THE DIARY OF A YOUNG GIRL : THE DEFINITIVE EDITION ... - Fidele

wound up safely in the office after having entered from the outside.
In the meantime, Bep had gotten rid of van Maaren and come to get Mr. Kugler from
the Annex. But he'd already left and at that moment was still tiptoeing down the
stairs. What must the passersby have thought when they saw the manager putting on
his shoes outside? Hey, you there, in the socks!
Yours, Anne
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1943
Dearest Kitty,
It's Mrs. van Daan's birthday. Other than one ration stamp each for cheese, meat
and bread, all she received from us was a jar of jam. Her husband, Dussel and the
office staff gave her nothing but flowers and also food. Such are the times we
live in!
Bep had a nervous fit last week because she had so many errands to do. Ten times a
day people were sending her out for something, each time insisting she go right
away or go again or that she'd done it all wrong. And when you think that she has
her regular office work to do, that Mr. Kleiman is sick, that Miep is home with a
cold and that Bep herself has a sprained ankle, boyfriend troubles and a grouchy
father, it's no wonder she's at the end of her tether. We comforted her and told
her that if she'd put her foot down once or twice and say she didn't have the
time, the shopping lists would shrink of their own accord.
Saturday there was a big drama, the likes of which have never been seen here
before. It started with a discussion of van Maaren and ended in a general argument
and tears. Dussel complained to Mother that he was being treated like a leper,
that no one was friendly to him and that, after all, he hadn't done anything to
deserve it. This was followed by a lot of sweet talk, which luckily Mother didn't
fall for this time. She told him we were disappointed in him and that, on more
than one occasion, he'd been a source of great annoyance. Dussel promised her the
moon, but, as usual, we haven't seen so much as a beam.
There's trouble brewing with the van Daans, I can tell! Father's furious because
they're cheating us: they've been holding back meat and other things. Oh, what
kind of bombshell is about to burst now? If only I weren't so involved in all
these skirmishes! If only I could leave here! They're driving us crazy!
Yours, Anne
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1943
Dearest Kitty,
Mr. Kleiman is back, thank goodness! He looks a bit pale, and yet he cheerfully
set off to sell some clothes for Mr. van Daan. The disagreeable fact is that Mr.
van Daan has run out of money. He lost his last hundred guilders in the warehouse,
which is still creating trouble for us: the men are wondering how a hundred
guilders could wind up in the warehouse on a Monday morning. Suspicion abounds.
Meanwhile, the hundred guilders have been stolen. Who's the thief?
But I was talking about the money shortage. Mrs. van D. has scads of dresses,
coats and shoes, none of which she feels she can do without. Mr. van D.'s suit is
difficult to sell, and Peter's bike was put on the block, but is back again, since
nobody wanted it. But the story doesn't end there. You see, Mrs. van D. is going