Chapter 3 - Everyone Has To Have A Dream

As expected, Annie was the first to speak after a few seconds. "Everyone has to have a dream. Pepper's just seems a little harder to accomplish." Especially because Pepper was only 18 years old.

Pepper passed her a grateful smile. She could tell the others were completely shocked.

Bostrom knew there were so many layers to what Pepper had asked that he could hardly be sure he'd thought of all of them. He decided to start with this. "How much Swedish do you know?"

"None," Pepper said bluntly.

Annie corrected her. "Daddy Warbucks calls it a smorgasbord when he has a variety of foods for everyone, like Kentucky fried chicken, Idaho potatoes, and so on. DIdn't you say that was Swedish?" she asked Oliver. He concurred. "See, Pepper, you've been here when we've had a smorgasbord." The concept of a buffet hadn't yet been introduced to American restaurants, but Oliver was rich enough to have that and then let guests and staff have the leftovers.

"okay, I know one. I was hoping you could teach me. I did take a year of German in high school last year; my mom has an ancestor who came from Bavaria," Pepper elaborated as Bostrom had finally begun to gather his thoughts.

Oliver, meanwhile, could at least share something. "Pepper was very insistent at the orphanage on keeping the other girls safe from a drunken headmistress. She has a burning desire to protect others, Wollmar."

"I understand. I'm sure you heard about Kristallnacht. The whole world was shocked," Bostrom said mournfully as Pepper slowly nodded her head. "As a neutral, my country will probably sell iron ore to Germany in the event of war, but we will also hopefully have good relations with the United States and her allies and sell them products, too. Obviously America won't enter the war right away, but you are hopeful, Oliver, that your nation will supply arms to the Allies, I'm sure." Warbucks nodded. "Miss Pepper… obviously as a neutral we would be in a unique situation, but we will also have to walk a very fine line so we don't cause the Germans to invade us, should there be a war."

"Yeah, I know. So, how would I do it?" Pepper persisted.

Bostrom hesitated a little, his mouth slightly agape as he formed his next words carefully. "Note that I am not giving you official advice," he said. "But, while America is neutral, you would be free to come and go as you please in Germany as long as you don't engage in any espionage or other activity. It would still be dangerous, so I understand your interest in Sweden."

"You could be a reporter, Pepper," Annie reminded her.

"Yes, Annie is right. Now, I caution you, for a foreign national to actually work to smuggle people out of a country is… frowned upon." Bostrom couldn't have imagined having to explain this even ten minutes ago, but he couldn't have imagined being asked this question, either. He wasn't sure if he was stating the obvious or not, given that the question had, in fact, been asked.

"That's why I need a home base," Pepper explained. "Plus a place to take the children. And I know whatever I say to you is confidential, since you're an ambassador."

Annie could tell Bostrom was searching for words. Pepper was apparently confusing diplomatic immunity with confidentiality, although he would certainly keep this confidential. "Pepper could go over as a reporter, couldn't she, Sir?" she repeated.

"Yes, of course. You at least know some German and can work on that, but to learn Swedish from scratch…"

"Can you give me a job with your Embassy once school is out in a few weeks? I could learn Swedish in no time then," Pepper replied in what almost seemed to be a flippant manner. It was really her way of hiding her anxiety, though.

As they discussed particulars, including how Pepper could work on weekends with a Swedish consulate in New York and not need to go down to Washington, the ambassador wondered just what he was getting himself into.

A few days later, July held Lucy and another girl in her lap as she read from a childrens' book in the dorm area. Tessie - who helped there for some extra money - helped the youngest girl put toys away before nap time. They were all so thankful to be able to look around and see all the teddy bears - they gave each child one upon entering, boys and girls - and decorations like music boxes. There was even a doll house, with another in the play area. She wished these girls could run around the neighborhood and play like others, but they had a large yard for all the kids, and the outings were frequent enough that the children didn't seem too frustrated by that.

"...She saw a rabbit running toward her. 'Oh, I'm late, I'm late, I'm late…'" July said, voicing the White Rabbit with a very quick, agitated voice. She looked up to see Annie with a ruler, but didn't think much of it. "Oh, hi, Annie."

"Hey, July, Tessie. Don't mind me, keep reading." Annie looked at a note card with some numbers on it.

"What are you measuring?" the older orphan asked from July's lap.

"The room. Hmm, we might need to put some in other places."

"Put what, Annie?" Tessie asked.

"Beds. Bunk beds will help, but we need a little room to walk with all the extra girls," Annie explained as Sophie came in with some other figures.

"What extra… Annie, how many are we getting?" July asked with a mixture of surprise and curiosity.

The surprise went up tenfold when Sophie added, "Here's the numbers you wanted on food for fifty orphans here and fifty over in the Boys home."

"Oh my goodness!" Tessie shouted. "DId Germany invade somewhere? Are they at war over in Europe now?"

"Not yet; this is for the children who will be coming over from Germany," Annie explained. July mouthed the words "Jewish children" to Tessie to keep the girls from hearing and sharing it with everyone else.

July then turned back to Annie. "Annie, I know you've thought about this, and you want us to get as many as possible. But,we need to have room in case we get orphans from… well, here in New York City."

"Where's Germany?" Lucy wanted to know.

"In Europe. And I feel like I've gone down the rabbit hole with Alice," July said. "Tessie, can you put Daisy in her crib for her nap and then take these other girls into the family room to read to them? I need to talk with Annie."

"Sure," Tessie said with a smile.

July rose and followed Annie and Sophie out the door. "Annie, where would we put all those beds? Even if we got 30 extra in each wing - which would give us a little over 10 more spaces for orphans in each - won't these kids have more stuff with them?

"Not really. The ones going to Britain are going with pretty much the clothes on their backs. Maybe a memento or two, but some of our girls have those," Annie pointed out as they walked into the family room. "Let's see, we could put some beds here, too,and move a little of this up to the play room upstairs." That had been their sewing area under MIss Hannigan. "The memory room will have to be expanded a little."

July put an arm around Annie. She sighed a little as she smiled. Annie had always been a dreamer - about her parents and about having a better life. Unlike Pepper, who had some inner demons, Annie had the pep and positive attitude to overcome a lot more. Both had been joys while July was the de facto house mother - and even when she apprenticed under Miss Kathy till she'd begun doing it full time at age eleven. However, Annie had been much less of a chore, and someone July understood well because of her own dreams.

Sometimes, though, that dreaming led her to do things that were… a little farfetched. Maybe not like what Pepper was planning, but that was understandable. It was an escape for Pepper, just like the Little Orphan Annie comic strips. This?

"Annie, you have such a beautiful heart for others. But, we don't have to take all of them. We can find Jewish homes."

"Eventually we will. But, their parents might make it,"Annie insisted.

July closed her eyes for a moment. "I wish I was that confident."

"It is pretty bad over there. But that's why Daddy Warbucks is putting so much pressure on Senator Reynolds. I even had an idea he said he'd think about to get Reynolds away from Washington, some kind of trick, so the other Senators can move that bill along to get up to 20,000 here," Annie said.

"Not everyone's going to fall for things. They're not all as confused as Miss Hannigan could get or as dumb as Rooster's girlfriend," July cautioned.

"I know. But we have to try."

"I admire you for that, Annie. There were times I'd get frustrated here even with my faith…" As she spoke, the girls one time in particular which Annie remembered as July started to mention it.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Kate looked up with wide eyes at Miss Hannigan while seated in July's lap, where the girls had been talking. "Did you take care of what I told you to?" the headmistress asked grouchily.

"I did, Miss Hannigan," July promised, despite the fact she had actually begged Miss Hannigan to let her handle it. It made sense, given the situation.

"All right, the orphanage inspector is almost finished. I hope you made sure that rotten orphan won't-"

She was interrupted from her tirade as she saw the inspector entering the dorm area, where Miss Hannigan had ordered the seven girls to remain. Little Kate was glad she wouldn't have to hear Miss Hannigan berate her about her misdeed again. July had punished her intesad, but while it was unpleasant, when July handled things, it was so much nicer than what she feared it would be like if Miss Hannigan did. In fact, July and Kate had just ended a long hug, just like they'd had right after July had taken care of it.

"I understand one of the girls spilled some paint?" Inspector Andrews said.

"She did. Miss Hannigan was busy, so I handled the discipline," July offered.

Mr. Andrews walked over to her. It sounds like you do a good job . I know it's hard here." He spoke lowly. "I know she drinks."

July nodded. "Thanks. We know how to get any reports to the milkman or to Mr. Bundles."

With a satisfied nod, Mr. Andrews bade the others adieu, with July left to accept that as the best compliment she was going to get. At least some adult thinks I do a good job.

Miss Hannigan saw the man out the door, and the girls breathed a momentary sigh of relief. "I love you," Kate said again as she hugged July's neck.

"Thanks. That craft paint was supposed to be for the dress order. I hate that we have to do all that," July said as she looked Kate in the eye, "but that is hard to get out. I'm glad you let me do the talking."

"You can get MIss Hannigan to do anything," Tessie said warmly.

"Not 'anything.' I pick my battles. That was one where I had to throw up a prayer and say 'God, speak through me to protect Kate.'"

As July went on, speaking of how Kate could face her fears by showing dead mice and thigns to Miss Hannigan as she had before - she felt her faith growing stronger. She had the support of the other girls, and even before the orphanage inspector had shown up for the planned inspection, she'd known that she could use the situation to her advantage. She could have gotten Miss Hannigan to let her punish Kate anyway, but that had made it much easier.

However, it also meant that - instead of a rather easy flow up and down - she would go from the major high to a major low. Because Miss Hannigan re-entered the room, shouted, "All right, you rotten orphans, get back to work!" and complained about the accident the whole way as they marched from the dorm area to their sewing room.

July grew frustrated as she sat at a sewing machine with Kate on her lap, while Molly sat on Annie's. Inside, she fretted, even as she tried to keep her cool on the outside. "I can't standthis verbal onslaught, Lord. Give me strength," she prayed. She had dealt with it before, always trying to stay strong. But, she wondered, aside fromthose very rare compliments, if anyone cared at that moment. After all, she'd been left there without a name, and now all she could see was drudgery.

—-

A/N: I was really torn. Rescuing several dozen who possibly weren't in our timeline (you could argue they were smuggled out safely later) is one thing. 20,000 being saved who weren't is a lot bigger, yet "up to" that many could have been allowed in if everything went right. Some might argue that one shouldn't make it seem that easy, that a story where so many are rescued downplays the horrors that happened. On the other hand, 20,000 represents less than half of one percent of the total deaths in the Holocaust. So, while not as easy as saying a few extra people got rescued, I left it open-ended for you, the reader, to decide how many more actually do get rescued in the "Annie" universe, beyond the 100 extra children Warbucks brings in and the few Pepper will help. What she is doing, as noted in "Unending Trust," is rescuing mostly the ones the Swedish people helped to get out in our history, after all.