Summary

In “First Moon,” photojournalist Maali Almeida, or Malinda Albert Kabalana, wakes up in the afterlife. He finds himself “in an endless waiting room” with his camera (4). Convinced he is dreaming, he tries regaining consciousness. He listens to others arguing with “a woman in a white sari” (4). When it is Maali’s turn, the woman asks his name, religion, cause of and time since death (5). He does not know the answers to the latter questions. Confused, Maali keeps taking photos. Then the woman tells him he is dead and has seven moons in the In Between.

Maali runs into Dr. Ranee Sridharan, who wrote “articles on the Tamil Tigers” (8). When Maali asks about her death, Dr. Ranee recommends Maali get his ears checked. Ear folds “show past traumas, the lobes reveal sins, the cartilage hides guilt” (9). These things prevent one from “entering The Light...