شنبه، ششم می ۱۹۴۴

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

Saturday, 6 May 1944

It is hard to believe it when Jan, Mr Kugler and Mr Kleiman tell us about the prices of food in the outside world. Everything is so expensive, and people buy and sell on the black market.

One person can sell you a little bit of wool, another some ration books, and another some cheese. Stealing and murder happen every day. Even the police and the night watchmen are doing it. Everyone wants food to put in their stomachs, and they can’t earn enough money to eat.

Monday, 8 May 1944

Have I ever told you anything about my family? I don’t think I have, so let me begin. Father was born in Frankfurt-am-Main, and his parents were very rich. Michael Frank, his father, owned a bank.

When Father was young, there were parties and dances every week, and they lived in an enormous house. But when his father died, most of the money was lost, and after the Great War and the problems in Germany, there was nothing left at all.

Mother’s family wasn’t so rich, but they had quite a lot of money, and she also tells us stories of private dances and parties with 250 guests.

We’re not at all rich now, but I hope things will be good after the war. I’d like to spend a year in Paris and London, to learn the languages and study art history.

I’ve told you before, I want to see the world and do all kinds of exciting things! And a little money will be very useful!

Friday, 19 May 1944

I felt awful yesterday. I was sick, and had a headache. I’m feeling better today. I’m very hungry, but I won’t eat the beans that we’re having for dinner.

Everything is going fine between Peter and me. We kiss each other goodnight every evening, and he always asks for another kiss. He’s so happy to know that somebody loves him!

I’m not so close to him now as I was. My love hasn’t grown colder, though. Peter’s a lovely boy, but I’ve closed the door to the Anne deep inside. If he wants to find her again, he’ll have to break down the door!

Monday, 22 May 1944

We’ve heard something very sad and frightening. It seems that a lot of people are thinking differently about us Jews now. People are against us who were once totally on our side.

Some Christians are saying that the Jews tell secrets to the Germans. They say that the Jews are telling the authorities about their helpers, and then those people are arrested.

And then, of course, the punishments that they get are terrible. Yes, it’s all true. But they should ask themselves this: if Christians were in our place, would they behave differently?

Could anyone, Jew or Christian, stay silent when the Germans are trying to make them talk? Everyone knows that it’s almost impossible, so why do they ask us, the Jews, to do something impossible?

I have only one hope: that the Dutch will not be against us for long. They should remember again in their hearts what’s right, because this isn’t right at all.