Page 107 of The Black Flamingo

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He adds, “Or when you tell themNo

and they get so offended about it.”

“Exactly!” I say. “They feel entitled

to touch us just because they were gracious

enough to ask.”

“That’s just their general entitlement

and privilege,” says Lennie.

My flatmate Kerry appears:

“Am I interrupting the Black Panther meeting?”

And I’m not sure if she means the revolutionary

organization or the Marvel superhero.

Lennie seems to see I feel awkward;

he defuses the situation: “Did you know

that a black panther is not actually a species?

It’s a melanin variant of any big cat.

In Asia and Africa they are leopards,

and in America they are jaguars.”

I give Lennie the Wakanda salute.

He raises a fist to give the Black Power salute.

Kerry giggles, uncomfortably.

“Are you walking toward our flat?”

“Yeah, but I’m just talking to Lennie.”

“Oh, okay,” she says, “I’ll see you later.”

She speeds off ahead of us.

Lennie asks me, “If you could have

any superpower, what would it be?

I joke, “To be invisible to white people.”

Lennie:

“But then your mum couldn’t see you.”

“Sometimes I’m not sure she does,”

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