July 4, 2008

Fall of Berlin

Adelaide had to run to keep up with her mamma. Mamma was terrified, and she screamed for Adelaide to hurry up. There was a screaming whistle. Everyone on the street scattered. Adelaide turned and ran to one of the few remaining buildings with doorway arches. Her mamma was right beside her. Adelaide buried her face into her mamma's dusty, old, scratchy jacket. It was also smelly. There was no more heat in the city, and so mamma and Adelaide had started wearing their jackets during the day. It was cold without it. With no more heat, meant that there was no more hot water. Then there was no water coming out of the taps at all. Food rations became smaller and smaller.

The bomb hit the middle of the street. Adelaide was pelted with bits of sharp concrete. She felt her mamma slump against her. Adelaide pulled her face away from her mamma. She looked at her right side- the side that was exposed to the shrapnel. None of her coat had any new holes in it. She looked out on the street and saw other people running. Ears ringing madly, she turned to her mamma. Her mamma was leaning against the wall, head down. When Adelaide took another step back, her mamma slid down. She looked a bit like a rag doll. Adelaide yelled for her mom to get up. But there was no response from her mamma. Adelaide stepped forward and lifted her mamma's head with her two hands. There was a small hole in the side of her mamma's head, and a tiny trickle of blood ran down her face.

Adelaide felt a tear run down her check. Vati had told her not to cry. He told her that just before he was dragged off to prison by the police for spreading what the Nazis called "lies". Mamma also told her not to cry. But even with those words ringing in her ears, Adelaide continued to allow the tears to flow, even as the bombs fell on her city.

Author Notes: Vati is German for daddy, Mamma is German for mommy, and what the Nazis call "lies" are basically any true statements about the War and the Nazi party.