I am now sitting here in front of the computer instead of sitting in a chair at school, working on my project. Remember? The one that's been making me crazy? I have promised to myself that I will devote this day to finishing up this story, no matter what. Know what I've finished so far? The introduction, the beginning, the one that is supposed to be easy to write. Geez I didn't know writing a sort-of-novel story was this hard! No wonder it takes writers months and years to write their books. I'm fully satisfied with my introduction except I wrote another different introduction when I started writing and when I read it again, it was so beautiful. It's such a shame that Iwon't be able to use it in my story! That's what I get for not thinking of the whole story first before starting to write it. Hmm maybe I should post it here?
Oh and you might be wondering, "why is she not in school today?" That is because I've developed a nasty cough, the kind that makes you feel like throwing up whenever you have a series of coughs. It's not as bad as yesterday but at least there's one good thing coming out of it. I get to be absent today, which is very lucky and convenient for me since my Holocaust story is due tomorrow. I was thinking yesterday that if I was absent, that would mean I had a whole day to write my story which was fabulous! I woke up at 11 though so I lost a lot of hours to work. Nonetheless, I'm happy I still have the remaining hours to finish it. My mom and grandma were doubtful yesterday (more so my mom) that I would actually do it but ha! I'm sure proving them wrong. But writing sure is hard to do for a long period of time. Maybe I need a break.
Anyway, as a reward for whoever has endured reading all my rants about this project, I've decided to publish what I wrote do far- my first chapter. Please keep in mind that I'm not a professional writer and so what I have written cost me a lot of hard work and sweat, not to mention stress. Now without further ado, I present the first chapter of my Holocaust story.
Recollections:
Based on the real life story of Henny Adler
By Sonia Ann Marie dela Cruz
Chapter 1
Squeak! Squeak! The wooden rocking chair creaked with age as it swayed back and forth, although it wasn't nearly as old as the one sitting on it. A light breeze blew ever so slightly, rustling the leaves of the trees and bushes nearby. "Ahhh, this day is like bliss," the chair's occupant sighed.
Suddenly the screeching of a car and the blare of loud music interrupted the serene peace the day held. Birds squawked and flew away at the noise. A door was slammed and soon footsteps were heard, getting louder and louder until they finally stopped before the blue porch steps.
"Hey Grandma Henny! It's me, Jake," the 10- year- old brunette boy began. "Um, you see, Mom and Dad dropped me off to stay with you today. I hope it's okay," he said, uncertain. He hasn't really spent much time at all with his grandmother. She would always bake him yummy cookies though, and for that she had a special place in his heart.
He waited for a response from his granny but didn't receive any. Jake Adler dropped his backpack and sat beside the gray-haired elder, observing her quietly.
He thought to himself, "Whoa! Grandma has more wrinkles than the last time I saw her at our family reunion! I wonder if she's sleeping or just didn't hear me. I mean, old people do have bad hearing after all. Should I check?" Indeed, he did check.
"GRANDMA HENNY! WAKE UP!" Jake screamed as loudly as he could. She jumped out of her chair like a surprised cricket. An infuriated glare was then directed toward Jake and he sank back in his chair, a bit scared. That look quickly changed to one of surprise.
"Oh my! Is that you, Jake? What are you doing here on this beautiful day? I thought you were going to go to the beach," Henny said, puzzled.
He stared down at his shoes and bit his lip, looking like a sad little puppy. "I was supposed to! I put bubble gum in my sister's hair while she was asleep, though, when we had a fight so I'm punished for a month. I'm not allowed to go to our planned family trips. Even though I'm being punished, my sister still sends death glares toward me whenever she sees me." He looked at his grandmother, listening attentively with a kind smile on her face. He gave out a sigh.
"Everything is so beautiful and carefree here in your house. Only you and Grandpa live here now. It must be so peaceful living here. In fact, I think your childhood was very peaceful too."
Henny looked at her talkative grandson and laughed. Jake was surprised.
"I could only wish I had your problems back then as opposed to what I went through. Even school was a privilege that I couldn't have," she answered matter-of-factly.
Suddenly becoming curious, Jake asked her gently," Grandma, what was it like when you were a kid?"
"Very hard, Jake. It was very hard," she breathed. She began telling him her story, starting from what it was like to be an 8- year- old when Hitler came into power. The sun was high in the sky. A passing bird cooed, crossing the tranquil clear sky, reminding her of unforgettable memories during her childhood.
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