Episode 3 Postcode

-Where you been?

-I couldn't do it! I didn't want to!

-What?!

I'm your friend, Zac, he's just some kid you feel guilty about.

My life sucks, man. I ain't going to get eaten by some creature.

-Oh, my god!

-SHE SCREAMS

-You're one of our boys!

-It's not about the gang, it's personal.

That's your own beef.

-Are you all right?

-There are worse things to come.

-What do you mean?

-They're kicking us out of the country.

-Maybe I should've...

-Should've what?

Worn a hoodie? People would still be wondering who you were.

They're wondering now.

-Is he lost?

-No, he's not lost.

-So what's he doing here, then?

-I've come to see Jamal.

-Is it?

-What business you got with him?

-What business have you got knowing?

-Well, Jamal got battered by Malik.

-What, for the gang?

He can't belong to it if he doesn't belong in the country!

-This posh boy snitched, didn't he?

-Things have changed since then.

-Yeah?

Posh boy...you tellin' me you and Jamal are bredrens, yeah? How come?

Arsenal fans.

Oh, my dayz, dis is a joke ting!

Look, Anthony!

-The Postcode ain't just the estate! The world's a bigger place!

-Oh...

Can all you wannabe Nelson Mandela's shut up and get off my back?!

Then get off ours, then.

-HE SIGHS

-Come on, Mum.

Come on, Mum, we've got guests.

-Should we leave?

-After all it took to come here?

-Anyway, we're here to talk about how we can fight your case.

-Look,

it's really nice of you guys to try and help me,

but none of us have actually got a clue what to do.

My mum's a lawyer. Consumer rights.

-Refunds and stuff?

-Just saying.

-He's saying you need legal advice.

I can't get my mum off the sofa.

First things first, all right?

He's the boy?

Yes, Mum.

Then this must be some forgiveness?

Some progress?

I hope so.

And, on the offchance,

I brought these.

-R'n'B girl.

-Rochelle.

-Shystie, Lady Fury, Miss Dynamite.

-What you saying?

-You could be joining them.

-And how is that, then?

-If you come and record with us.

-Who's us?

-Me and this girl called Alice.

-You think I can sing?

Like a can-arey.

-It's canary.

-I take that as a yes, then?

So what can you do?

Where do you want me?

SHE LAUGHS

-I ain't never recorded before.

-Just give it a try.

Just relax.

MUSIC PLAYS

This was a very big place Maybe trouble on the ends

But you've gotta keep face

And how you gonna hate, cos you all got fam from all over the place?

From my cousins overseas and the youngest still learning their ABCs!

To my gramps and my piece Hood it down, please?

Cos deep down, I know All we really want is peace

I keep that place inside

If you're running from yourself then there's no place to hide...

BACKING TRACK PLAYS, HER RAP CONTINUES

..deep down, I know I've gotta keep it strong

Cos everybody needs that place to belong.

-That's all right, you know.

-It's brilliant!

So what was it like?

Well, every day, there was mortar fire.

I remember that. And that's when we fled.

We fled Mogadishu to a refugee camp in Kenya.

And your dad?

He had to stay, make a living.

Can't imagine my dad putting up with mortar fire.

Can you imagine your dad leaving your shop?

No.

So your dad stayed behind, did he?

-Yeah.

-Where is he now?

What was it like in Mogadishu?

It was nice.

My mum said it was a nice peaceful town.

It had a nice seaside and I used to play football...

..till...till one of my mates got shot by a stray bullet.

And then we were just used to seeing bodies on the streets.

You can't go back to that.

Look, I don't think this is such a good idea.

You haven't got a lot of choice, Jamal!

-Last time I was here, I got led away in a police car!

-This is different!

What and your mum's going to think I'm a completely different person?

You just need some advice, OK?

Your mum doesn't even know you know me. Bad influence, aren't I?

Yeah, I suppose I'd put it like that.

Mum, Jamal's family's facing deportation.

-Why, what have you done wrong now?

-He hasn't done anything!

Your poor mother, the stress she must be under.

Yeah, well, being a parent's difficult.

-Trying to stop a family falling apart.

-I know all about that!

Yeah, and so do I!

I've been a parent ever since we got here!

I mean, I translate, I speak up, I buy food,

I even take my little brother to school, cos my mum gets lost!

Now she's really falling apart.

I'm sorry.

Shouldn't I be the one saying sorry?

-Let me go and make a phone call, all right?

-Thanks.

Hello.

-Hey, what you doing here?

-They're collaborating with me.

Oh, by the way, this is my sister Alice.

-Sheela.

-Jamal.

Small world, eh?

ALL: See you later.

I really should be talking to your parents.

Well, my dad's not here and my mum doesn't speak good enough English.

If she were here, you could explain it to her.

But she's not here. And he will explain it to her.

OK...

-It's a tribunal.

-Yeah.

-I've sat through one of those before.

-Have you?

Er, so... with an Immigration Judge in charge?

To whom you put your point of view.

What is his point of view?

It's called a well-founded fear of persecution.

That your lives are in danger if you go back.

People are getting killed there all the time.

You have to persuade the judge you really fear it could happen to you.

What can we do?

Show how Jamal and his family belong in the community.

How they fit in here. It would all help.

We can do that.

You've got to trust that barrister to persuade the Judge. Do you?

I suppose.

And hope the Judge gets it.

-More and more of them.

-MAN: Yeah.

BOYS CHATTER

DOG BARKS

< MACHINE WHIRRS

-Break into my shop!

-Dad, no!

-Sheela!

-Might have known.

-What are you doing here?!

I could've just struck out in the dark, you know?

Yeah, be a new thing for you.

You usually know who you're trying to kill.

This is about Jamal?

And his family. They might get thrown out of the country.

Why d'you want to tell everyone their business?

It's called raising awareness.

With my electricity and my paper supplies?!

Please, Dad, it's really important.

I suppose a few leaflets won't do any harm.

Leaflets stage one. Petition stage two.

Petitions?

In the store.

We can go out on the street, but it needs a focal point.

-This is a business!

-You see the trouble she's caused?

I just don't want Jamal's family being sent back to who knows where!

You've got to be firm with her, Dad.

At least let me finish photocopying these leaflets.

Then that's it. That's all.

Right, Russell, Alice, you guys will go that way.

-Zac, we're going to head this way, OK?

-Yeah, sure.

-See you guys later?

Save Jamal Appeal?

They don't deserve saving.

I'll take that as a no, then. How rude!

-Wrong part of the neighbourhood for this sort of thing.

-What d'you mean?

Well...it's all burglar alarms and window grilles and CCTV.

I mean, they want to keep undesirables out round here.

Anyway, um, I don't know why you're trying to help this Somali kid.

-Cos he's in trouble.

-But haven't you got troubles of your own? You know.

-Sheela, take it down.

-But, Dad!

-No!

-We need a place where people can sign our petition!

Sheela, for the very last time, I said no!

Just something they can put their name to at the counter. That's all!

All I want them to think about is chewing gum.

Look out!

-What was that? Are you all right, Sheela?

-Yeah.

SIRENS BLARE

What?! Someone's attacked my dad's store, you know!

-I warned him Sheela would cause trouble!

-Yeah!

VOICES ON POLICE RADIO

Listen, everyone, it's a brick today, but it may be a petrol bomb tomorrow.

I'd like to think that the Mini Mart is at the heart of this community.

Well, my daughter thinks so. She asked if we could organise

a petition for Jamal's family from here and I said no.

But now we've been attacked,

because they DID think this was the centre of the campaign.

Well, from now on, it will be.

What's going on here? Dad?

-Dad?!

-Aw, ting! Man, this happened here, boy.

-You're telling me!

-Have you got any bandages and plasters?

-Help yourself.

-You could have got really hurt, you know?

Those guys will do anything to stop you.

Right, OK, this is serious now. You need to set up an online group,

and then something like post a video of the family.

You need to be emailing MPs

and voluntary groups and charities who do asylum stuff.

Are you telling us what we should do or what you're going to do, Freddie?

You're obviously in need of someone with my communications skills.

-Cool, man.

-Yeah, wicked, mate. We'll do it.

-What?

-Nothing.

-What?

-No, it's a good idea, let's do it. Let's go.

-Brilliant.

-Yeah?

-ALL: Yeah.

It's in a good cause! The chance to save a family!

Thank you, madam.

Lottery tickets, mobile top ups, a chance to vote for the community?

I need you to hand these out.

So you want our help or our permission?

-Both.

-So you want us to run around for you, yeah?

-No, no, no.

You're in charge. I'll tell everyone it was your idea.

You trying to manipulate my nah?

People are coming in and wrecking things.

See what they done to the shop?

-We can't allow that.

-So I was right, you ARE trying to manipulate, man.

You're clever, you, Jamal. I'll give you dat.

-Well, I like this.

-What?!

-It's something new.

Yeah. And it's my idea, innit? Innit, Jamal?

-Yeah.

-SHE LAUGHS

-You go east block, Rochelle.

-Right.

-Russell, west block.

-What you doing?

Chill, man!

Jamal's mum, you go? Are you prepared, yeah?

I like that, I like that.

I've called it the Save Jamal Appeal. Agree or Disagree.

It's easy. You join and you're asked to sign an online petition.

-That's excellent, man.

-I know.

Oh, um, local newspaper wants to cover the attack on the Mini Mart,

with the angle that your campaign provoked it and they want to blog

your experiences with a link to an online video.

So if I could have you over there up against the wall,

that'd be brilliant.

Yes! OK, now, I thought we'd make this quite stark,

-you know, like you were a hostage, terrified of being....

-A hostage?

-The hostage vibe, you know. It'll be fun.

-Freddie.

So, um, yeah, the backdrop is the wall.

-Obviously, those Arsenal posters'll have to come down.

-Temporarily?

So yeah, um, terrified of losing your life

and just, er, you can cry if you want to.

-Yeah, looking like you're staring death in the face.

-Stop it, OK?

It's not a game to me, Freddie!

Sorry.

-What did I say?

-I'll go and talk to him.

Are you all right, mate?

Is it your family?

Look, when we asked about your dad before, you changed the subject.

What happened?

My dad's...my dad's dead, Zac.

Sorry.

Hey. How's it going?

You know, Sheela's my sister.

We're doing all we can from the Mini Mart and the rest of the estate.

It must be really stressful waiting for the hearing.

It is difficult. I don't sleep.

We all know. Everyone sympathises with you as well.

-You?

-That's why I'm here.

-You want to help me? How?

You know, if there's anything I can do.

To help you deal with it. To help you sleep maybe?

-Medicine?

-Look, I know, in your culture, you chew khat,

but this is a plant extract. Something you can smoke.

-I don't think so.

-Look...

It's up to you. Just when you're laying awake at night thinking about

when that plane's going to take you home.

Why would you say that?

Don't act like you haven't been thinking about it.

-Yes...always.

-Look, I'm going to leave this with you.

It's up to you what you want to do with it.

What did he want, Mum?

-Nothing.

-SHE SPEAKS SOMALI

Zahra Ashad?

Jamal! Listen, yeah, them Feds just come from your flat.

-What, just now?

-Just now.

All right, cheers. Let's go.

Why did you let him give it to you?

He said it was something to help me relax. I didn't use it.

So what?! OK?! The police have come here

and confiscated the drugs and they've given you a warning!

Look, Jamal, at least they haven't arrested her.

It'll still end up on our file! ..Do you know what you've done?

The Immigration Judge is going to look at our file and he'll say,

"This woman doesn't deserve to stay, this family!"

I am very ashamed.

Hard enough trying to win the appeal.

-And now it's easier for them to say no!

-I am sorry!

I wish your father was here, he would know what to do!

-I

-knew what to do!

See, everyone that's helped us, how's it going to look to them, eh?

Like we've just spat in their face!

Spit in my face!

Mum?

-Mum? Mum, where are you going?!

-To the mosque, to talk to the Imam.

How could your brother hate us this much, eh?!

-Well?

-She hasn't been here.

Why did she lie?

I don't know. Maybe... Maybe she doesn't want us to find her.

What about her friend?

OK. Yeah, let's go ask her.

Come on.

Can't we just keep looking for her ourselves?

We have to tell the police, Hassan.

We have to report her missing. It's the best thing to do.

Your mum left hours ago. It's not like her to not come back, is it?

It's what the police are good at - finding people.

-And I have to tell them something as well.

-What?

-Malik gave the drugs to your mum.

-You'll really do that?

-I have to.

It's going to cause a lot of trouble.

Yeah, I know. But it's the right thing to do.

Come on, let's go in there.

Police telling me she hasn't been gone long enough

for them to do anything. Feels like a lifetime.

Look, mate, she knows the hearing's in the morning. She'll be back.

How's that going to make me and Hassan look?

Like she just doesn't care what happens to us!

Then we've really lost!

-You were so rude to her, Jamal!

-I know, Hassan.

It wasn't Malik, it was you!

-They could've charged you with supplying.

-But they didn't!

They only know, cos she told them! She brought this trouble, not me!

-Own up to your own responsibility!

-You've never been proud of me!

Give Dad a reason to!

Sign the petition.

MUSIC: "The Wilhelm Scream" by James Blake

DOOR OPENS, MOVEMENT >

# I don't know about my dreams

# I don't know about my dreamin' any more

# All that I know is I'm falling Falling, falling, falling!

# Might as well fall in

# I don't know about my love!

# I don't know about my lovin' any more

# All that I know is I'm falling Falling, falling, falling

# Might as well fall in. #

-Mum!

-Ssh!

Where have you been?

Walking, walking, thinking. Then missing you and Hassan.

Our hearing's tomorrow.

You think I'd leave you to face it like an orphan?

-Mum?

-Yes?

I'm glad you're back.

Any further evidence to support your appeal?

Yes, Your Honour.

And this is?

A campaign on behalf of my clients.

-From the local community.

-From everybody.

I shall consider this.

Do you have any further evidence to support your fear of persecution?

Very well.

CLERK: All rise.

-It's not looking good, is it?

-Look, fingers crossed, yeah?

I found these letters last night,

when I was looking for clues as to where my mum might've gone.

Read this one.

Ladies and gentlemen, they want us back in.

-You have to present these!

-I don't think my mum will let me.

-She's kept it a secret for so long.

-I don't think you have a choice.

It could make all the difference.

Come on.

I have noted the significance of the campaign

that's been conducted on behalf of your appeal.

And it's certainly evidence of the good impact you've had

on the community in which you live.

However, in order to be granted refugee status, your family needs

to demonstrate that your fear of persecution is well founded.

I am not convinced that sufficient evidence,

-compelling evidence, has been brought to bear...

-Wait!

Wait for what?

Your Honour... Jamal?

(I know how he died.)

I could not tell you. I'm sorry.

(Can I tell him?)

Your Honour...

When we fled Mogadishu, we walked for days

to a refugee camp in Kenya.

Me, my mum...

..and little Hassan.

We waited five months for our dad to join us.

He never came.

These letters...

They tell everything.

He'd been slaughtered by a militia gang.

They cut his throat open. They...

They call it killing like goats.

You know, my dad was a brave man.

But I don't want that for my family.

My determination in a case such as this

is usually made in writing and can take several weeks.

However, bearing in mind

the emotional anguish clearly felt by the family, I see no reason

to delay my decision any longer than is strictly necessary.

My judgement is...

..that the appeal is upheld.

Your refugee status is granted.

< Yes!

Sick, man! LAUGHTER

RAP: From the window I can see the streets below

Home sweet home, welcome to Heathrow Black cab and I'm chilling in my seat

Although it seems cold We're a melting pot of people

Some of us citizens Some of us illegal

Ducking police Life in the big smoke

No puffing in public But you can easily choke

It ain't our cup of tea to be broke

Though there forever things in the road, we love it cos it's home

I don't know the Romans though we love it when we roam

Double-decker buses Underground buskers...