Read Online Mrs. Tuesday's Departure: A Historical Novel of World War Two by Suzanne Elizabeth Anderson - Free Book Online
Authors: Suzanne Elizabeth Anderson
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must be had, and just one more day survived…”
The applause began. Anna shouted over the noise. “While we wonder when the nightmare will end!”
A group in the last row began a chant of “When, when, when, when...”
Didn’t she realize what she was doing? In her efforts to speak against what had happened to me on the street, she was putting us in greater danger. Anna’s eyes sparkled as she looked around the room. Her voice rose as she brought her arms into the air.
“It is our responsibility as artists to raise our voices against the war. We must wage a battle with words.”
The crowd roared their approval. I shuddered and tried in vain to yell for her to stop.
“We must speak out against the soldiers who would kill us. We must use our pens as swords against the hate that sends our loved ones away from us!”
A young man standing near me at the door, raised his fist and yelled, “Communists! Traitors!” He shoved against me and I ducked as a scuffle began.
Anna’s bright red cheeks radiated the passion behind her words. “We will not hide from the enemy. We will not be silent! We will tell them that we have had enough of their guns and tanks and bombs!”
The crowd exploded in a chorus. “Yes!”
“To the streets!”
“Down with the fascists!”
Trying to shove my way forward, I failed as students rushed toward Anna and simultaneously began shouting down dissenters. Around the room, arguments broke out and fists raised.
I clawed my way through the hordes, screaming, “Anna! Anna!”
She turned toward my voice and then moved away to the other side of the room.
“Anna! Stop!”
My cries were lost in the melee.
Behind me, the crowd surged forward and I toppled against the rows of desks in front of me. I flung myself into the crowd that moved in the irrational ebb and flow of a tide simultaneously trying to move in and out of the room.
“Anna!” I could see her still at the front of the room. As students pressed against her, she became disoriented. Horrified I watched her face transform as her mind opened and she slipped through a door that lead her far from here. I heard a young woman scream and the crowd surged backwards as someone yelled that the police had arrived.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
I heard the m before I saw them. Their shouts filled the air, followed by a chorus of screams and curses from the students they beat with their clubs. The air around me was thick with the movement of bodies flung in disarray; panic turned the tide from exultation to self-preservation. Unfortunately, there was only one exit. A doorway filled by the enemy. Many of the triumphant quickly became lambs, grabbing their books, cowering and bowing their heads in silence. A few brave souls continued to rage. They raged as they ducked.
Then there was Anna.
My darling sister.
She stood against the tide. She stood and laughed.
She continued to laugh as the police surrounded her. She laughed as they grabbed her arms and yanked her away from the podium.
“Stay” she laughed hysterically, breaking free one last time, she raised her arms above her head as if conducting her orchestra.
“Stay!” she screamed as they surrounded her and lifted her by her arms and dragged her from the room.
Chapter Thirty
I followed th e police escort into the hall. “Wait, I’m her sister!”
They ignored my pleas. My attempts to get Anna’s attention failed in her reverie.
With no other recourse, I followed the police down the hall to the Dean’s office.
Despite my protests, I was not allowed in the room. What would happen to her now? Would they arrest her and put her in jail? Would she be carted off to one of the labor camps? Or worse, to an asylum?
Someone put a hand on my shoulder and I whirled around to see the Dean of the university. “You’ve got to help me,” I cried, grabbing his sleeve. “Anna’s in trouble.”
“What was she thinking?” he said. “She’s caused a great deal of
The applause began. Anna shouted over the noise. “While we wonder when the nightmare will end!”
A group in the last row began a chant of “When, when, when, when...”
Didn’t she realize what she was doing? In her efforts to speak against what had happened to me on the street, she was putting us in greater danger. Anna’s eyes sparkled as she looked around the room. Her voice rose as she brought her arms into the air.
“It is our responsibility as artists to raise our voices against the war. We must wage a battle with words.”
The crowd roared their approval. I shuddered and tried in vain to yell for her to stop.
“We must speak out against the soldiers who would kill us. We must use our pens as swords against the hate that sends our loved ones away from us!”
A young man standing near me at the door, raised his fist and yelled, “Communists! Traitors!” He shoved against me and I ducked as a scuffle began.
Anna’s bright red cheeks radiated the passion behind her words. “We will not hide from the enemy. We will not be silent! We will tell them that we have had enough of their guns and tanks and bombs!”
The crowd exploded in a chorus. “Yes!”
“To the streets!”
“Down with the fascists!”
Trying to shove my way forward, I failed as students rushed toward Anna and simultaneously began shouting down dissenters. Around the room, arguments broke out and fists raised.
I clawed my way through the hordes, screaming, “Anna! Anna!”
She turned toward my voice and then moved away to the other side of the room.
“Anna! Stop!”
My cries were lost in the melee.
Behind me, the crowd surged forward and I toppled against the rows of desks in front of me. I flung myself into the crowd that moved in the irrational ebb and flow of a tide simultaneously trying to move in and out of the room.
“Anna!” I could see her still at the front of the room. As students pressed against her, she became disoriented. Horrified I watched her face transform as her mind opened and she slipped through a door that lead her far from here. I heard a young woman scream and the crowd surged backwards as someone yelled that the police had arrived.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
I heard the m before I saw them. Their shouts filled the air, followed by a chorus of screams and curses from the students they beat with their clubs. The air around me was thick with the movement of bodies flung in disarray; panic turned the tide from exultation to self-preservation. Unfortunately, there was only one exit. A doorway filled by the enemy. Many of the triumphant quickly became lambs, grabbing their books, cowering and bowing their heads in silence. A few brave souls continued to rage. They raged as they ducked.
Then there was Anna.
My darling sister.
She stood against the tide. She stood and laughed.
She continued to laugh as the police surrounded her. She laughed as they grabbed her arms and yanked her away from the podium.
“Stay” she laughed hysterically, breaking free one last time, she raised her arms above her head as if conducting her orchestra.
“Stay!” she screamed as they surrounded her and lifted her by her arms and dragged her from the room.
Chapter Thirty
I followed th e police escort into the hall. “Wait, I’m her sister!”
They ignored my pleas. My attempts to get Anna’s attention failed in her reverie.
With no other recourse, I followed the police down the hall to the Dean’s office.
Despite my protests, I was not allowed in the room. What would happen to her now? Would they arrest her and put her in jail? Would she be carted off to one of the labor camps? Or worse, to an asylum?
Someone put a hand on my shoulder and I whirled around to see the Dean of the university. “You’ve got to help me,” I cried, grabbing his sleeve. “Anna’s in trouble.”
“What was she thinking?” he said. “She’s caused a great deal of
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