No Pretty Pictures

In the Krakow ghetto, Anita and her brother live in an apartment with their mom, Uncle Samuel, Aunt Bella, and Cousin Raisa. Her uncle, aunt, and cousin have been in the ghetto since the Nazis seized all Jewish properties. Suitcases are under the bed, so Anita feels as if she’s at the railroad station.

Anita recalls seeing her pretty teen cousin before the Nazis invaded. She was marching in a parade wearing a transparent raincoat from the United States. Anita wishes she could have a transparent raincoat, be in a parade, attend school, and play with friends. Now, the only Polish kids allowed to attend school are those in the Hitler Youth. These children move like soldiers.

Anita asks Raisa what happened to her long braids, and Raisa says she cut them off. There’s no shampoo powder, so it was hard to keep them clean. They sometimes wash their hair with lackluster soap, but it’s hard to get. Mostly, they wash their hair in a bucket of water. The lack of shampoo and soap gives them lice.

Adults tell Anita and her brother to stay quiet, and they hear rumors about transports, liquidations, and deportations.