"Cocolo moved into the garden we shared with our upstairs neighbours. We had a car but Mum decided Cocolo was the ideal mode of transport for the school run, even though there was a busy road to cross where he was prone to stall in the middle of rush hour (donkeys can be obstinate, who knew?). So, while our classmates at the Christian international school were getting dropped off in the family Volvo, we were led up the circular drive on Cocolo."
"Stereotypical obstinacy aside, Cocolo was a good-natured donkey, though possibly lonely or frightened at night when he hee-hawed often and loudly. We became increasingly unpopular with the neighbours. After a few months, Cocolo was banished to a farm in the West Bank. He was still ours, we would visit at weekends. I remember going for rides around Nebi Samuel, safe from the snakes and scorpions below."
A child was four when Cocolo joined the family, leaving sensory memories such as the feel of his furry ears. A casual remark to a hotel doorman led to a donkey being delivered to the flat while the family lived in Jerusalem. Cocolo lived in the shared garden and became the mother's unconventional mode of transport for the school run, causing stalled crossings and neighbor annoyance. Cocolo hee-hawed loudly at night. After several months he was sent to a farm in the West Bank; the family visited at weekends, but Cocolo seemed unforgiving and something was missing.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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