Trafika Europe 9/10 - UK in Europe

Zöe Beck look any different than the mountains where we lived. But Grandma would always say: “It’s such a shame. No other country in the world is divided, only Germany. They took everything away from us.” And my mother would always quickly motion for me to keep my mouth shut, so I wouldn’t bring up Korea. I had done that once, and Grandma had started to cry, saying I was a rude boy and had no respect for my elders, before going on about what all she’d been through. About fleeing from the Baltic on foot, from Königsberg down to Frankfurt am Main. About how everything I had was thanks to her and my Grandpa. It took at least three weeks until she was willing to talk to us again. My mother forbade me

to ask Grandma what she meant by “took everything.” I had a glimmer of an idea that for her it had less to do with personal possessions than with former German territories. “My mother is a little sensitive about such things,” she commented, and then: “She went througha lot. AndGrandpa was on the Russian Front.” I was told not to ask him about anything either. In any case, I went to the post office to mail the package to Mama’s cousin in Magdeburg, and while I was filling out the list of items being sent, I saw Silvana get in the back of the line. I said “Hello” to her as I left, but she didn’t respond. I waited outside on the sidewalk, although when she came

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