Deaths Diary: Keep Out or..Die!!

Entry #4

Looking Through the Window

They were preparing. Thats when I worry. Im preparing. Liesel and Hans kept me
distracted, all the black paint kind of made me upset, but I still paid attention. Lucky
for Hans his business started taking off because of the scare. Black pain start running
low, but Hans is really resourceful and used charcoal. He even turned blue, beige, and
green pain (what a shame, but I guess good for him). Him and Liesel worked together
painting. They carted his paint through, town smelling the huger on some of the streets
and shaking their heads at the wealth on others. Of course, Hans being Hans when
people who couldnt afford to have their homes painted, Hans did it. Always. Painting
blinds for a cookie or tea or half a cigarette.
I remember Liesels words that summer in 42:

*** A SMALL SAMPLE OF SOME GIRL-WRITTEN WORDS***
That sumer was a new beginning, a new end. When I look back, I remember my
slippery hands of paint and the sound of Papas feet on Munich Street, and I know that
a small piece of summer of 1942 belonged to to only one man. Who else would do some
painting for the price of half a cigarette? That was Papa, that was typical, and I loved
him.

~PAYING ATTENTION~
Humans. So vulnerable, I would know.
Me. I envy them.

Liesel cherished those moments with Hans. The painting. The stories. The bread and jam.
The traces of bread crumbs were in the creases of his overalls. The music. His arms
worked the bellows, giving the instrument the air it needed to breathe. Dont forget the
once in a lifetime champagne, thats not only used to roll paint. The whispering
around Rosa & the secrets with Max.
Liesel was happy.
And I was paying attention.

*

Rudy had to. The medals were just trinket compared to what he was trying win, respect
and praise. Because it was nice. Not because of how much he used to love Jesse Owens,
but winning the races meant more to him. Six weeks he trained, running and more
running.
The middle of August showed up, the carnival brought a hot, sunny, and cloudless day. It
was his day in Liesels mind. He won the 1500. Franz Deutschers comments and
Rudys I did it gleaming blue eyes. He won the 400. By a landslide. He won the 200.
Narrowly. Tiredly. He was disqualified from the last race, the Jesse Owens race. The
words still rang in Liesels ears, I did it on purpose. The conversation ended. The only
explanation, Liesel could come up with is because, He isnt Jesse Owens.

The trilogies last addition was a dictionary. In the window behind a blue spruce tree.
There it was maybe a trap, but that made it even more attractive. It needed to be done.
The infamous words: The book thief would do. By the time she finished those words,
she was at the window. If she raised her head enough she could see the book title, The
Complete Duden Dictionary and Thesaurus. Barely making a sound. She had it in her
fingers, it was easy. (Took the thrill out of it, if you ask me.)
Thats when she saw what was really in the window, the mayors wife.
She gave Lisel a motionless wave and Lisel was in shock. Thats when Rudy found the
letter that had Liesels name on it.
Moments of silence while she read. Liesel asked Rudy, Can you wait here for ten
minutes?
She made her way back the front porch steps of the mayors wife house, Ilsa Hermann
now. Liesel couldnt bring herself to knock. Then her brother showed up, Come on,
Liesel, knock. Her innocence, her conscious, , I know him her dead brother.
She never knocked.
She was sorta okay with it all. Then the bombing in Autumn closed the chapter of the
challenging last addition.