We Were Given A Miracle

Chapter 7

A few days later, on Thursday, I went outside our flat to get the newspaper. Maman and I read it together. It was horrifying. The front page headline said STAY AWAY FROM JEWS: They're Like Little Lice. I didn't want to read all the lies the Nazis wrote about us, but my forced myself to look. They had written that we were menaces to the society, and that we were just leeches that clung on to the Aryans, the perfect race, and took their jobs and money. "It's not safe for us here, Gisele." Maman told me. "They will keep publishing these outrageous, deceitful lies, until everybody believes it."

"Yes, Maman. When I went to school, the kids spat at me."

"Yes, Gisele. And not just that, rumor is they're sending Jews to concentration camps and they are working us to death." We flipped to the next page, which had a list of restrictions for Jews. There was a curfew of 7pm to 9am for Jews. We could not talk to anybody of the perfect race unless asked a question. We could not buy any clothing, shoes, hats or purses. If any of these rules were not followed, the penalty was being beaten to death or being shot. "Gisele, go get some bread before we're not allowed to do that either." I nodded and got a bag, and 1 franc to pay for a few loaves of bread.

"Goodbye, Maman," I called. I hoped that Maman would be safe and all right at home.

I walked to the bread shop, taking in the fresh air and sunlight shining down on me. When I walked into the bread shop, the tingling of the bells on the door and the sweet smell of fresh baked bread greeted me in a warm embrace. As I stepped in line for bread, I saw a familiar face.

"Mr. Beaufoy!" I called happily.

He waved to me and then said, "I heard about you father. C'était un homme bon. Please receive my condolences." I nodded, and looked down. Then Mr. Beaufoy whispered to me. "Did you read the paper?" I nodded. "It's not safe for Jews anymore. That's what Mama had said, I thought. "Well Gisele," Mr. Beaufoy told me. "I have a plan. You, your mother, and Phillipe can come live in our basement. Nobody will be able to find you." Since Mr and Mrs Beaufoy weren't Jews, no Nazi would ever invade into their home. "Tell Maman, okay? You can come tomorrow" I nodded. I got five loaves of bread, took my change from the cashier, and nodded to Mr. Beaufoy on the way out.

When I got home, I told Maman, who was lulling Phillipe to sleep, what Mr. Beaufoy had told me.

"Maman, I met Mr. Beaufoy today at the bread shop." Maman immediately perked up. Papa and Mr. Beaufoy, were friends from school, so when Maman married Papa, she also grew close to Mr. Beaufoy.

"What did he say?" she asked.

"He said that since it wasn't safe for us, we could come stay in their basement. They will hide us there so that no Nazi can find us. Mr. Beaufoy told me that we can come tomorrow." Mama nodded.

"We can't pack trunks, because then the Nazis will see us. Prepare five or six layers of clothes for each of you and I, and we'll tuck in Phillipe's and the money. I nodded and made a stack of the most important clothes.

The next day, Maman and I put on all our clothes and tucked the money from under the mattress into the waists of our clothes. Maman carried Phillipe, and we exited the flat building. The moment we stepped outside, we got a not-so-warm welcome from a Nazi officer.

"Where are you going?" he asked curtly.

"We're just going for a stroll," I quickly answered.

The Nazi officer nodded and said, "Go ahead, ladies." Did he not know we were Jews? I thought. How come he was treating us so politely? I shook my head and walked quietly with Maman.

When we got to Mr. Beaufoy's house, his wife, Mrs. Beaufoy quickly welcomed us in.

"Come in, come in," she said as she assured us into the living room. "Sit, and I'll make us some tea." She walked out, just as Mr. Beaufoy came in. "Welcome." He said to Maman and I. "I see the little one is asleep." It was true our so-called stroll had peacefully put him to sleep. "Well, shall I show you your room?" We got up and followed Mr. Beaufoy. He led us to a door which had a few stairs leading down into a small room. From the top of the stairs, you couldn't see one part of the room. The Beaufoy's had put a mattress there. On top of the mattress was a bag of toiletries. It had toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, and more. "It's not very big," Mr. Beaufoy began.

"But it'll do," Maman finished. "Thank you so much for letting us stay here. Merci mille fois!" Thanks a lot. The Beufoy's were risking their lives for our safety, and I was just filled with gratitude.

"Thank you, thank you so much!" I told them. Mr. Beaufoy smiled and nodded.

"No problem at all. And remember, you can use the bathroom upstairs anytime, but \be careful, don't let anybody see you." Maman and I nodded, and we went back to the living room, where we had tea with Mrs. Beaufoy.

The next morning, I woke up, and it seemed so strange to be living in someone's basement. I went upstairs to the bathroom and took a quick shower, then got dressed. Mrs. Beaufoy brought us some toast for breakfast and mashed up vegetables for Phillipe. We ate it in silence. After breakfast, we left the tray on the top of the stairs, and I read my book until lunch came. After lunch, I played an unsuccessful game of jacks with Phillipe. Then I put him to sleep, and dinner rolled along. This is how we spent our days in the humble basement on Les Grands Chenus street.