2. Dear Diary,
I don’t even know how to say this. Every time I
think of that day, my tears damp the pages, and I hold you to
my chest as I cry myself to sleep. Why is life so cruel? Why
did Werner, my dearest brother and friend have to die? He
doesn’t deserve it! Nightmares invade my sleep, and every
night I wake up, not being able to fall asleep again.
Sadly, there is no one to answer my questions, my family is all
gone, leaving me in a place called Molching, with a new Papa
and Mama.
Love,
Liesel
3. Dear Diary,
I didn’t tell you this, but it’s a secret I’ve been hiding. I stole a
book. That day at the cemetery, while they were burying Werner, a book
fell out of a grave digger’s pocket. I don’t know what it says, but it is still so
important to me. It’s the last time I saw my brother, and mother.
Luckily, Himmel Street isn’t so bad, I made a new friend! Rudy Steiner. He
is a few months older than me, and is my neighbor. Apart from the fact
that he keeps calling me ‘Little Saumensch’ (and I call him Saukerl) He is
the best friend I ever had. My Mama and Papa are also very
caring, although mama shouts a lot, she still cares about me, and these
days, Papa is there to calm me down when I wake up from a nightmare.
I need to go now, I can hear Rudy knocking on my door to play soccer
together.
Love,
Liesel
4. Dear Diary,
I know you won’t believe this, because I don’t
myself, but I have started reading! Papa discovered my
book, and apparently it’s called ‘The Grave Digger’s
Handbook.’ Figures. What else would a grave digger be
reading? At night when I wake up, Papa helps me learn
words, and we read a chapter of the book together. He is very
benign, and when I sometimes forget the easiest words, he
encourages me. I am nearly half way through ‘The Grave
Digger’s Handbook,’ but I don’t know what I will read after
this…
Love,
Liesel
5. Dear Diary,
As I write this, I am scared and confused. A strange man
just arrived at our house today, he looked too bony and his clothes
were grimy. He gulped down a bowl of mama’s pea soup and
vomited it all out again. No one’s telling me much, but Mama and
Papa were very willing to accept him into the house. He’s sleeping
in the basement now, because he needs to ‘hide’. I’m not sure from
what, but it must be important. Papa told me I must tell nobody
about him, EVER. He makes me think of myself though, I arrived
at Himmel Street in a state quite like him, maybe he will become
my friend too, Papa says he dreams like me.
Love,
Liesel
6. Dear Diary,
It’s freezing in the house, and Max is sick. He hasn’t
woken up for days, we are all so worried. I can’t lose my friend, we
shared so many unforgettable moments over the last few months,
he can understand me, and I can understand him. When I come
back from school each day, I read a few chapters of the book I stole
in the summer to him. He just lies there motionless, and I’ve
noticed his hair is like feathers. He said he was going to fight the
Führer, but how is he supposed to do that when he’s not even
waking up, where is the strength he uses to kill the Führer, it can’t
be gone! Please Max, stop sleeping, wake up now, you’ve been
resting for days…
Love,
Liesel
7. Dear Diary,
The truth is undeniable, but I don’t want to
believe it, I can’t. If only Papa hadn’t given bread to the
Jews, he wouldn’t have gotten whipped, the Jew wouldn’t have
gotten whipped, and we wouldn’t have to make Max
leave, before he got whipped out of the house. But I don’t
blame Papa, I would’ve done the same, but I can’t stand Max
leaving. It’s arranged that Papa will meet him at the Amper
River 5 days later, but no one has told me what will happen
next. If all goes well I might be able to see Max again, but I
can’t imagine what will happen if it didn’t...
Love,
Liesel
8. Dear Diary,
So many people died today I might as well just take my own life. There would be
no one left to pity me, Mama, Papa, Rudy, even Frau Holtzapfel. They’re all gone. The Bombs
dropped on Molching took all my loved ones’ lives, I’m the only one left.
The scene of bombs raining down and attacking our house and the rest of Himmel street are
still as clear as crystal printed into my head. For the 59th time, I was reading ‘The Word
Shaker’, while thinking about Max. Suddenly the ceiling collapsed and covered both my legs
to the floor. My mind went blank for the longest few seconds of my life and I suddenly
remembered everyone else, everyone else that ended up dying today. After what seemed like
forever, I was reluctantly dragged out of the rubble by some men. My first instinct was to
look for Rudy, if he was here I would at least have a friend to be with. I did find him. He was
asleep with his sister by his side, both of them perished. I still remember his taunting
taunting voice when I first met him ‘How about a kiss, saumensch?’ Today I did kiss
him, granting his wish, hoping maybe he would see me from heaven.
I later found out the hard way that everyone else died, it is too painful seeing papa lying
motionless, like an accordion, and now, I am sleeping on the too-soft bed of the mayor’s
house, on the bed of their son, who died too, in a war, years ago…
Love,
Liesel
