Shmuel"s Adaptation

Today was a sadder day for Shmuel. Something about how the air was or how the fence was much colder to the touch then when he was first brought to this hellish place sent a wave of sadness over him. But Shmuel's sadness didn't just come from the still air or the cold fence but from the cold ground which was all made of malnourished dirt, in a way the dirt was just like him malnourished. He was a very skinny boy and the skin that was hardly left on his small little boney body grew grey with discoloration from not being taken care of properly. But just in the second of Shmuel feeling bad for himself a moving dot in the distance caught his left eye. Shmuel was hesitant at first, not knowing whether to run or stay put but he had this feeling since this dot was not yelling or shooting at him it must not be anything trying to harm him, and let's be honest he was quite curious too. He sat watching the dot come closer, with every yard the dot came closer it seemed to change until it was close enough to resemble a young boy.

Soon they where face to face Shmuel sitting and the young boy standing. "Hello" said the boy. "Hello" said Shmuel. Shmuel thought the boy looked different, he was a little bigger than Shmuel and wasn't wearing pajamas nor did he have a armband but he did look to be around his age. The young boy talked to Shmuel for a little before he sat down the same way Shmuel was, Cross legged. As they continued to talk Shmuel found out that the little boy lived on the opposite side of the fence, in the house off in the distance that Shmuel had seen only once. After that the little boy said his name was Bruno so, Shmuel told Bruno what his name was. Bruno didn't understand how to pronounce Shmuel's name at first so he said it for him again. Shmuel asked for Bruno's name again too, while nodding happily Shmuel said the boys name out loud. Shmuel was then asked how old he was, With a little finger counting and remembering Shmuel told Bruno his age and his birth day, which seemed to be such a surprise to Bruno. Shmuel didn't quite understand what was so surprising so, Bruno told him that they were almost like twins because they were the same age and born on the same day, August 15, 1934 making them both 9 at the time. After that they both talked for a great while, then both saying good bye and making plans to see each other again, got up and went in their own directions.

For many following days, up to almost a year, the two met every day in the afternoon. During those following visits came many questions from Bruno. Shmuel listened to Bruno talk about his life and how he moved of so suddenly, and how in a way they were alike, in moving suddenly and all. Shmuel didn't see it that way, he suffered more that it seemed possible for Bruno to even comprehend. But knowing all this it seemed that Bruno was itching to ask Shmuel something, and he did he asked Shmuel what his life was like back where he came from.

"All I know is that before coming here I lived with my mom and father and my brother Josef, in a small flat above the store where my father worked."

"What did he do for work." asked Bruno.

"He was a watch maker, and every morning at 7 o'clock we all ate breakfast together and when my brother and I went to school he would fix watches brought to him and made new ones too. He gave me the most beautiful watch I had ever seen it had a gold face, I wound it up every night and it always told the right time."

"What happened to it?" asked Bruno.

"They took it from me." Said Shmuel.

"Who?"

As if it was the most obvious thing Shmuel said, "The soldiers, of course" To Shmuel's dismay it would seem Bruno was left in the dark when it came to Shmuel's side of the fence. I guess in a way it was a good thing, to keep a child's innocence in the light, but to what extent, to the extent of the dying is what it seemed. Not being the bearer of bad news Shmuel did not go to deep into the matter, instead he just considered the following questions and his answers for them. Like a fast flying white-throated needletail the hours in the afternoon flew by, before the two had even noticed the sky shed layers of light and was showing signs of night time hours. With a glace at the sky the two boys realized it was time for them to go their separate ways and sleep away the hours remaining before they see each other again. Shmuel sat, legs crossed as Bruno stood up and started to walk his path back to his own home. Bruno had only gone a few steps when he turned around and the two of them said goodbye. Shmuel didn't get up until Bruno was out of sight, then he sat up, turned around and went his own way.