Goal: Skate by Conflict: Mummi crying Disaster: Bigger problem.
Happy walked in the doors of Apt. 504 at noon. He’d thought on the way home how he would break the news. Up until now he’d simply his initial performance review in the window of his room or waved away the impact of his friends. But now he was a full blown delinquent with a suspension on his record. And not a simple 1-day suspension, a two-week one. He was doing hard time and owed a belting.
As he walked in, his mood went from dread to curiosity in an instant. He heard Daddi talking to mum in his weary tone, but a little wearier than usual. Here Happy was coming home before the school day ended, but his dad was home before the workday ended, which was even weirder.
Daddi lay on his living room mattress, with a hand on his head and the other waving expressively in the arm as he spoke. He was in his boxers and undershirt, which he always stripped down to quickly as soon as he got home from anywhere.
Happy walked into the living room, unsure of how to break his news, but the tableau in front of him gave him the chance to divert attention away from any hints his guilty mug may betray.
“What’s happening?” Happy said.
“Your father got caught drunk at work,” Mummi said.
Resentment and disgust swelled inside Happy.
“I thought you only fucking drank after work,” Happy said.
“I don’t beta. It was that new dollar store aftershave your mom bought,” Daddi said. He rolled to his side long enough to look into Happy’s eyes, pleading. When he was done he rolled back onto his back quickly.
“Your father is lying and an idiot endangering his family. They laid him off instead of firing him luckily, so he has employment insurance kicking in. You need to take him to the employment office, the one that’s open late,” Mummi said.
“Why do I need to go? I mean I will,” Happy said. He took on his new duties happily, eager to divert from the secret.
“Banso Auntie told me they make you get onto a computer these days to apply. You also need to get a job, we won’t have enough money for rent and your dad will not find a job that pays as well as the union,” Mummi said.
Daddi snapped back with new life.
“Don’t you make him do that you monger. I’m still strong, beta. I’m still strong, I’ll get another job, you just study,” Daddi said.
“No Mummi, I can’t work, I need to go to school,” Happy said.
Happy and Daddi protested in unison against Mummi, an unlikely configuration for the trio.
Daddi started crying. This turn of events made him feel like he was a lame horse who couldn’t do the one thing that gave him value as a person in the household. Happy was worried for him, even through his disgust.
“We can worry about how you balance school later. Rinku Auntie’s two boys both worked through high school. Take your father,” Mummi said.
Happy was relieved and put his backpack down off his back. This proved his fatal error as the sight of it snapped Mummi into a different mode of thinking.
“Wait, why are you home so early,” Mummi asked.
Happy was told the school would be calling home to tell him parents, and since his mum never left the doors without him, it was impossible to keep it from her.
“I uh… got framed at school. These new friends got in a fight and they assumed I was there even thought I was studying,” Happy said.
Mummi slapped her palm against her forehead. She then looked towards Guru Nanak on the wall and clasped her hands in desperate prayer.
“Oh lord, why have you forsaken me with a drunkard husband and a delinquent son? Kill me know if that’s all you have in store for me,” Mummi said.
“It wasn’t my fault Mummi ji,” Happy said.
“Do whatever you want for all I care. Just take him to the EI place and go down an apply for the agency with your uncle Minder I’m not keeping tabs on you anymore as long as you work. I can’t keep track of your dad so why would I bother with you,” Mummi said.
Happy shuffled for bus change to get out of there as quickly as possible.