Boy Overboard

Bibi asks Jamal how many days they’ve been on the boat. She’s resting against his arm, and he notices she has a fever. He answers five days, but Rashida corrects him, saying it’s six. Jamal thinks Bibi is trying to figure out how much longer they can survive since food ran out that morning. He tells her not to think about the days, but Bibi says it’s her birthday. Jamal realizes she is right and apologizes, feeling bad that she is spending her birthday on this boat. They all wish her happy birthday.

To cheer up Bibi, Jamal suggests they plan a party for her birthday in Australia. Jamal says that the Australian government comes to your house with cake and drinks on your birthday, and Omar and Rashida ask if they bring sardines and hamburgers too. Jamal says yes, but Bibi says she prefers ice cream. Jamal says they have 50 different flavors of ice cream in Australian supermarkets. Omar asks what a supermarket is, and Rashida explains, saying her mom used to love them. She tells them that she used to live in Australia, but when her family traveled to Afghanistan to look after their grandparents, the government wouldn’t let them return. Jamal thinks of his own family and feels sad.