The next day, we had roll call later than we usually do. I watched as Maria came in front of my line. She gave Emmett this look, like he was scum and she was inferier to him. But she really wasn't, we're all people, even if she doesn't treat us that way. Jasper came out later than Maria did, standing a lot closer to my line.
"I have harder work for you today. You are to move those large rocks to a much farther away part of the camp. You will be shown where to go", I didn't really have to listen to this and neither did Emmett or Rosalie because we worked in the kitchen everyday. I was greatful for that. Maria finished with,
"And as always, if you don't do what you're told, this...." She stopped when without warning, she hit Jasper in the back with her whip.
"Could happen to you", Maria continued. Jasper fell to the ground, screaming in pain. I guess only I heard Maria say under her breath,
"Damn Jew", As she walked away. A whistle was blown for us to get to work. Walking towards the kitchen, I watched as Avi, the same man that had helped him before, helped Jasper get up. Avi walked him over to the small building they were in last night. I entered the kitchen and noticed that Rosalie was crying as she continued cutting bread. I walked over to comfort her.
"Are you alright?" I asked, still hugging Rosalie.
"I want to get out of here and help Jasper", She replied through her cries. Emmett came in then and helped in comforting Rosalie. I went for a walk after Rosalie, Emmett, and I were finished cooking. As I passed by the window to where Jasper and Maria stayed, I watched their conversation from the side. I could hear the two of them clearly.
"I'm sorry Jasper, I don't know what came over me" Maria said. I have never heard so much fear in her voice before. Jasper picked up her whip, pointing it towards her and saying,
"How would you like it if I hit you with a whip?" He actually yelled it rather than just saying it. Maria shuttered at his words.
"That's what I thought", Japer said before leaving. I was actually scared of him myself. I began walking back to the kitchen before Jasper could see me. I entered the kitchen and talked with Emmett and Rosalie. Just then, Jasper came through the door.
"Jasper!" Rosalie exclaimed while running towards him. They immediatley hugged and stayed there for a while. I smiled and looked at Emmett, who was smiling too.
"Is your back okay?" Rosalie asked after a few minutes.
"It's fine, it just stings", Jasper's voice was more calm now. They hugged again and Rosalie was crying, but probably just tears of happieness. The four of us talked for a while until it was time to eat.
"I should go now, I'll be back tomorrow, if you don't mind", Jasper said.
"Of course not", Rosalie said. They hugged one last time before Jasper left. Until I saw the relationship between Jasper and Rosalie, I never thought that a brother and sister could love each other so much. Not even Emmett and I. In the morning, we didn't have roll call. We were told that there was a train coming in from Holland. Through my shattered heart, I had hope that I would have a relative on that train so I could hear more about how long we might have to be in this camp. I already knew I had an aunt and two cousins in Holland, only a few blocks down from my home. Around 11:00, the train pulled into the camp and I watched from the side as some of the prisoners helped people off. I looked hard for my aunt and cousins until I finally saw my 16 year old cousin, Elizabeth. She had actually changed a lot since I last saw her, but that wasn't important now. What was important was that she was here and I could talk to her. I had a better relationship with Elizabeth than the rest of my family because ever since we were little, we would spend summers together on a beach in Holland. I ran up to her with Emmett not far behind me.
"Elizabeth!" I yelled to her. She turned around to see me, holding me in a hug.
"Alice, did you just get here?" She wondered.
"No, but I got here two days ago"
"Weren't you in a hiding place before?"
"Yes, but somehow they found us"
"Same with me. Aaron is here too, and mother" Emmett hugged Elizabeth while I looked for my cousin Aaron and Aunt Joselle.
"Alice!" I turned around to see Aaron. I ran to him and held him in a hug like Elizabeth. With that, my Aunt Joselle came over to us and we hugged as well. I had a lot of hope that because Aaron and Elizabeth were 15 and 16, the SS would put them to work instead of straight to the gas chambers. Of course, I was extremly worried about Aunt Joselle because even though she was only in her forty's, the SS might not put her to work. Emmett came over with Elizabeth and greeted Aaron and Aunt Joselle.
"How are you two doing? I can't imagine too well, you're both almost skin and bones", Aunt Joselle wondered.
"We're fine, they just don't have much to eat here and the sleeping areas aren't too good, but that's it", Emmett reasured her.
"Is there any news of the end of the war?" I asked.
"Yes dear, before we came here they said on the radio that they are liberating camps as we speak", I smiled at the thought of being out of this hell. A whistle sounded and the new-comers were to get into two rows. Woman and children on the left, men and older boys on the right. I saw from the side that Aaron was crossing over to the right because he's 15. As the SS walked up and down rows, they asked people if they had any professions. Elizabeth was a great seamstress, so she told them and they told her to step forward. I knew that Aunt Joselle could do just about anything with her hands, even most mens jobs such as shoe-making and making jewlery. She raised her hand to let the SS know what she could do, but they just told her to stay where she was. This frightened me. The line that Aunt Joselle was in was ordered to walk in the direction of an SS officer towards the "showers". They lied by saying that they were regular water showers and that they would see their families soon, but I knew better. A tear ran down my face as I waved good-bye to Aunt Joselle and mouthed "I love you" to her. Most didn't know what was really going to happen to them, including Aunt Joselle. She believed the SS. The people, no monsters, that try to break your back with forced labor and punishment if you don't do what you're told. And those people, including my own flesh and blood, believed them.
"Alice, wake up", I heard Jasper's voice the next morning. I was more alert because I hadn't slept well last night, only being able to think about the fate of Aunt Joselle.
"Is she gone?" I asked. Jasper looked at me like I was mad.
"Is who gone, Alice?" He wondered.
"My aunt, she came here yesterday", My voice was more faint, "To the left", I whispered. It then occured to me that Jasper wasn't there yesterday.
"Alice, I don't know what you're talking about", I rubbed my eyes.
"You weren't there", I stated, quieter this time.
"When the train came?" I nodded.
"I couldn't be there"
"Why not?"
"I'm never there when the train comes"
"Aren't you supposed to be?"
"I would, but I just can't"
"Why?" I still wondered.
"I can't bring myself to it. Not since last year", He wasn't aggrivated with me, and I didn't want him to get like that, but I needed to know.
"What happened last year?"
"My parents came here, I watched them get off the train" I stayed quiet so he could finish.
"I tried to see them, but Maria kept me from them. I had to stand there while my own parents were sent to the left towards the gas chambers. I tried to persuade Maria into letting them live, but she still let it happen. That night, I saw the flame that meant the gas chambers were at work", I cried just a little because I could imagine being able to stop someone, but the person being cruel enough not to let it be stopped.
"I'm sorry. My parents were killed, too", I tried to make him feel like he wasn't the only one. He stayed quiet for a few minutes. The sun began to shine through the window of the small shed.
"We'll talk tonight, you have to get back to your barracks", Jasper told me. I nodded and walked back to my barracks. The whistle blew for role call within seconds. As I walked out the door, I heard Maria's voice.
"Get up, JETZT! (Get up, now!) Schnell bevor ich auf dieses Peitsche an Sie alle! (Quickly before I have to use this whip on you all!)" I ran as fast as I could to my place behind Emmett. I waited for Jasper to follow behind Maria so I felt a better sence safeness.
"You have your usual lines of work today, but some have something new", We all waited for Maria to say something, after what felt like an hours wait.
"You", I felt fear wash over me as I knew that Maria was talking to me. She directed for me to stand by her and wait until the end of roll call. When she blew the whistle and everyone went to work, Maria turned to me. I looked up at her and waited for her to say something. It was probably obvious that I was nervous, you could tell just from looking in my eyes.
"Your new job for today is to work in my home, tomorrow you may return to the kitchen", I nodded.
"Say something other than just nodding", I jumped a little from her loud voice.
"Yes, mam", I said. I followed Maria as she walked away, passing Jasper. He walked next to me. I entered their house, surprised by how nice it was inside. I felt even smaller than I really was around Maria and Jasper. I'm not sure why, but maybe it was because they were of a higher authority than me. All day I walked back and fourth giving papers and anything else Maria wanted to her. When I wasn't getting something, I was watching Japer reading by the window. Occasionally, he would look out the window. For some reason it was interesting to watch him. Maria was a lot more cruel to me than anyone else. That I could see, anyway. She didn't have her whip with her, thankfully, but her words were a lot worse than any whip. It seemed like every time I turned around, she would say "Lazy Jew" or just call me "Scum". I fought back the tears welling up in my eyes. I was brining Maria tea and I accidentaly tripped, spilling tea on her.
"Fluch Jude! Clean Up dieses Durcheinander, JETZT! (Damn Jew! Clean this up, now!)", Maria yelled at me. I started to clean it up when I felt Maria kick me in the back, hard. I tried not to scream, so instead I continued cleaning. As soon as Maria left, Jasper helped me up. He pulled me into a hug and I cried into his chest.