Dear Clara

Hope

Dear Clara,

We have been here for days. The journey to Sweden was three whole days by the end of the trip Madison and I were dying of thrist and hunger. I am just glad we are here and alive. This is the frist letter I've written on paper to you in I don't know how long! I hope things are looking great in England. Switzerland is beautiful I love it here. Madison and I have been living in a orphanage for war children, here we are excepted no matter what religion we are and life is one again bearable. Now all we have to do is wait for the war to end because Hitler can't hurt us anymore. I must go now sorry that this letter is a short one, I miss you dearly Clara take care.

Violet

I made my bed proudly loving the fact that I had sheats and that I acutally had a bed of my own. Madison and I were weak when got there but the nurses here were kind to us and they are the reason I am not begging on the streets or worse dead. Life here is beautiful compared to my old life of torment and pain but it isn't perfect. I do not have my parents or sisters and I do not speak this country's language.

Here the other girls are depressed sometimes because of where they are. The thing that bothers me most is when they whine all they want but they do not know suffering. The only thing worse than having your parents dead is not knowing that your parents are dead. I am being trailed on hoping for the best but may end up getting a smack of reality in my face that father is dead along with mother.

"Vio do you think the war will ever end?" Madison asked as she braided a strand of hair on her already perfectly made bed.

"Yes, it's just a feud it must end at some point... I just hope they will make it until then." I sat beside her.

"We are selfish, if anyone needs to die it is us!" Madison let a few tears drip from her eyes reflecting her sadness.

"We did what we had to do... selfish or not all we can do now is pray." I grabbed her hand and we closed our eyes. I pleaded to God for him to spare my Father's soul. For him to give Anna a better life then what she was supposed to revive and that Hannah finds her family where ever they may be.

"Why did he spare us? There were children Anna's age there and pregnant women who died because they weren't what he wanted them to be. How are we any different?" Madison looked at me wide eyed. Her question was a common one I get now from anyone whom I tell my story to. Instead of their Grandmother or mother or brother or uncle God spared me and my friend from the doomed fate that might have become of me.

"I do not know, just embrace the fact that the good Lord graced is with the gift of life and that we are here now together." That is the only answer I can give to these questioned souls, for the rest of my life all I could say was I don't know. Because I didn't know and I'll never know.

Mother Blom came into our room looking excited and vibrat as she always did frantically sputtering Swedish to the girls who started to jump and giggle as she finished her sentence. Then she walked over towards us taking proud strides as she walked. I looked at Madison in confousion she looked back shrugging.

"Girls there is a couple from Germany who would like to adopt!" she looked at us wideeyed smiling so much that it looked almost painful.

"But Mother Blom there are many orphans in Germany why have they come here?" Madison asked couriously.

"They moved here because of the war and theyhave always wanted a child, they speak perfect German and some Dutch. Both are originally Swedish so they also speak that." she stopped surprised at our blank expressions.

"Girls you do not realize ow rare it is to find couples willing to adopt espeacially girls at your age, and they speak your language! This is a extremely rare opperuntity for the both of you!" she reached for my hands looking at me with hope on her aging face.

"Thank you so much." I lied I didn't want to go to a new family I wanted my family! But I couldn't have my family since they were gone. Madison would probably be miserable if she was adopted since she will never give up on her mother, even if she saw her die in front of her eyes as I did mine.

"Yes thank you." Madison whispered looking down. She lied as well.

"Well then I'll see you in an hour, don't be late!" she stood up and ordered something in Swedish to the other girls then left the room.

For the next hour out room was filled with young girls walking around gitty with excitement. All were changing clothes and brushing their hair. Madison and I tried combing threw ours with each others fingers and stood in the same clothes we had on since we came to the orphanage. Then a girl who looked about twelve came over to us. Her hair hung from her shoulders like thin long strands of gold. She held two folded pieces of cloth in front of her chest. She looked at me with big sparkling bright blue eyes and smiled as she handed them to me.

"Wilma." she said as she pointed to her chest then extended her hand to greet us.

"Violet, Maddison." I pointed to Madison and I and we all shook hands. But our introduction was all we could say as a conversation since we both spoke a different language.

The hour passed faster then I expected. Madison had her hair in messy frizzy braids and mine was down which made it appear messier then it should have looked. I wanted my long hair back but instead I had hair that came to about my ears. Madison's grew fast and just about hung over her shoulders when down. We stood in a orderly line up awaiting to meet the potential parents. Then they came.

The woman, Mrs. Gillard, had blonde hair that was almost white as her fair skin as well as sky blue eyes. I could tell she was from Swedish. Her husband, Mr. Gillard, looked completely different with his mocha hair and bushy mustache. He looked down at me with eyes so brown they were almost black. At first they were introduced to the others in Swedish then Mother Bolm translated for us. Each child got their own one on one time with the Gillard couple. Then my turn came.

"Sitta ner kära." Mr. Gillard said motioning to the chair. I looked at them then at Mother Blom who sat in the corner to supervise.

"I am Dutch sir." I explained still standing.

"Oh that's splendid! I said sit down dear." the corner of his pale thin lips turned up, in some ways he reminded of Papa. I smiled back and sat down.

"So what is your name darling?"

"My name is Violet Baker Sir." I looked at Mrs. Gillard she remained silent.

"Ah, Violet a beautiful young woman named after a lovey flower."

"Thank you Sir." I smiled shyly wanting to make a good impression.

"How old are you Violet?" Mrs. Gillard piped up looking me dead in the eye. She was quieter then her warm delightful husband. Even her voice sounded unsure if she had chosen the right words.

"I am fifteen now." Mrs. Gillard gave her husband a strange look then started at him in Swedish

"Excuse us Violet, now tell us about yourself." Mr. Gillard gave me a warm smile his wife just stared at me.

I stared back.