9. Jumpin’
Summary
- Kya and her father, known as Pa, drive their boat in thick fog to a marina gas station run by an old man called Jumpin'.
- Jumpin's gas station has a unique, colorful presence in the area, identifiable even through the thickest fog.
- Kya, being at the marina for only the second time, is rather shy and quiet. Jumpin' fills their boat's gas tank and chats about the promising fishing conditions with Pa.
- After leaving the marina, Pa takes Kya to Barkley Cove's town restaurant for a meal, an unfamiliar activity for Kya who's never eaten in that manner before.
- Amid some hostile reactions from townspeople due to their lowly status and poor appearance, Kya enjoys restaurant food for the first time. She then faces an uncomfortable moment with the town's preacher's child who is quickly pulled away from her by her mother due to Kya's unclean appearance.
- Kya's relationship with Pa mellows, and they occasionally engage in normal father-daughter activities, such as playing gin rummy.
- Kya longs for her departed mother's return, reminiscing about her mother's teachings and the good moments they shared. She also recalls painful memories of domestic abuse.
- Kya finds a letter from her mother in the mailbox and eagerly waits for Pa to read it out to her (as she is illiterate). However, Pa burns the letter after reading it and reverts to his old, drunk self, crushing Kya's hope of a family reunion.
- Though Kya eventually resigns to her solitude, she secretly hopes that prayers might miraculously bring her mother and brother Jodie back.