RICABAR'S DEATHWISH

By the time he was three, Ricabar had learned to fend for himself. He was able to navigate through the kitchen and be creative with what was available in the refrigerator and pantry to feed himself. Though she never asked him, Ricabar would sometimes fix his mother a meal when she returned from tricking. She knew she was not worthy of his kindness, but she saw it made Ricabar feel good about himself. His demonstration of independence at such a young age was both amazing and scary in her view. She nevertheless did nothing to discourage her son’s behavior as it meant she could spend more time prostituting herself. This meant more money to support her habit. It also meant she would spend less time lamenting the loss of her lover.