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〃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。鈥�
〃alls fair in love and war。鈥�
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？鈥�
he said； 〃its none of your business。鈥�
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 substitutes that was set up in 1941。
a few days ago； as we were taking a stroll around our neighborhood square； father began to talk about going into hiding。 he said it would be very hard for us to live cut off from the rest of the world。 i asked him why he was bringing this up now。
〃well； anne；〃 he replied； 〃you know that for more than a year weve been bringing clothes； food and furniture to other people。 we dont want our belongings to be seized by the germans。 nor do we want to fall into their clutches ourselves。 so well leave of our own accord and not wait to be hauled away。鈥�
〃but when； father？〃 he sounded so serious that i felt scared。
〃dont you worry。 well take care of everything。 just enjoy your carefree life while you can。鈥�
that was it。 oh； may these somber words not e true for as long as possible。
the doorbells ringing； hellos here； time to stop。
yours； anne
wednesday； july 8； 1942
dearest kitty；
it seems like years since sunday morning。 so much has happened its as if the whole world had suddenly turned upside down。 but as you can see； kitty； im still alive； and thats the main thing； father says。 im alive all right； but dont ask where or how。 you probably dont understand a word im saying today； so ill begin by telling you what happened sunday afternoon。
at three oclock （hello had left but was supposed to e back later）； the doorbell rang。 i didnt hear it； since i was out on the balcony； lazily reading in the sun。 a little while later margot appeared in the kitchen doorway looking very agitated。 〃father has received a call…up notice from the ss；〃 she whispered。 〃mother has gone to see mr。
van daan〃 （mr。 van daan is fathers business partner and a good friend。）
i was stunned。 a call…up： everyone knows what that means。 visions of concentration camps and lonely cells raced through my head。 how could we let father go to such a fate？ 〃of course hes not going；〃 declared margot as we waited for mother in the living room。 〃mothers gone to mr。 van daan to ask whether we can move to our hiding place tomorrow。 the van daans are going with us。 there will be seven of us altogether。〃 silence。 we couldnt speak。 the thought of father off visiting someone in the jewish hospital and pletely unaware of what was happening； the long wait for mother； the heat； the suspense all this reduced us to silence。
suddenly the doorbell rang again。 〃thats hello；〃 i said。
〃dont open the door！〃 exclaimed margot to stop me。 but it wasnt necessary； since we heard mother and mr。 van daan downstairs talking to hello； and then the two of them came inside and shut the door behind them。 every time the bell rang； either margot or i had to tiptoe downstairs to see if it was father； and we didnt let anyone else in。 margot and i were sent from the room； as mr。 van daan wanted to talk to mother alone。
when she and i were sitting in our bedroom； margot told me that the call…up was not for father； but for her。 at this second shock； i began to cry。 margot is sixteen apparently they want to send girls her age away on their own。 but thank goodness she wont be going； mother had said so herself； which must be what father had meant when he talked to me about our going into hiding。 hiding。 。 。 where would we hide？ in the city？ in the country？ in a house？ in a shack？ when； where； how。 。 。 ？ these were questions i wasnt allowed to ask； but they still kept