Daisies by Sammantha Lewis (acx book reading TXT) 📖

“stop it, Silvia!” Maggie warned. I was reaching my boiling point.
“Or, maybe they abandoned you.” I clenched my fist and tightened my jaw .
I mean look at you! If you were shoved in the ghetto then they would be to so it’s only natural they would say themselves-” Before she could go any further I had punched her in the stomach as hard as I could. She feel to the ground with a thud.
“You flig!” she growled.
“Get up!” I shouted. Silvia got up slowly and staggered while holding her stomach.
“ You’re an orphan! That’s all you’ll ever be! Your parents are dead!” she told me with her left arm she tried to slap me , but I caught her hand. I punched her face. I could see blood dripping from her nose. She snatched her hand back.
“Don’t ever call me that!” I warned her. I looked and saw a crowd forming around us while my friends were standing in horror. Silvia curled her lips back.
“Or-ph-an,” She snarled. I snapped, I pushed her to the ground and started to pulverize her. Mark came rushing and pulled me off her. He walked me out of the schoolyard with his hand on my shoulder. I stared at Silvia who was still on the ground.
“Goodbye, Silvia.” I said. I saw my friends waving, and then the head Mistress came.
“Get up!” she yield down at Silvia. When Silvia got up, she slapped her on her cheek.
“This is the last time, Silvia!” she told her.
Mark sat me on a bench, and looked down at me.
“what did she say?” he asked. I broke into tears and forced myself to tell him.
“She said that they abandoned me, and that I’ll always be an orphan!” Mark kneeled down on one knee and whipped my tears off my face.
“You did well.” He told me.
“What?” I was confused. Do adults usually tell children they did well by beating up another child? He pulled my arm and took me to my home. He walked me to my front door.
“I talked to your apartment manager, she said that she would not evict you while you’re in Italy. I want you to stay inside and I will come tell you when you will be leaving.
Two weeks passed quickly and no word from the sheriff. It seemed like a blur. Every day I would lie in bed wondering when I would be leaving.
It was now February 6, 1941. I was sitting on the sofa listening to the radio. When I heard a knock on the door, I opened It up to see Sheriff Mark. He barged into the apartment,
“Good news.” He said
“What the good news.”
“You have been give permission to go to Italy! I called your grandmother, and I have the train ticket!” although Mark was an overweight bald man that was forty-five years old, he was jumping with joy.
“When am I leaving?”
“Three days.” He said.
“Three days hu….” I had been waiting for this, but after it happened, I was disappointed I was finally going to leave Poland.
Those three days passed quickly. I sat on my bed staring at the two large empty suitcases. I had never packed a suitcase by myself. I got up and decided to pack my favorite clothes in one and items in the other. I spent two hours packing and getting ready for the long train ride. I put my hair in a braided bun and tide my headscarf tight. I decided to wear a white floral knee length skirt with a yellow large buttoned cardigan sweater. I looked in the mirror of my vanity and took a deep breath ‘I can do this.’ I thought to myself. I slipped on my light brown penny loafers and looked back at my empty home. I shut the heavy oak door behind me.


Chapter 5: the Fairytale Village

I looked around the train station and felt empty I did not want to leave Poland. I wanted anything but that. I could not bear the thought of leaving my friends behind. I thought of Patty, Hattie, Manya, Maggie, and Mrs. Kings. I could feel a tear run down my cheek, I quickly whipped it away. The whistle blew and that meant it was time to board the train. I looked around and saw people being hugged good-bye by their loved ones. I looked around for someone to say good-bye to as well, and then I remembered I had no one. I boarded the train and took a deep breath I was scared about what living in Italy would bring me. The train left the station. The train went through a dark tunnel and the emerged in to the sun. As the sun peered through the window, I tried to cover my eyes. I then saw a large field of daisies. As I watched, the fields of daisies grow smaller as the train paced the field. I felt at ease because I remembered Mama telling me that daisies will grow no matter where in the world you are. It made it seem like although I am leaving my only home, I can always return, and one day I will do just that. Before I knew it, the fields of flowers were gone and so was Warsaw. The train ride was long and dreary. The only thing I could think of was Italy. What would my grandmother be like, will my new school life be pleasant, what will the other kids be like, and will I be accepted? An uneasy feeling hung over my head. The thing that frightened me the most was isolation. I could picture Florence; I could see a peaceful city. I wanted more than anything to arrive quickly. I closed my eyes in hopes of arriving shortly.
I then woke up to a loud whistle that told passengers that it was time to leave the train. I grabbed my luggage and got off board. I had arrived at the Firenze Santa Maria Railway center. I looked around blindly. I had no idea where to go. I was then when I saw a woman with a sign in her hands that read “Ally .D” I figured this was my grandmother. I walked up to her
“Are you Edna Dubowsky?” I asked the woman. She was overjoyed when I asked.
“Are you Ally?” she asked. I nodded my head. The elder woman smiled and hugged my tightly.
“I’m so glad you arrived safely!” She exclaimed. I only smiled because she was almost a stranger to me.
“Anyway, Let me help you with your luggage,” she then picked up one of my heavy suitcases,and led me out of the station. I looked up at her to see that her eyes were shining like a child’s on Christmas morning. I saw a sixty-two year-old woman who was just happy to have family again. As I looked at her I felt the same way. Both of us were not alone anymore.
We walked about a block away to her car. The car was a small convertible, that sat two people, it was teal ,and looked almost new. Grandma unlocked the trunk for me ,and I placed my two large suitcases in the trunk. We got in the car and left. We drove past many sculptures and public art pieces. I was amazed that such a city existed. I looked over my shoulder and saw a large bridge with buildings hanging of the side of the large stone bridge it. It was like a small town flouting above water. I pressed my forehead against the window so I could see. It was incredible to see. I had never in my life seen anything like it living in Poland.
Grandma taped my shoulder,
“That’s the ‘Ponte Vecchio’ we’ll go there tomorrow.” She told me.
“What will we be going there for?” I was confused. Grandma looked at me and laughed.
“Shopping of course.”
“They have shops there?” I was in amazement.
“Yes. What else would they have?” my grandma asked.
We then pulled up to an old apartment building. I got out of the car and looked up at the tall building. The building was a faded yellow, with many widows, fire escapes on every floor, and each apartment had a balcony. We walked into the lobby with marble floors ,gold hand rails, fresh flowers on every table in the room, and an elevator .