Chapter 28
‘I’m so sorry,’ said Stacey, going up to Grace’s teacher.
‘What about?’ asked the teacher.
‘Well, the donkey,’ said Stacey. She somehow felt responsible even though it was nothing to do with her. But she had introduced Yang to school life, and so far he had punched another parent and conjured up a live donkey on a school outing. She had no idea what had got into him since he’d met Grace. It was coming to something when your seven-year-old daughter was responsible for leading your adult colleague astray. She needed to have a word with Grace.
‘What are you doing, asking Yang to bring a donkey?’ said Stacey when she eventually found her daughter.
‘I didn’t ask him to bring Diago,’ said Grace. ‘He brought him all by himself. Isn’t that amazing?’
‘What?’ said Stacey. ‘You are kidding me, aren’t you? You’re behind this.’
‘No, Mum. I wish. I mean, what a genius idea, to bring a donkey. Wish I’d have thought of it.’
‘Genius idea?’ questioned Stacey. She’d see about that.
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‘What the hell do you think you’re doing?’ shouted Stacey at Yang.
‘Just feeding Diago,’ said Yang, looking startled. ‘He likes carrots around this time, apparently.’
‘I don’t mean what are you doing now! I mean, what are you doing bringing a donkey? What were you thinking?’
‘I was, er …’
‘Donkey’s kick, they poo, they really are not suited to visitor attractions, and you could have ruined Jolene’s whole event. What if they’d cancelled it all because you were stupid enough to bring a donkey? It’s so irresponsible! Were you just trying to impress Grace? You could have made donkey noises and she would have been impressed. You didn’t have to do any of this to get her attention?’
‘I wasn’t trying to impress her,’ said Yang.
‘Then what were you doing?’
He looked away. Then back into her eyes. ‘I was trying to impress you.’
‘What?’
‘Stupid idea, I admit. Using Diago. Sorry, mate,’ he said, ruffling the donkey’s ears. ‘I didn’t mean for you to get involved in all this.’
‘Involved in what?’ asked Stacey.
‘Me, trying to get your attention.’
‘We work together, Yang. You get my attention every single day.’
‘Not that type of attention,’ he said. ‘I mean the other kind of attention. The kind of attention you gave twatty Will.’
‘Don’t call him twatty. I mean, I have to agree, but all the same, don’t call him twatty.’
‘It’s mine and Grace’s name for him.’
‘What are you trying to say, Yang?’
Yang let out a massive sigh and looked at the ground.
‘I thought bringing you a donkey might impress you because I’m just not impressive. I can’t impress you with my looks or my charm, or cool clothes or anything like that. I’m just short and I’ve eaten too much Chinese food and I have a bit of a nerdy personality, and so I thought maybe if I brought a donkey then you might see me; you might be just be a bit impressed finally with something to do with me.’
Stacey swallowed. She thought she knew what Yang was trying to say but she could barely believe it, and she didn’t know how she felt about it, not quite. Very nearly, but not quite.
‘I don’t understand,’ she said. ‘Make me understand.’
Yang looked at her like a rabbit in the headlights. ‘I don’t know what else I can say,’ he said.
‘Please try,’ pleaded Stacey.
Yang looked down, shuffling his feet. The donkey nudged his arm, then licked his face. Yang gently pushed the donkey’s head away.
‘What I’m trying to say is,’ said Yang, ‘and forgive me for stealing a line from the most romantic movie of all time …’
‘ Mission Impossible? ’ asked Stacey.
‘No! Really? Not even close, but let’s not go there.’ He took a deep breath and looked her in the eye. ‘What I’m trying to say is that, I’m just a boy, standing in front of a girl, with a donkey, asking her to love him.’
This was a shock. This was big. Bigger than she’d thought.
‘Well, actually … like would be a start,’ stumbled Yang, blushing a shade of puce. ‘Liking me would be great, would be wonderful, would be amazing, would be a start. Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. You look really scared.’
Stacey stared at him, open mouthed. She was totally speechless. She had no idea what to say. She had no idea that Yang’s feelings ran that deep. It wasn’t too long ago that she was regularly blaming him for all the failings of men in general. How can this have happened? How?
Yang was looking at her, face fallen. She watched as Diago nudged Yang’s arm again and Yang put his arm around his neck.
‘Time we went, old chap, I think,’ said Yang. ‘Time we both went back to where we belong.’
‘Yang,’ said Stacey as he turned away. ‘It’s … it’s a lot.’
‘I know,’ he said. ‘It’s too much.’ He gently turned Diago round and led him away along the riverside to wherever he had come from.