Gemma's Secret by Alicia C

Rebecca got out of the car at Linn’s house in Fort Oswega and was greeted by Linn, Stan’s friend. They had a long car ride they had just been on so Linn brought them into the house to talk and get to know each other. Rebecca carried the large box of Gemma’s into the living room, when a large group of people walked into Linn’s house. Linn introduced them to Rebecca and Stan then they gathered to talk about what Rebecca had been looking for. Linn explained that these people had all known a lot about the camps and could maybe help her with some information on Gemma. “Thank you for coming I sure hope that you can help. I am trying to find out where my grandmother was originally from. I have these pictures that were in her box we found, but I’m not sure where she was when they were taken.” Rebecca said.
The pictures were passed around the room and none of the people really recognized the photos, except for Daisy, a small women who had been very quiet since the time she walked through the front door. “Where did you get these pictures?” Daisy gasped.

“Well I found them in my grandmother’s box. There was a ring and pictures inside of the box but I need to find out where she was when the pictures were taken. Do you recognize this picture?” asked Rebecca

“I’m in this picture. I remember this day very much actually. It was the last day” Said Daisy.

“Last day of what?” questioned Rebecca.

“Last day with them before I left.” said Daisy

Then Daisy got up from the living room and walked away. Rebecca was shocked that she didn’t have anything else to say but then one of the other woman in the room told her not worry, she would be back eventually. Rebecca finished passing around the rest of the pictures and items in the box but no one was a help except for Daisy, who as the women had said, eventually did come back into the room. Daisy sat next to Rebecca and began telling her all about the picture.

“Your grandmother, Gemma I think you called her, she was in a large group of people with me. We were together for a while until my father took me back to America. I’m not really sure if I can help with where your grandmother came from because I wasn’t with her from the beginning. My father sent me to England to live with my cousins but we had to escape when a war began. My cousin Piper and I were forced to leave everyone else behind and that’s when I met your grandmother. Once she reached the camp Piper and I headed back home without entering the camp unlike your grandmother who did go in.” said Daisy.

Shocked to hear so much information at one time Rebecca paused and thought about what Daisy had said for quite some time. Not knowing if Daisy’s story had been much of a help she just let Daisy continue. After naming everyone else in the picture and describing a little about each person Rebecca found out Gemma had been pregnant, with her own mother. She had been shocked at this news but decided to ask Daisy about the rest of her story because she knew she could think while Daisy talked.

“Well Piper and I ended up staying with Major McEvoy and his wife. And we tried very hard to figure out where the rest of my cousins had been sent. We were taken away by English soldiers and when our camp was found by terrorists we had to leave again. Eventually we found our way home but when we got there, it was not what we had expected and not what we had wanted to see. We had some food left from the barn, but it wasn’t very much. I was in the house when my father called and I was sent back home to America while Piper was left in someone else’s care.”

“Wow that must have been tuff. If only I could figure out why my grandmother had been brought to the camp, and where she had lived before the camp.” sighed Rebecca.

“Your grandmother never talked about that much but I vaguely remember her talking about being a princess.” said Daisy.

“That is a help. I found out that her name in Polish means Princess which makes me assume she was originally from Poland.”

“Yes that would be a good guess but I’m sorry I can’t help with that.” said Daisy.

Daisy’s journey had been just as interesting as Rebecca had imagined Gemma’s would be once she put the missing pieces back into the puzzle but she had still been so curious about Gemma. Knowing Daisy couldn’t help with much more she thanked her and the rest of the people and they slowly left Linn’s house and went home.