5

My great grandmother and her friend were only on the phone for a-little over an hour; but, it seemed like forever. 

“Okay, sorry about that.” She apologizes as she sits down. “So, like I was saying, everything was normal again. Until one day, I was at school. I was sitting in math class, my favorite; when the principal came in. He opened the door, and asked me to follow him to the office. All of my friends stared at me, wide-eyed. I had never gotten in trouble-except maybe one or two times for talking. 

“Once we got to the office, I seen my mother standing in there, holding my brother, and our dog beside her on a leash. She was crying. I fast-walked into the room. ‘Mother, what’s going on?’ I asked. ‘Your- your aunt, she’s- she’s.’ my mother tried to explain, but she was too choked up. ‘What?’ I had already gotten an idea of what she was trying to say. I just wanted to find out I was wrong. ‘She’s dead.’ my mother finally said. It was a good thing there was a chair directly behind me, because my legs gave out. 

“I was too shocked to cry. ‘What- what happened?’ I asked, my voice shaky. ‘The Nazis.’ my mother answered. I should've known it was stupid to go back to our old home. Why wouldn’t the Nazis know to find us there. 

“‘What are we going to do? We’re not safe home, it doesn’t seem where safe anywhere.’ I asked my mother. ‘No, I know where we can go; and we’re leaving now. Your bags are in the car.’ We ran out to the car, and she began to speed down the road. Faster than I was back in Germany. ‘Mother, where are we going?’ I asked her. ‘Alaska. We’re going to stay with some family friends.’ she finally answered. 

“‘How do you know the Nazis won’t find us there?’ I asked. ‘Because, these friends are very secluded. You’ve never met them, and they’ve had no connections with your father.’ I nod, and don’t ask anymore questions.”