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.