The harmattan wind slips over the White Volta before sunrise, carrying a cool hush that settles on the water like a held breath. Gentle lake waves lap against the shore while a nearby brook chatters over smooth stones, their rhythms interlocking in quiet counterpoint. Waterbirds stir in the reeds, their calls weaving through the high shimmer of wavelets and the soft rush of a close stream. A delicate chorus of stream-side birds rises and falls, harmonizing with the water's own song. This balance