Spring time at home

It was late June, our farming deadline was getting closer and mama had to wake up early as usual to milk Betsy (our cow). My sister had to go run a wedding errand, (she was 17 and to be married to our neighbor’s son Fredrich, he was 18, owned 7 cows, 6 chickens and to everyone in town he was the wealthiest most eligible young man any girl could marry. My sister and he had been best friends for the longest time now, but I don’t think she was really ´´in love´´ with him. My family being all Jewish and our neighbors being Christians, hated the idea of these two getting married, but had to accept it; we were broke and my father’s ego just couldn’t handle loosing our farm and our home, we needed this financial help). She came back with two white boxes one carrying her shoes and the other one with her white dress. As she struggled to open the door, and managing her white bowed boxes, she opened the door and with my help she came in… pale as a ghost she gave me to carry all her things and patted my head warmly. I don’t know how but I knew she was upset. She quickly asked me to go up to my mom and dad because she had to tell us something; and so I did, called my mom from the kitchen door, she was carrying two barrels of milk on both her hands, my dad was raking hay in the barn, and came running in as well. My father, (a tall olive skinned man with a very fearful appearance to anyone who meets him for the first time) came in, wiped his hands on a piece of towel lying on the kitchen counter and sat on a small wooden stool. My sister and mother came in, my father ordered them both to let me stay, ´´ Hannah, our son is now 14 and soon will need to know how to handle farm problems and real life situations.´´ My mom sighed and agreed, both looked up at my white faced sister as if trying to look for an answer to this brief family discussion. She started,´´ Mama, papa… they are here, the monsters have arrived to our town, and will be starting the hunt soon, they gave me these 4 yellow stars to wear on our clothes…´´ she paused and a tear came running out of her left eye and into her cheek…´´ They are herding us like cattle!´´ With that my father got up, threw the door open and stormed out into the barn, where I followed, leaving both women crying in the small wooden stools. Papa, don’t cry, im sure nothing will happen (I had heard of these ´´monsters´´ before, called soldiers by the people, but never really knew what they wanted), ´´maybe they’re just passing by´´, I said while sitting next to my pop, and then patted his back gently, (something very unlikely for me to do; me and my father had always had a very sort of distant relationship and any caring action would seem too queer for the both of us). He strutted something and hugged me hard in his arms, chocking me almost… I returned the favor and wrapped myself around him as well. ´´Lets stop, we look like women, people will start talking and saying we are your mom and sister, and them being us.´´ he effortlessly tried to joke around, but his moaned voice was too obvious to pass.