Irene's Journal & Buckingham Palace

 Here is a paper I wrote:

Irene's Journal

October 10 1939

Mother gave me this journal, on my 11th birthday. It was ten days ago. On the 30th of September. Today, she told us that we have to go. She had called us into the bedroom. We spend a lot of time in her bedroom, because it is the only other room besides the smoldering hot kitchen.

 “Do you remember what happened to the White’s children?” she asked us. “Yes” I said I remember it because Jessie, my best friend, was a White. They had left a couple days ago for the country. 

“No one is safe in this war,”She said, “I have arranged for you… to leave too.” 

“But-but you can't, ” I stuttered 

“I have told Mrs. Oliver to take you.” Mother said, crying softly. “Irene,” she said, turning to me  “listen to Hanna.” I can’t believe her. 

October 12 1939 

We all have gas masks. Mother bought them. They are ugly and I hate them. We have them in case of an emergency. She purchased them from the market and sold her weekly wages on them. She won’t be able to afford food. I worry….

Oct 14 1939

In only one day we are leaving. Mrs. Oliver is okay, but I prefer Mother. She is here, so we can meet her. I left and am in a tiny nook between the rooms. I found it. I can hear her and mother talking “Your children are okay” Mrs. Oliver said “ you have four?” “yes” said mother “First Hanna, she is 14, then Roy is 12 Irene just turned 11, and  Sammy is 3.” I will miss my mother. She is taking on a new job while we are gone. Hopefully she will be able to keep afloat, without so many mouths to feed.                                                  10:16 October 15, 1939 

Today is the day. The day we must leave. Mother walked us all to the smoky train station. The train arrived billowing smoke, making all of us cough. “Goodbye Mother I love you so much!jkl” said Hanna. I could hear her promising Mother to keep us safe. We all hugged her in turn, and everyone cried. The train conductor said that it was about to leave, and we jumped on, just before the wheels began to turn. I will never forget that last glimpse of Mother she was standing waving after us tears streaming down her cheeks, and saying “I love you Irene”. Oh I already miss her. Roy is looking out the window, and Hanna is telling  Sammie a story, so he won’t cry. 

Afternoon

We had our lunch that Mother packed for us. A while later I decided to write. The houses outside are smoking and burnt. By the looks of it, there was a lot of bombing here. I can’t imagine it is too horrible. We all have tags that say our names. Mrs. Oliver said “we will be there in time” There are other children on the train. I don’t want to talk with them. I can hear booming sounds in the distance. Bombs. Hanna is worried. So am I it seems so close Sammie is beginning to cry I am sca—

Evening 

Sorry about that! The bomb exploded very close to the train! It smashed the glass on a window. Some people have a cut or a bruise, but they are alright. I miss the city. We are almost there.

34 October 16 1939

We arrived at the tiny village that we will now call home. “Over here!” Said a tall man on a cart. “Are you the baker's children?” “Yes sir.” Said Mrs. Oliver. “Alright, you are coming with me” “this is where I am off children. I will assure your mother that you arrived safely” After the goodbyes we climbed in the cart  we drove to a  house with a barn in the back.A rosy cheeked lady ran out of the house. “Hello dear children! hurry inside. I am your Aunt Rebeca.” she led us into the  house. It was modest, but way bigger than our old apartment.     

October 19 1939

I heard something on the radio. News of the war. London is thankfully safe but France took a hard blow to their forces. Last night I had a dream of Father. He is dead. I dreamed that he was alive. He died before Sammie was born. It was a wonderful dream.          

 January 1  1940

The snow blows hard but this  house stays strong in the wind. Our life here isn’t terrible.  Uncle Zefania isn’t as gruff as he was. Just the other day he smiled at Roy and patted him on the back and said “good job son, you did a fine job” when he moved all the hay ‘all by himself’ I am still mad at him for that. He claimed that he did it but I actually helped him! Boys are so annoying. Yesterday, we were in the backyard, then a plane flew over our heads! It was black and sleek,  similar to an evil bird. Roy gasped and fixed his eyes on it, and we stared at it in silane snow swirling around us. Aunt Rachel looked out “children! hurry inside quickly!” We all ran inside. Oh how I wish this war was over!

April 16 1940

Today was awful! Let me start from the beginning. This morning I woke up ready for the new day. I share a bed with Hanna. She mumbled and turned over. I walked downstairs. The smell of breakfast wafted up to me. “Good morning Irene.” Said aunt Rachel. “Good morning,” I said back. I helped set the table when Roy, yawning and stretching, walked into the kitchen. Soon everyone had woken up. The meal was great, and uncle Zephaniah was pleasant. “Roy my boy, can you fetch some things from the store for me?” he said, turning to Roy. “ You have been very responsible lately, with the chores, so I trust you.” Roy looked   bursting with pride. After he turned thirteen he acted so grown-up! I wish I was thirteen. I am only eleven and my birthday is so far away in sept ! Oh anyway, back to the story.  After that we all walked off to our own things. But nothing was amiss, till that night. Later that afternoon, Roy set off on his  adventure. I had watched enviously as he walked along the path, holding the basket with the list inside. So when he still wasn’t back at five, we were worried. “He's probably just lost in the store!” I joked to Hanna she laughed but I could look that she was worried. When it was six forty I began to really worry. At seven, when uncle Zephaniah walked in from the barn “ Time to eat?” he said he glanced at our worried faces, and asked “what is wrong?” When we didn’t answer he said it again. “Well,” said aunt Rachel, “we are worried about Roy. He hasn’t gotten home yet, and-” she was interrupted by uncle Zephaniah who sat up and rushed out the door. Then we waited. I started to pace at seven thirty. No one touched the steaming food on the set table. At eight nothing still happened. We waited the whole hour Hanna and aunt Rachel knitted furiously, while I paced. Finally at nine, they returned  and Roy looked miserable. “What happened!” I said for everyone. “ Well, I walked to town, and I found him-” -he pointed to Roy in the clutches of a very angry man. It took me a very long time to convince him to let him walk out  without pressing charges.” “Pressing charges?!”said Hanna “yes” he said "Maybe you can tell me why Roy.” uncle Zephaniah said, turning to Roy. He sighed “When I made it to- to the store there was a boy out front. He was much bigger than me, and older too. I walked into the store and bought the things on the list. The other boy brushed past me, and when I left he said that I had stolen the pearl handled pocketknife in the window! I didn’t! So that's what I said. He reached in my pocket and took out the knife. I was scared then. I tried to explain to the grocer, but he just brushed it aside. He had me when uncle Zefaniah found me.” He sheepishly hung his head. I am sorry I worried you. “Well,” I said “at least we can eat supper!”

Sept. 2 1945

The war is over! We heard the news today. I cried and hugged Sammie. “Stop it Irene!” He said “you're squishing me!” I laughed and danced around the kitchen “It’s over! I remember five years ago, when we were dropped off at the train station when I was only eleven. Now I am sixteen,  Sammie is nine, Roy is eighteen, and Hanna, who is twenty is a ‘woman’ now, with her being engaged and all that. Roy has his eye on Cynthia. I tease him sometimes. I don’t care for all that romance. I am too young for a beau anyway.! “Oh Sammie, we will all ride in a train to   Mother!” I said oh I hope she remembers him! He was only three…. But I hope he will remember 

Sept. 5 1945

Today mother sent news we are officially going home. I will miss aunt Rachel and uncle Zefaniah! They have become very close to me. But I will be glad to just look at Mother again. Dear dear Mother. 

Sept. 6 1945

Today is the day! We are going home. Roy and Sammie are coming with me on the long train ride. Hanna can’t join us, because she has a house to run. We walked down with uncle Zefaniah, aunt Rachel, and Hanna. We hugged them goodbye. “ I wish you could join us ,” I said to Hanna. “Me too.” she said. We jumped on the train and waved goodbye. . When they waved goodbye,  All of us! On the platform four dirty, skinny kids standing with a woman. How far have we gotten! We are blessed to be so-so loved

June 21, 1946

I will take this old weary journal and write one last entry. We have moved in just fine. Aunt Rachel loves having a neighbor. So am I. I love to visit Roy and Cynthia, in their new house. And love to hold adorable Lilly. She was born six weeks ago. Hanna is a very joyful  mother, and Jacob is a very joyful father as well. I love being back in this tiny town! And my mother loves it too. The eight months in London are made up for this. I will end this with one thing: I was loved and this is the end of my life in London, but the beginning of a wonderful one, that is with everyone I love. In this journal we were apart and now we are together. 

 I hope you liked it. I can share more with you if you want! here is another one:

Buckingham Palace 

Buckingham Palace in England is very famous. Every year hundreds of people visit it. In 1705 

Architect Edward Blore made a simple town house for the duke of Buckingham. Later, King George the third purchased it for his wife. Surprisingly,his wife wanted it to be much larger to suit them better. 

King George, obliged to build it better. The renovation took a long time and King George died before it was finished.. His son continued to renovate it, but also died before it was finished. wanted it too, but he died as well! Finally Queen Victoria, who was the granddaughter of King George, moved into the finally finished house.  She was the first person to live in it! By then the palace was so 

enormous that it had 775 rooms including 78 bathrooms. In the mid 1800’s Queen Victoria hung beautiful paintings of her family by the grand staircase and they are still here 

today. British royalty still lives in Buckingham Palace, and it is still very famous because it is very old.

-The End-

I think "Irene's Journal is the longest one 'Ive written! 

Well thats all for now.

-Cara N. Mann