Author's Note: Please respect the character's religious beliefs. Thank you.
"But, I can still work!" I said to him. The Nazi shook his head and grabbed me by the arm. "Please!" I screamed, "Don't kill me!" He leaned closer to me and in my great surprise, whispered in Polish, "I'm not going to kill you. You're being moved from kitchen duty to photography." My heart slowed but suddenly it picked up again. "Photography?" I said, slowly. My mind raced. Photography in Westerbork? "Yes," the young soldier said. "The photographer takes pictures of soldiers and their families and he needs someone to put the pictures in envelopes and address them." I must've still looked scared because he said, "Don't worry. It's not that hard."
I was shaken. He was so kind!
"We would have given it to another soldier but there are none available so we gave it to a Jew."
My kindness toward him hardened. He grabbed my hand and marched me toward a row of barracks.
Like a vacuum, I found myself being sucked back into Dr. Alfred's office. "Yes, retirement," he said. "You'd receive a check every other month and you would get a total of $25,000 a year." My eyes slowly closed but a smile came upon my face. "Thank you," I said. "But my place is teaching students. I need to teach them about the Jewish religion." Dr. Alfred took off his thick glasses. "Patty," he squeaked calmly, "I'm not asking you this. I'm telling you this. You need to leave." My eyes squinted. "Three more months," I said. "Then I'll leave. Take it or leave it." Dr. Alfred shook his head from side to side but said, "Three months, Patty. That's all." "I understand Dr. Alfred," I whispered. "Thank you." I wiped my tears on the back of my hand as I turned away. And when I walked out of the room I could feel Dr. Alfred smiling behind my back.
That afternoon, as I slowly peeled the bright oranges from the grocery store the front door swung open. Mandelina walked in.
Before I even opened my mouth she calmly said, "Aunt Patty, I need to tell you something." I laughed. "Alright, but you don't mind if I cook these orange peels do you?" She shook her head and sat at the table. I put a frying pan on the stove and heated it up. I discretely looked over at Mandelina and she swallowed nervously. She opened her mouth and shut it again. At last she blurted out, "I want to transfer schools!" As I sprinkled sugar around the bottom of the pan I asked, "Why?"
"Well," she said quietly. "I've been with the same people in the Jewish school for almost 10 years and I feel the need to meet some new people." The frying pan hissed and sputtered as the sugar quickly became a sticky liquid. "I understand," I said, peeling a second orange. "So where would you like to go?" Mandelina suddenly became very quiet. We sat in silence. At last, Mandelina said, "St. Cathryn's."
My hand slipped and the orange tumbled to the floor. I grew still but there was something in her eye that sparkled so I laughed.
"Why on earth would you want to go to a Catholic school?" I chuckled, picking up the orange. Mandelina eyed me. "It's just that, well," she stammered, "I don't want to be Jewish anymore!"
My heart fluttered and my breathing became short. "Wha-wha-" I stammered.No. NO! I wouldn't let her! Our whole family was Jewish! For over 1000 years we've practiced the Jewish religion! "No," I said calmly, concentrating on peeling my orange. "You will continue to go to Jewish school." Mandelina's face hardened. "I'm Christian, Aunt Patty. Mother was one and I want to be one too."
I stood and dropped the orange peels in the spitting frying pan. They sizzled and I tossed them around a bit, letting the sugar coat them with a sweater of syrup. "Your father, my nephew, were Jewish. Me and my brother were Jewish! My mother and father were Jewish! Back and back and BACK!" I yelled, flipping the orange peels a little too hard. "Just because your mother was Christian doesn't mean you have to!"
Mandelina stood. "I'm not going to Jewish school anymore, Aunt Patty. I'm going to Catholic school." And with that, she left.
-msof57
Author's Note: Be kind in the BBS.
