White Daisies

Chapter 9

April 9, 1940

"Wake up! Ana, wake up!"

I open my eyes to see Macy bursting through my door. I sit up groggily and rub my eyes with my hands. I glance over to the clock to see what time it is.

"Macy, it's almost 6'oclock in the morning. What do you want?"

"There are planes outside, and I'm scared," her voice trembles.

It's then I realize that there's a loud humming noise coming from outside. My sister has tears running down her face, and she's clutching her teddy bear close to her chest. Oh, God.

Without even thinking about it, I grab my robe and throw it over my nightgown. I pull on my loafers and run into my parents' room to shake them awake.

"Mama, Papa! Something is happening," I cry. 

My father blinks sleepily for a few seconds before he registers what I just said. I suppose he hears the humming noise too and has a guess about what it is. He runs over to the cabinet in the corner of his room and pulls out his gun. My mother quickly shrugs on her robe and goes to console my sister. I run downstairs and out the front door with my father.

What we see doesn't seem real. It couldn't be real. It has to be a dream or a part of a film.

Terror engulfs me as I stare up at the sky and see hundreds of planes flying over us. Some of them are flying so low that you could probably touch them if you were standing on top of a building. The noise is deafening. I look down the street of houses to see almost every family standing outside, watching in horror. 

I hear a little boy ask his mother, "Mama, why are the big black birds so loud?" She reaches down and scoops him up into her arms, burrowing his face into her neck. 

I watch the planes drop hundreds of green leaflets, and one floats down to land right in front of me. My father makes a move to stop me, but he's in too much disbelief to prevent me from picking up the piece of paper. With shaky hands, I read what it says:

"The German government has until now watched this man's actions, but it can not be tolerated that a new theater of war will be acquired by the English-French warmongers' desire. The Danish and Norwegian governments have known for months about these attempts. Likewise, their position is no secret to the German government. They are not willing or able to provide effective opposition to the English intrusion. Therefore, Germany has decided to anticipate the English attack, and with its military forces take over the protection of the Danish and Norwegian kingdom's neutrality, and preserve it as long as the war last. It is not the German Government's intention to gain a stronghold in the struggle against England, the aim is only to prevent Scandinavia from becoming a battleground for British war expansion."

"For this reason, since this morning, strong German military forces have taken possession of the most important military objects in Denmark and Norway. In addition to these measures, agreements are currently being signed between the German State Department and the Royal Danish government."

"Until these negotiations are completed, it is expected that the Army and Navy will comply, and also the people and all municipal bodies are sensible and show goodwill in order to avoid any passive or active resistance. It will be useless and will be broken with all the instruments of power."

"The people are encouraged to continue their daily work, and to ensure calmness and order! For the country's security against British assault, from now on comply with the German army and navy.

The German Commander,

Kaupisch."

And just like that, we were invaded. Everything and nothing rushes through my head all at once. What is going to happen? Does this mean we're now part of the war? My father is too old to fight. Jacob can't fight— oh, God. Jacob and his family. His Jewish family. What was going to happen to them now that the Germans were here? My stomach twists and turns. I run to the bush in front of our house and empty my stomach contents.