The young ones

Emilie is eight and old enough to have an idea of the turmoil in her life. She doesn’t understand the causes of the tension that has gripped her family in the last year in Marburg but she recognises that their life is not the same busy, cheerful round of work, church and fun that it once was. Like many children she has reacted by creating her own storms in the house. Normally sunny-tempered, she has been irritable, clingy and arguing fiercely with her brothers and sisters. She doesn’t see why she should have to leave her friends, the shop that she has known all her life and go to somewhere that sounds very far away and dangerous.

Carl is pretending to be brave. He has told all his friends about the adventures that he is going to have and he has given away most of his things to his friends. He has spent a lot of time pointing out to Emilie how irritating she is being and telling her tales of pirates and storms at sea. His two extra years of life allow him to lord it over Emilie and this drives her wild. Papa has told Carl that he doesn’t know whether there will be any schools where they are going and that he might not have to go back to school. He can’t decide if he is thrilled by this or if, it will just mean a lot of hard work for him.