who do not want to use their cell-phones due to obvious reasons, they are prevailed upon by the sex workers to open new e-mail addresses to receive mes¬sages and to fix appointments. Invariably, the clients reg¬ister their acceptance either by submitting their emails or phone numbers which-ever they find convenient or dis¬creet.

In the case of emails, the sex workers must also have their own addresses and access their mails daily to note pending appointments and to ascertain which ones can be honoured and which can be rescheduled, etc.

Lady Weiner (that is what she calls herself) spoke to Spectator about the prospects of the sex trade. She was one of the sex workers who literally welcomed African soccer players and supporters with open legs, during Ghana 2008. And did she make a windfall then?

"The little girls took the market from us," she told Spectator. "But for those supporters who were sex-starved and wanted experienced women to take them to heaven and back, we would have been completely out of the market."

Lady Weiner is a 40-year-old high-timer based in Tema and often services Korean clients in the port-city when the seafarers dock and go searching for fun in transit.

This writer was fortunate to be introduced to Lady Weiner by someone who thought he could get first-hand informa¬tion on prostitution for publication. But it had to be ar¬ranged to seem that yours truly was interested in a romp instead of mere information.

Lady Weiner's nicotine-stained lips gave her away as a cigarette smoker. She was offered drinks and she drank like a thirsty banshee.

SPEC: You can take your clients to heaven. That sounds thrilling. What are your techniques?

LADY,/b>: There are several. You have to catch the experi¬ence yourself.

SPEC: What are your charges like?

LADY: It depends. If you offer a grand Chinese restau¬rant dinner and booze, jot and a full-night servicing, it goes for GH¢120. That is 1.2 million old cedis.

SPEC: That is reasonable, but I live in Accra, not Tema.

LADY: Oh, I operate everywhere. I only have to get your phone num¬ber or email.

SPEC: For what?

LADY: So I can get in contact with you and book appointments with you.

SPEC: Is that the new style? I thought you received clients in your home or a brothel?

LADY: Because of police harassment we have adopted new tricks. We now are anonymous.

SPEC: What do the police do to you?

LADY: Sometimes they swoop on us and send us to court.

SPEC: You are sure they don't sexually harass you?

LADY: Normally not, but some unscrupulous ones de¬mand sex for your freedom,

SPEC: Which one will you accept? Sex for freedom or jail?

LADY: Sex for freedom

SPEC: You love sex?

LADY (laughing): No but if that's the way to be free, why not?

Lady Weiner says she has many high-profile clients she has kept over three years and they never regret it when¬ever they book her for appointments. “I know how to handle a man. You'll have no regrets! Can we go now, you'll love my body."

SPEC: To be very honest with you, I'm a journalist.

LADY (gaping and getting furious): Don't waste my bloody time.

SPEC: Check it! I'm in for both business and informa¬tion. We'll have a good time alright, but business first. I want to fight for sex work to be legalised so that policemen will stop harassing you. What do you think about it? Do you want it legalised or not?

LADY: (looking suspicious now); Well, I don't know, but that will spoil our little girls. Some of us are already spoilt so we don't matter. But my fear is for the little girls. What I saw during CAN 2008 frightened me.

SPEC: They competed with you for men"?

LADY,/b>: They didn't give us breathing space, but some of us used experience and natural charm to get our fair share of the dollars and CFAs.

SPEC: So if I submit myself to be taken to heaven and back, what am I to expect?

LADY: I'll have to mix drinks for you to get you in the mood; massage you all over the body till you groan in de¬light and then finally, you'll see something.

SPEC: What exactly am I supposed to see?

LADY (laughing): Heaven on earth.

SPEC: When• are you getting married anyway?

LADY: Married? A husband will only slow you down. I don't like getting stuck to some human being who calls himself a husband and thinks he can order you about.

This writer gave Lady Weiner GH¢15 for the conversa¬tion and parted company with his tail between his legs.