MNIL Quotes Flashcards
Leon
“He’s a good kid, just gets on with it”
“He wishes he didn’t always need the toilet when he gets excited or frightened “
“Even Carol doesn’t know the best routine for Jake”
“Leon can have a pretend voice as well “
“He’ll water them and look after them and hope for the best”
Carol
“His mum puts Leon’s drawing on the fridge”
She looks like a badger”
“Carol used to say sorry when she shouted at him, but she forgets all the time these days”
“He realises his mum has wet the bed again”
“Her cheeks go in like a skeleton. And she smells different “
Maureen
“Thank you for looking after me so well. That’s what he’d say if he could speak”
“Maureen would say his shed was a pigsty”
“She smiles then like she used to”
“Best of all, Jake isn’t crying”
“Maureen often says nasty things and nice things at the same time “
“Hair glows like a halo”
Sylvia
“Don’t shit where you sit”
“If Leon had a remote control he would turn Sylvia off”
“I had a right game getting the social workers to play ball. Bloody tossers the lot of them”
Mr Devlin
“I used to be Señor Victor. Or Papa”
“His voice is different now. Soft like Maureen’s “
“The room smells of beer and old clothes”
“I was loved. They loved me”
Tufty
“The Sun is a healer”
“Come in. You’ll learn something “
“They need to hold on to something strong while they’re growing”
“We are the warriors you made”
Jake
“When Jake got older they could get famous training dogs”
“Thank you for looking after me so well”
“Because he’s a baby, a white baby. And you’re not “
“They need something strong to hold on to”
Other Adults
Tina] doesn’t let Leon call her ‘Tina’, like he calls his mum ‘Carol’ because she says children have to have respect.” - Narrator
• “If that fucking beast gets into this yard and bites my kid, I’ll rip its fucking heart out” – Byron (Leon’s dad)
• “The Zebra will tell him not to worry. The Zebra will tell him he can’t see Jake” - Narrator
• “He pulled Leon towards him and started crying” – Narrator talking about Byron when his mother died
• “It could kill Earring if Leon picked it up and stabbed him through the soft bit of his eye. He would push the pen in and write […] ‘I fucking hate you. Black Power. From Leon’” – Narrator
• “Teachers are like social workers, with lots of different pretend voices and smiles.”
• “Maureen often says nice things and nasty things both at the same time” - Narrator
• “If Leon had a remote control he would lie in bed and turn Sylvia off, […] and the teachers off, […], and the social workers off”
• “The room smells of beer and old clothes” – Narrator talking about Mr Devlin’s shed
• “Leon can have a pretend voice as well” – Narrator
• “The policeman beats Tufty so hard that his helmet falls off and rolls away.” – Narrator
Children
“The baby has got a really small willy” - Leon
• “[Tina] doesn’t let Leon call her ‘Tina’, like he calls his mum ‘Carol’ because she says children have to have respect.” – Narrator
• “Leon looks at Maureen and realises that she is very, very old.” - Narrator
Education
“the teacher’s job finishes at half past three and my job never ends.” - Maureen
• “Teachers are like social workers, with lots of different pretend voices and smiles.” - Narrator
• “His new school. Again.” - Narrator
“Carol says Leon can’t go to school because it is too wet and rainy”
Foster Care
• “stay here with your Auntie Maureen. […] We’re happy enough, aren’t we?” – Maureen
• “Because he’s a baby, a white baby. And you’re not.” - Maureen
• “You’ve split them up and in my books that’s a sin” - Maureen
• “They took my baby” - Carol
• “they said he could stay at Maureen’s house but they lied” – Narrator
• “Jake won’t need Big Red Bear where he’s going” – Maureen
Violence
• “If that fucking beast gets into this yard and bites my kid, I’ll rip its fucking heart out” – Byron (Leon’s dad)
• “He knocks Salma’s bag over […] and he kicks it. He […] dribbles the soggy biscuit from his mouth onto the papers.” - Narrator
• “It could kill Earring if Leon picked it up and stabbed him through the soft bit of his eye. He would push the pen in and write […] ‘I fucking hate you. Black Power. From Leon’” - Narrator
• “[the pistol] feels heavy in his hand and fits perfectly” – Narrator
• “We are the warriors you made” – Tufty
• “The policeman beats Tufty so hard that his helmet falls off and rolls away.” – Narrator
The Past
• “He wonders if there is another boy in that bed now. He thinks about that boy playing with his toys and using his things and he can feel the anger bubbling around and making his chest heave” - Narrator
• “The toys are for babies but Carol is playing with them.” - Narrator
• “Have you still got the photograph of Jake?” – Carol
Happiness
• “[Maureen] smiles so Leon smiles back” - Narrator
• “You stay here with your Auntie Maureen. […] We’re happy enough, aren’t we?” - Maureen
• “He can hear that she’s smiling.” – Narrator about Sylvia
• “The room smells of beer and old clothes” – Narrator talking about Mr Devlin’s shed
• “He pulled Leon towards him and started crying until Carol had told him to stop” – Narrator talking about Byron
• “She looks like a mad person” – Narrator about Sylvia (She’s just found out Mo’s coming home)
Hope
• “When Jake got older they could get famous for training dogs.” - Narrator
• “The sun […] is a healer” - Tufty
• “Leon’s happy inside” - Narrator
• “She smiles then like she used to” – Narrator
• “He’ll water them and look after them and hope for the best” - Narrator
