Epilogue
Well I guess this is the finale goodbye of this story. My story isn’t done yet, I’m still here living a living, and thankful for that. After speaking at the University which my daughter so kindly wrote as I told her what happen. We got to go on tour. We went around the states speaking about what happen during Holocaust, and I even meant some of the other survivors. We even went to some high schools but mostly went to colleges or we had meetings were I talked about what happen. Which I have to say was amazing to share my story with so many people.
After a year or so of speaking across the states I went to Europe back home, well not home but went around the world talking about what happen. I never went back home, and I could go back there. Even through part of me wanted to but at least the kids went with me. They would switch so that they could stay home with their love ones but I was glad they went with me.
It was tell couple months ago that me and my daughter Sophie who lives closer to me than the other two were at this small bookstore. At the book store in the history section was some books about the Holocaust. I even found Anne Frank’s Diary which I read before. I was interesting to hear others story it felt like you weren’t alone. Sure that was not a lot of us left now but it was great to know that you were alone. That you weren’t the only one to survive something horrible it kind of gave me a sense of hope.
“Mom, why don’t you write your story” said Sophie as we left the small bookstore.
I thought she was crazy when she first asked, to tell you the truth. And Maybe she was, or maybe I was because when I went hope, and got ready to go to bed that was all I think about. I knew most people wouldn’t want to read my story. It wasn’t happy one at that but it was still a story and it needed to be told. At least that’s what my daughter always told me.
Years after I’m gone I hope people still read books and find this story. I hope this never ever happens again and I would never wish this on anybody. I hope people also realize that you shouldn’t let people get to you. If they don’t like you for being different ignore them, and I know it’s hard.
The world is a scary place, and you meant get hurt. Mostly get hurt a lot but you have to know there is light in the darkness. You will get through whatever you are going through. It’s okay to be different, because being different is what makes you yourself. There’s only one of you and the world needs you so please don’t give up on it.
There’s always hope, and the sun always comes after the storm you just have to hang in there. So please hang in there. I hope at least you learn that from here.
A letter I got from Zoey arrived after my speech at New York City College. I thought I would share it with everyone who read this. I could recognize her loopy handwriting anywhere. The tear stand drops really told me something. Anyways this is what she said.
Dear Holly,
I hope you get this letter soon or later. I don’t know when you will get this so I’ll leave this in your home.
I just want to say I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I was stupid enough to believe that they were right about you when I knew they were wrong. You’re my best friend, more like my sister and instead I listened to them? I should of listen to them and no doubt when you read this you will still be angry at me. At least I hope you get this so you will know that I’m truly am sorry.
Unless this letter found someone else, and if it did. I guess that means you might be dead. Which makes me wonder what if Emily and your parents are dead also and I didn’t stop them at all. We could have hide you like the others did. So what we could have died but at least I would have known you and your family was safe from them.
But we went ahead and listen to him. Thinking that maybe he was right which I don’t get we thought that. We knew you and your family for years, so why did we let this man we never knew change our views on things. We were stupid and dumb, I know we were. I wish I could go back in time and give myself a good smack across the face.
I know it’s been year’s sense you last saw me and you may wonder how I found your address. After looking and looking, I found that you done this speech at a University in New York City about the Holocaust. It was then that I knew that you were still alive and had to write this letter to you.
After going online, I found a website that had address to send letters too. So I do hope this gets to you at least and I know you may not be writing this and somebody else maybe writing this but I hope it’s you.
I hope that you can forgive and that’s all I ask. And if you don’t I understand really, I do. Because I feel that I’m the reason why you were in it. We had to report any Jewish families we knew to the soldiers. We didn’t mean any harm and we didn’t know exactly what they were going to do. Please understand that.
Other than that know that we were put into custody. I had to know what we did was wrong. We help hurt so many people and killed so many people. We were all driven by rage because of him. But it was us to because we actually did these things and most of people I know said “We were brainwashed” but we weren’t we knew what we did was wrong but we still did it anyways.
After you guys left, I wanted to find you but my parents wouldn’t let me. Scared about what Hitler and his men could do they thought it would be a good idea to stay in the group. As if doing whatever the popular crowd was doing was ever good and you know it wasn’t but it didn’t faze Mom or Dad at all. I can’t believe I went along with them but they are my parents and I thought they knew right from wrong but that wasn’t the truth.
I’m still mad at myself, I always been which is why after I was allowed to leave the prison I committed myself to be a better person and I knew that would make whatever I did go away. It wouldn’t bring your parents or Emma back either. Or the other millions of people that died during the Holocaust. It was our fault for letting everyone go through something like that when really you guys are human just like us but believe in something different.
It took me a while to realize that. That being different was okay, we shouldn’t judge others because they believe in something different. We could learn from each other and spread the knowledge to so many people. We could have changed the world, but we did in bad way. I should have died with my parents who were killed because of being with the Nazis party. I should of died instead of your parents. It’s all of our faults and we should of did something and I know I repeated this again and again in this letter. But I’m truly am sorry about what we did and again I do hope you can figure me.
I miss my best friend, and I miss when we were young and use to play tag. I miss your old house were we would play hide in seek with Emma for hours till the sun went down. I miss the bike rides we use to have to the point when we got lost that one time. I miss the time when we went to school together and talked about the cutest boy in our class. I miss the times were we would go to the book store and spend ours going through all the books until your mother was the librarian kicked us out. Most importantly I miss my sister.
I hope you’re doing well, and that you get to read this letter. If you want to you can reply.
-Zoey H
When I got the little I didn’t know what do to. She was my friend, my sister and well we been through a lot together. So I decided maybe I should visit her. With help of my really good private detective, also known as my wonderful son Austin, we found that she was living in a flat in London, England.
I was little nervous at first wondering if this was the right idea. I decided to not to go at first. I needed a break from tour around the world speaking about it. Mostly I need to think if I truly did figure her. I didn’t want to go there and yell at her. She was a little bit closer 90 years old and I didn’t know her condition.
I needed to be alone to think about things and took a little time to think about it. When I said I took my time. I took about a couple of months. Part of me was too scared to see the one I once considered my friend, even my sister again. The other side of me didn’t know what effect on both of us it would have. Would I yell or something? Will she just be like she was the last time I saw her? The words on the paper she sent to be looked like they she meant what she said but then again the Zoey I knew as a very good actor.
I knew it was the right thing to figure my old friend. Maybe she did change, I mean it’s been more than 60 years sense I last saw her so there was bound to be some changes maybe, at least changes for the good I hoped. Different mixed thoughts about it basically clouded my mind for next few days and months. Not sure on how I should take this.
I mean what would you do if your friend did this? Of course that would be unfair to ask you thought but I didn’t know what to think about it. It wasn’t really her fault that my parents died or that Emma was dead. Or the fact that we all went through the holocaust. Sure she was part of the group of people who hated us but it wasn’t her fault. I didn’t know who to blame anymore really with that.
Zoey didn’t put my sister in the gas chamber. Zoey didn’t shot my parents that day. Zoey didn’t put everyone in the camp. But she did help him in different ways. I don’t know exactly what Zoey did. All I knew was that they help Hitler’s army with things and I wasn’t sure. So I guess there was only one thing I had to do. I had to go see her.
I knew writing was going to be good idea. I would have wrote her an essay or something and I was afraid I wouldn’t say things correctly or how I wanted to same them so I had to see her. I didn’t want to go alone, to make sure I didn’t do anything I would regret. For example yelling at Zoey or basically anything of that nature. All three of my children decided to come with and I told them no because they had families at home. But they said, they always wanted to see England. So we decided to make it a family trip.
At least I wasn’t alone but I couldn’t sleep on the flight over to England from New York. But at least the grandkids were excited. None of them would sit still, most of them never been on airplane and some of them thought they were going to Disney World.
When we finally got to England we went to local hotel and had a family day. We tried not to draw to much attention to our sleeves as we walked around London and almost getting lost. Bust soon the children were tried and we went back to hotel. It was then when Emi, Austin and Sophie decided to take me somewhere.
Thinking it was maybe a local coffee shop or maybe to get some food. I was wrong, we arrived at local hospital and I was confuse on why we were there. Almost went into panic mode thinking there was something they were not telling me. I was right about that as we found the room they were looking for. They wanted me to go in first which I didn’t understand why I had to but I did.
I walked into the white hospital room thinking it was maybe a friend I didn’t know who was in the hospital to see a lady who seemed maybe a little older than me lying in bed. She had white hair, and blue eyes. She liked rather skinny and very fragile almost like a doll that my younger grandchildren had to play with. But she didn’t look like anyone I knew, at least not to me right away. She looked like she was at her last breathe really. But she was still here at least. She had an oxygen mask on to breathe.
I looked backed at my grandchildren who realized I didn’t know who the women was. But they gave me a smile and turn around, walked away from the room. I stood there quite shock that they were leaving me here but maybe it was because of something. I didn’t really know so I walked up closer to the lady in front of me. She had a bunch of follower’s in a blue vase. Those were white lilies which reminded me of Zoe’s favorite flowers. I had no idea why that came to me now. But I looked at them in shock. There was a card in the flowers. I looked at the women was still sleeping and looked at the card.
I’m sorry I couldn’t visit you right away. Owen got sick but I hope you feel better soon Mother. Please don’t give up yet. I promise I will come over.
Love Your Daughter Allie.
It was addressed to Zoey Walker and I looked at Zoey wide-eyed. In front of me was my old best friend Zoey.
“Holly” she said in raspy voice making me jump.
I walked up to the bed my eyes filled with tears. This was my best friend not the girl who told me she was in Hitler’s youth. I pulled up a chair and sat down.
“How have you been” she asked making me chuckle.
“Well I been Wonderful” I said with grin and we sat there talked for hours just like we did oh so many years ago.