شنبه، یازدهم جولای ۱۹۴۲

CHAPTER FIVE

Saturday, 11 July 1942

The others can’t get used to the big clock outside which tells the time every quarter of an hour. But I like it, specially at night. I don’t feel at home here yet.

I don’t hate it though. It is like a holiday in a strange little hotel. My bedroom was very empty when I arrived, but I’ve stuck up pictures of my favourite film actors and actresses. It’s a lot better now.

Margot and Mother are a bit better now too. Yesterday Mother cooked some soup for the first time, but she went downstairs to talk and forgot all about it!

The beans were burnt black, and we couldn’t get them out of the pot!

Last night, the four of us went down to the private office to listen to the news from the BBC in England on the radio. I was so frightened that I asked Father to take me back upstairs!

I thought someone might hear it. We have to be very quiet at night.

Friday, 14 August 1942

I haven’t written for a month now, but not much has happened. The van Daans arrived a day early, on July the 13th.

The Germans were calling up a lot of people, and they thought it was safer to come early. Peter, their son, is a shy boy of almost sixteen. I don’t think he will be a very interesting friend.

We all share our meals now, and after three days we began to feel like one big family! The van Daans told us a lot of news. People think we are escaping to Switzerland!

Although one woman says that an army lorry took us away in the middle of the night! And another family say that they saw all four of us riding on our bikes early one morning!

Friday, 21 August 1942

Now our Secret Annexe is really secret! Mr Kugler has built a bookcase over our little entrance. It opens like a door.

It’s a beautiful day outside, nice and hot. We can still enjoy it, lying on a bed in the attic.