Free My Name Is Leon by Kit de Waal

seconds. He can’t hear anything from the kitchen but the droning of the two women. He shuffles over in his seat next to Salma’s leather bag so he can be nearer the door but it’s no good. Nothing. All Salma’s files are sticking out of her bag, brown folders with white paper inside. These are the files that the social workers hold whenever he asks about his mum. They look through their files and check dates and addresses but they never let him see for himself. And he’s a good reader. He flicks through the corners of the files. He sees his name and his birth date. He sees Jake’s name and birth date. He sees his mom’s name and her birth date. He squeezes his hand between the pages and pulls.
    Due to Carol’s itinerant lifestyle and mental health issues, it has been difficult to make a full and detailed assessment. Carol was given the opportunity to attend a weekly access visit to Leon and Jake to assess her commitment and capacity for caring for her children. She failed to attend these appointments without explanation. She has also failed to attendaccess visits arranged at the foster carer’s house on four separate occasions, again without explanation. Carol Rycroft did attend the Family Center without appointment, where she stayed for twenty minutes speaking to the Duty Social Worker about her new life and plans for the future, which did not appear to include caring for Leon and Jake.
    The most recent psychiatric assessment of Carol Rycroft undertaken by Dr. Ann Mulroney (attached) concluded that Carol Rycroft has an emotionally unstable personality disorder which presents in maladaptive behavior that has formed the background to her mental health problems. She presents with a range of behaviors including anxiety, restlessness, stupor, and transient mood swings into hypomania. She reports previous episodes of mild to medium clinical depression following the birth of her first child, Leon, who has consequently spent several short periods in various foster care short-term placements. She also reports that her mother and maternal grandmother both had psychiatric disorders but this could not be verified. She is unwilling or unable to provide any details of either child’s biological father although limited information has been obtained from Tina Moore (see later).
    Carol Rycroft’s current condition is complicated by her dependence on prescription drugs and alcohol use. Her personality disorder is also manifest in Carol’s high level of self-interest as opposed to the interests of her children. The Psychological Assessment concluded that Carol Rycroft is unlikely to be in a position to care for either child unless she is willing to undertake further psychological input for a period of no less than eighteen months.
    He tucks the paper back where it was and opens the kitchen door.
    â€œWhen am I going to see my mom?”
    Salma puts her face up close to Leon and smiles.
    â€œRemember we talked about this, Leon? Remember we said—”
    â€œWhy do I have to wait all the time?”
    â€œWell, it’s because—”
    â€œI’m hungry,” he says.
    Salma smiles again and rubs his shoulder like he’s fallen over.
    â€œCourse you are.”
    Salma goes back to sipping her coffee while Maureen takes the lid off the biscuit tin.
    â€œTea’s in half an hour,” she says.
    Leon nibbles the biscuit and stares at them.
    â€œWhat?” says Maureen, folding her arms. “You been listening at doors again? You’ll hear something you won’t like one of these days.”
    She touches his cheek.
    â€œNot today, though. It’s all good today. Go on, off with you. Half an hour of TV and I’ll put the tea on. Sausage and mash. Now hop it.”
    She closes the door after him and he sits down by the papers that say horrible things about his mom. He knocks Salma’s bag over with his elbow and when it falls on the floor everything