11. Croker Sacks Full

Summary

• In the winter of 1956, when Kya was about ten years old, her father started coming back to their shack less and less.
• Kya speculated that a fight or intoxication might have led to his disappearance, and eventually realized that he might never come back.
• Kya was left completely alone and worried that authorities would discover this fact and take her away. She decided to pretend that her father was still around.
• Kya had been surviving on very limited food resources and had run out of many basic supplies. She worried about how to secure essential items without money.
• Kya realized that she depended heavily on items that her father usually bought such as kerosene, and she didn't have a reliable way to secure these items for herself.
• Despite her vulnerabilities, Kya decided against turning herself into authorities for support, as she didn't want to leave the marsh and its animals.
• Kya resolved to support herself and by collecting mussels from the marsh. She was able to trade these at a local store, earning her some money and enabling her to buy essential supplies.
• Kya began supplying mussels regularly due to the stable income it generated. She also stopped going to places like the local grocery store where people asked too many questions.
• Jumpin', the store owner, treated her kindly and even occasionally threw in sweets as an extra bonus.