Thanks to Father- who brought my entire postcard and film-star collection here beforehand – and to a brush and a pot of glue, I was able to plaster the walls with pictures. It looks much more cheerful. When the van Daans arrive, we’ll be able to build cupboards and other odds and ends out of the wood piled in the attic.
Margot and Mother have recovered somewhat. Yester-day Mother felt well enough to cook split-pea soup for the first time, but then she was downstairs talking and forgot all about it. The beans were scorched black, and no amount of scraping could get them out of the pan.
Last night the four of us went down to the private office and listened to England on the wireless. I was so scared someone might hear it that I literally begged Father to take me back upstairs. Mother understood my anxiety and went with me. Whatever we do, we’re very afraid the neighbours might hear or see us.We started off immediately the first day sewing curtains. Actually, you can hardly call them that, since they’re nothing but scraps of fabric, varying greatly in shape, quality and pattern, which Father and I stitched crookedly together with unskilled fingers. These works of art were tacked to the windows, where they’ll stay until we come out of hiding.
The building on our right is a branch of the Keg Company, a firm from Zaandam, and on the left is a furniture workshop. Though the people who work there are not on the premises after hours, any sound we make might travel through the walls.We’ve forbidden Margot to cough at night, even though she has a bad cold, and are giving her large doses of codeine
I’ m looking forward to the arrival of the van Daans,which is set for Tuesday. It will be much more fun and also not as quiet. You see, it’s the silence that makes me so nervous during the evenings and nights, and I’d give anything to have one of our helpers sleep here.
It’s really not that bad here, since we can do our own cooking and can listen to the wireless in Daddy’s office.
Mr Kleiman and Miep, and Bep Voskuijl too, have helped us so much. We’ve already preserved loads of rhubarb, strawberries and cherries, so tor the time being I doubt we’ll be bored. We also have supply of reading material, and we’re going to buy lots of games. Of course, we can’t ever look out of the window or go outside. And we have to be quiet so the people downstairs can’t hear us.
Yesterday we had our hands full. We had to pit two crates of cherries for Mr Kugler to preserve. We’re going to use the empty crates to make bookshelves.
Someone’s calling me. Yours, Anne