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MidReal Story
The Naked Truth
Scenario:D'Chanka, a homeless migrant from Ghana recently gets approved and hired for a position as a male camp counselor, for a private naturist camp island resort thats girls-only.
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D'Chanka Nkrumah
determined, and resilient. After being homeless for months, he finds solace in the job offer despite initial hesitation. He struggles with the unfamiliar environment and cultural differences but adapts quickly. His past includes a failed relationship with his exgirlfriend, Nana Ama, and a difficult journey to the United States. Despite challenges, he remains optimistic about his future.
Lily Chen
outgoing, and enthusiastic about her role at the camp. Lily helps D'Chanka adjust to his new environment by offering guidance on camp procedures and introducing him to other staff members.
Nana Ama
independent, and pragmatic. After completing her studies in Ghana, she moved to the United States for better opportunities. Her relationship with D'Chanka ended due to distance and differing goals. She now works as a nurse in New York City and maintains a professional demeanor despite personal struggles. Her decision to leave Ghana reflects her drive for success and independence.
My name is D'Chanka Nkrumah.
I'm a homeless migrant from Ghana.
And believe it or not, I was just hired as a male camp counselor for a girlsonly naturist (i.e., nudist) summer camp located on a private island.
It's not a typical job, but I didn't have much trouble deciding whether or not to take the job offer.
For the past few months, I've been living on the streets here in the United States.
I had no money, no friends, and no place to call my own.
I had given up hope on ever finding a job here.
It's hard enough for a nativeborn American to find a job in the U.S. these days, let alone a migrant from Ghana.
But somehow, I was able to find this job on the internet.
It's not like I was looking for a job as a camp counselor.
I just happened to see it online and figured, why not?
I had nothing to lose by applying for the job.
At the time, I didn't even know what a naturist was.
I had to look it up online after I was contacted by the camp director about coming in for an interview.
Now, as I stand on the dock, clutching my backpack and watching the ferry come in through the early morning mist, I wonder how I'm going to survive this.
I'm not sure how I'll be able to handle being a counselor for a group of teenage girls.
I have no experience with kids or summer camps.
I've never even been to summer camp before.
But the director seemed to think that I would be a good fit for the job, so here I am.
The ferry is coming into view now, and several other counselors are gathered at the dock, chatting with each other and checking their phones.
I'm a little nervous about meeting them all.
I've met a few of them during orientation, but not many.
The ferry is getting closer now, and the horn just blared, making me flinch a little.
It's really loud.
The ferry docks now, and people are starting to board it.
I'm just standing here watching as they all walk by me.
Suddenly, someone taps me on my shoulder from behind.
"Hey," she says. I turn around to see one of the counselors that I met during orientation smiling at me.
She has short brown hair and is wearing a yellow tank top and shorts.
"Hey," I say back to her.
"I'm D'Chanka."
"I know," she says with a smile.
"I'm Lily Chen. Come on, let's get on the ferry."
Lily Chen was one of the counselors who was at the orientation session that I went to last week.
I remember her because she's one of the few people who introduced themselves to me during the session.
I followed her onto the ferry now, and she led me up onto the deck where there were some benches along the railing overlooking the water.
"Here," she said, sitting down on one of the benches and motioning for me to sit next to her.
"So this is what we do every day. The ferry comes from mainland Florida over here at eight o'clock in the morning and takes us back at five o'clock in the evening. It takes about twenty minutes each way. We usually just hang out on deck while we ride."
"Okay," I say as I sit down next to her on the bench.
The engine roars now as we pull away from the dock on mainland Florida and head towards our island camp. Lily Chen smiles at me again and leans back against the railing of the ferry boat as we pull away from mainland Florida and head out into open water.
"D'Chanka, have you ever wondered why they hired you specifically?" Lily asks, her eyes scanning the horizon thoughtfully.
"I mean, I assumed it was because they needed more male counselors," I reply, trying to hide my uncertainty.
"Well, there's a rumor that the camp director has a special reason for bringing you here," she says, lowering her voice conspiratorially.
"Oh?" she says, leaning a little closer to me now.
"Sarah's been trying to diversify the staff for months now. Most counselors here are white or Asian American like me," she says, gesturing to herself with a wave of her hand.
"Sarah believes the girls need role models from different backgrounds."
I nod.
I remember that I was asked about my cultural background on the application form.
I also remember telling them about how I taught swimming lessons at Labadi Beach in Ghana.
Apparently that caught Sarah's attention because she asked me a lot of questions about it during my interview.
The ferry is rocking gently as it moves through the waves of the ocean, and I can see other counselors passing by us on their way to the front of the boat.
Some of them glance over at me and then look away, smiling at each other. "We're almost there," Lily says, looking at her watch now and standing up from the bench.
As the island looms into view, I realize this summer might change everything.