Run My Darlings, Run
Chapter 6
The question, so innocent caught me off guard. When are we going home? How could I answer that? How could I tell her the truth? I couldn’t. I had to make something up.
“Well, when Mama and Papa come to take us home.” I chose my words carefully, not making a certain statement, not a full lie.
“When will they come?” Liesel asked, not convinced by my answer.
“When they get off the train they’ll come and get us, and then we’ll drive to our new house with the cows, and dollies, and puppies, and whatever else you wanted.”
This was the impossible dream that was in my head, some part of me wanted everything to turn out alright, that we would live happily ever after. But ‘Happily Ever After’ only happens in fairy tales.
“Wake up!” I told myself. “As if the Nazis will just let them off the train, let them come and get us and then just leave us alone as if this never happened. Mama and Papa are dead, and we’re going to follow them to the same fate.” It was only then that I realised I had said all of that out loud.
Liesel stared at me for a long moment. Then, she burst into tears.
“How could you?” she sobbed. “How could you?”Sinking to her knees, she pushed me away as I tried to comfort her. “No more words!” She screamed at me. “No more fake promises or lies. Look where words got Hitler! Since he used words to make it as if it’s our fault the whole nation is supporting him, blaming the Jews. I hate words! They are poison, filth, scum and I hate them!”
After this outburst she buried her face in her arms and no matter what I said she refused to come out. I didn’t want to believe it, but it was true. Words were the reason that the Führer ruled. Words were what made up the death camps and the burnings and the murder. Words were to blame for this mess we were in.
“Words are to blame for everything,” I whispered. Liesel still huddled in her ball, refusing to listen. “Words are what caused Germany to become what it is, the monsters that the people are, all because they were hand-fed lies of promises of greatness. Brainwashed by something as simple as words.” The more I said, the more I understood, and the more I understood, the angrier I became. And when I became just the slightest bit angry, the next little thing to go wrong sends me into a frightful temper. Liesel knew this, and popped her head to the side, calling me a very rude name, before retreating hastily back into her ball.
I stomped out of the clearing, and spent the next half hour or so chucking pebbles into a small stream. When all my anger was expelled, I stood up, and looked around. A sad, lonely feeling came over me. I had to find our parents. And the sooner, the better.
“Well, when Mama and Papa come to take us home.” I chose my words carefully, not making a certain statement, not a full lie.
“When will they come?” Liesel asked, not convinced by my answer.
“When they get off the train they’ll come and get us, and then we’ll drive to our new house with the cows, and dollies, and puppies, and whatever else you wanted.”
This was the impossible dream that was in my head, some part of me wanted everything to turn out alright, that we would live happily ever after. But ‘Happily Ever After’ only happens in fairy tales.
“Wake up!” I told myself. “As if the Nazis will just let them off the train, let them come and get us and then just leave us alone as if this never happened. Mama and Papa are dead, and we’re going to follow them to the same fate.” It was only then that I realised I had said all of that out loud.
Liesel stared at me for a long moment. Then, she burst into tears.
“How could you?” she sobbed. “How could you?”Sinking to her knees, she pushed me away as I tried to comfort her. “No more words!” She screamed at me. “No more fake promises or lies. Look where words got Hitler! Since he used words to make it as if it’s our fault the whole nation is supporting him, blaming the Jews. I hate words! They are poison, filth, scum and I hate them!”
After this outburst she buried her face in her arms and no matter what I said she refused to come out. I didn’t want to believe it, but it was true. Words were the reason that the Führer ruled. Words were what made up the death camps and the burnings and the murder. Words were to blame for this mess we were in.
“Words are to blame for everything,” I whispered. Liesel still huddled in her ball, refusing to listen. “Words are what caused Germany to become what it is, the monsters that the people are, all because they were hand-fed lies of promises of greatness. Brainwashed by something as simple as words.” The more I said, the more I understood, and the more I understood, the angrier I became. And when I became just the slightest bit angry, the next little thing to go wrong sends me into a frightful temper. Liesel knew this, and popped her head to the side, calling me a very rude name, before retreating hastily back into her ball.
I stomped out of the clearing, and spent the next half hour or so chucking pebbles into a small stream. When all my anger was expelled, I stood up, and looked around. A sad, lonely feeling came over me. I had to find our parents. And the sooner, the better.