Info
Character:: Happy, Ram, Jug Setting:: Ram’s House Notes:: Ram’s Birthday - Notes Order:: 4
Mummi blocked the doorway as Daddi tried to get out.
Mum & dad are arguing. She is stopping him from leaving the door. Happy tells him to stay. Dad looks at him, hears him but doesn’t feel a need to respond.
He leaves.
Mum yells at him down the hall. She then calmly closes the door and tells Happy to get ready for Ram’s birthday. She got him a card to give. He asks if it’s Hallmark. He’s seen the ads an that’s what normal people give.
She says it’s dollar store. No need to worry.
He asks if she got a gift. She says no and starts’ getting defensive.
Mum walks him to the party. She hasn’t worked in a year due to arthritis. Happy thinks she’s exaggerating. She uses his baby stroller, empty, as a walker. We can use this as a gag latter.
Happy sits at Ram’s house with the rest of Ram’s friends and cousins. They are both only children. Ram’s mother stands behind him, inspecting each gift and prompting him to say thanks. With each gift opened, Happy is nervous that his is next.
The other guests are Ram’s cousin, and 2 other kids from school (think on who they are)
Ram’s house is filled with family pictures, and has 3 floors and a matching sofa set.
Ram ripped the flowery wrapping paper off of the transformer. - a man that can turn into a lion (hint at Sikhism & Happy’s desire to become strong)
He opens an mp3 player, and is upset he can’t play his cd’s on it.
He opens Vice City and is super excited. Happy sees it and is excited to play. He dreams about how you can be a real gangster in the game. He is so excited that he forgets his gift is coming up.
Ram opens his card. He is like a card? His mum says Ram there’s usually money in the card.
There’s no money in the card.
It just a card with a hallmark message and it says happy birthday ram on the inside.
He stares at Happy.
His mum prompts him to thanks Happy.
Ram reluctantly does.
They start collecting all the gifts.
Happy goes to the bathroom and smells the nice soap. He smells his hands after their washed.
Happy’s mum comes up to him and tells him Happy wants to play Vice City with his cousin and that he can go home. She asks if he wants a ride and he says no. He says by and Ram distractedly says bye from his game screen.
One kid gets picked up. Happy walks home with another kid. They talk about school the next day. It’ll be the first day of grade 8.
Happy says bye as he gets to his building. He opens the side door that opens with a finger along the edge.
He goes up the stairwell and sees all the grafitti along the way.
He walks in and his mum is yelling at someone on the phone. She sees him and calls him over. She one arm hugs him as she’s still yelling in the phone. She’s telling a man that he’s corrupting my dad.
She says he left with Billu and Billu’s no good. It’s not billu on the phone, but someone who’s equally not good.
Happy goes in his room and gets on his computer. He is an introvert. He has just started pirating the Wire or the Sopranos and watches an episode.
His mum asks him to look around the building for dad. He checks each stairwell and recalls finding him passed out on the grass multiple times.
He comes home empty-handed.
He watches another episode and there’s a knock at the door. It’s 2 police officers with dad.
They start explaining but my mom says no english and asks Happy.
Happy translates as dad stumbles in, bleeding from the forehead and goes to bed.
Happy goes to ask dad why he left, and mum says to leave him alone he’s tired.
Mum tells Happy to go to bed. It’s the first day of school tomorrow.