Vendor Sharpening Knife at Dawn in Guéckédougou

Soft overcast light falls through a faded red tarp, illuminating a roadside fruit stand in Guéckédougou during the cool season. A vendor's hands grip a steel blade against a dark whetstone, the stone's surface slick with water and spice dust. The metal knife behaves impossibly, its edge melting like thick orange wax, pooling in a viscous, glowing puddle around the vendor's fingers. Beside the stone, baskets of rough-skinned mangoes and green peppers sit in neat rows, their textures sharp and unyielding. The air appears thick with suspended orange powder, catching the pale dawn glow. One drip of molten steel rolls down the vendor's thumb, joining the growing pool on the wooden counter.