I Am David

Read I Am David for Free Online

Book: Read I Am David for Free Online
Authors: Anne Holm
Tags: adventure, Historical, Military, Young Adult, Classic, Children
was asleep.
    In any case, it would not be as dangerous now as it might be later, for no one could yet know where to look for him. Perhaps they would not look for him at all?
    Here again David ran into the blank wall of his own ignorance. He did not know who he was, did not even know what country he came from. He had always lived in the camp, and even Johannes, who knew so many things, had not been able to find out anything about him for the simple reason that no one knew anything.
    David wondered what he looked like. In the man’s hut there had been a mirror, but it was hung too high. David had thought at one time that perhaps he was Jewish … As a rule, the people they imprisoned were those who wanted to decide for themselves what they should believe and be free to write books and articles about it. But that could not apply to him. Jews, on the other hand, were sometimes imprisoned just because they did not like Jews … They said they did, but it was not true.
    But Johannes had said he was sure David was not Jewish.
    One could not always find out why they had arrested people, and if someone had happened to find him somewhere and taken him along to the camp when he was quite small, then it might be that he was not of sufficient consequence for them to make any particular effort to recapture him. But he could not be sure of that … it would be safer to assume that it was important for them to find him again.
    David realized that he must have a story. He knew from his experiences in the camp that it might be a matter of life and death to “have a good story” and stick to it however much one might be questioned. In the evening, when he had seen the kind of life people lived, he might perhaps be able to hit upon a story he could make use of if anyone questioned him. Not that he intended that anyone should speak to him if he could avoid it, but it was best to be prepared.
    *
    No one took any notice of him. While he was on the road, a man had turned round to look at him, but David had told himself, “You mustn’t look as if you’re afraid!” and had gone on his way quite calmly. And down here in the town no one at all turned to look at him. It was a small town, not like Salonica. The streets were small and narrow and very hilly. There was talk everywhere — people walking along with baskets and parcels, people standing in shops where the lights were lit, all were talking. The first time David was aware of it he could hardly bring himself to move on — almost everybody was laughing! It was not the ugly laughter he was used to when they laughed at the prisoners … it sounded pleasant, even beautiful, as if they were all content, and felt friendly towards one another.
    David knew of course that it could not be true, but perhaps there were not so many of them here in Italy, or perhaps there just were not any in this town. And the people were beautiful! David had seen good-looking people before — they were often good-looking when they first arrived in the camp, but only Johannes had preserved beauty in his face right up to the time he died. And the few women David had seen looked quite different from those here … they had been hard of face, as they always were, and … and … yes, as if there were scarcely any difference between them and the men.
    But here they were beautiful, their hair long, black and waving, many of them with smooth, sun-tanned faces, and all dressed in beautiful clothes of many colours, like the sea and the trees and the golden fruit.
    David saw the same fruit again, a whole pile of it in a great basket outside a shop. “Arancia”, it was called. David translated the word into German: “apfelsinen” — he had heard of it after all. If only the letters were not so difficult to read! Johannes had taught him the shapes of the letters they used in other countries, but that was so long ago. If only he had a book so that he could practise reading those letters!
    Going down into the town had been a

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