We can hear the soldiers outside.

Mama says if we are quiet then we will be safe and we can see Uncle Henry in England. The soldiers outside are very noisy. They are stamping and shouting. Nobody else is making noise.

Mama says that the house we are staying in is not ours and so we must be careful not to mess anything up. I do not understand why we had to leave our proper house.

Mama says we must pretend not to understand if somebody speaks to us. She will do all the talking. If there is a problem, we are to ask the owner of the house that is not ours to take us to England, to Uncle Henry.

Mama says that if somebody comes up the small stairs outside the door then we need to hide in the wardrobe in the other room. At home Mama never let us inside the wardrobe, not even when we were playing hide and seek.

Mama says not to tell anyone Papa’s name. Especially not a soldier. And we cannot say that he was a doctor. Not to anyone. She says that if they know then we will be taken to where he is. I do not see why that is a bad thing. I have not seen Papa for a long time. I miss him.

Mama says that if we need to run quickly we are to leave our bags behind. I only have one bag. I wanted to bring more of my nice clothes but Mama says not to because they will still be there when we go back home.

Mama says that it is like a big game of hide and seek. I must be very quiet, no matter how much J want to leave this strange room that is not home and go outside.

Mama says she is not worried but I can see that she is. She is trying to hide it from us. Mama is worried about the soldiers finding us but I do not know why.

I say to Mama that she doesn’t have to worry. I am the best at hide and seek in all the land. If I do not want to be found then I can stay hidden forever. I can teach her if she wants.

Mama laughs and says that it is okay. She believes me. And she was very good at hide and seek when she was a little girl too.

Mama says that we will have to leave when it is dark. Me and Fritz and Mama. And we are to burn our papers. The lady who owns this strange house got us new ones. Ones that have different names on them and say we are not from here and say we are not Jude’s.

The soldiers have marched away and we cannot hear them any more.

Mama says that is a very good thing and she sighs. A big, long, heavy sigh. One more day, Mama says.