Feelings of hope finally broke through as Natalie, Shelley, and I walked into the newly remodeled Freedom Bar on Thursday night. As we entered, we were greeted with eager smiles from girls in dresses the same as ours, aka tourist dresses. For us, that was clue number one that these girls were completely new to this place and this industry in which their lives are beginning to become entangled in. Clue number two was that the girls new less English than any other person we have come across in Patong’s bar district. Clue number three came when Shelley ordered iced tea and the girls did not know how to pour the can into a glass of ice. When we asked if they had games to play, we were the ones teaching them. And when a stranger walked in, or even a male, their focus did not leave us, and instead they continued to smile at us and play their recently learned games. We couldn’t help but smile at the innocence that these beautiful women had and the look in their eyes of hope for a new life. Although few words could be exchanged, the half an hour spent with them was by far our best half an hour yet. We felt that we finally reached someone simply by investing time in them and smiling at them for who they are. As it came time to leave them, all of us were so excited we couldn’t stop talking about the hope that came from the bar with such a symbolic name. The girls will be free from this life. In the next 4 weeks, we will visit them every night in the bar and spend time with them to help them see their worth. And hope they can see the freedom that they deserve as well.
