Daisies - Sammantha Lewis (essential books to read TXT) 📗

I remember a carefree time living in Poland when I was a child about the age of twelve. The phrase ‘ignorance is bliss’ applied in this case because all that mattered was playing and laughing with my friends. My father would spoil me. Oh, how I wish those days would return , but like every childhood mine came to an end. Mine ended on September 1, 1939. Or as most call it ‘the invasion of Poland’. Weeks before the invasion the polish army was defending Warsaw form Germany. Of course being a young, naïve ten year-old girl I only new that there was the sound of gun shouts all day long. Then finally I thought that all was well again on the 27th of September when I woke up to a silent morning. Because I was a ten year-old I didn’t under stand that this was because Warsaw Poland was now under the Nazi party.
It was going to be a normal day at school. My mother had dressed me in my uniform, braided my hair and I eat all of breakfast. I was about to leave and then my mother gave me my bag and straitened my bow on my shirt. I then open the door, but when I did so, my mother grabbed my arm. I looked up to see what she was doing. I saw mother looking around in total shock. I then looked to see what she was staring at, and I saw red long flags hanging everywhere. The flags had a white circle with a strange black symbol in it. I also saw all these people standing with their arms stretched out, and cheering as a man standing a car went by. I remember asking my mother,
“what are they doing?” My mother than yanked my inside the house, and yelled
“Arthur close the windows, lock the doors!” my father then came rushing.
“Bethany, what is going on?” my father look so scared.
“Oh God help us!” my mother was so scared that she began to cry. My mother had always been a strong woman so I was in stock to see her cry.
“What happened?“, my father grabbed mothers shoulders.
“The Germans; It finally happened. They won! what are we going to do? you've heard the stories about how much their leaders hates Jews and anyone who looks like one. We can't let them hurt her!” my mother then pointed at me. I was confused and did not understand what was going on
“They won’t hurt her.” My father wrapped his arms around her my mother then calmed down. She then walked over to me and told me,
“You can’t go to school today,” even though I was only twelve, I knew that something was wrong and it was going to get much worse.
Two years have passed since then and I am now 14 years-old. Ever since the Germans have arrived I have learned words like Nazi, Hitler youth, Jews, ethnic, Adolf Hitler, and swastika. I had even learned the entire language of German. Despite the war, I never lost sight of my goal, to be an Olympic runner.
One day as I was training, I passed some Nazi soldiers. Whenever I was training, I tried not to draw attention. When I got home my Mother walked out of the kitchen and said
“There she is! Poland’s future gold medalist, Allison Dubowsky!” my mother had always supported my dream of being a runner. The phone began to ring and my mother answered it
“Hello, Bethany Smith speaking; how my I help you?” she had always answered in a formal and professional way. After all she was my fathers secretary many years back.
“Yes, she is quite the runner.” when I heard this I began to take an interest.
“Oh my goodness. That would be wonderful thank you. I’ll tell her.” my mother then hung up and looked at me.
“Ally.” my mother looked so exited.
“Yes?” I answered in a suspicious tone.
“You’re going to be in the six mile race!” when I heard her say that we both squealed with joy.
“Wait there’s more.” she looked like she was about to burst.
“How could there be more good news? This is incredible.” This was what I needed to help me to be a runner.
* Zloty is polish money, 1420 zlotys is equal to 431 U.S.A dollars today

.

“The grand prize is 1420 *Zlotys!” she was sure I would win. All I needed to do was to win.
"Well, when is it?" I had to now so I could trane twice as hard.
“Next month." mother then walked away.
She went into the cabinet, and pulled out a present.
"Knowing you, you'll train five times harder...so I think this will help." she handed me the present. I was in shock when I opened it. Inside the box was a new sport-siut.
It was a sleeveless V-neck top light blue and had my name embroidered on the back. The bottoms were the same color and knee length.
The day of the race arrived and I had been training for five days. I woke up like any other day. I told my mother and father to take the car. For I could not, due of my appearance.However they refused to do so. My mother and father had blond hair and blue eyes, and as for me, I had long brown hair, brown eyes, and a large nose. Which I looked just like my mother how was Hebrew. I had no issues with Jews or Hebrews; I had many friends that were Jewish. I just did not enjoy being called Jewish or being discriminated for my looks. I understand that my mother was Jewish, but I do not participate in the religion despite my looks. My parents adopted me when my late mother died so that is why they are not Jewish.
I ran as fast as I could to the race. My parents laughed as I ran ahead of them. My long hair was in a bun and I could feel the wind blowing past my face. I stopped in my tracks only to see a heart-breaking scene. The Nazi soldiers were at the gate of the arena to check passport. They did this so that Jews who did not wear the armband with the Star of David on their arm would be identified because your passport would say if you were Jewish. Jews were not allowed to participate in sporting events.
My heart almost stopped when I realized that I did not bring my passport. Just then, I felt my mothers hand on my shoulder.
"Is everything alright?" She asked me. I shook my head.
"I forgot my passport." I told her. She looked over to my father,
"Then we shall go back for it." He said. My eyes widened and I turned around to face him.
"No! There is not enough time for that!" It was true. it had taken us almost an hour to walk and the race was in fifteen minuets.
"Then what will you do?" My father asked in a challenging voice. I looked eyes with him and gave him a look of determination. I reached into my bag that I had on my shoulder, and pulled out my knitted cap and sweater. I put them on to hide my brown hair hoping I would be let through.
"I shall do what the other do. Walk by." I told him. He smiled and patted me on the back. My father walk closely in front of me. I gripped his long coat in my fist. My mother tried to his my from the soldiers view as her and my father proudly displayed their golden hair. As we passed him I slammed my eyes shut and prayed. Suddenly his arm shot in front of my father and stopped him.
"Passport." He told my father they both showed him their passports. His eyes locked with mine and he lowered him self to my eye level. I tried to hide my face in my fathers coat.
"Fräulein, you must show your passport." the solder was an elderly man. He had gray hair and frown wrinkles. He was the most terrifying man I had ever seen in my life.
"I...um ...forgot it." I tried not to look him in the eyes. He then ripped me from my parent and shoved me away.
"No Jews aloud." He gave me a sharp glare after he said that, but I was not ready to turn away.
"I’m not Jewish I’m a runner!" I could not let him judge me. My father stood in front of me in a protective manor. He glared at the man and said,
"Enough of this, Officer. I can assure you, my daughter is not lying." I couldn't help but to fell smug at that comment.