Writing Letters

In the middle of January, we started to just write letters. Rudy wrote letters to me, and they went something like this: Dear Saumensch, Are you still as useless at soccer as you were the last time we played? I hope so. That means I can run past you again just like Jesse Owens at the Olympics..." Sister Maria saw them and asked if he felt like visiting the corridor. He said no and his letter was ripped up so he could write a new one. I decided to write one to Rudy. When I came home, I thought it was ridiculous. I asked Papa if I could write one to Mama. He thought I meant my new Mama and laughed, and I told him about the other Mama. He said he guessed so. So I did, and that night, I heard Mama and Papa talking. Mama was asking why I was sending the letter, and Papa said that I asked him and he couldn't say no. Mama said I should just forget about my other Mama. In bed, I hugged myself tight. I thought of Mama and wondered: Where was she? What had they done to her? Who were they?