CHAPTER SIX

Monday, 21 September 1942

Mrs van Daan is awful. She says that I talk too much. She won’t save food in a dish – she leaves it in the cooking pot so that it gets spoiled. And she doesn’t do any washing up.

Mr Kleiman brings me books to read, and I’ve begun my schoolwork. I’m working hard at French, and Peter is learning English. Pim – our name for father – wants me to help him with his Dutch lessons. He makes terrible mistakes! He and I are also working on our family history, and drawing our family tree, so I am learning about all my relations.

Mrs van Daan walked into the room just now. I shut the diary quickly.

‘Anne, can’t I just look at it?’

‘No, Mrs van Daan.’

‘Just the last page?’

‘No, not even the last page, Mrs van Daan.’

I nearly died – that page was full of rude things about her!

Sunday, 27 September 1942

Mother and I had a ‘discussion’ today, but I burst into tears. I can’t help it. Daddy is always nice to me, and he understands me much better. I feel that Mother and I are like strangers to each other.

Mrs van Daan is in a bad mood, and is locking all her things up. She thinks that I am spoilt, and always says, ‘If Anne was my daughter…’ I’m glad that I’m not!

Tuesday, 29 September 1942

Try to imagine this. We haven’t got a bathroom, so we all take our water away to wash in different places! Peter goes in the office kitchen, which has a glass door. Mr van Daan carries his hot water upstairs so that he can be private. Mrs van Daan hasn’t had a bath yet – she can’t decide which is the best place for it! Father goes into the private office and Mother into the kitchen. Margot and I share the front office. We close the curtains and wash ourselves there in the dark!

On Wednesday someone was doing repairs in the office downstairs. We couldn’t use the toilet or use water all day. Father and I found a suitable pot which we could all use as a toilet! We had to sit still all day and not say a word! That was the most difficult thing for me.