Skateway to Freedom by Ann Alma

Author:Ann Alma
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: JUV016160
Publisher: Dundurn
Published: 2008-04-03T16:00:00+00:00

*

Nervously Josie clutched the plastic bag with her sandwich and an apple. Then she put it down and combed her hair again. If only they had a mirror. She touched her hair in the semi-darkness.

“Let’s go,” Father said.

They were catching a local bus into the city, where Father had promised Josie a big breakfast at the restaurant. After breakfast school would start.

Mother kissed her and wished her good luck in German.

“Only speak English from now on, Eva,” Father said. “It’s better.”

Without replying, Mother turned to the stove.

Picking her lunch up again, Josie followed her father into the cold morning. Cars zoomed by on the road while he checked the time on his new watch.

When the bus came, they waved it down, climbed on board and headed for the city. After they got off the bus, they walked past a sporting goods store.

“Vatti,” Josie started, but then decided against pointing at the skates she saw in the front window. They walked toward a building with a flashing sign. Through the large window Josie saw tables with red benches on either side.

“Come to the kitchen,” Father said as they stepped into the restaurant. Josie still found it strange when her father spoke to her in English.

“Good morning,” Father said, walking through the swinging door.

A man turned from a grill. “Good morning, Karl,” he said. Then he turned to Josie, smiled and said, “Hi, I’m John.”

“This is Josephine. Sit here,” Father said, patting a stool.

Josie perched on the edge of the stool and watched John frying food on the grill.

“Hungry?” John asked.

“Yes,” she whispered shyly.

“Bacon and eggs,” John said, pointing. “For you.”

Bacon and fried eggs for breakfast? How strange. That was food for the midday or evening meal. Josie had never eaten that in the morning.

“Hash browns, toast, jam,” John explained while he put a plate of food in front of her. “Orange juice.”

Josie laughed. What an unusual meal! But Father got one too and started eating.

“Father, I don’t know the English for this, but why are we having dinner now? Fried potatoes and meat.”

“Canadians don’t just eat porridge or bread and tea in the morning.”

John put Josie in charge of making toast, while he arranged orange slices on plates and made French toast and waffles. Father washed and sorted dishes, looked after the garbage and helped John when he got too busy. Sometimes they spoke in English while Josie listened, though she understood little.

Pointing to his watch, Father said something in English to Josie and held out her jacket. When they left, Josie’s stomach lurched.

“I think you’ll like this school; it’s so much more relaxed than your old school,” Father said.

School, that was schule Josie knew. Father spoke as fast as Canadian people. “Ich weiss nicht,” she shrugged.

So he repeated in German, “I guess you can’t quite get all the words yet. But soon there won’t be any more German, so study hard.”

She had studied hard, for four weeks now. But people just talked too fast. When words were written down, Josie knew what some of them were because she had memorized them.

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