spider Man

Amma called from Chennai, her voice crackling through WhatsApp. My cousin had posted a photo of himself in a Spider-Man costume, and relatives were losing their minds. Threaten jokes flew. Some were perplexed by his boldness. But I understood. Here in London, he was reclaiming childhood wonder, that spider-man fantasy we'd shared watching pirated DVDs in grandmother's house. The comments rolled in: "Bae," "This is the best picture," declarations of how gorgeous he looked in crimson spandex. Amma laughed, finally. Our diaspora scattered across continents, yet somehow still together, still cheering each other on. Still family.