Hector and the Search for Happiness Page #4

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Do you see?

All of them.

(MONKS LAUGHING)

Looks like we lost

the scent, eh?

Best keep moving, shall we?

Poor bastard.

I'm sorry.

Where to next?

- Africa.

- For happy?

Or unhappy-

Have to wait and see.

You're a very, very

strange person, Hector.

The kind of person I normally

would avoid like the plague.

Glad I didn't, buddy.

Thank you, Edward.

I mean it.

(CARS HONKING)

Sir, you do realize that

this is four flights.

- That is two days.

- Absolutely.

And the last flight is not so...

- Well, it is not exactly...

- Absolutely.

Let me put it this way.

First class.

Business class.

Economy.

You.

Bring it.

- Oh! Oh!

- (THUNDER CRACKING)

Oh, my God!

(PANTING)

If you look at this plane,

you'll notice it's quite old.

That means it's never

crashed before.

Should be quite reassuring.

Thank you... I think.

From this point forward,

I swear,

I will be nicer to my patients

who are afraid to fly.

- Oh, are you a doctor?

- I'm a psychiatrist, yeah.

So, I assume you've read this.

HECTOR:
Yeah, yeah, I'm familiar with

Coreman from my UCLA days.

Just making a name for himself.

Oh, quite a name.

I saw him on CNN.

What do they call him?

The Einstein of happiness.

I've read it twice.

You can keep it.

I like it

but I don't think I need it

as much as the country

it was written for.

- Thanks.

- (THUNDER CRACKING)

Oh, my God!

Is this really safe?

Oh, God!

Do you have children?

Are you married?

- Um, no.

- Why not?

Why do I get the feeling

there's a woman out there

in the world asking herself

the very same question?

(LAUGHING NERVOUSLY)

You know, there's really

only one question.

- (THUNDER)

- Whoa!

(CLUCKING)

(APPLAUSE, CHEERING)

Side effects

may include happiness.

So, what about you?

What makes for your happiness?

Home, family.

The idea that my children

can live a normal life

without bodyguards

taking them to school.

Have you ever had

sweet potato stew?

Real sweet potato stew?

Oh, you have to.

Here's the deal.

If we land safely,

one night this week,

my mother's house,

my whole family,

sweet potato stew.

There will be a tomorrow,

my friend.

HECTOR:
Whoa!

I'll be right back.

- Why don't you let me do this?

- That's very kind.

(GRUNTING)

(LAUGHING)

Get the button, get the button,

there's a button.

Hector!

- Michael, Jesus!

- (LAUGHTER)

Help.

HECTOR:
Can anyone...

I've got a Swiss army knife.

- Oh, dear.

- This is Marcel.

- He's your bodyguard.

- Hi.

Hector. Welcome.

Cars are scarce here,

so better to take precautions.

Okay, let's go.

(AFRICAN MUSIC PLAYING)

See, you haven't changed.

(CHUCKLING)

Neither have you.

I mean, look at you.

Hector goes to Africa.

You and Aggie,

you seemed so solid,

what happened with that?

Uh...

Hey, Agnes and I always knew

you'd wind up here

when the dust settled.

Yup, all this.

This was my calling,

wasn't it?

Well, the dust, as you put it

never really settled.

HECTOR:
There's been progress,

though, right?

I mean, foreign aid. Every time

I blink there's another fundraiser.

There's a big difference

between being here

and being here

to be photographed being here.

The money doesn't always make it

to where it's needed most.

It never leaves the city.

It's useless.

It's useless.

Still a ways to go, Hector.

But, hey, that's why

we're here, right?

(AFRICAN SONG PLAYING)

Okay-

You have a good night's rest, okay?

- Okay, I'll see you tomorrow.

- (CHILDREN SCREAMING)

- Whoa! Hey!

- Don't give them anything.

They'll never leave you alone.

Hector, we'll pick you up

at 6:
00.

Go straight to the clinic, okay?

See you tomorrow.

(CHILDREN CHATTERING)

(TV BLARING)

(CLEARING THROAT)

Good evening.

Um... hmm.

What sort of beers you have?

Thank you.

I think you might need

a bigger sign outside.

Some people seem to be missing it.

Hey, guys. He wants to know

how is the peacekeeping going?

You're here to save the planet?

Plant some trees?

Um, no, actually

I'm here to help out

at the Edulu Clinic

for a week or two.

What's in it for you?

- Nothing.

- Hmm.

Your English is very good.

Where are you from?

Want to see my passport?

Here you go.

I prefer your hair

the way it is now.

(CHUCKLING)

That's good.

I like that.

So, uh, what brings you here?

- Farming.

- Farming, oh.

What kind, and uh, would that be

what makes you happy?

What are you, the f***ing

New York Times?

No, I'm just researching

what makes people happy.

(SHOUTING)

If you're wearing a wire,

you're dead.

- And you know what?

- Yes? Yes, yes?

No one will care.

Okay.

No wire.

Sorry for the shirt.

Oh.

My name is Hector.

I'm a psychiatrist.

Very well, Hector.

I'll bet what I farm

makes more people happy

than the crap you dish out.

I see. A farmer.

I get it.

Drugs.

Forgive me,

but if your happiness

causes other people's unhappiness,

then how can that be happiness?

Doesn't that bother you?

- (CRASHING)

- I don't cause unhappiness.

I respond to it.

Same as you, we both fill a need.

But the demand we don't create.

Self-righteous f***ers.

What's your solution?

Another Bible?

So, the country gets more poor.

People starve, babies die,

and the leaders couldn't care less.

If you want to be happy,

take care of your own.

So, you're happy'?

No.

Because my wife isn't happy,

which makes my kids unhappy.

And if my family

is not happy,

how can I be happy?

She sees a shrink.

He gave her something new,

but it just makes her worse.

Would you mind if I ask

what she's taking?

I don't know.

Maybe if you were to show me

the prescription, I could help.

- Why?

- I'd like to.

Bullshit.

You're in it for yourself

like everyone else.

Why would either of us

wish to prolong anyone else's misery?

F*** you.

(COMMOTION OUTSIDE)

- (GUNFIRE)

- Holy grief, what is that?

MAN:
Higher.

With patience and perseverance,

you can climb the mountain.

(MAN CHANTING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

Well, I don't know these dosages.

And, uh, these two clash.

Let me, um...

I'm sorry, me and pens...

Thank you.

Um, this woman is great.

She's based in Bogota.

She's an old colleague of mine.

Tell her that I referred your wife.

I think she's been over-medicated.

Could be the source

of her immediate problem.

This is my phone number.

Give me a call.

Let me know how she goes.

Thank you.

Hector, it's past 6:00.

We gotta go.

What were you doing

even talking to him?

That's Diego Baresco.

That's the kind of guy that

drags this country into sh*t.

(TRAIN HORN BLOWING)

So, wait, you know that guy?

Everybody knows Diego Baresco.

Hector. Really?

(AFRICAN SONG PLAYING)

Mujari.

- This is Hector.

- Hi.

So, let's see.

- How are you feeling?

- WOMAN:
Very good.

Can you feel the baby move?

So move on to Buruthi.

Feel okay, hmm?

This is my friend, Hector.

He's gonna help us, too.

We'll just take a look.

I don't hurt anymore.

Can I go home?

You're not leaving here

until I say so.

But my sister, she needs me.

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