The Boy in the Basement

Chapter 1

A lot of my life was filled with people coming and going. Perhaps the first example was my parents. My mother had died when I was only three years old, which made my father devastated. I didn't really understand what was going on at the time; to a 3 year old, death only seems like someone taking a vacation. To me, mom did just that, but she never came back.

Only one year later, I ad both coming and going. Considering we were living off one income (and a small one at that), my father couldn't support both of us. So I was sent away to a foster home. And that's when I met Rosa and Hans Hubermann. Never had I met a more opposite couple; Rosa was a brick wall; tough and hard to get through. Hands, well, he couldn't be more different. Kind and gentle, it was a lot easier to bond with him than it was with Rosa.

From then on, we had lots of people come and go. Throughout school, ia had different friends. Friends of Rosa and Hans made their way through. Hans helped me read, and Rosa made me do chores and help her with washing. Despite being poor, we had a nice quiet life, the three of us here on Himmel Street. To me, growing up, all there was was delivering washing and picking it up, soccer, reading and school. Math was always my favorite subject.

I think the through moment my life changed, although I didn't realize it at the time, was when I was 15. It was 1933, and Hitler rose to power. That set off a change of events that brought me the best thing that happened to me -- a man by the name of Max Vandenburg. but that's later in the story. First, a bit of history.

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Another person who came into my life was in 1939. A girl by the name of Liesel Meminger. Mama and Papa were taking in another foster child. I was home for a few days so that I could meet her. When she came, it was almost the same way I had; she wouldn't come of of the car at first, wouldn't talk to anyone. After a bit of coaxing, Papa got her to come out. When we brought her in the house, she just went upstairs.

"The little saumensch, she hasn't said a single word, refuses to bathe." Mama said later that night, after we had eaten and Liesel had gone to bed. 

"I was the same way, mama." I said.

"But you were only four years old." Mama said. "She's almost ten. She should be fine." I could tell she was ready to go on one of her famous rants.

"She'll warm up soon enough, Rosa." Papa said. "Just give her time." After listening to mama rant a bit more, and helping her clean up, I decided to go up to bed. Liesel was laying there, staring at her book.

"So you like to read?" I asked. Liesel looked up at me, fear in her eyes.

"No." She muttered.

"So you just carry a book?"

"I never learned how to read."

"Oh." We were silent. "I could teach you, or papa can. He taught me to read, too." The girl just nodded, but I was happy. I had gotten her to talk to me.

I went over and sat on the edge of her bed. "I was scared when I first came here, too, you know." Again, the girl looked up at me, but not in fear - more of a curious look.

"You were brought here, too?" She asked.

"When I was only four." I said. "My mother had died, and father couldn't keep me on his own, so I came here."

"Oh... I lost my brother and my mama."

"I heard. Look, I know it's scary here. When I came, I was scared, too. But you'l get used to it. And mama and papa... they're great parents. Despite her toughness, Mama has a very big heart. She just has a strange way of showing it. And papa has an even bigger heart. You'll be able to get used to him, trust me." I got back up and went over and got into my bed. "And I promise I'll try and be the best big sister I can be." For the first time, a small smile graced Liesel's face. 

"Ok." She said. "Goodnight, Adeline."

"Goodnight, Liesel." I closed my eyes. Seeing Liesel come here brought back a lot of memories of my childhood. I was excited to watch her grow up, and I knew how hard it was to be moved to a new, strange home. So I would help make it was easy as I could.