The Daily News

“Have you read the paper today, dear?” asked Grandma as she folded dishtowels. She seemed disgusted. “They have got to do something about Hitler.”

“What can be done?” asked Mother. She wiped the sweat off of her brow.

“What’s going on?” asked Cynthia. Cynthia was old enough to know that something was going on, but she was ignorant of the significance of the events taking place in their lives.

“Hitler is a very bad man,” stated Grandma.

“Momma! Stop! You are going to scare the young girl,” reprimanded Mother.

“She’s got to learn soon enough,” said Henry. Henry was in seventh grade. He was older and he thought he was very mature for his age. Henry and Cynthia’s father had been away fighting the war for months now. Mother could barely talk about it. Henry was frustrated that they didn’t discuss more of this topic. At times he would prod Grandma into discussing the topic even though it usually ended in an argument.

“Everyone’s afraid to talk about it,” Henry went on. “It’s like people think that if they don’t talk about it, then it’s not really happening. But it is happening. Horrible things are happening and we need to do something about it!”

“Henry,” Mother pleaded, “it is not that simple.”

“What’s not so simple? Will somebody please tell me what’s going on?” asked Cynthia. She was curled up in a ball on the sofa. The heat had been turned off in an attempt to save money.