Chapter Ten
There was now no question about it. Richie had a gift. Even before he left the orphanage, Sister Benita had recognized it. She’d shown his drawings to Margaret during the adoption proceedings. He was fifteen now and still preoccupied with art, observing and sketching, often to his own detriment. Margaret was compelled to spank him for his inattention in math and civics class, subjects that minimally interested him.
Margaret enrolled him in Arts & Crafts, a high school with a nationally recognized curriculum in art and design. It was a private school. The tuition was horrendous, but in Margaret’s and her mother’s eyes, worth every penny. The school’s headmistress told Margaret she’d rarely seen such raw talent. She assigned Richie to Lavondra Phillips. Shy and reluctant to exp
