Children's Home Introduction

• The children's home is on the outskirts of Reading.
• It is an old building with a history: tuberculosis isolation hospital, home for the elderly, yoga retreat, and a borstal.
• Alem dislikes the place upon arrival but recognizes it as Victorian architecture.
• The house is guarded by two stone lions covered in creeping ivy.
• Mariam leaves after fifteen minutes, promising a visit.
• Sarah Cohen, a middle-aged blonde woman, welcomes Alem.
• There are eighty-six boys staying there, and Sarah knows each of them by name.
• Sarah introduces herself as Sarah and mentions the other seven staff members; she prefers to be called by her first name.
• Staff schedules vary with some preferring night duty and others the day shift.

Alem's Question

• Alem asks when he is leaving.
• Sarah answers honestly that she doesn't know when he will be leaving.
• Mariam and her colleagues will ensure Alem leaves as soon as possible.
• Sarah promises to make Alem as comfortable as possible during his stay.
• Alem doesn't listen to Sarah, and she knows this.

Touring the Home

• Sarah guides Alem through timber-paneled corridors.
• The polished wooden floor creaks.
• Alem hears activity in the distance.
• Staff offices are off-limits to the boys unless invited.
• They turn a corner, and Sarah opens a side door.
• The recreation room is full of boys, which is overwhelmig for Alem
• Boys play table football and video games.
• Others are chasing each other or watching TV.
• There are board games and boys shouting.
• Two male adults approach Alem and Sarah in the rec room.

Tom and Dave

• One of the men extends his hand to Alem.
• Tom introduces himself (Tom Whittaker) and says the boys can call him Tom.
• Tom is in his late forties with tinged grey hair.
• Tom wears purple corduroys and a large black and white jumper.
• Tom seems happy to see Alem, which Alem does not reciprocate.
• Tom says that the boys may look wild but are all right once you get to know them.
• The other man, Dave, is in his late twenties, in jeans and a sweatshirt with a shaved head.
• Alem is new to the home and is only on his second day.
• Alem misses young people around and wonders if he can get along with the teenagers at the home.
• Realizes boys come from all backgrounds.
• Alem notices one boy sitting alone staring at the wall.
• The boy is named Mustafa who Tom regards as a loner.

Rules

• Sarah starts her tour-guide routine and introduces the recreation room.
• Some children have gone on a hill climb.
• Sarah emphasizes the variety of activities to keep boys busy.
• 'See you later,' says Tom.
• 'Take it easy,' says Dave.
• Sarah says that the home is open-minded.
• Smoking is only allowed in the smoke room for those over sixteen.
• Knives and mobile phones are not allowed, and if found, they are confiscated.
• Alcohol is not allowed.
• No drugs are tolerated.
• Breaking the law results in a report to the police.
• Sarah leads Alem back into the corridor to show him where he will be sleeping.
• Along the way, she points out the toilets and the quiet room.
• The quiet room contains no books or boys.
• She opens another door, indicating the smoke room.

Introductions to Other Boys

• Three older-looking boys look towards them from inside the smoke-filled room.
• Sarah introduces Alem to the boys.
• One boy raises his hand, one pulls on his cigarette, and the third smiles wickedly and says, 'All right?'
• Alem replies yes, trying not to breathe in their smoke.
• One of the boys replies "we'll see to that"
• Sarah considers this "very funny," closes the door, and continues with the tour.
• Upstairs, Alem is taken to a large room with about fifteen beds.
• Alem is horrified at the idea of sleeping in a room with so many others.
• This room is the large dormitory.
• Some boys like being together, but Sarah acknowledges it doesn't suit everyone.
• They go into a smaller room with just two beds.
• Alem will be staying in the smaller room, sharing with another boy about his age.

Alem's Room

• Sarah points out the bedside locker.
• Suggests valuable items should be kept in the office.
• Alem has no possessions to speak of.
• Alem kicks his bag under the bed.
• Sarah loudly asks Alem is everything is ok.
• Alem shakes his head.
• Sarah says cheerfully it's almost time for a late snack.

Late Snack

• The late snack is not special, and Alem does not want anything.
• Tom and Dave take digestive biscuits and tea around in trays.
• Alem declines the offer.
• A boy that made a remark earlier in the smoke room approaches Alem and tells him to get some biscuits.
• Tom is in the direction of the boy and Alem.
• Alem declines to get biscuits.
• The boy insists again for Alem to get them and bring the biscuits to him.
• Alem refuses calmly.
• Two other boys join in, whom Alem saw in the smoking room earlier.
• One tells Alem it is the easy way out.
• The first kid loudly tells Alem to get biscuits or things will escalate.
• Tom walks over and asks what the problem is.
• The first boy lies and says that he was welcoming the new boy and he needs a bit of guidance.
• Tom asks why he was shouting and heard him asking about biscuits.
• The boy denies saying something about biscuits.

Biscuits

• Tom asks Alem to tell him what happened.
• Alem states matter-of-factly that he was asked to get some biscuits.
• Alem told him that he did not want to get any.
• Friend of the boy also told Alem to get them and shouted at him.
• Then, Tom arrived.
• The boy looks amazed.
• Tom tells the boy to apologize, which he does unconvincingly.
• Tom tells the boy not to try and get someone's biscuits again and states that the boys can not force anyone to give anything if they do not want to give it themselves.

Computer Game

• After about fifteen minutes, the three boys appear in front of Alem while he is watching some boys playing computer games.
• The boy who wanted biscuits says you are dead.
• When they're a safe distance away Alem checks out their size.
• He does not feel intimidated by them.
• Clenches his fists defiantly and turns to watch as the boys continue playing the computer game.
• At ten o'clock all boys are instructed to stop what they are doing and go to bed.
• Still made no friends and only enemies.

Sharing a Room

• Upon arrival to the room, a boy is found in the room playing with a Gameboy.
• The boy stops when he sees Alem.
• Boy asks Alem what his name is.
• Alem does the same.
• The boy says he is Stanley Burton, and he begins to frantically speak without a pause.
• Stanley states that he's been there for ten months now and was told he would be staying long.
• Stanley also says it is mean there and the boys disappears and nobody knows where they go.
• Stanley's father died in the Gulf War, the newspaper said he died a hero.
• Stanley continues ranting about how he wants to die a hero like his father and have his picture on the paper.

Stanley Burton

• Stanley tells Alem that his mother is not dead however, she cannot cope.
• She is in a place for big people, and his sister is in a place for girls too.
• Alem grabs his bag out of the room.
• It was the quickest Alem had moved all day.
• Alem is trying to find a sink to wash his face, they were all busy.
• The boys are are noisy and telling jokes Alem doesn't understand.

Mustafa's Warning

• Then Mustafa comes up to Alem and says "Watch out, Sweeney is going to get you. Just watch yu back and don't mek him tek any liberties wid yu."
• Alem looks around and begins to head to the room.
• Back in the room, Stanley is found to be in back already in bed.
• Alem attempts to go about getting into bed without disturbing him.
• He removes the family photo from his bag and gets changed into the worn-out pajamas.

Lights Out

• Stanley takes off verbally again.
• Stanley says the lights will go off in 10 minutes or he can turn them off himself; he usually waits for a member of staff.
• Staff don't do too much and Stanley suggests they should let them do their work.
• Stanley asks if Alem has been in a helicopter and if he has ever touched a gun.
• Dave comes into the doorway and state this is too much.
• Dave wonders if he is ok
• Dave tells Alem not to let him talk to death and should tell him to stop, the boy will stop,.
• Dave says he will put the lights off and turns off the lights.
• After the lights go out, Dave says goodnight.
• Alem listens to the dark, holding picture to his chest.
• The doors close up and down the corridors from Dave and Tom.
• Alem fell asleep.
• Later into the night Alem he was woken up by the sound of Stanley crying and talking.

The Morning After

• Alem awoke at seven from the call of "Good morning, boys"
• Alem checks on Stanley
• Another member of the staff called Maureen knocks at the door.
• Alem follows the crowd for breakfast in the dining hall.
• The boys have to line up and choose bacon, eggs, toast, sausages, tomatoes and cornflakes.
• Lays out in three lines.
• Bubbly posh lady who had woken Alem and two men whom Alem had not seen.
• Alem picks safe choices of toast and tea.
• Spots Mustafa and asks to sit with him for Breakfast.

Mustafa

• 'No worries yu safe'
• A boy just glanced at Alem as he sits next to Mustafa.
• Mustafa continuing the conversation from the night before
• Mustafa talking about Sweeney
• Points to Stanley at the other table and states Sweeney beat him up before and now gives Sweeney extra toast.
• Sweeney and Mustafa fought before yu check.
• Alem states 'he talks so much'
• 'If yu let him talk crazy.

Stanley's Dad

• Stanley's dad died in The Gulf war.
• 'No' 'Not the gulf of aden
• Middle eat Iraq and Kuwait
• 'That's not all man.
• Mother lost it.
• Loco Loony
• Looked him up sometimes and sometimes took the lightbulbs
• Alem looked toward Stanley, who was talking The boys went to do their teeth and make their beds

The Day Continues

• Alem tries to avoid initiating Stanley on another rant by hardly speaking to him
• Asks for the recreation room.
• Alem saw him and his two friends would give him dirty looks and threaten him.
• At dinner, Alem did not eat.

Sweeney's Threat

• Sweeney came over to tell that he had unfinished business.
• By now Alem had decided that it was the time for action.

Recreations Room and Lunch

• The same rooms were also the same and seemed the time not move.
• Alem then bumped into Sweeney
• 'Sorry mate, I meant it.'
• But they were blocking him and unable to leave.

Sweeney and Alem Fight

• As Alem tried to leave Sweeney blocked him.
• Alem then tried to show 'no fear'
• Sweeney said I want your chips.
• Alem was hurt by first strike of Sweeney