Streets of Poznan

Chapter 2

İ don't remember that day mainly because i was so terrified and traumatized. "Tata i don't want to eat this it looks ugly" "Anastasia mama spent all this time making this food wouldn't you feel bad for her if you didn't eat it? The pieces of broccoli will cry after you on the plate". no matter how much of a child Anastasia was she was considerate and thoughtful and knew that no matter how disgusting it was refusing to eat food is wrong. She slowly and carefully puts the pieces of broccoli in her mouth making a disgusted face while chewing. "Tata look its all finished!" "Well done to my little girl. Look even brat has finished his plate!" A loud and familiar ring broke apart our conversation "i'll get it". Mum rises from her seat to go and open the door. "Brat how many pieces did you have?" "I had four pi-". Just then a loud and deafening scream shook the house. it could only be one person.

"Mama!" Anastasia lets out a loud sob. "Oliwia!" *BANG* . like that mama was lying on the floor in a pool of blood with a hole in her chest. the last words that came out of her mouth were "Albin.. If something happens to Tata look after your sister. You will only have each other left" "mama! Don't close your eyes mama!". "Lass die kinder. Nimm den mann" a tall man that looked in his middle ages with black boots and a soldier uniform yelled that out to the other men. The only word i understood was mann that means man in... German!. These are.. Nazi soldiers!?

Anastasia had sprawled on the floor in dads arms sobbing loudly "Mama, mama!" Was all i heard with a few sniffs inbetween. "Nimm den mann!"  Suddenly, too suddenly Tata is dragged up by two men "Albin your sister! Your sister!" Tata dissappeared out of the door and was out of sight almost instantly. "Brat! Brat! Why isn't mama waking up?! Brat wake her up! Please brat! Brat!" That day i did something i had never done since Anastasia was first born.
Jedzle jedzle pan pan
Na koniku sam sam
A za panem chlop
Na koniku hup hup hup

Anastasia and i spent the night lying on the floor of our living room luckily the soldiers took away mama's body so we didn't have to see that all night. Anastasia was asleep in my arms thanks to the lullaby but i couldn't. Its hard for a 12 year old to sleep when their mum was shot and dad was dragged away in the middle of the night. I spent that night thinking about why no one in our 3 storey apartment had heard and come, or why the soldiers left us and took Tata and then shot mama.  I had finally managed to fall asleep but were woken up the next morning.

"Kinder,kinder!" That same soldier from yesterday was nudging me on the leg. I woke up with a scream. The soldier grabbed me by the back of my neck and lifted me up with one hand "was machst di hier?! Geh raus!! Geh raus!" All of a sudden i was being pulled by the back of my shirt with Anastasia sobbing and following me "brat! Brat!". "Geh raus!" . I am shoved outside with Anastasia pushed on top of me. "Brat where are we going to go now?" Anastasia had this voice that seemed like she was asking it like a normal question like our mum wasn't shot and our dad wasn't dragged away "i don't know Anastasia im not your baby sitter" i hadn't realised what i said until i had said it and before i knew it  Anastasia was hugging her knees and crying. It took me a while to calm her down "Anastasia it's okay come we will find a way out of this mess trust brat okay?" "Really? "Promise" seems like a big promise for a twelve year old but i promised to myself and to my little sister that i would keep it.

After that day i would always question why the Nazi soldiers attacked our house and killed our mother. I had pretty much figured out why no one in our apartment helped us. We live on the third floor so the soldiers probably went into the other homes before coming into our house. But then why didn't we hear gunshots? Why us?. These are some classic questions that come into my head when i can't sleep at night. With memories that haunt my mind.