Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng

In April 2020, Coraline “Cora” Zeng and Delilah Zeng wait for a train at the East Broadway subway station in New York. The station, and most of the streets outside, are deserted, as people stay home because of the pandemic; the sisters have only stepped out to buy toilet paper. Cora and Delilah’s father is in China, and both sisters have lost their jobs with the pandemic—Cora used to work the front desk at the Met, and Delilah was at a fashion magazine. Cora muses aloud that she may take a housekeeping job, but Delilah frowns upon the idea.

Delilah breaks the news that she is planning on visiting their father in China. Cora remembers how Delilah has been talking of trying her hand at modeling in China, and she is shocked when she realizes that Delilah means to go without her. Delilah and Cora have the same father but different mothers, and while Delilah grew up speaking Mandarin with her mother, and thus can survive in China, Cora’s white mother couldn’t do the same for her. Delilah suggests that Cora live with her Aunt Lois for a while, who is Cora’s mother’s devout Christian sister.