Ma Anga was right. I died in the water. I recalled the moment its icy tentacles slid into the back of my throat, the explosion of air bubbles, the pain erupting like hot lava and seeping into every fissure in my body. The darkness had been a relief. How long I stayed there, I didn’t know. What Ididknow was that I wasn’t the only one jump-started back to life. Anguish. Desire. Frustration. Elation. They had risen like titans along with me. With each mouthful, they grew bigger and bigger, until my stomach felt like a cauldron about to spill over.
I wasn’t the only one reacting to my dinner. Beside me, Naani reached for her water and dabbed her napkin on her forehead. Fia hand-fanned herself. Nikos shrugged out of his jacket and loosened his tie. Like wildfire, the chemical reaction spread around the table, even though we weren’t eating the same thing.
“I have some unfortunate news.”
All heads turned to Captain Bailey, who looked surprised at her own voice.
“I planned on telling you later because I didn’t want to ruin dinner, but I can’t seem to keep it in any longer. Mr. and Mrs. Gonsalves came to me earlier today.” She gestured toward Joseph Uncle and Rachel Auntie. “Mrs. Gonsalves wanted to get into the safety deposit box in their suite, but she couldn’t find her key. We issue two sets per cabin and both had been in her possession. All the wedding jewelry was in their safety deposit box, so they were understandably distraught.”
Distraught was an understatement. No Indian wedding was complete without lots of gold. Many families started saving decades in advance. Back in the days when all the property went to sons, people shared their wealth with daughters in the form of gold. The tradition also had its roots in the dowry system which, although illegal now, still influenced the well-being of the bride and her status in her new family. Gold for the in-laws, gold for the groom. Hair accessories, nose rings, earrings, bracelets, and necklaces for the bride. I knew for a fact Rachel Auntie and Joseph Uncle had stockpiled a sizable stash for the day Isabelle got married.
“Security began a thorough search of the premises, starting with the lowest deck,” Captain Bailey said. “The keys were found, and nothing was missing from the safety deposit box. Unfortunately, it was found in a crew member’s cabin. Chef Alexandros has admitted to its possession. He’ll be turned over to the authorities at the next port.”
The silence that followed was jarred by a ring tone.
“Sorry.” Thomas’s father silenced his phone.
I stared at my plate, shocked by the news. Why in the world would Alex take the keys to Rachel Auntie’s safety deposit box?
The silence stretched out as Hannah collected our plates and brought out dessert.
“Galaktoboureko, a creamy custard pie,” she said. “And for you, some fruit, Moti.”
I blinked at the five orange segments before me. Flipped inside out, they were arranged like a starfish on the plate.
My mind flashed back to lying on a pile of quilts next to Alex, the stars glittering above us on his rooftop.
What’s your favorite childhood memory?
My mother, peeling an orange and bringing it to my room while I was studying. She never said a word. She’d come in, put it on my desk, and leave. Sometimes I didn’t even know she’d been there until I saw the plate. She had this way of flipping each segment inside out, with the flesh arched out, so I didn’t have to bite through the stringy white fibers. Mountains of orange spikes waiting to be scraped off with my teeth.
Nothing says love like a plate of cut fruit left silently for you.
I gasped like I’d been splashed in the face with cold water. The keys I found in the hallway, the ones I stashed away under the bunk bed in Alex’s cabin, along with all the other stuff I stole—they were the reason he was in trouble. I took Rachel Auntie’s safety deposit box keys and Alex took the fall for me.
Everything bubbling inside me spilled over, like someone flipped the release valve on a pressure cooker. Words vented out in a jet stream of admissions.
“I steal things,” I said. “Things I don’t think anyone will miss. I’ve been doing it for as long as I can remember.” I glanced at Joseph Uncle and George. “I took the playing card that messed up your game. I took a champagne glass from Naani’s suite. A ping-pong ball. Coffee stirrers. An hourglass. A lock of hair.” I fixed my gaze on Captain Bailey. “I took the safety deposit keys. Not Alex. I didn’t know what they were for, but I know you found them in a zipped plastic bag under the bunk bed. I know because I hid it. I’m a thief.”
I faced my family with my secret. What should’ve mortified me, felt cathartic. “I’m the culprit. And my name is not Mo-tee,” I said to the rest of them. “It’s Mo-thi.”
Once again, the silence was interrupted by George’s phone. Before he could reach for it, Kassia tossed her napkin over it.
“I want a divorce,” she said. “I’ve had it with all these phone calls. I’m sick of you skulking off to answer them. I know you’re having an affair. I’ve ignored it for months, but enough is enough. As soon as the wedding is done, I’m leaving you. It’s over, George.”
Thomas’s father stared at her, his jaw slack. His phone kept ringing.
“You can’t divorce me,” he said when it finally stopped. “We’re Greek Orthodox. We stick together for life. Do you really think I’m having an affair?” He held his hands up. “Like one woman isn’t hard enough to handle.” Laughter started like a newly sprung leak from his chest. It sounded like relief, like a dam bursting open. “I’m not having an affair, Kassia. We’re going bankrupt. All of this…” He flashed his arms around. “One last hoorah. They’ll be swooping in as soon as we get home.”
From across the table, someone gasped.
Isabelle.
Before she could compose herself, Nikos piped in.
“I love you,” he declared, his eyes smoldering with intensity as he gazed at me.
What the hell?
