第 26 节
作者:无边的寒冷      更新:2022-11-18 17:11      字数:9362
  mr。 dussel begins。 he may not always peel them very well; but he does peel nonstop;
  glancing left and right to see if everyone is doing it the way he does。 no; theyre not!
  〃look; anne; i am taking peeler in my hand like so and going from the top to bottom!
  nein; not so 。 。 。 but so!鈥?br />
  〃i think my way is easier; mr。 dussel;〃 i say tentatively。
  〃but this is best way; anne。 this you can take from me。 of course; it is no matter; you do the way you want。鈥?br />
  we go on peeling。 i glance at dussel out of the corner of my eye。 lost in thought; he shakes his head (over me; no doubt); but says no more。
  i keep on peeling。 then i look at father; on the other side of me。 to father; peeling potatoes is not a chore; but precision work。 when he reads; he has a deep wrinkle in the back of his head。 but when hes preparing potatoes; beans or vegetables; he seems to be totally absorbed in his task。 he puts on his potato…peeling face; and when its set in that particular way; it would be impossible for him to turn out anything less than a perfectly peeled potato。
  i keep on working。 i glance up for a second; but thats all the time i need。 mrs。 van d。 is trying to attract dussels attention。 she starts by looking in his direction; but dussel pretends not to notice。 she winks; but dussel goes on peeling。 she laughs; but dussel still doesnt look up。 then mother laughs too; but dussel pays them no mind。
  having failed to achieve her goal; mrs。 van d。 is obliged to change tactics。 theres a brief silence。 then she says; 〃putti; why dont you put on an apron? otherwise; ill have to spend all day tomorrow trying to get the spots out of your suit!鈥?br />
  〃im not getting it dirty。鈥?br />
  another brief silence。 〃putti; why dont you sit down? 〃im fine this way。 i like standing up!鈥?br />
  silence。
  〃putti; look out; du spritzt schon!〃。* '*now youre splashing!' 〃i know; mommy; but im being careful。鈥?br />
  mrs。 van d。 casts about for another topic。 〃tell me; putti; why arent the british
  carrying out any bombing raids today?鈥?br />
  〃because the weathers bad; kerli!鈥?br />
  〃but yesterday it was such nice weather and they werent flying then either。鈥?br />
  〃lets drop the subject。鈥?br />
  〃why? cant a person talk about that or offer an opinion? 〃well; why in the world not?鈥?br />
  〃oh; be quiet; mammichen!〃* '*mommy' 〃mr。 frank always answers his wife。鈥?br />
  mr。 van d。 is trying to control himself。 this remark always rubs him the wrong way; but mrs。 van d。s not one to quit: 〃oh; theres never going to be an invasion!鈥?br />
  mr。 van d。 turns white; and when she notices it; mrs。 van d。 turns red; but shes not about to be deterred: 〃the british arent doing a thing!鈥?br />
  the bomb bursts。 〃and now shut up; donnerwetter noch mal!* '*for crying out loud!〃' mother can barely stifle a laugh; and i stare straight ahead。
  scenes like these are repeated almost daily; unless theyve just had a terrible fight。 in that case; neither mr。 nor mrs。 van d。 says a word。
  its time for me to get some more potatoes。 i go up to the attic; where peter is busy picking fleas from the cat。
  he looks up; the cat notices it; and whoosh。 。 。 hes gone。 out the window and into the rain gutter。
  peter swears; i laugh and slip out of the room。
  freedom in the annex five…thirty。 beps arrival signals the beginning of our nightly freedom。 things get
  going right away。 i go upstairs with bep; who usually has her dessert before the rest of us。 the moment she sits down; mrs。 van d。 begins stating her wishes。 her list usually starts with 〃oh; by the way; bep; something else id like。 。 。〃 bep winks at me。 mrs。 van d。 doesnt miss a chance to make her wishes known to whoever es upstairs。 it must be one of the reasons none of them like to go up there。
  five forty…five。 bep leaves。 i go down two floors to have a look around: first to the kitchen; then to the private office and then to the coal bin to open the cat door for mouschi。
  after a long tour of inspection; i wind up in mr。 kuglers office。 mr。 van daan is bing all the drawers and files for todays mail。 peter picks up boche and the warehouse key; pim lugs the typewriters upstairs; margot looks around for a quiet place to do her office work; mrs。 van d。 puts a kettle of water on the stove; mother es down the stairs with a pan of potatoes; we all know our jobs。
  soon peter es back from the warehouse。 the first question they ask him is whether hes remembered the bread。 no; he hasnt。 he crouches before the door to the front office to make himself as small as possible and crawls on his hands and knees to the steel cabinet; takes out the bread and starts to leave。 at any rate; thats what he intends to do; but before he knows whats happened; mouschi has jumped over him and gone to sit under the desk。
  peter looks all around him。 aha; theres the cat! he crawls back into the office and grabs the cat by the tail。 mouschi hisses; peter sighs。 what has he acplished?
  mouschis now sitting by the window licking herself; very pleased at having escaped peters clutches。 peter has no choice but to lure her with a piece of bread。 mouschi takes the bait; follows him out; and the door closes。
  i watch the entire scene through a crack in the door。
  mr。 van daan is angry and slams the door。 margot and i exchange looks and think the same thing: he must have worked himself into a rage again because of some blunder on mr。 kuglers part; and hes forgotten all about the keg pany next door。
  another step is heard in the hallway。 dussel es in; goes toward the window with an air of propriety; sniffs。 。 。 coughs; sneezes and clears his throat。 hes out of luck  it was pepper。 he continues on to the front office。 the curtains are open; which means he cant get at his writing paper。 he disappears with a scowl。
  margot and i exchange another glance。 〃one less page for his sweetheart tomorrow;〃 i
  hear her say。 i nod in agreement。
  an elephants tread is heard on the stairway。 its dussel; seeking fort in his favorite spot。
  we continue working。 knock; knock; knock。 。 。 three taps means dinnertime!
  monday; august 23; 1943
  wenn die uhr halb neune schlaat 。 。 。* '* when the clock strikes half past eight。' margot and mother are nervous。 〃shh 。 。 。 father。 be quiet; otto。 shh 。 。 。 pim! its eight…thirty。
  e here; you cant run the water anymore。 walk softly!〃 a sample of whats said to father in the bathroom。 at the stroke of half past eight; he has to be in the living room。 no running water; no flushing toilet; no walking around; no noise whatsoever。 as long as the office staff hasnt arrived; sounds travel more easily to the warehouse。
  the door opens upstairs at eight…twenty; and this is followed by three gentle taps on the floor。 。 。 annes hot cereal。 i clamber up the stairs to get my doggie dish。
  back downstairs; everything has to be done quickly; quickly: i b my hair; put away the potty; shove the bed back in place。 quiet! the clock is striking eight…thirty! mrs。
  van d。 changes shoes and shuffles through the room in her slippers; mr。 van d。 too  a veritable charlie chaplin。 all is quiet。
  the ideal family scene has now reached its high point。 i want to read or study and margot does too。 father and mother ditto。 father is sitting (with dickens and the dictionary; of course) on the edge of the sagging; squeaky bed; which doesnt even have a decent mattress。 two bolsters can be piled on top of each other。 〃i dont need these;〃 he thinks。 〃i can manage without them!鈥?br />
  once he starts reading; he doesnt look up。 he laughs now and then and tries to get mother to read a story。
  〃i dont have the time right now!鈥?br />
  he looks disappointed; but then continues to read。
  a little while later; when he es across another good passage; he tries again: 〃you
  have to read this; mother!鈥?br />
  mother sits on the folding bed; either reading; sewing; knitting or studying; whichever is next on her list。 an idea suddenly occurs to her; and she quickly says; so as not to forget; 〃anne; remember to 。 。 。 margot; jot this down。 。 。 鈥?br />
  after a while its quiet again。 margot slams her book shut; father knits his forehead; his eyebrows forming a funny curve and his wrinkle of concentration reappearing i at the back of his head; and he buries himself in his book 1 again; mother starts chatting with margot; and i get curious and listen too。 pim is drawn into the conversation 。 。 。
  nine oclock。 breakfast!
  锛凤挤锛贰i锛s锛╱o锛达几锛础?br />
  SEPTEMBER; 1943
  灏彙h銆倀!xt…澶╁爞
  friday; september 10; 1943
  dearest kitty;
  every time i write to you; something special has happened; usually unpleasant rather than pleasant。 this time; however; something wonderful is going on。
  on wednesday; september 8; we were listening to the seven oclock news when we heard an announcement: 〃here is some of the best news of the war so far: italy has capitulated。〃 italy has unconditionally surrendered! the dutch broadcast from england began at eight…fifteen with the news: 〃listeners; an hour and fifteen minutes ago; just as i finished writing my daily report; we received the wonderful news of italys capitulation。 i tell you; i never tossed my notes into the wastepaper basket with more delight than i did today!鈥?br />
  〃god save the king;〃 the american national anthem