If our Anthony was telling this story
“If our Anthony was telling this story, he’d start with money.”
One thing about me
“One thing about me is that I always try to do whatever Dad tells me.”
He actually said thank you three times
“He actually said thank you three times. If that doesn’t make me excellent, I don’t know what does.
I don’t mind being laughed at
“I don’t mind being laughed at. Persecution is good for you.”
He made it seem like every single ten-pound note
“He made it seem like every single ten-pound note was a personal friend.”
Money’s just a thing
“Money’s just a thing and things change”
I got the idea for the hermitage
I got the idea for the hermitage from Rose of Lima; she had multiple and marvellous visions.”
She’s completely dead, isn’t she?
“She’s completely dead, isn't she? Of course I knew already, but no one had ever been so biological before.”
We didn’t used to do that before
“We didn’t used to do that before. I was shouting now. Sit at the table.”
Only I did wonder if you’d ever come across
“Only I did wonder if you’d ever come across a St. Maureen?”
That’s where I first became interested
“In fact, that’s where I first became interested in saints.”
She’s gone to a better place
“She’s gone to a better place.”
He might go off to a better place
“He might go off to a better place if we weren’t careful.”
I huddled in the corner
I huddled in the corner and tried to take my mind off the cold by putting some of the tinted moisturiser on the back of my hand.”
God must have heard me
“God must have heard me, though, because he answered it. He gave me something.”
More money than we could carry
“Think of that. More money than we could carry.”
Anthony said we mustn’t tell Dad about it
“Anthony said we mustn’t tell Dad about it. Having a secret is like having a pair of wings tucked under your blazer.”
If you asked Anthony now
“If you asked Anthony now, he’d say this was where everything started to go wrong.”
Outside the gates
“Outside the gates, everyone who had a bike was waiting for us.”
It was all a bit unenlightening
“It was all a bit unenlightening. People tried to sell us rubbish.”
There was money everywhere
“There was money everywhere. Money was a craze.”
Anthony can lie so fast
Anthony can lie so fast. It's like the truth but blurred.”
I retreated to the hermitage
“I retreated to the hermitage to contemplate my situation.”
Do you ever feel that money is hollow and meaningless?
“Do you ever feel that the money is hollow and meaningless? There are no poor people around here. The only people who can afford to live here are nice people.”
The insurance paid
The insurance paid the mortgage off.”
Some people in the world are greedy, Damian
“Some people in the world are greedy, Damian. Money makes them act weird. You’ve got to be careful.”
What if giving people more money
“What if giving people more money just makes people more money-ish?”
It was the first time
It was the first time we’d seen him smile in ages.”
It’s not wrong to give money away
“It’s not wrong to give money away. You just have to find the right people to give it to.”
I walked back across the playground
“I walked back across the playground with my eyes downcast, which is how I noticed that I was now the only boy not wearing Rockports.”
It was all really neat
“It was all really neat. Except for my statue of St. Francis, which has been in hundreds of sharp little pieces, thrown all over the mud.”
Then I woke up
Then I woke up and found I’d wet myself. I haven’t done that since Mum was in the best place.”
So now we were playing truant
“So now we were playing truant and telling lies in a public place and all for the money.”
The world is crap
The world is crap. We could have anything in it, but everything in it is crap.”
Why is it always me?
“Why is it always me? Why do you leave everything to me?”
Anthony looked like he was going to cry
“Anthony looked like he was going to cry. We’re on our own, Damian. Get used to it.”
The money had become a burden
“The money had become a burden. They would have starved where they stood rather than let anyone see.”
That’s all it took
“That’s all it took. One little kid.”
To be confessional about it
“To be confessional about it. I actually did cry.”
I knew I couldn’t do this anymore
“I knew I couldn’t do this anymore. Of course, Dad would make everything all right again.”
I saw that the money had made Dad
“I saw that the money had made Dad scared of Terry.”
This is payback time
“This is payback time. We were the only ones who knew money was a worry.”
All the immaculate women were still here
“All the immaculate women were still here. Except for her.”
I got so worried
“I got so worried that she’d run out of jokes and it’d all be over.”
He’ll be laughing on the other side of his face
“He’ll be laughing on the other side of his face when she goes and leaves him.”
I lay in my bed
“I lay in my bed, looking up at the ceiling, wishing it would open up and suck me into the pitch black.”
It felt like the whole population of the world
“It felt like the whole population of the world was trying to get through our door.”
People have sweated for them, stolen them, wasted them, died longing for them
“People have sweated for them, stolen them, wasted them, died longing for them, and what do the notes care?”
Soon they were dancing all around me
“Soon they were dancing all around me, like confetti in a fire.”
He can’t see me anyway
“He can’t see me anyway. If you’ve got faith in people, that makes them stronger.”
Anthony regretted it
“Anthony regretted it hundreds of times every day.”
Money can leave your hand