HAPPINESS (Amadeu Marques)

Tony’s speech :

The month is April. Spring is here again. I can feel it in the air. Everybody in the house is happy, especially Tomorrow. Tomorrow is my special friend, my dog. His name is Tomorrow because we call him, but never comes... I don’t have any brothers or sisters, but I have my special friend. He goes to school with me and we are always together. We live on a small farm in Vermont. That’s in the United . There are no movies or discos hre. We live a simple life, very different from life in a big city. Not many people come to the farm, but I like it here. I don’t have many friends, but I have Tomorrow.

Mother says : What are you doing, Tony ? Oh I see. You’re talking to yourself again.

Tony says : I’m not talking to myself, Mom. I’m doing my homework.

Tony’s speech :

Sorry for the interruption. That’s my mother. She says I like to talk to myself. That’s true. Then I know somebody is listening...

But now I’m not talking to myself. I’m recording some ideas for my school composition. I want to be a writer. I know I’m just a farm boy, but my teacher says I’m going to be a writer. Well, the composition is on “Happiness”. Some people seem to have everything, but they are not happy. They spend years looking for happiness. They never find it. Well, I think that’s crazy.I don’t understand why they try to find happiness.It’s not a missing object. When you lose an object, a pencil for example, you try to find it. But happiness is not a pencil. Now watch a really happy man : he is busy doing something and enjoying it. He is making a table, writing a song, teaching a lesson, planting corn. He is living life. He is doing his work, and he is doing it well. That’s my idea of happiness.

Father says : Hello, senator ! Are you making speeches again?Tony says : I’m not making a speech, Dad. I’m trying to do my homework.

Tony’s speech :

Sorry again. That’s my father. He is a happy man. He Always says, “Happiness is not a presente ora n accident. It is something that you create.” My father creates something every day. He creates beauty and food. A tree or some tomatões that he plants on the farm. He is a happy man. My mother has a diferente opinion about creation. She says that we do not really create anything. And she tells me, “Use your imagination and create a monster.”My answer is, “The monster has the head of a lion, the body of a camel, the legs of an elephant, the wings of a chicken, and the tail of a monkey.” And my mother says, “There is no creation in your monster.It is only a different arrangement of parts of several animals. That’s all people can do. Only God creates. Man simply rearranges”.

Tomorrow comes in the Tony’s bedroom and licks him.

Tony says : Oh no, not again !

Tony’s speech : How can you define happiness in just three words? No more interruption!I am happy. My work gives me happiness. I have a tape recorder and I use it very much. To record radio programs or for my own recordings. I want to be a writer and I practice a lot. I love music too. I spend hours listening to all kinds of music : classical, pop, jazz, rock, reggae, etc. My parentes are not rich, but we have all the modern comforts here. Except for a television. My parents don’t want a television. They say there are not many good programs on TV. It’s all right with me. A television is a good thing because of the images it shows. It’s good for people who can see. I can’t . I am blind.

ANSWER THE QUESTIONS :

1) Where does Tony live ?

2) What is the name of the boy’s dog ? Why do they call him that ?

3) What does Tony want to be?

4) What does Tony’s father create every day ?

5) Who does Tony’s mother say is the only creator?

6) How does Tony define happiness in just three words?

7) Tony’s parents don’t want a television. Why not ?

8) What does “Happiness”mean for you ? ( personal answer)

9) What does “Happiness”mean for Tony’s father ?

10) Tony likes to talk to himself. Why ?