The Isolated Diaries: The Holocaust of 1941 by Katie Radgowski (early readers txt) 📕

Emma started to read a magazine as she heard a knock on the door. Emma ignored it, but as it grew louder, Mother screamed from the kitchen and above the tunes. "Emma, get the door please!" 

Emma groaned as she dropped the magazine and walked over to the door. She brushed her long, black hair back, tried to make her green eyes sparkle, and cleared her throat before opening the door. But Emma saw a sight that made her almost puke. 

One tall, skinny boy was in the doorway. The boy had flat, orange hair with blue eyes and freckles on his dappled cheeks. He was wearing a black suit, with polished shoes and black pants. He was smiling a huge, white smile as he had roses wrapped in golden silk in his hands. The one and only 14 year old Charlie Gem. 

"Hal-llo, Emma my rose." He purred in a soft, silky voice as he grabbed Emma's hand and kissed it with a bow of his knee. "I come to claim your heart." 

"Beat it, squirrel." Emma hissed as she blocked the doorway view, so Mother didn't see Charlie. "I don't like you and I'm busy." 

"Who on earth is it, Emma?" Mother's voice came from the kitchen. 

Emma was about to say the newsletter guy before Charlie stood on his tiptoes and waved his hand to Mother. "It's me, Charlie Gem, Mrs. Blackclover. I've come to see your precious, pretty daughter and ask you the most important question." 

Emma almost flipped over as Mother stopped the radio and her cooking. She jogged away from William, who was shoving seeds up his nose, and to the doorway, shoving Emma into the wall. 

"Come in, Mr. Gem." She greeted as Charlie walked into the room. "Make yourself at home." 

Mother closed the door as she grabbed Emma's hand and pulled Emma to the couch. 

Charlie sat down in the rocking chair, a piece of wheat sticking from his mouth. He put the roses on the counter before sitting, actually, and William grabbed them and started pouring gallons of water onto them. 

Mother sat down on the chair as Emma sat on the couch, very far from Charlie. Charlie was the richest kid in the school. He bragged to everyone and was mean to every kid he could see. Except Emma. He was always giving her these diamonds and bringing her loads of chocloates and dresses. He would invite her to parties and special meetings and would always give her loads of stuff on holidays. Charlie tried to impress her, but Emma ignored him every day. 

"So, what's your important question, Charlie?" Mother asked eagerly. Every since Emma was eleven, Mother has been trying to get her a boy, who in the future would be her husband. Mother always wanted grandchildren, and tried to make it happen as quick as possible. But Emma doesn't want Charlie as a husband. Never. EVER. 

"I, Mrs. Blackclover, want your daughter to be my lady, until we die. She's more beautiful then a blooming rosebud, more smarter then a scientist, more clever then a fox and more lovely then the white snow itself. I want to claim her heart in marriage and love her until we breathe our last breaths. I want to see the sunset with her, calmly go down a crystal river in a boat with her, and have little children together and be parents. I want to stay with her forever. She's so pretty I want to kiss her lips until they turn to smooth ice. Could I claim her heart until she's old enough to be my part?" Charlie Gem announced. 

Emma stopped herself from gagging. MARRY HIM? HAVE CHILDREN TOGETHER? NO WAY! Emma hated Charlie and liked someone else! Mother wouldn't agree to it when Emma didn't approve it... right? 

"Oh, Charlie, you are a charmer." Mother laughed as she sipped some iced tea she got from a glass cup. "I agree. You will be Emma's part until she grows old enough to marry!" 

"WHAT! Mother, you can't do this! I DON'T like him! I like someone else! I HATE HIM! I love John from school and I don't want Charlie! Mother, don't do this!" Emma gasped as she jumped up. 

"Emma, you won't get a chance like this for ages." Mother replied sternly. "Charlie is a perfect choice. He loves you. That boy probably doesn't." 

"He does!" Emma argued. "I bet he does! Charlie just wants me to get all of our richest jewels that grandmother gave us! He's a fraud, Mother, and I won't be his part! Ever!" 

Before Mother replied, Emma turned and marched up the stairs. Mother stood, shockless, as Charlie frowned to himself. 

Charlie the lover. Emma wouldn't go near him ever again. 

Emma sat outside on the steps from the front door. The vendors called out, holding up rich fruit and showing crowds large, healthy horses and cattle. Money was raised for certain animals and Emma watched as some young horses were seperated from their mothers. The sun was sinking behind the buildings, as hooves clambored over the cobblestone streets. 

Charlie left an hour ago to go home. He left fifty dollars to Mother to talk Emma into the marriage, but Mother refused and forced him to raise the tax. He gave her two hundred dollars. Mother was joyful but Emma was not. She was upset. She wouldn't marry Charlie. He was.... just... ew. Not her type, if she could explain it. 

Father got home too. Mother told him about Emma and with Charlie but Father did not take part. He didn't like to get into girl drama with boys and love. Mother was quite rude about it, saying he wasn't a proper father to his children and a good husband to her if he didn't get involved. But he ignored her, saying that Emma needed to solve it herself. 

Emma sighed as she saw one peach roll over to her. One vender seemed to knock over some peaches from his pile and they rolled down the cobblestone paths. Emma wiped the peach from dirt and gravel before she bit into it. It was sweet and juicey and tasted good. Like her victory if she ever got any part of it. Probably not. Emma swallowed as she dug out the seed. 

Emma would give William the seed. He would be surprised on how big it was and would be excited. Besides, she could repay him for the dollar he loaned to her a week ago so she could buy John some ice cream from the parlor. 

Emma sighed. John. John was a musclear, tall and handsome boy. He had flat, brown hair that went to his eyes and had dark, creamy brown eyes. John seemed to envy her, too, and was Jewish like her. Charlie was not Jewish, which Emma didn't envy him for that either.  

Emma heard a hefty grunt as she turned to see Father come down the steps and sit next to her. He smelled like the smoke coming from a candle mixed with grilled chicken and sauce. Emma was realived that it wasn't Mother coming out, for she was trying to ignore Mother. But she still wanted to be alone. 

"I'm busy." Emma muttered as she folded up her legs and put her arms on her knees and buried her head into her arm fold. 

"No, your not." Father replied. "Your upset. I know what happened with you, your mother, and Charlie Gem but you have to accept it." 

"I do not." Emma shot back as she met his gaze. "Father, this is unfair. I hate Charlie Gem. I want to marry someone else when I'm older. Charlie is a fraud. He wants us for those jewels and expensive counter tops. Don't you see the evil in his eyes, Father?" 

"No. I never met 'em." Father confessed but then his tone lightened. "I never wanted to marry your mother, to admit it, Emma." 

"What? Then why did you marry her, Father?" 

Father scratched his mustache before he said. "It was the good for the family and company, sweetie. Then, I got to know her and love her. I then had two lovely children with her." 

"I don't like her." Emma scatched as she brushed some hair from her eyes. "She thinks she's so that. Why doesn't she think that I could make my own sensible, adult like choice? I'm not a baby like William, Father, if you haven't noticed." 

William then came out. He had syrup all over his face from some waffles he ate some hours ago. He came and jumped down the steps, dancing along the sidewalk as he looked at Emma and Father. 

"What are you doin' out here?" 

"None of your wax, pinhead." Emma retorted as her eyes narrowed to William. She grabbed the peach seed from her pocket and threw it at him. "Go away!" 

"Emma!" Father snarled as William started whining. "Don't ever throw anything at your sibling! Do you understand? He didn't do anything to you."

"See? Your just like Mother! William is a little horse butt all over again! He covers my sheets in sugar, pours ants in my socks and puts steak sauce in my bottles of hair gel! He's a rat and I can prove it!" Emma rose from the steps, fists clenched. 

"Young lady, you may be forced to do somethings but never to be so rude and irrigant to your little brother! I expected better." Father growled as he stood up. 

"Well, your wrong then, Father." 

Emma then stuck out her tongue, quite rudely, before marching into the house, slamming the door as she was screaming in her mind. 

Emma marched up to her room and walked in, slamming the door. She locked it securely, anger throbbing into her belly. Father and Mother were tight people! If they were her, and had to put up with William, they would have a cow! Emma was usually a quiet, caring girl but right now, a raging, killer lion ready to pounce and rip into it's prey. 

Emma kicked her nightstand. It didn't hurt, but the nightstand shook loudly. She could hear Father's voice talking to Mother's. Emma grabbed some torn old paper as she ripped it, trying to get the rage from her body out and into the cold, still air so it could move and throb around outside her heart, which was burning and was on bright fire.

Emma sighed after some moments of