mumy-o

Mummy-o: A true story based on real events

Love

While strolling along the beach, Ali Vanzonavield came across a shell. She had always adored the ocean, finding its embrace more welcoming than her own culture at times. Lost in thought, she gazed at the sky, oblivious to the impending war approaching Holland. Having sought shelter under the house three times already, she feared the ominous signs of advancing warfare. The soldiers' father had mentioned the advancements of World War 2, a grim reminder of the extensive casualties following WWI. Ali's dad was always working; he would come home late and give her a flower from his travels. He said he was doing Yah's work. And he was saving innocent people from death row. One day, Father didn't come home. Mum told me to hide in the secret cellar. But the fireworks that went off above her frightened her at the same time; she didn't know what was happening. As bombs dropped all around her, seven years alone her mother was out searching if he would come home. She was constantly stressed. But she knew that William was the best person he could be. He was sneaking people out of the Jewish imprisonment camps. 

Loss

After half a year, Father finally returned on September 1, 1939, when the German invasion of Poland occurred. Holland wasn't too far away, and they were constantly worried about the news on the radio. After four months of William being away, he came back only to alert his family about the advancing enemy and the need to hide. William departed as quickly as he had arrived. Ali, who was seven years old, was unaware of the situation. The war had become a part of life, and without realizing it, she pushed the fear to the back of her mind. She didn't even realize that the anxiety she had been feeling disappeared as soon as her father left again.

She had always admired his willingness to help others, but it had been three months, and the war was still ongoing. She lived in constant fear of being discovered by the enemy. Despite her apprehension, she had little choice but to accompany her mother outside. Her breathing was slow and erratic, a symptom of her anxiety, which she was not aware of. To her, it just felt like excess energy that would explode when she ran and played without the ability to relax and have fun. Her mind was constantly under stress, in a state of fight or flight. Unaware that it was anxiety, she had to cope with it, as in the past, mental health issues were stigmatized.

During the invasion, Alis's mother bravely protected the underground escape route, demonstrating her dedication to assisting her husband. She played a crucial role in aiding escapees from POW camps and Jewish migrants from Germany, ensuring their safe passage out of the city. Without her courageous efforts, their escape would have been much more difficult.

determination.

The key was to prevent the patrols from discovering her, so she had to fabricate fake secret messages. These messages would falsely report on the activities of opposing forces in the area they were occupying. She would conceal herself under the floorboards. One day, Ali was in the back room playing with a damaged gun and a worn-out baseball when she was summoned.

"Aili, Aili, come now, we need to hide; her mother was used to the war, and after growing up in WW1, "She was an excellent nurse, always caring for others. However, Aili was still a child and didn't argue with her mother when lives were at stake. She kept her head down and followed the others down the escape route." (position comp, moving C12) A small scratched code on the underside of the wooden boards made of oak and spruce.