The Island of Missing Trees

The day after Kostas and Defne make love at the hotel, the migrating painted lady butterflies arrive in Cyprus. One of them alights on the branches of the fig tree and tells the tree about how she had passed through a military cemetery in Cyprus on her way there and discovered the graves of numerous British babies, almost three hundred of them. One of the inscriptions on the tombstone read: “OUR BELOVED BABY/ IN MEMORY OF YUSUF YIORGOS ROBINSON / JANUARY 1975 NICOSIA – JULY 1976 NICOSIA” (261). This bit of information allows the fig tree to slowly put together previously missing pieces of the story, as she realizes who the baby was and why he was named after the tavern owners.

The morning after they spend the night together, Kostas is awakened by a phone call from Dr. Norman, who is sympathetic but refuses to disclose confidential information about Defne’s pregnancy and what happened to it. Defne realizes who Kostas had been talking to, and Kostas begs her to tell him what happened. Defne reveals that the baby was adopted by a British couple, who even let Defne visit often; however, as she describes that the baby died, Defne finally breaks down and tells Kostas everything.