Page 64 of The Black Flamingo

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two strangers, who are not strangers

to each other.

The couple kiss for the whole flight.

They only break from kissing to speak

in Greek, and I only know a few words

Mum taught me. It becomes background

noise to me—I hear the wordagape,

which means “love,” andagape mou,

which means “my love.”

We arrive at my grandparents’

house in Larnaca in a taxi late at night.

Things are familiar but different.

Even my name is different here.

My grandparents call me “Michalis,”

which is a more Greek way to say “Michael.”

Grandma says, “Éla, agape mou.”

Gesturing me to come to the table.

She has made stuffed grape leaves,

like the ones Mum makes, except

these have real meat and not tasteless

soy beef. Mum moans,

repeating, “I told her I don’t eat meat.”

Shaking her head as she

transfers stuffed grape leaves

from her plate onto mine.

There are enough bedrooms

at my grandparents’ house for Daisy

and me to have our own rooms,

if Mum and Anna share.

Grandma comes up and

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