Summary

In "I Happy Am," a young boy Freddy and his classmates attend St. Rita's Summer Camp and take a trip to out to the suburbs where "some friendly white people would welcome city kids into their house" (58). Growing up in the South Bronx with a sick and distracted mother, Freddy often pretends he is a robot when he feels nervous or anxious. On the bus to Scarsdale, Freddy sits with his friend Santos, a boy nobody else likes. Santos brags about all the trips he has been on and swears if they are going to Scarsdale they'll be going to the Johnsons'. Freddy imagines a towering fantastical mansion. But when the boys show up, the house is small and disappointing. A black woman named Arlene opens the door. She lines the boys up and learns their names.

Outside, the pool is just...