Freedom Writers Page #8

"but also because

it seems to me that later on,

"neither I nor anyone else

will be interested

"in the musings

of a 13-year-old schoolgirl. "

"Terrible things are happening outside.

"At any time of day,

"poor helpless people

are being dragged out of their homes.

"Families are torn apart. "

"If only I can be myself, I'll be satisfied.

"I know that I'm a woman

with inner strength

"and a great deal of courage.

"If God lets me live,

I'll achieve more than Mother ever did. "

"Anti-Jewish decrees followed

in quick succession.

"Jews must wear a yellow star.

Jews must hand in bicycles.

"Jews are banned from trams

and forbidden to drive. "

"Jews are forbidden to visit theaters,

"cinemas and other places

of entertainment. "

"Jews may not take part

in public sports.

"Swimming baths,

tennis courts, hockey fields

"and other sports grounds

are all prohibited. "

"I can't tell you how oppressive it is

never to be able to go outdoors.

"Also, I'm very afraid

that we will be discovered and be shot. "

"No one can keep out of the conflict.

The entire world is at war.

"And even though the Allies

are doing better,

"the end is nowhere in sight. "

Hi.

When is Anne gonna smoke Hitler?

- What?

- You know. Take him out?

Eva, this is The Diary of Anne Frank,

not Die Hard.

Keep reading.

"We talked about

the most private things,

"but we haven't yet touched upon

the things closest to my heart.

"I still can't make heads

or tails of Peter.

"Is he superficial?

"Or is it shyness that holds him back,

even with me?"

- Are Anne and Peter gonna hook up?

- I'm not telling you.

"It's utterly impossible for me

to build my life on a foundation

"of chaos, suffering and death.

"I see the world being

slowly transformed into a wilderness.

"I feel the suffering of millions,

and yet when I look up at the sky

"I somehow feel that everything

will change for the better. "

- Eva, what's wrong?

- Why didn't you tell me she dies?

Why you didn't tell me she gets caught

in the end?

I hate you and I hate this book.

Eva.

If she dies, then what about me?

What are you saying about that?

- Anne Frank died, but she...

- I can't believe they got her!

That ain't supposed to happen

in the story! That ain't right!

- 'Cause it's true?

- I ain't talking to you!

You're talking around me.

That's the same thing.

See, to me, she ain't dead at all.

How many friends did you know

that are dead now that got killed?

Too many to count.

How many have you read a book about?

Have you seen them on TV

or even in the newspaper?

That's why this story's dope.

She was our age, man.

Anne Frank understands our situation,

my situation.

And that Miep Gies lady,

the one that helped hide them?

I like her.

I got all these other books

about her from the library.

Wow. You used your library card?

No.

Okay, listen up.

Marcus has given me an idea.

Instead of doing a book report on

The Diary of Anne Frank,

For our assignment I want you

to write a letter to Miep Gies,

The woman who helped shelter

the Franks.

She's still alive and she lives in Europe.

In the letter, I want you to tell her

how you feel about the book.

Tell her about your own experiences.

Tell her anything you like.

But I want the letters to be perfect,

So be prepared to do more

than one draft, okay?

Is she gonna read the letters?

Well, right now it's

a writing assignment. I'll read them.

We should get her to read them.

- Yeah, you can do that, right, Ms. G?

- Well, I don't know.

Maybe we should get her

to come and speak.

Yeah, and have a big dinner again.

Wait. Guys.

Guys! Everyone! Listen! She's elderly!

I don't know how to contact her.

I don't even know if she travels.

And it would be really expensive.

We could raise the money.

Ms. G?

When Miep Gies come,

can I, like, be the one to escort her in?

Five.

Hi, I'm trying to get the number

For the Anne Frank Foundation

in Basel, Switzerland.

Come in, Margaret.

Ms. G sent our letters all the way

to Amsterdam

to Miep Gies, herself.

When Ms. G made up her mind

about something,

there was no stopping her,

man, for real.

And after we raised the money to bring

her to Long Beach, there she was.

But, damn,

I didn't expect her to be so small.

The bounty on a Jew was about $2.

Someone desperate for money

told the Gestapo.

On August 4th,

they stormed into my office,

And a man pointed a gun at

me and said, "Not a sound.

"Not one word. "

And then they went straight upstairs

to the attic.

I felt so helpless.

I could hear Anne screaming,

objects being thrown around.

So, I ran back to my house.

I looked for an earring

or knick-knacks, you know,

Anything I could take back with me

to bribe them.

So I took this back with me,

all these things,

And the soldier there took out his gun

And put it against my head.

You could be shot for hiding a Jew

or go to a camp.

So, another soldier

recognized my accent.

He was Austrian, and so was I,

But I had been adopted

by a Dutch family.

So, he told the soldier with the gun

to let me go.

There isn't a day

that I don't remember August 4th

And I think about Anne Frank.

Yes?

I've never had a hero before.

But you are my hero.

Oh, no. No, no, young man, no.

I am not a hero. No.

I did what I had to do,

because it was the right thing to do.

That is all.

You know, we are all ordinary people.

But even an ordinary secretary

or a housewife or a teenager

Can, within their own small ways,

turn on a small light

In a dark room.

Ja?

I have read your letters,

And your teacher has been telling me

many things about your experiences.

You are the heroes.

You are heroes every day.

Your faces are engraved in my heart.

You hungry?

You know what you're gonna say

in that courtroom?

I know what I have to say.

Yeah.

- You know how that is.

- I know.

And that man that put your father

in prison,

He knew he was sending

an innocent man.

But, you know,

He was just

Protecting his own.

What the hell does everybody

want from me?

Hey, Mama. Mama.

What the hell are you doing here?

I want to come home.

I don't want to be in the streets no more.

I'm sorry.

I want to change. I can't do it alone.

I need you, Mama.

I need you.

And what time was that?

I told you, 9:
00, 9:30.

And you had a clear view

of the defendant,

Grant Rice, in the store?

I told you he was playing

the video game.

Then what happened?

What did you see?

Well, he got all whacked

because he lost the game,

And then he started shouting and all,

threatening everybody.

He threatened everyone?

He threatened you?

No. The guy who ran the store.

He wanted his money back

for the game.

And what did the store owner do?

He shouted back.

And they were fighting.

Then he, the defendant, knocked

something over and left the store.

And then what happened?

What did you see?

I saw...

I saw...

Paco did it.

Paco killed the guy.

My father won't talk to me anymore.

And I have to lay low for a little while

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