Short story- Inspired by The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

To kick start this post, I am going to start by saying that my 11- year old self wrote this story inspired by the book, “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas”. Yesterday’s given prompt was books, and I decided what better day could there be to release this post other than today?🙂! This particular episode I’ve written about, talks of when Bruno’s grandma walked out on his dad, but unfortunately in the book the conversation wasn’t mentioned to a large scale, so my thirteen year old self, out of curiosity🤨, decided to fill in the loop hole! Hope you enjoy reading!❤

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“As long as I am alive, I don’t want to see this happen. God knows where I went wrong with my upbringing” grandma yelled.

I didn’t know as to what was wrong, but I knew that I best keep quiet. The air in the room was certainly tensed after grandma yelled. I have never seen my grandma yell before she has always been the silent one who keeps feeding me with sweets. I looked over to my mum and I could see that she was nervous, she kept wringing her hands and she was sweating over the air conditioner.

“Mum, you know that I don’t have a choice, it’s a direct command that I need to follow, or you know that I could be- “

“Joseph! Don’t ever say that for good heavens sake” my mum cut in. I could see that she was on the verge of crying.

“Isn’t it bad enough that the children have to grow up in Auschwitz. This is not right for the children and you. They most certainly need not see these while growing up. And now they want you to take a higher position, think of all that you’ll have to do, isn’t it bad enough that you have to treat people in such a harsh way. The higher position you take up the more sins you will have to commit against humanity” grandma barked.

Her voice was a bit quieter than last time, but I could still he her fuming on the inside. She looked like she was disappointed about something. The last time I had seen such an expression was the day that I failed my exam and when I told my mother she most surely had a disappointed look on her face. The thing with my family was everyone took everything very seriously.

“Mum It is nothing as such. I am being so patriotic to my country. You know that me and my boss are on a mission to make our country great again” my dad appealed.

“Nonsense you call torturing people patriotism?” grandma questioned

“Give him a break! Elena. He is just doing what’s right for the country. I am very proud of my son for what he is doing” claimed grandpa.

Grandpa is always very proud of whatever my dad does. Last time when dad got a promotion in his job grandpa had been so ecstatic. Grandma on the other hand was so disappointed, she didn’t like my father being a soldier.

I had overheard my mum saying that my grandma’s younger brother had been killed due to the ongoing war. My grandma was German and was a Christian, but my grandma’s younger bother had married a Jewish Woman, and unfortunately, he had been killed. He had died only two months ago, and I still remember the way grandma had cried upon hearing the news. I hated my only sister Katherine, but I would be deeply saddened if she dies so I totally understand as to what grandma would have felt.

“None of you understand. And when you understand it might be too late.” exclaiming this grandma marched out of our house.

And that was the last time that I ever saw grandma. Just as she stormed out I heard a plane flying overhead and I knew that dad would have to go, he always went when a plane came in. I had once heard mom telling our maid that it was none other than Hitler himself on that plane. And that he had come to examine somethings beyond the fence I saw from our home.

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Hope you enjoyed reading that short story! Await more content from me!

Stay safe, stormies!

-NabeeHa💚