Beths hope part 4

 

I ran over to her.

“What happened?” I said.  Normally, Anne was a good natured, happy person, but not today.  She took a deep breath,  “I was walking to school and some big boys threw me on the ground.  They hit me and spat on me, and called me a dirty Jew.  Then they left and I went on to school to tell on them.  But the teacher didn’t believe me so she said that for lying I had to stand in the front of the class.”

        My teacher was a fat old lady named Miss Helga.  Anne started to cry. 

“Beth”, she said in a sad whisper.  “Why did this happen to me?”

 All I could do was hug her, because I didn’t know.  She was shaking with sobs. 

“I want to go home Beth, I just want to go home.”

 Miss Helga came into the room. She did not look happy; she almost looked scared.

 “Miss Helga”, I started, “this girl needs to go home.  See what has happened?”  I suddenly realized that several kids were up there, and they had been beaten also. Miss Helga looked at me.  Anne had stopped crying

and stood straight as a board.  I was the only person still standing, besides those in the front of the class room.  Miss Helga stood up and said

 “Beth Schmidt, you mind what you say.  This girl is a liar and she will keep standing.”

 I looked at John.  He was mad, I could see that.

“She didn’t lie, Anne would never lie about this why don’t you believe me?” I asked in panic. 

“Because she is a Jew, and Jew’s cannot be trusted!” she said sternly.  “Now I am head of this room, and I am just doing my job and what I think is right.  What I say goes, so sit down Miss Schmidt.”

 I felt helpless and afraid.   I sat in my seat next to John. I looked at him, but he could not understand either.

After class, John and I ended up having to practically carry Anne home.  She put her arms around our necks, and we supported her with our shoulders.  All the way back I couldn’t get Miss Helga’s words about just doing her job out of my head.   I remembered Father saying those exact words.  “Just doing my job”. What kind of job would bring so much pain to others?  Something was very wrong, I just could not figure out what had caused all this.  John didn’t say anything on the way home.

 I walked into the house.  Momma rushed over to us, she took Anne from me and gently set her in a chair. 

“What happened, Beth?”

“Some boys hit her, and Miss Helga didn’t believe Anne was telling the truth, there were other kids who also got hurt but she didn’t believe them either, she said it’s because she is a Jew”

Anne’s mother came downstairs, gathered Anne in her arms, and carried her up the stairs.  I turned to my mother.  “Mamma, why did this happen?  I couldn’t do anything.  Many of the kids from my class were up on that platform, and I could do nothing for them.  I tried to send Anne home, but Miss Helga said I was not allowed to.”

 Mother hugged me and said, “You and so many people are struggling with the same problem.”  She started to cry.

 Later I went over to Mr. Becker’s shop.  John was already there, winding a purple clock that he and Mr. Becker made.

“Hi John”.  I grabbed the stool beside him.   “Where’s Mr. Becker?”

John didn’t look at me, but said angrily, “He went to deliver clocks.”

“Oh…, well, why didn’t you go with him?”

 “I just didn’t want to, OK!!!?” he said angrily.

 I jumped in shock and almost fell off my seat.  I put my hand on his shoulder.  “John, everything will be ok.  There’s nothing to be angry about.”

 “Nothing to be angry about?!!!” he screamed.  “Didn’t you see what happened to Anne today?”

“Yes, of course I did, but she’s okay now.  She’s asleep.”

“BETH!” he said enraged.   “Something is wrong and we have to do something about it!!” 

 I could not believe how he made it sound, like I a small little 11 year old was supposed to put an end to everything I couldn’t help but get angry “What, John? Just what do you want me to do?” I replied helplessly.   “I’m not yet 12 years old, what do you want from me?”

 He sat down.  “Beth, if I tell you something, do you promise not to tell?”

There’s a war starting.  I overheard my father talking to mother.  He said this

war will kill so many people that it will be hard to count the bodies when it’s all over.”

 “War?” I said. That scared me. My father had told me about war. His father had fought in the last war Germany had fought. Father said we had lost that war and that was part of the trouble now. He told me of guns and cannons. I knew that people fought over land and things. While I was thinking about all of this, Mr. Becker walked in.  He was wearing one of the gold stars on his vest like the rest. He brushed the snow from his shoulders and said, “What’s this war talk I’m hearing?”

 “Well”…

 John interrupted me.  “I already told him, Beth.”

“Yes, he did”, affirmed Mr. Becker.

War.  It was such a terrible thought.  I was scared.

“Well, now, that’s enough talk of war and things like that.  Listen you two, if there is a war, at least we have each other to help us get through it, okay?”   He went over behind the desk in the shop, took out a beautiful red box,

I opened the box and pulled out two beautiful gold watches that each hung by a chain.   He put one in my hand and the other in John’s.  On the back of the watches was an engraving that said, “Have hope,”  Our names were engraved on our watches.   Under my name the family of foxes was engraved. 

Author's Note

I wrote this when I was 10 and I have spent almost 7 years trying to get this edited and published, please give me feedback. The book is finished it is 416 pages I believe.

Reviews

[Undying Glory]

wow this was sure a great chapter, really loved this one, and the themes in this chapter. (not that i support anti-semitism, of course), on that note have you read the book "The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak? I think you would find it to be a great help in writing this book. great job here

[M Garcia]

Excellent..

[Calypso]

Very nice! This was very refreshing.

[KATHY SUE SILLS]

This is just awesome!

[KAREN]

I am enjoying reading this! Hope your dream of getting it published happens, I will buy my cop for sure!

[the_kate]

This is so amazing! Please keep going. This reminds me of The Boy Who Dared, by Susan Campbell Bartoletti. It's one of my favorite books, and this is quickly becoming one of my favorites as well! Are you sure you wrote this at age 10? I can't even write this good! Great book so far, PLEASE keep going with it! It also reminds me of Lord of the Nutcracker Men, by Iain Lawrence, although that book is told from an English boy's point of view. The suspense in this writing is just killing me, especially because I know what happens next in history. Please continue with this, I'm dying to know what happens next!

[Geralyn Miller]

I waant to read the rest of it very soon!!!!!!!

[Misty Blue Eyes]

wow what a great book for a10 year old to start. amazing