For seven years, I have been thinking that 1933 was the best year in my life. For seven years, I didn't know the harsh truth. I guessed it wouldn't be nice, but I had no idea.
I had no idea.
What was my favourite law is now my nightmare. What was my happy childhood is now my horrified mind.
I had no idea.
I do now.
My name is Jana Albrecht. I was born in 1923. I am an Aryan German and I am seventeen years old.
They call me Jane now.
"Jane!"
Right on cue.
"Jane! I want to speak with you please."
"Meine Name ist Jana!" I snap at my mother.
"Wir wohnen jetzt in England. Du musst Englisch sprechen." she replies frostily.
"Du sprechst Deutsch." I point out.
"Jane. It's not for much longer. You'll see. Please. Sit down."
I sink into my seat, angrily.
"Otto!" she calls.
"Yes, I'm coming. You must call me Oscar here, though."
"What's going on? Mutter? Vater?"
"You must continue with your education. I want you to go to university." my father tells me, getting straight to the point as usual. He doesn't waste words in English.
My mother is nodding, her expression unreadable.
"Das ist sehr doof!" I exclaim without thinking. "Vater! They will find me out!"
"What do you mean?" my mother asks.
"I can't speak English all the time! It's hard!"
"That is why you are going to study the English language at a German university. It is forbidden to speak German there." my father tells me firmly.
"Bist du doof?" I say loudly, standing up.
"What did you say?" my mother says just as loudly, also standing.
"Mutter! I can't go to university in Germany! It's too dangerous! You know what we saw at the march." I plead.
"It is for the best. You will be safe there. Nobody will suspect a thing."
I don't want to go back.
No.
I can't.
It's too dangerous.
I know what I saw.
I know what they're hiding.
I can't.
"How will I get into Germany?" I demand.
"In the normal way." my father replies nonchalantly.
"Vater, I have a huge J stamped across my passport." I reason with him.
"We managed to get out."
"No, we emigrated secretly. There's a difference. I'm not setting foot in Germany again."
"It will keep all of us safe, Jana. You included." my mother says. I soften when she calls me Jana.
"I'm not getting persuaded that easily."
"Please. Go back and be the Jana Albrecht that we know and love. There's no point being called Jane any longer." my father says.
"Jana. Please." begs my mother.
"Ja, Mutter." I say eventually.
I instantly regret it.
YOU ARE READING
Living in the Music
Tiểu thuyết Lịch sửThis story is set in Nazi Germany. It will be in 2 parts - part one will be by Cobweb in the perspective of Jana and part two will be written by River in the perspective of Gunter.
