[Slokais]

When Ousmane arrived in Brissiac, he and his group of KLF-U insiders were treated immediately to a photo opportunity for the Brissiacan authorities. The airport terminal cleaned out of the way for the group, a dozen or so, mostly men in business suits, when they reached passport control, a requirement for entry into the Brissiac Region they were whisked through security.

Despite, Brissiac being part of Kolda since its independence, it felt like a completely different world. Brissiacans and traditional French speakers were a rarity in most of Kolda, yet here everyone spoke a very formal French. Due to the Brissiac’s strict border policy since the end of the Kolda War, travel to Brissiac was difficult except for the wealthy. Meanwhile, many Koldans risked everything to travel to Brissiac by crossing the narrow strait that separated the two regions. Brissiac had never been subjected to the same state planning and years of corruption and was thus flourishing in an ultra-capitalistic paradise. The roads were smoother, and the buildings were taller yet under it all was a brutal reality.

Ousmane had traveled to Brissiac when he was about 13 years old, some family friends offering a week’s stay at a resort deep within the Brissiacan wine country. Ousmane’s mother had just recently divorced, leaving his father desperate to connect with his son, now all his own. The first days had been good for both of them, Ousmane just enjoying all of the resort features while his father drank wine and casually flirted with other guests. Eventually, Ousmane established a friendship with one of the other boys at the hotel, Antonie. Antonie was a few years older and thus was a paid employee of the resort, bringing around cold glasses of juice and water to guests by the pool. The two began to talk, mostly about girls, sports, and other teen boy stuff, as Ousmane somewhat dumped all his feelings and emotions. One day, however, things changed.
“Where do you live, do you just stay at the resort?” Ousmane asked.
Antonie poured another drink for a resort guest before he responded.
“Not exactly, my whole family’s housing is provided by the resort, although we don’t live here” Antonie replied.
“Oh, so they pay for your family’s house”
“Somewhat..” Antonie said, unsure of his answer.
“Why don’t I come over, at least to see it at least”
“It’s not interesting seriously, anything here is much better than my house”
Antonie left to deliver a drink to a poolside guest.
Antonie returned a small tip in his hand.
“Alright, you win, fate is telling me to let you come along, be here back at 5:30,” Antonie said

As Antonie locked up, Ousmane joined him.
“You sure want to see this” Antoie said
“Sure I'm leaving in a few days anyway, might as well see where my friend lives,” Ousmane said
Antonie led Ousmane down a staircase and then out a door into the expansive wine fields.

The resort, Parigne de l’est, was originally a massive winery founded by settlers in the 1880s. Now the resort was a massive entertainment complex with several restaurants, a casino, and a waterpark. Both wealthy Koldans and Brissiacans alike as well as foreigners frequented the resort. As the boys walked through the vineyard, the two talked.
“I’m starting at a new school called Lennesway Day in a week” Ousmane said
“Sound’s fancy, plenty of Brissicans, right?”
“Yeah, well my French is pretty good, now right?” Ousmane said
“Sure, sure. You can now understand when Brissican girls reject you” Antonie joked
“Come on, you haven't seen me in action,” Ousmane said as they approached a large hedgerow.
Antonie fumbled around in his pockets, producing a key.
“If you wanted to me for a hike, you could have just told me,” Ousmane said
At that moment, Antonie pulled a small handle and opened a door in the dense hedgerow, covering a brick wall.