About West Indian Story

"West Indian Story" is based in Trinidad and follows two families. The first is the Rooplals, an East-Indian based family who has just moved into a new neighbourhood to start anew after the patriarch's sexual harassment charges. The family is unstable with a crumbling marriage between Shobha and Lalchand and three dissatisfied children. Devika and Artee are twins and though they have totally different personalities, they have a rapport. Devika hates most of her generation. Artee is promiscuous but not happy about it. The eldest, Avinash, is a racist and has a severe anger problem.

The second family is the Lewises, an African-based family with a matriarch, Whitnee, whom has made many mistakes in her life. She has unsuccessfully tried to secure two married men by getting impregnated and ended up with three children. Ricky, the eldest, is good-hearted and sensitive, but has his priorities in the wrong place. He is also a hopeless romantic. The middle child is Shinelle, who is quiet about her problems. She wants to study hard but feels as if she lacks role models. The youngest is Bobby, whom has mild retardation and is barely cared for at all. Rounding off the family is Margarita, Whitnee's mother who moved in after her husband died. She has been behaving oddly lately.

The episodes are told in a "webcomic"-esque format with screencaps taken from the gameplay and dialogue and thought bubbles added in. The project is mainly made for fun and is not meant to encourage or perpetuate any stereotypes. The Sims is one of my favourite game series and I think it's interesting to see how these little people react without any intervention once you set their personality traits in place! Of course, for the sake of having interesting scenarios, I do intervene from time to time.

Hope you guys enjoy!

If you wish to get started, this is the first episode:

EPISODE ONE: MEET THE ROOPLALS

Episode 40: Away We Go

PREVIOUSLY: REST OF OUR LIVES

Shinelle learns that she has won a scholarship to NYU. She is hesitant about going... but only knows that if she goes, she is only going to be gone for a few years. And Bobby will still be here to take care of her mother and keep her company.

She gazes out the window, afraid, thinking back at the days when she believed she couldn't leave her dirty little neighbourhood. She barely knows about the world outside that.

But she wants to know it so badly.

She calls her bigger brother, Ricky, and asks him to meet her at the park. They sit on a bench and they talk about each other's lives. Ricky says that Devika's expecting a baby and he's excited. He tells Shinelle that she should go to NYU and that she could come back and make her neighbourhood a better place.

Shinelle says she hopes she can come back and teach everyone new things. Ricky says she is good at that and that she had taught him many things. Shinelle asks, "What I ever teach you so?"

Ricky goes to the chess tables and lays down the pieces. "Guard your Queen well, eh," he says.

THE END

Episode 39: Rest of Our Lives

PREVIOUSLY: ACCEPTANCE

Ricky had proposed to Devika outside the Hyatt after a fancy dinner he had been saving up for. He had originally planned to do it at the restaurant but knew that Devika didn't like grand gestures and spectacles.

The proposal was perfect for Devika.

They decide to have a small affordable wedding in the Rooplals' backyard. 

Shobha's heart beats fast throughout the entire ceremony. Lalchand gets teary-eyed giving away his daughter. He had finally come to accept Ricky into his family.

The story of Ricky and Devika is only now about to begin. Today is the first day of the rest of their lives.

---------------

Artee continues her studies and goes on to become a successful lawyer. She hasn't married but she's in a secret relationship at the moment.

Whitnee grows old and Bobby decides to stay at the house and take care of her. She has been taking an interest in his studies and he has been improving. Whitnee teaches him how to cook and he hopes to open a small restaurant one day.

Shobha and Lalchand remain together, comfortable as ever with each other.

They grow old and await their first batch of grandchildren.

NEXT TIME: AWAY WE GO

Episode 38: Acceptance

PREVIOUSLY: REALISATIONS

Shinelle meets two of her childhood friends and immediately has a flashback:

She had always passed them by since that night so long ago. When she saw them, she usually briskly walked past. Talking to them now is uncomfortable. She talks to them about her upcoming exams and that she's working really hard. They don't seem to be doing much with their lives. Shinelle doesn't really see happiness in their faces.

She pities them a little. She had always wondered if life was more joyous for them. But she now fully accepts the path she took.

She heads home.

When she gets home, she finds a police officer scolding her mother and brother. Apparently, Bobby had been hiding a gun for a local gang member. Since Bobby has had no priors, all he receives this time is a stern warning.

Whitnee is disappointed that her son had gotten involved with a gang.

And even more disappointed with herself.

She takes him to the kitchen and they have a long talk together. She tells him that she will be there more for him and that she doesn't want him getting involved in trouble like that. Bobby promises to be better.

And then they hug.

NEXT TIME: REST OF OUR LIVES

Episode 37: Realisations

PREVIOUSLY: THE RETURN

Avinash sits alone in the drawing room, thinking about the fight back at the restaurant. He still felt uncomfortable around Ricky but was disturbed at how this hatred had driven him to attack his own family.

He goes to Devika and apologises to her and promises to be nicer to Ricky. Devika accepts.

At the same time, Whitnee has been pondering whether she should bring a man into her household. She had been living alone for so long that it had seemed like a good idea. When the stereo breaks, she calls an repairman.

Even though he is like sixty years old, she pouts her lips at him and tries to seduce him.

The repairman is NOT impressed. "Madam," he says, "Just pay meh for the stereo repair and lemme go meh way. I not dealing up in nunna dat!"

As he drives off, Whitnee thinks about her three children and their three fathers... and how they lied to her and abandoned them. She realised she didn't need a man in her life to be happy, not after all the mess she had put herself through.

She decides to give herself a more professional look.

Failing in school. Failing with women... Bobby decides that his best option is to join a gang. He meets up with them but immediately feels uncomfortable. They give him a gun and tell him to keep it safe.

NEXT TIME: ACCEPTANCE

Episode 36: The Return

PREVIOUSLY: THE FIGHT

Lalchand has been boasting about Sumintra to his hotdog vendor partner, David, about the 'young ting' he pick up in Zen. He brings him home to meet her but David is immediately disappointed.

"She pretty," he says, "But she is no Shobha..."

Lalchand is at a loss for words and begins doubting his new relationship with Sumintra. They go to sleep together...

But in the middle of the night...

Lalchand awakens to see his wife staring over them. When Shobha sees him looking, she tells him that she's come back and she wants to make love. At first, he thinks it's a dream... so all his subconscious feelings come out. They go to another room and begin making love.

Sumintra awakens and storms in, catching them! Lalchand realizes it's not a dream. And feels strangely relieved that it's not...

Shobha tells that bitch to GTFO her house! Sumintra, scared for her life and unwilling to fight for a old hairy man, packs up her things and leaves.

Shobha and Lalchand return to bed. Shobha lies down, contented, daydreaming about all the affairs she had while she was gone. She's glad Lalchand had some fun as well, so they cannot blame one another for what had transpired.

Their midlife crises are over.

NEXT TIME: REALISATIONS

Episode 35: The Fight

PREVIOUSLY: A BOY'S LIFE

Devika and Ricky go to TGIF to celebrate Devika getting into Mt. Hope for her medical degree. Devika had been encouraging Ricky to study and he ended up getting into UTT to do a Finance degree. That was good enough for her.

The lunch was going good until...

Avinash showed up out of the blue...

He throws a glass of White Oak in Ricky's face. Devika shields herself at first. But then gets up to attack Avinash. Avinash slaps her. One of the waitresses can be seen phoning security in the background.

After Avinash slaps her, all hell breaks loose because Devika not taking that no more!

NEXT TIME: THE RETURN

Episode 34: A Boy's Life

PREVIOUSLY: CALL ME MOMMY

Bobby grows jealous of Ricky and wishes he had a girlfriend as well. He's growing up... He knows a girlfriend isn't a good idea since he's failing in school, but he wants one anyway. Since he doesn't have a computer at home, he has to rely on reading his friend's porn magazines in the night to satisfy his libido.

He's grown so horny that he's fighting off being turned on by his sister's ass.

He had set up a Facebook for himself but was only able to check it at the school computer lab and net cafes. His Facebook picture is of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and his name is "Bobby DeStunta Lewis". He adds a girl called "Mzz FluffyBunny GazaPrincess" and chats her up.

He browses her photo albums and likes what he sees.

They agree to meet outside West Mall. But when they do... she laughs at him and walks away with her friends.

NEXT TIME: THE FIGHT

Episode 33: Call Me Mommy

PREVIOUSLY: TRUE LOVE

Lalchand has started going to Zen nightclub to get his mind off things. One night, he crosses paths with a bess ting named Sumintra. She is a Year Three student at U.W.I., who keeps changing her majors every semester. She and Lalchand suck tongue in the car park before heading home.

Lalchand whistles for his children to come to the living room. And he introduces them to Sumintra. He has a slur in his voice and everyone can already tell he is pissing drunk. Artee remarks to Devika how Sumintra smells. They expect the worst.

Lalchand begins kissing Sumintra in front of them. They expected Sumintra to be drunk also but she seems strangely sober. Devika and Artee just stand and watch. They feel as if they have become immune to this insanity.

They listen as their father has drunken sex with this woman who is only a few years older than them. Artee in particular seems very angry. She wants her mother back. Afterwards, Sumintra comes into their room and has a little talk with them. She says that she hopes they feel comfortable with her around. And that they can start calling her "mommy" from now on.

Avinash is incredibly furious when he hears the news and he lashes out at his father RIGHT AWAY. He then goes outside and kicks the garbage bin and storms off.

NEXT TIME: A BOY'S LIFE

Episode 32: True Love

PREVIOUSLY: ONE MOUTHFUL

A month had passed since Margarita's funeral. Ricky had been behaving weird. He didn't even mention anything to her until two weeks later. When she called, Ricky always dismissed her - said he was busy. Ricky was ashamed that Devika would be scared away by the "family drama".

Devika, out of desperation, looks him up in the phonebook and gets his address. She goes to his house and leaves a small vase of flowers at the door with a note, quoting Shakespeare, "The course of true love never did run smooth." And she added to it, "Til the course ends, you always have me."

Ricky sees it as soon as she begins to walk away. He calls her inside. He is surprised when she doesn't seem to balk at his lower-class living conditions. And, with great nervousness, he introduces his family to her. They get along very well and Whitnee seems to like her right away.

Devika is delighted to see how Shinelle has grown since they last played chess!

Later in the evening, Ricky and Devika lie in bed. He talks about his dead grandmother. Devika listens attentively and consoles him. She tells him about her mother and that she hadn't seen her in months. They find a common ground with their family frustrations.

Before she leaves, they embrace. Ricky begins to cry and Devika hugs him tighter.

NEXT TIME: CALL ME MOMMY