he read the poem to the class； adding his own ments； and to several other classes as well。 since then ive been allowed to talk and havent been assigned any extra homework。 on the contrary； keesings always i making jokes these days。
yours； anne
wednesday； june 24； 1942
dearest kitty；
its sweltering。 everyone is huffing and puffing； and in this heat i have to walk everywhere。 only now do i realize how pleasant a streetcar is； but we jews are no longer allowed to make use of this luxury； our own two feet are good enough for us。
yesterday at lunchtime i had an appointment with the dentist on jan luykenstraat。 its a long way from our school on stadstimmertuinen。 that afternoon i nearly fell asleep at my desk。 fortunately； people automatically offer you something to drink。 the dental assistant is really kind。
the only mode of transportation left to us is the ferry。 the ferryman at josef
israelkade took us across when we asked him to。 its not the fault of the dutch that we jews are having such a bad time。
i wish i didnt have to go to school。 my bike was stolen during easter vacation； and father gave mothers bike to some christian friends for safekeeping。 thank goodness summer vacation is almost here； one more week and our torment will be over。
something unexpected happened yesterday morning。 as i was passing the bicycle racks； i heard my name being called。 i turned around and there was the nice boy id met the evening before at my friend wilmas。 hes wilmas second cousin。 i used to think wilma was nice； which she is； but all she ever talks about is boys； and that gets to be a bore。 he came toward me； somewhat shyly； and introduced himself as hello silberberg。 i was a little surprised and wasnt sure what he wanted； but it didnt take me long to find out。 he asked if i would allow him to acpany me to school。 〃as long as youre headed that way； ill go with you；〃 i said。 and so we walked together。
hello is sixteen and good at telling all kinds of funny stories。
he was waiting for me again this morning； and i expect he will be from now on。
．。
JULY； 1942
生
wednesday； july 1； 1942
dearest kitty；
until today i honestly couldnt find the time to write you。 i was with friends all day thursday； we had pany on friday； and thats how it went until today。
hello and i have gotten to know each other very well this past week； and hes told me a lot about his life。 he es from gelsenkirchen and is living with his grandparents。 his parents are in belgium； but theres no way he can get there。 hello used to have a girlfriend named ursula。 i know her too。 shes perfectly sweet and perfectly boring。 ever since he met me； hello has realized that hes been falling asleep at ursuls side。 so im kind of a pep tonic。 you never know what youre good for！
jacque spent saturday night here。 sunday afternoon she was at hannelis； and i was bored stiff。
hello was supposed to e over that evening； but he called around six。 i answered the phone； and he said； 〃this is helmuth silberberg。 may i please speak to anne？〃
〃oh； hello。 this is anne。”
〃oh； hi； anne。 how are you？〃 “
〃fine； thanks。”
〃i just wanted to say im sorry but i cant e tonight； though i would like to have a word with you。 is it all right if i e by and pick you up in about ten minutes 〃yes； thats fine。 bye…bye！”
〃okay； ill be right over。 bye…bye！”
i hung up； quickly changed my clothes and fixed my hair。 i was so nervous i leaned out the window to watch for him。 he finally showed up。 miracle of miracles； i didnt rush down the stairs； but waited quietly until he rang the bell。 i went down to open the door； and he got right to the point。
〃anne； my grandmother thinks youre too young for me to be seeing you on a regular basis。 she says i should be going to the lowenbachs； but you probably know that im not going out with ursul anymore。”
〃no； i didnt know。 what happened？ did you two have a fight？”
〃no； nothing like that。 i told ursul that we werent suited to each other and so it was better for us not to go together anymore； but that she was wele at my house and i hoped i would be wele at hers。 actually； i thought ursul was hanging around with another boy； and i treated her as if she were。 but that wasnt true。 and then my uncle said i should apologize to her； but of course i didnt feel like it； and thats why i broke up with her。 but that was just one of the reasons。
〃now my grandmother wants me to see ursul and not you； but i dont agree and im not going to。 sometimes old people have really old…fashioned ideas； but that doesnt mean i have to go along with them。 i need my grandparents； but in a certain sense they need me too。 from now on ill be free on wednesday evenings。 you see； my grandparents made me sign up for a wood…carving class； but actually i go to a club organized by the zionists。 my grandparents dont want me to go； because theyre anti…zionists。 im not a fanatic zionist； but it interests me。 anyway； its been such a mess lately that im planning to quit。 so next wednesday will be my last meeting。
that means i can see you wednesday evening； saturday afternoon； saturday evening； sunday afternoon and maybe even more。〃
〃but if your grandparents dont want you to； you？ shouldnt go behind their backs。”
〃alls fair in love and war。”
just then we passed blankevoorts bookstore and there was peter schiff with two other boys； it was the first time hed said hello to me in ages； and it really made me feel good。
monday evening hello came over to meet father and mother。 i had bought a cake and some candy； and we had tea and cookies； the works； but neither hello nor i felt like sitting stiffly on our chairs。 so we went out for a walk； and he didnt deliver me to my door until ten past eight。 father was furious。 he said it was very wrong of me not to get home on time。 i had to promise to be home by ten to eight in the future。 ive been asked to hellos on saturday。
wilma told me that one night when hello was at her house； she asked him； 〃who do you like best； ursul or anne？”
he said； 〃its none of your business。”
but as he was leaving （they hadnt talked to each other the rest of the evening）； he said； 〃well； i like anne better； but dont tell anyone。 bye！〃 and whoosh。 。 。 he was out the door。
in everything he says or does； i can see that hello is in love with me； and its kind of nice for a change。 margot would say that hello is eminently suitable。 i think so too； but hes more than that。 mother is also full of praise： 〃a good…looking boy。 nice and polite。〃 im glad hes so popular with everyone。 except with my girlfriends。 he thinks theyre very childish； and hes right about that。 jacque still teases me about him； but im not in love with him。 not really。 its all right for me to have boys as friends。
nobody minds。
mother is always asking me who im going to marry when i grow up； but i bet shell never guess its peter； because i talked her out of that idea myself； without batting an eyelash。 i love peter as ive never loved anyone； and i tell myself hes only going around with all those other girls to hide his feelings for me。 maybe he thinks hello and i are in love with each other； which were not。 hes just a friend； or as mother puts it； a beau。
yours； anne
sunday； july 5； 1942
dear kitty；
the graduation ceremony in the jewish theater on friday went as expected。 my report card wasnt too bad。 i got one d； a c… in algebra and all the rest bs； except for two b＋s and two b…s。 my parents are pleased； but theyre not like other parents when it es to grades。 they never worry about report cards； good or bad。 as long as im healthy and happy and dont talk back too much； theyre satisfied。 if these three things are all right； everything else will take care of itself。
im just the opposite。 i dont want to be a poor student。 i was accepted to the jewish lyceum on a conditional basis。 i was supposed to stay in the seventh grade at the montessori school； but when jewish children were required to go to jewish schools； mr。 elte finally agreed； after a great deal of persuasion； to accept lies goslar and me。
lies also passed this year； though she has to repeat her geometry exam。
poor lies。 it isnt easy for her to study at home； her baby sister； a spoiled little two…year…old； plays in her room all day。 if gabi doesnt get her way； she starts screaming； and if lies doesnt look after her； mrs。 goslar starts screaming。 so lies has a hard time doing her homework； and as long as thats the case； the tutoring shes been getting wont help much。 the goslar household is really a sight。 mrs。 goslars parents live next door； but eat with the family。 the theres a hired girl； the baby； the always absentminded and absent mr。 goslar and the always nervous and irrita ie mrs。
goslar； whos expecting another baby。 lies； whos all thumbs； gets lost in the mayhem。
my sister margot has also gotten her report card。
brilliant； as usual。 if we had such a thing as 〃cum laude；〃 she would have passed with honors； shes so smart。
father has been home a lot lately。 theres nothing for him to do at the office； it must be awful to feel youre not needed。 mr。 kleiman has taken over opekta； and mr。
kugler； gies & co。； the pany dealing in spices and spice sub