stays away, maybe you have a chance with Kobe,” I say.
All this is making me think, after years of obsessing over a guy who didn’t want me anymore, that it’s a fucking huge relief to be single and not give a shit.
“You say you’re her friend, but you don’t want her to come back. I think you’re not a very good friend.”
Now her eyes brim with tears. “Daisy is my friend,” she says quietly. “I want her to be happy.”
“
Wo mingbai
,” I say. I get it. “But if she wants to come back, she comes back. I talk to her, I don’t talk to her, it doesn’t matter.”
She bats around the Hello Kitty charm some more.
“If you really are her friend, you want the best for her, right?” I ask. Twisting the Hello Kitty, as it were.
She lets out a sigh, and then she tells me.
CHAPTER TEN
T HERE ’ S NO WAY I’ M going to be able to sell Mom and Andy on a vacation where I need to go next.
We’re having dinner at a rooftop Italian restaurant in a prosperous village in the shadow of Yueliangshan—Moon Mountain—about a half hour by taxi from the Ancient Village Artist Retreat. I’m burned out on beer fish, so I figure why not ravioli and red wine for a change?
This was one of the first villages in the area to start farmers’ restaurants and take advantage of the tourist trade. Now a lot of the farmers have made some money, which they show off by adding upper stories to their skinny cement homes, a third and then a fourth or fifth that no one actually lives in.
Andy sips the wine. Wrinkles his forehead.
“Do you like it?” my mom asks him, a little anxiously.
“I …” He turns to me. “
Ni zenme shuo, ‘wo buxiguan’?
” How do you say …?
“You’re not used to it,” I tell him.
“Yes. I am not used to it.” He takes another sip. “But I think I can learn to like.”
He and my mom smile at each other. He lifts his wineglass. My mom blushes and raises hers. They clink.
This all makes what I need to say next so much easier.
“I’ve got some bad news. I have to leave Yangshuo. For business.”
“Oh, no!” my mom exclaims. “Really? Can’t it wait?”
“I wish … but … it’s kind of time-sensitive. So …”
“Where must you go?” Andy asks.
“Um … near Shantou.”
“Shantou.” Andy frowns. “But that is … factory area. Not very much art.”
“True,” I say. “But there’s this … emerging artist working there who’s doing some really cool stuff. With … recycled electronics. And stuff. And …”
I really should have thought of a cover story before I started drinking wine.
“If I go there now, I have a chance to represent him. If I wait, someone else might sign him. And I hear that he’s really good.”
My mom sighs. “I know that you need to take care of your business. But …”
“I can try to catch up with you later,” I say. “I don’t know how much time you have, Andy. Before you have to go back to Beijing.”
Andy takes in a deep breath as he appears to consider. “Maybe three days.”
“Oh, that’s too bad,” my mom says.
Truth is, I can’t tell whether she’s upset or relieved. She
sounds
upset, but maybe she’d just as soon have Andy to herself for a few days, without me in the way.
Well, fine, Mom, I think. Here’s your chance. Have a blast with Anal Andy. Go ahead, do what you’re gonna do.
She always does.
I push that out of my mind. I have a mission, you know? I’ve got something to do. I’m going to find Jason because I told DogI’d try, and any problems I have when compared to Dog’s seem pretty fucking trivial.
Even if he does have a wife who loves him. And kids he adores. I mean, so what if I don’t have any of that?
I can walk. I’ve got two arms and two legs. I can talk without having to fight my own brain to come up with the words. I can work, and I have a good job. I get to represent Lao Zhang’s art, which, even though I still don’t know that much about art, I know it’s
All this is making me think, after years of obsessing over a guy who didn’t want me anymore, that it’s a fucking huge relief to be single and not give a shit.
“You say you’re her friend, but you don’t want her to come back. I think you’re not a very good friend.”
Now her eyes brim with tears. “Daisy is my friend,” she says quietly. “I want her to be happy.”
“
Wo mingbai
,” I say. I get it. “But if she wants to come back, she comes back. I talk to her, I don’t talk to her, it doesn’t matter.”
She bats around the Hello Kitty charm some more.
“If you really are her friend, you want the best for her, right?” I ask. Twisting the Hello Kitty, as it were.
She lets out a sigh, and then she tells me.
CHAPTER TEN
T HERE ’ S NO WAY I’ M going to be able to sell Mom and Andy on a vacation where I need to go next.
We’re having dinner at a rooftop Italian restaurant in a prosperous village in the shadow of Yueliangshan—Moon Mountain—about a half hour by taxi from the Ancient Village Artist Retreat. I’m burned out on beer fish, so I figure why not ravioli and red wine for a change?
This was one of the first villages in the area to start farmers’ restaurants and take advantage of the tourist trade. Now a lot of the farmers have made some money, which they show off by adding upper stories to their skinny cement homes, a third and then a fourth or fifth that no one actually lives in.
Andy sips the wine. Wrinkles his forehead.
“Do you like it?” my mom asks him, a little anxiously.
“I …” He turns to me. “
Ni zenme shuo, ‘wo buxiguan’?
” How do you say …?
“You’re not used to it,” I tell him.
“Yes. I am not used to it.” He takes another sip. “But I think I can learn to like.”
He and my mom smile at each other. He lifts his wineglass. My mom blushes and raises hers. They clink.
This all makes what I need to say next so much easier.
“I’ve got some bad news. I have to leave Yangshuo. For business.”
“Oh, no!” my mom exclaims. “Really? Can’t it wait?”
“I wish … but … it’s kind of time-sensitive. So …”
“Where must you go?” Andy asks.
“Um … near Shantou.”
“Shantou.” Andy frowns. “But that is … factory area. Not very much art.”
“True,” I say. “But there’s this … emerging artist working there who’s doing some really cool stuff. With … recycled electronics. And stuff. And …”
I really should have thought of a cover story before I started drinking wine.
“If I go there now, I have a chance to represent him. If I wait, someone else might sign him. And I hear that he’s really good.”
My mom sighs. “I know that you need to take care of your business. But …”
“I can try to catch up with you later,” I say. “I don’t know how much time you have, Andy. Before you have to go back to Beijing.”
Andy takes in a deep breath as he appears to consider. “Maybe three days.”
“Oh, that’s too bad,” my mom says.
Truth is, I can’t tell whether she’s upset or relieved. She
sounds
upset, but maybe she’d just as soon have Andy to herself for a few days, without me in the way.
Well, fine, Mom, I think. Here’s your chance. Have a blast with Anal Andy. Go ahead, do what you’re gonna do.
She always does.
I push that out of my mind. I have a mission, you know? I’ve got something to do. I’m going to find Jason because I told DogI’d try, and any problems I have when compared to Dog’s seem pretty fucking trivial.
Even if he does have a wife who loves him. And kids he adores. I mean, so what if I don’t have any of that?
I can walk. I’ve got two arms and two legs. I can talk without having to fight my own brain to come up with the words. I can work, and I have a good job. I get to represent Lao Zhang’s art, which, even though I still don’t know that much about art, I know it’s
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