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Published through the Treasure Trove magazine, 2022Loading...
Pepper's JournyLoading...
by Sienna GutowskLoading...
Nov. 14th, 2022 Poland, Feb. 19, the year of 1684
Chapter 1: The Discussion
BANG! (a door slams shut). Mrs. Poleski opens the door to find her daughter sitting on her bed crying.
“Pepper, what's wrong?” asks Mrs. Polski. (Pepper's Mama)
“I'm scared,” I say.
“Why?” asks Mama.
“YOU KNOW WHY!” I yell. “I don't understand how you would not feel scared if you were traveling all the way to New York and then to Michigan!”
“Pepper we went over this!" Mama answered. "It's for your own good."
“Well, I don't even know Ciotka Bellatrix and wujek Ralph,” I say
“In Ameryka, they say Aunt and Uncle,” Mama offers.
“Not helping!” I say.
Creak. (Papa enters the room) “What is going on in here!” Papa booms. Mama and I fall silent.
Chapter 1: The Discussion
BANG! (a door slams shut). Mrs. Poleski opens the door to find her daughter sitting on her bed crying.
“Pepper, what's wrong?” asks Mrs. Polski. (Pepper's Mama)
“I'm scared,” I say.
“Why?” asks Mama.
“YOU KNOW WHY!” I yell. “I don't understand how you would not feel scared if you were traveling all the way to New York and then to Michigan!”
“Pepper we went over this!" Mama answered. "It's for your own good."
“Well, I don't even know Ciotka Bellatrix and wujek Ralph,” I say
“In Ameryka, they say Aunt and Uncle,” Mama offers.
“Not helping!” I say.
Creak. (Papa enters the room) “What is going on in here!” Papa booms. Mama and I fall silent.
“We were just having a discussion, Jacob,” Mama says.
“Papa, I don't want to go to Ameryka!” I blurt out.
“Why, Pepper?” Papa says. “You'll be with Ciotka Bellatrix and Wujek Ralph.”
“That's the problem,” I reply. “I don't know them and I also don't want to go on the ship. I want to stay here with you and Mama. I don't want to live with Ciotka Bellatrix and Wujek Ralph.”
“Only until the war is over,” Mama reminds me.
“Why aren't you going?” I ask.
“We can manage on our own,” Papa says.
Humph. "I DON'T WANT TO!” I scream.
“You're still going,” Mama and Papa answer.
I start to cry again and Mama and Papa sigh.
“Papa, I don't want to go to Ameryka!” I blurt out.
“Why, Pepper?” Papa says. “You'll be with Ciotka Bellatrix and Wujek Ralph.”
“That's the problem,” I reply. “I don't know them and I also don't want to go on the ship. I want to stay here with you and Mama. I don't want to live with Ciotka Bellatrix and Wujek Ralph.”
“Only until the war is over,” Mama reminds me.
“Why aren't you going?” I ask.
“We can manage on our own,” Papa says.
Humph. "I DON'T WANT TO!” I scream.
“You're still going,” Mama and Papa answer.
I start to cry again and Mama and Papa sigh.
“We were just having a discussion, Jacob,” Mama says.
“Papa, I don't want to go to Ameryka!” I blurt out.
“Why, Pepper?” Papa says. “You'll be with Ciotka Bellatrix and Wujek Ralph.”
“That's the problem,” I reply. “I don't know them and I also don't want to go on the ship. I want to stay here with you and Mama. I don't want to live with Ciotka Bellatrix and Wujek Ralph.”
“Only until the war is over,” Mama reminds me.
“Why aren't you going?” I ask.
“We can manage on our own,” Papa says.
Humph. "I DON'T WANT TO!” I scream.
“You're still going,” Mama and Papa answer.
I start to cry again and Mama and Papa sigh.
“Papa, I don't want to go to Ameryka!” I blurt out.
“Why, Pepper?” Papa says. “You'll be with Ciotka Bellatrix and Wujek Ralph.”
“That's the problem,” I reply. “I don't know them and I also don't want to go on the ship. I want to stay here with you and Mama. I don't want to live with Ciotka Bellatrix and Wujek Ralph.”
“Only until the war is over,” Mama reminds me.
“Why aren't you going?” I ask.
“We can manage on our own,” Papa says.
Humph. "I DON'T WANT TO!” I scream.
“You're still going,” Mama and Papa answer.
I start to cry again and Mama and Papa sigh.
Chapter 2: The Bombing
Later that night. After dinner, I shove my plate forward into the table and run back into my room. A few minutes later, Mama comes into my room and asks me why I’m so upset.
“We just went over this,” I replied. I told you. “I don’t want to go to Ameryka.”
Ciotka Bellatrix and Wujek Ralph are excited to see you, Mama says. Right after you get off the ship, they’ll be waiting for you and you will go to their house with them. You’ll be happy. I promise, Mama says.
“How do you know I will have a happy time?” I say.
“I give up,” Mama says as she walks out of the room.
A couple of minutes later, I went out of my room to see Mama and Papa talking. I think it was about me because I heard my name several times.
“She really doesn’t want to go, does she, Jacob?” Mama asks.
“Honey, she’ll be safe there. We both know that for a fact.
Later that night. After dinner, I shove my plate forward into the table and run back into my room. A few minutes later, Mama comes into my room and asks me why I’m so upset.
“We just went over this,” I replied. I told you. “I don’t want to go to Ameryka.”
Ciotka Bellatrix and Wujek Ralph are excited to see you, Mama says. Right after you get off the ship, they’ll be waiting for you and you will go to their house with them. You’ll be happy. I promise, Mama says.
“How do you know I will have a happy time?” I say.
“I give up,” Mama says as she walks out of the room.
A couple of minutes later, I went out of my room to see Mama and Papa talking. I think it was about me because I heard my name several times.
“She really doesn’t want to go, does she, Jacob?” Mama asks.
“Honey, she’ll be safe there. We both know that for a fact.
She’ll be with your sister and she’ll be fine.”
“But when will she come back to us, Jacob? You know we’ll both miss her. And, like Pepper said, why can’t we go with her?” “We can manage here,” Papa says. “It’s her we’re really worried about, right?”
All of the sudden, we hear an alarm going off on the radio.
“The bombing!” Mama screams. Everybody, get into the storm shelter! Pepper! Get over here! It’s the bombing! We need to get shelter!
I rush out of my room and into Mama’s arms as we go out into the yard. We all start to climb down the ladder and into the storm shelter. When we get down, we all hug, as loud bangs thunder above us.
“We’re safe for now,” Mama says.
“I hope our house is, too,” I say as a loud boom thunders above us and shakes the shelter.
“They’re very close, Jacob. I can feel it,” Mama says.
Just then, a deafening bang and crash roar above us. Mama screams, and so do I, along with Papa.
“But when will she come back to us, Jacob? You know we’ll both miss her. And, like Pepper said, why can’t we go with her?” “We can manage here,” Papa says. “It’s her we’re really worried about, right?”
All of the sudden, we hear an alarm going off on the radio.
“The bombing!” Mama screams. Everybody, get into the storm shelter! Pepper! Get over here! It’s the bombing! We need to get shelter!
I rush out of my room and into Mama’s arms as we go out into the yard. We all start to climb down the ladder and into the storm shelter. When we get down, we all hug, as loud bangs thunder above us.
“We’re safe for now,” Mama says.
“I hope our house is, too,” I say as a loud boom thunders above us and shakes the shelter.
“They’re very close, Jacob. I can feel it,” Mama says.
Just then, a deafening bang and crash roar above us. Mama screams, and so do I, along with Papa.
She’ll be with your sister and she’ll be fine.”
“But when will she come back to us, Jacob? You know we’ll both miss her. And, like Pepper said, why can’t we go with her?” “We can manage here,” Papa says. “It’s her we’re really worried about, right?”
All of the sudden, we hear an alarm going off on the radio.
“The bombing!” Mama screams. Everybody, get into the storm shelter! Pepper! Get over here! It’s the bombing! We need to get shelter!
I rush out of my room and into Mama’s arms as we go out into the yard. We all start to climb down the ladder and into the storm shelter. When we get down, we all hug, as loud bangs thunder above us.
“We’re safe for now,” Mama says.
“I hope our house is, too,” I say as a loud boom thunders above us and shakes the shelter.
“They’re very close, Jacob. I can feel it,” Mama says.
Just then, a deafening bang and crash roar above us. Mama screams, and so do I, along with Papa.
“But when will she come back to us, Jacob? You know we’ll both miss her. And, like Pepper said, why can’t we go with her?” “We can manage here,” Papa says. “It’s her we’re really worried about, right?”
All of the sudden, we hear an alarm going off on the radio.
“The bombing!” Mama screams. Everybody, get into the storm shelter! Pepper! Get over here! It’s the bombing! We need to get shelter!
I rush out of my room and into Mama’s arms as we go out into the yard. We all start to climb down the ladder and into the storm shelter. When we get down, we all hug, as loud bangs thunder above us.
“We’re safe for now,” Mama says.
“I hope our house is, too,” I say as a loud boom thunders above us and shakes the shelter.
“They’re very close, Jacob. I can feel it,” Mama says.
Just then, a deafening bang and crash roar above us. Mama screams, and so do I, along with Papa.
“I think that was us!” she cries.
Secretly, I think so too, but I don’t want Mama to worry anymore, so I try in my bravest voice that I could give, say to Mama, It could have just been really close. But as I say it, I know that my voice is still trembling.
Secretly, I think so too, but I don’t want Mama to worry anymore, so I try in my bravest voice that I could give, say to Mama, It could have just been really close. But as I say it, I know that my voice is still trembling.
Chapter 3: The BIG Shock
As the all-clear signal blares, we stay another minute in the shelter, just in case. After a few more minutes, we start to make our way up, only to find the biggest shock of our lives.
It was us! I just knew it, Mama cries, as she starts to cling on to Papa, in case she faints.
I feel like I could faint at that time too, because, like I said, it was the biggest shock of my life to find my house and some of my memories destroyed.
As the all-clear signal blares, we stay another minute in the shelter, just in case. After a few more minutes, we start to make our way up, only to find the biggest shock of our lives.
It was us! I just knew it, Mama cries, as she starts to cling on to Papa, in case she faints.
I feel like I could faint at that time too, because, like I said, it was the biggest shock of my life to find my house and some of my memories destroyed.