After a long day of Mulberry High, Amelia plops onto the couch with a sigh. Her dirty blonde hair falls in to her light brown eyes and briefly touches her freckles spread across her cheeks. “Why do I have to do community service? It’s not even my senior or junior year yet.”
            Her mom gives her a long hard look. “Ames, it’s good on your resume and you get the satisfaction of helping others. So you have three options: babysitting, soup kitchen or nursing home. Which will it be?” Amelia grumbles but tells her mom that she picks the nursing home, so at least she can meet some new people.
            The next day after school, Amelia walks five blocks to the closest nursing home. The warm sunlight beats down through her thin headband. When she arrives, she notices a musty smell in the air and wrinkles her nose. A pretty woman walks up to her and is wearing a pair of dark pink scrubs.
            “Hi, you must be Amelia. Evelyn is waiting for you in room 12. Have a good time, dear.” Amelia follows the white tiles which lead to the room. As soon as she walks in, she notices the scent of sweet roses. Amelia calls out but doesn’t hear a reply. She calls out again saying she wants to talk to Evelyn, but there is still no response. A voice comes echoing from beneath the bathroom door.
            “Get out of my room before I…” she pauses and looks at me. “You must be the school girl. So you want to talk?” Amelia nods her head but can’t speak. “Well go ahead girl, ask me some questions. I don’t have all year.” When Amelia doesn’t respond, Evelyn huffs and shakes her head. “Well, I’m Evelyn and I will just tell you my story. My mother was Jewish and was sent to Auschwitz in 1944. She was lucky because in October of that year, all gassings stopped. She was one of the survivors in the big march.” Evelyn smiles at this statement and I see her semi-white teeth.
            A light tap comes from the door. “Sweetie, it’s time for Evelyn’s nap. You are welcome back tomorrow but right now, she needs to rest.” Amelia waves goodbye to them both and heads towards home. She runs the whole ways and when she gets home, she stands still for a moment to catch her breath.
            “Mom, I had a great time. Evelyn sounds so cool. Her mom escaped out of Auschwitz and survived the march. I can’t wait to hear the rest of her story.” Amelia’s mom smiles at her in an all knowing sort of way. “I know mom, don’t say it. You were right the whole time.” Her mom sets Amelia’s dinner down in front of her.
            “Ames, I knew this would help you learn things. But I’m also glad that you’ve made a good friend. This topic is very serious, so ask her kindly not to tell you any details.” Amelia nods weakly at her mom even though she doesn’t understand her reasoning. “Now eat your food and then go do your homework.”
            After a delicious meal of chicken parmesan, Amelia goes upstairs to do her homework. She breezes through her pre-calc but takes two hours to do her literature. “It’s already ten? I should go to bed. I have a long day ahead of me.” She curls up in bed and has dreams about…boys. The next day, Amelia wakes up in a happy mood.
            Amelia begins humming to herself as she walks downstairs. “Good morning, Hercules.” Her German Shepard looks at her with an unamused look. “Fine, sleepyhead; good night Hercules.” Amelia makes herself some toast and pours a glass of orange juice. “Today is going to be a great day.” She finishes her juice quickly and walks to the school.
            Amelia enters the school with a smile on her face and notices her best friend Sophie. “Hey, Sophie. How are you?” In her shy way, Sophie whispers the word good to Amelia. They walk to history class together and quickly take their seats. “Let’s hope we study something interesting today” Amelia says to Sophie.
            “Good morning class.” The teens mumble in response to her cheerful greeting. “I want you all to learn a lot about history, which I know doesn’t always happen inside the classroom. I would like you all to interview someone about the past. Complete a one page paper about the time frame and it’s due next Tuesday.” The bell rings, signaling the end of class.
            The rest of the day goes by faster than a cheetah. As school ends, Amelia says goodbye to Sophie. She then proceeds to the nursing home. When she goes inside, the familiar smell reaches Amelia’s nose and she smiles. She walks down the white tiles yet again. “Hi Evelyn. Can we finish yesterday’s story?”
            Evelyn grins at me and shakes her head yes. “After mom escaped the camp, she met my father. They hit it off and two years later, I was born. I grew up in wealth and had a personal caretaker. After high school, I graduated from Cornell and became a published author. I sold five book and many copies of each of them. I’d say, I’ve accomplished quite a bit. Why are you writing girl?”
            Amelia blushes and laughs. “I have to write a report for history. I would like to write one about your life. Is that ok?” Evelyn looks bemused and shakes her head yes. Amelia finishes writing but Evelyn asks Amelia what her story is.
            “My story?” Amelia questions. “You don’t want to hear my story. It’s not nearly as exciting as yours.” Evelyn urges her to tell it anyway. “Well, my parents have always been married. They are co-real estate agents and I have one brother. I like poetry, reading and dance. That’s about all for my story. Just like I said, not exciting.”
            Evelyn shakes her head. “I have one more story to share with you. I had a daughter and she is an only child. I named her Annabelle. Did your mom ever tell you her story?” Amelia shakes her head no and Evelyn continues. “I gave her up for adoption and once I saw you, I knew you were Annabelle’s daughter. Amelia, I am your grandmother.”
            My jaw drops and I can’t seem to speak. “Grandma! I can’t believe my luck. I love you already. Thank you for telling me what I deserve to know.”
            Evelyn squeezes Amelia’s hand tightly. “I love you too girl. Don’t forget that I will be a best friend to you. Never forget me and I want to see you every day you hear? You, me and your mother are family for life.”