How we cite our quotes: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
On those nights, the silence of the street is swollen, It's scared and slippery as I wait for something to happen. (1.6.6)
That pretty much sums up Ed's philosophy in life at the beginning of the novel. He's always waiting for something, and he's not afraid to show it. For all the soul-searching that Ed is asked to do in the novel, you might think he wouldn't be in touch with where he's really at in his life, but it's quite the opposite. Ed is brutally honest with us about who he is and what he's about.
Quote #2
Finally, I recognize them and say, "I've been looking for you." I speak that sentence as if it's the one great truth I've ever known.
She returns my conviction, nodding. "I thought so." She pulls my hands over to her, leans over, and kisses my fingers. "You always did know what to say, didn't you, Jimmy?"
(1.8.40)
When Ed first meets Milla, he's not sure what to say yet it comes to him pretty easily. His encounter with her suggests that there are some universal truths in life that Ed just knows without being told. Top of the list? Take care of old, lonely ladies.
Quote #3
The old lady did something to my heart. When her hands reached out and poured the tea, it was as if she also poured something into me while I sat there sweating in my cab. It was like she held a string and pulled on it just slightly to open me up. She got in, put a piece of herself inside me, and left again. In there, somewhere, I still feel it. (1.8.68)
They might only spend a short time together, but Milla and Ed (a.k.a. Jimmy) have a connection that is palpable. This isn't like playing a game of cards with his friends or even spending the night with Audrey; there's a moment of truth that Ed shares with her that he doesn't forget or let go of.