When asked if he was happy, Michael promptly answered yes. And that wasn't a lie at all. He was happy to be doing what he was born to do. Sing, dance, make people happy. His dreams were finally coming true. Who wouldn't be happy about that?
But M...
"Look, Ravi." Dhriti pointed towards the taxi window in an attempt to cheer her son up. "Aren't they pretty? The houses here are very different from where we used to live."
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The boy, no more than 11 years old, was about 2 hours on the road with his family to their new home. His father, Aadav Arya, had gotten a new job at an auto parts factory thanks to his old boss at the steel mill where he worked. Thanks to the advance that Aadav received after a long discussion with his new employer, he was able to buy a small house on the outskirts of West Hollywood, California. This was the beginning of a new phase in the lives of the entire family, and as positive as it was, Ravi — who had spent his entire childhood living in the same place — didn't seem excited about the change.
At this exact moment, the taxi the family was in was passing through one of the most favored areas of the city, a place that was targeted by people related to the movie industry due to its proximity to Hollywood, as well as the greater freedom that gambling houses and nightclubs had here compared to neighboring cities. As a result, trade and tourism grew exponentially in this region.
Curious to see what his mother was trying to show him, Ravi turned toward the window. "These houses are huge!" He exclaimed in surprise and mild admiration. "How many people live there?" Ravi leaned closer to the taxi window trying to absorb more of the landscape so different from what he was used to.
"Maybe 100...?" He reached the conclusion, still in awe of the view.
The taxi driver snorted contemptuously, but continued on his way in silence, ignoring the family he was carrying.
"No darling." Dhriti chuckled lightly, before continuing. "In these houses live families like ours. A husband, his wife and their children."
Ravi continued to watch the houses as he processed what his mother had told him, but finding what she said was nonsense, he turned his attention to her with his head cocked to the side in confusion. "Isn't it a waste of space? Our old house was much smaller than these, but uncle Radesh and aunt Shanti and my cousins lived with us."
"Maybe." This time Ravi's father, Aadav, replied. "But a little more space is a good thing. That's why we're moving. My brother is also looking for a new place for him and his family." He explained, then smiled. "Now you will be able to have your own bedroom. You will no longer need to share with your cousins."
For the first time since the trip began, Ravi smiled. "Can I decorate it?"
"Of course, my love." Dhriti smiled softly at her son. "It will be all yours. And if we're lucky, soon your dad will be able to save up money to buy some new paint, so we can paint it any color you want." She caressed Ravi's cheek.
"Thank you mom!"
***
As the journey continued, the huge houses and extravagant shops were slowly left behind, being replaced with simpler, more compact houses, and all Ravi could do was stare in fascination at the way the whole environment outside took on a totally different atmosphere. Relatively smaller, slightly older-looking houses lined the streets, as well as smaller shops. And while to an adult it was evident that the new setting was due to this being a poorer neighborhood than the one they'd passed through a few minutes ago, to Ravi's innocent childlike eyes these houses and stores were just as majestic as the previous ones.
