Dear Clara

Our New Life

Dear Clara,

It has been exactly one year since we have gone into hiding. I've adjusted quite well and being quite is just another skill I've gained. You should see Anna now she can walk and started to talk in short sentences. Marie is always wanting out and her and Mother are always bickering on her ideas for her future. Marie wants to go to travel to places like New York, Paris and even Rome she wants to become a fashion designer. Mother wants her to stay in the Netherlands and get her receptionist job back Mother is always complaining that she'll be dead before she has any grandchildren Marie will then get offended and storm out. I have just stayed the same as always I've kept to myself and I just talk to Hannah all day. Father found a trapdoor in the ceiling leading to a large room, Hannah and I we're given the room and that is where I am every day. I would like to know tell you the most interesting part about our hiding place. Normally there is a door leading into our room it used to be the storage room for the Bakery. You see Mr. Hausser nailed a large wardrobe in front of the door so you open the wardrobe doors, then there is many coats hanging in front of the sheet of wood that you can move, then after all that you walk into a sort of hallway where there is a door, you open that to reveal our room. I know that was a lengthy sentence but I had to tell you. You will not be getting this letter until the war is over and we are safe. I hope I will be able to deliver this in person.

Violet

"I told you! Gorge we should have moved to London when we had the chance! Now look we are here in the storage room of the bakery eating scraps like rats!" my Mother was waving her hands around the room and fell onto the sofa when she finished. 

"Elisa we are fine I tell you. Look at us compared to the others if we had stayed in our house we would have been taken away by now." Father tried to comfort my crying mother.

"It's just not fair, what in God's name have we done? Just because we are Jewish doesn't mean we are bad!" Marie joined in on the conversation.

"Papa what have we done to Hitler to make him feel this way?" Marie's voice changed in volume from loud to soft with fear.

"Ree we haven't done anything to that man but he has done lots to us." my Mother cried harder as my Father spoke he clenched his hands into fists and his knuckles turned white. 

"Why does Hitler not like us?" I was leaning against the wall not speaking but know I actually had a question so I joined the conversation.

"I don't know Kleine, I don't think anyone knows." 

"How long has this war dragged on? About a year and a half almost two?" my Mother stopped crying to speak.

"Why haven't they come yet? Where's the British? Where's the Americans? Where's the Canadians? Don't they see us suffering our people have died for nothing our people are innocent!" 

"Darling they're coming the allies are coming and they will save us." my Father smoothed out Mama's hair.

"Do you know what I heard? Those 'Work Camps' they are Jewish torcher sites and death camps!" Father stared at Mother in disbelief then looked at Hannah. A tear rolled down Hannah's cheek she quickly wiped it away.

"Death camps? Torcher sites? Is this true have they really murdered my parents and my brother?" 

"No Hannah those are just misunderstood rumors." my Father eyed my Mother she looked down in shame.

"I apologize Hannah, forgive me for speaking like that." Hannah nodded and Mother gave her a hug.

"Now why are we dreading on what ifs? What do you want to do after liberation?" my Father put on a peppy smile and stood up.

"I want to... hug my parents again!" Hannah bounced off the sofa out of Mama's arms.

"I would like to dance again!" Marie gabbed Anna's hands and she danced around the room with her.

"I want to be able to go to all my favourite shops again!" Mama cried out dramatically.

"After liberation I will grab my bicycle and just ride!" Papa said. I thought as everyone turned to face me waiting for my answer.

"When we are liberated I will... I will do everything!" 

"Everything? What do you mean Kleine?" 

"Daddy I will sing and dance and eat until I'm sick then shop the night away!" I could imagine the whole idea in my head, every last detail.

"And you Anya want do you want to do?"

"I... want... to... play... and... make... friends!" Anna giggled after she was done and we all laughed with her.

That night was the best night we had in a very long time, I how ever couldn't get my mother's words out of my head 'torcher sites! Death camps!' after I closed my eyes I started to see images of dead bodies and starving children. I saw scary SS guards caring guns shooting people down as they fell to the ground. I heard screams of the innocent and could smell the dead decaying bodies. I screamed and a SS guard came up to me and started to shake me. As I screamed some more I saw Hannah's parents they where thin and beaten up. The worst part was I didn't see her brother. 'Torcher sites! Death camps!' I screamed louder now another guard came to me and started yelling at me in a language I didn't understand. I felt something hit my face I opened my eyes and saw Hannah, my sisters and parents.

"Kleine what was your dream about?" my Father sat down beside me on my bed. I looked at everyone's faces they all looked frightened even Anna who was in my Mother's arms had tear stricken red cheeks.

"What do you mean Papa?" I didn't want to recall the horrible nightmare I had just witnessed. My Father just stared at me wide eyed.

"Kleine, you where screaming and crying." Papa tried to say this as calmly as possible.

"What was I saying?" I asked.

"Well at first you where just screaming, loudly I might add. Then as I started to shake you awake you screamed the phrase Kill me now over and over. So I will ask again what was your dream about?"

"I was in work camp or at least I think I was, there was dead bodies and crying starving children everyone was sad and looked as thin as paper. I started to scream and the SS came up to me they didn't hurt me just shook me. I was thinking kill me now because of how terrible the sight was I was so scared." Papa told everyone to leave and Hannah to go back to bed. I started to cry and hugged my Papa.

"It's okay Kleine you will be fine, those where rumors your Mother heard at a salon of some sort. No one and I mean no one would ever do that to anyone no matter how they look or what their religion is." I believed him I didn't not want to believe him I wanted my nightmare to stay a nightmare and not a reality. But I was wrong.