by Kylie Chan
‘Just this one at the moment. They’re interviewing you for the waiting list.’
She hesitated a moment, then, ‘Maybe if I can’t get something, I could go to Celestial High for a while. Sylvie and Eva say they have great fun there, and they don’t get any trouble about missing classes ’cause they have to fight demons or anything. And besides, it would make it easier for Eva and me doing our elemental thing.’
‘That might be a good idea,’ I said. ‘I’m having trouble finding a tutor for you, and we can’t stop your education because of this.’
‘Yeah, I don’t want to fall behind. But I still want to go to a normal school!’
‘This elemental thing you’ll be doing sounds great,’ Leo said. ‘Can’t wait to see them.’
‘I’ll show you some when we get home,’ Simone said. ‘They’ve been pestering me lately ’cause they don’t have enough to do. I rotate them on swimming-pool duty, but they’ve started to complain that it’s boring.’
‘They’re in the pool?’ Leo said.
‘It leaks like a sieve otherwise,’ Simone said. ‘I got sick of waiting for the construction company to get around to fixing it, and just filled it with elementals instead.’
‘So the water in the pool is elementals?’ I said. ‘You never told me that. I thought they’d just fixed it and the building management hadn’t told me.’
Simone shrugged. ‘I sent the management company a letter from the construction company saying that it was done, and a letter the other way saying that the construction company were fired. I filled the pool with elementals and made the lifeguards too. I’ve been practising on colouring them, and the lifeguard model I have them taking is nearly completely opaque. You only notice that they’re transparent if you get really close. They’ll be all ready to go when the swimming season starts.’
‘I’m not sure I want to go swimming now,’ I said.
‘Me either,’ Leo said.
Simone made a derisive noise. ‘They’re like rocks. They don’t care.’
‘Well, I’m not and I do.’
‘They’ll keep the water warm when the season’s changing, and make it nice and cool in the middle of summer,’ Simone said. ‘Most pools are disgustingly warm in the middle of summer. Not refreshing at all.’
‘I still don’t feel right about swimming around in a sentient creature,’ I said.
‘We’ll see what you say when summer comes and that water is clear and blue and really nice,’ Simone said.
I managed to find a parking spot on the school grounds. We had some trouble explaining our mission to the security guards, but in the end they rang up to the office, then let us sign the guestbook on the condition that we gave them our Hong Kong ID card numbers, and provided us with guest passes.
‘This is like entering a military base,’ Leo grumbled as we wheeled him through the cavernous open areas to the main office.
Like most schools in Hong Kong, this one was mostly vertical, with classrooms along two wings on either side of an administrative core. There was a small concreted area underneath for breaks, probably used in shifts by the students as there wasn’t enough space for all of them to be out there at the same time. The gymnasium was the bottom two floors of one of the wings, and I peeked inside before we entered the core building. It had nearly new, extremely expensive equipment for basketball and gymnastics, a full electronic scoreboard system and air conditioning.
I checked the appointment letter and we went up the lift to the third-floor reception. A Filipino woman was behind the reception desk, and asked us to sit in the waiting area. It was bright and decorated with artwork produced by the students.
The registrar, Mrs Cowan, came out of her office. She was mid-fifties, overweight and had short permed hair. She spoke with a definite British accent and smiled with welcome when she saw us. ‘Miss Donahoe. Simone?’
‘That’s us,’ I said. I gestured towards Leo and used the cover story. ‘This is Mr Alexander, my half-brother, Simone’s step-uncle.’
She didn’t seem impressed. ‘I see.’ She flipped through the file in her hand. ‘Ms Donahoe, may I talk to you first? Then I can see Simone.’
I rose and followed her into her office. It was small and cluttered, with a stained brown computer on her desk; all beige hardware gradually turned brown in Hong Kong’s humidity and pollution. She sat behind the desk and threw the notes onto it, then reached under the desk to a filing cabinet and pulled out a glossy cardboard folder containing a prospectus. She handed it to me. ‘Did you receive one of these?’
‘No,’ I said.
‘Take a copy then, it will provide you with all the information you need if Simone is put onto the waiting list.’ She leaned her elbows on the desk. ‘But you must be aware that there is a very long waiting list. This school is quite prestigious and,’ she looked me up and down and I was suddenly aware of my faded jeans and tatty T-shirt, ‘the fees are extremely high. Simone is an orphan—can you afford them? Are you sure you wouldn’t prefer to take her back to Australia where you can care for her in your own country, and she can go to a free public school?’
‘It’s Simone’s choice to stay here,’ I said.
‘Please look over the prospectus carefully,’ she said. ‘There are a large number of extracurricular programs that all add considerably to the cost of attendance. Please decide carefully that this is the right place for her.’
‘She might be an orphan, but she has a considerable legacy,’ I said. ‘Her father was John Chen of Chen Enterprises, and her mother was Michelle le Blanc, the famous—’
‘Her mother was Michelle le Blanc?’ Mrs Cowan said. ‘She’s Michelle le Blanc’s daughter?’
‘Yes.’
Mrs Cowan went misty-eyed. ‘I wasn’t in Hong Kong when she was singing here, but I heard her when she came to the Albert Hall back in ’93—wonderful voice, sang like an angel!’ She leaned over the table to speak closely to me. ‘Does Simone sing?’
‘Not a note,’ I said. ‘She inherited more from her father than she did from her mother, I’m afraid. She plays the piano but she doesn’t really sing at all.’
‘Such a shame,’ she said, shaking her head. She looked down at Simone’s application, then up at me. ‘And you say she has a large legacy?’
‘I think the word I’m looking for here is immense,’ I said. ‘I’m her guardian, and the funds are held in trust until she’s an adult.’
‘All right, for Michelle’s daughter we can do this,’ Mrs Cowan said. She opened the prospectus that was in front of me on the desk and pointed. ‘You pay two million into the school building fund and she has a place automatically.’
‘I asked about that and was told that option was closed,’ I said.
‘For her I think we can make an exception.’
I pulled my handbag into my lap and shuffled through it. ‘Personal cheque okay?’
She waved me down. ‘No need to rush, just fill out the forms in the folder.’ She reached under her desk again and gave me another couple of forms. ‘And these. When you bring them back, attach a bank cheque for two million. You can do two million no problem?’
‘No problem at all,’ I said.
‘Good.’ She pointed at the forms. ‘Fill these in, bring them back, and she can start as soon as the money clears—probably as early as the end of next week, or the beginning of the week after. I do need to interview her though, to make sure that her English is up to standard.’
‘Her English is fine.’
‘It’s just a formality, Emma—may I call you Emma? Were you Mr Chen’s second wife after he lost Michelle? I heard about that, such a tragedy, must have been terribly hard on little Simone. We must make sure that she takes all the time and care she needs to get over this.’
‘We were engaged when the gangsters killed him,’ I said. ‘Simone regards me as a stepmother more than a guardian, and I do miss him terribly, even after eight years.’
‘Oh, so you’ve suffered too, such a tragi
c family,’ Mrs Cowan said. ‘I hope you find some solace in the school community.’
‘I’m sure we will,’ I said.
I gathered up the documents and she opened the door of the office.
‘Simone, dear, if you don’t mind coming into my office and having a chat with me?’ the registrar said. ‘We need to check how good your English is. Just a formality.’
Simone nodded and went into the office with her. She was so intent on being ‘normal’ that she didn’t even make the mind-to-mind comment I was expecting from her.
I sat next to Leo and opened the prospectus.
‘Well?’ he said softly.
I held the document open for him to see and pointed at the bursary option.
He quickly scanned it, glanced up at the receptionist, then turned back to the document. ‘I thought you tried that and it didn’t work?’
‘I did. But I hadn’t factored in the registrar being an opera fan.’
He stared at me blankly for a moment, then said, ‘Oh, Michelle.’
‘A huge fan. Absolutely thrilled to be having Michelle’s daughter in her school.’
‘Well, how about that.’ He sat back more comfortably. ‘Problem solved then.’
I flipped through the rest of the documents, which were standard school information sheets, glossy and glowing in their descriptions of the standard of education on offer. ‘Looks perfect.’
‘As long as she’s happy,’ Leo said.
‘Precisely.’
I silently perused the documents while we waited. After about five minutes, Mrs Cowan and Simone emerged.
‘Her English is fine,’ Mrs Cowan said. She touched Simone’s arm. ‘I have one of your mother’s CDs, dear—she was a wonderful singer. Terrible tragedy; of course, we’ll do anything we can to make sure that you have all the help you need to get over this situation.’
Simone glanced at me. ‘I’m in?’
‘Yes, as soon as we have the correct forms filled in and the cheque is cleared, you can start,’ Mrs Cowan said. ‘Probably as soon as the end of next week.’
Simone could barely restrain herself from jumping with glee. ‘That’s wonderful! Thank you!’
Mrs Cowan smiled with genuine pleasure. ‘I’m looking forward to having you here.’ She held her hand out to me. ‘Miss Donahoe.’
I shook her hand. ‘It’s been a real pleasure, Mrs Cowan. I am awfully busy managing Mr Chen’s estate, but don’t hesitate to contact me if you need anything with regards to Simone’s education.’
‘You wouldn’t possibly have any more of Miss le Blanc’s CDs, would you?’
‘I’ll drop a couple of signed ones in on Simone’s first day of school,’ Leo said.
Mrs Cowan appeared to notice Leo properly for the first time. ‘Signed?’
‘I have a boxful of signed CDs somewhere around, I’ll give you a couple,’ Leo said.
Mrs Cowan was obviously delighted. ‘Thank you!’
‘Looks like we all won today,’ I said.
‘I think we did,’ Mrs Cowan said, beaming.
CHAPTER 35
The next day I met Louise for lunch at one of the Tiger’s hotels in Mong Kok. He had a shiny new demon-driven white Mercedes pick me up and take me there, as our Mercedes was still in the workshop being altered so that Leo could drive it. The bellboys at the hotel seemed to be expecting me; they provided me with more obsequious service than could normally be expected at a four-star establishment like this.
I was led through the lobby, which was packed with Mainland tourists, all wearing distinctive sticky labels on their jackets indicating their tour company so they could not be lost. A couple of them were wearing business suits purchased in Hong Kong, the brand label still prominent on the jacket sleeve so they could show off their luxury purchase back home.
The bellboy indicated the escalators up to the first floor, where the reception desk and the Western restaurant were situated. I took the marble stairs up another floor to the Chinese restaurant and presented myself at the entrance.
The receptionist checked the book when I arrived and asked for Louise, then her face cleared and she smiled at me, welcoming. She led me into the restaurant and gestured towards the end, where Louise and her two children sat at one of the large, comfortably set out tables. They were spread far apart in an elegant dining room setting. Louise waved when she saw me and gestured for me to come sit at the table. She had the yum cha order form in front of her, and the children were bending over it to see what she was choosing. Louise still had the same servant with her: a demon called Beanie who took the form of a mid-forties Filipina.
When the kids saw me they both went serious and said, ‘Aunty Emma,’ then returned to the menu.
Kimberley was ten years old now, as precocious and cheeky as her mother. Her half-Chinese heritage only showed in her eyes; her complexion was fair and her hair was platinum blonde. Her brother, Lucas, was five, his hair a darker shade of blond.
‘Sit, Emma, we’re working out what to order,’ Louise said. She held the menu in front of Kimberley’s face between us. ‘Delicate shark fin dumpling with crab roe. That’s siu mai, isn’t it?’
‘No, Mom, it’s yu chee gow,’ Kimberley said. She pointed at one of the boxes. ‘Fresh pork mince with shrimp, that’s siu mai.’
‘Two!’ Lucas said.
‘Yeah, order two,’ Louise said, and ticked the boxes. She glanced up at me. ‘Oh, that’s right, you’re vegetarian. We’ll order something for you too.’
She waved to the waiter, who was standing to one side with his hands crossed in front of him. He quickly approached us and she handed him the order form. ‘Anything in particular, Emma?’
I took the menu and flicked through it, then turned back to the waiter, wondering how good his English was.
‘Something completely vegan, completely vegetarian, no meat products at all,’ I said.
He nodded, smiling. ‘Noodles? Vegan ho fan? Fried or soup?’
‘Fried,’ I said. ‘Mushrooms.’
He nodded and scribbled on the order form. ‘Drinks?’
‘Coke!’ Kimberley and Lucas said in unison.
‘We’ll stick with the tea,’ Louise said.
The waiter poured more tea for us, then took the order form away.
‘Beanie,’ Louise said, turning to the demon, ‘take the kids out to look at the fish tanks or the fountain or something.’
Beanie nodded and rose to take the children out.
‘Are you going to change into a snake, Aunty Emma?’ Lucas said, loudly enough for those at nearby tables to hear.
‘Not in the middle of all these people!’ Louise hissed at him, and his face fell.
‘Sorry.’
‘Go with Beanie, have a look around, and then come back.’
‘Come on, Lucas, there’s a couple of computers with internet next to reception,’ Kimberley said.
Lucas stopped next to me on the way out and leaned close to whisper to me, his eyes wide, ‘I wanna see the snake, please, Aunty Emma.’
‘If your mum brings you up to the Academy I might show you,’ I said.
‘I don’t want to see it,’ Kimberley said. ‘Snakes are icky.’
‘Thank you very much,’ I said.
‘I didn’t mean you,’ she said quickly.
‘It doesn’t matter. Go for a walk, and Beanie can bring you back when the food is here.’
Kimberley leaned in to speak to me. ‘I know Mummy just wants to talk to you without Lucas hearing, so I’ll keep him busy for a while, okay?’
I lowered my voice to reply. ‘Thanks.’
She nodded to me, her face serious.
‘Kimberley! Hurry up! The computers are free!’ Lucas called to her. She smiled conspiratorially at me and followed him out.
‘She is ten going on fifty,’ I said.
‘Part of being half-Shen, they say,’ Louise said. ‘They grow up way too fast.’
She poured tea for both of us, and put the teapot down
. ‘Emma, I know you’ve been real busy being a superhero lately, but we have a major problem that only you can fix.’
‘A superhero?’ the stone in my ring said, incredulous.
‘Shut up, this has nothing to do with you,’ Louise said. ‘Up until recently, all us wives were the same, nobody was a favourite—well, okay, when we were new we were favourites, but things settle down and you go on the roster—’
‘If this is about Rhonda, I really don’t want to hear it,’ I said desperately.
‘No, hear me out,’ Louise said. ‘Before, we were all equal. You move down the list as you get older, but he still looks after you. Equally. Now this American bitch has moved in and she has him all confused. He doesn’t know what he’s doing, Emma. It’s just not fair to us! Who does she think she is, taking over the place? We don’t want someone else lording it over us. He’s our husband and we do what he says, not what she orders us to!’
‘I can understand how this is pissing you off, Louise, but it has nothing to do with me,’ I said.
‘You’re his boss!’ she said. ‘You can tell him to cut this bullshit out and come to his senses!’
‘I can’t tell him what to do in his own household.’
‘You have to stop this, Emma. It’s just not right.’
I spread my hands. ‘There’s nothing I can do. What he does in his own household is his own business.’
She stared at me for a moment, then turned back to her tea, sullen. ‘Jesus, Emma, you are his freaking snake.’ She looked up at me. ‘Cold-blooded.’
‘You have no idea,’ I said miserably.
She shook her head. ‘Well, I tried. They all came to me and offered their spots on the roster if I could pull this off.’ She studied her teacup. ‘Looks like I’ll be out in the cold for a few weeks now.’
‘How often do you see him?’
She shrugged without looking up. ‘About once every six weeks.’
I opened my mouth to say something but she cut me off. ‘Yes, I know, just like April. And when she told us that, I was horrified. At least he’s not going to use me as a rent-a-womb for farming a baby, then kill me and chop me into little pieces.’