Yesterday afternoon, Anne asked me to allow her to use the little table in our shared room twice a week in the afternoons, from four o’clock till half past five. Probably because nearly every other spot in the home is taken. It may have been a reasonable request but she is but a child, a child with no respect for her elders, I need that desk. So I told her no just no, and that bad-tempered child refused to be put off like that. I tried to send her away, telling her that “I have to work too, if I can’t work in the afternoons, then there is no time left for me at all. I must finish my task, otherwise I’ve started it all for nothing. Anyway, you don’t work seriously at anything. Your mythology, now just what kind of work is that, knitting and reading are not work either. I am at the table and shall stay there” Her reply was:
“Mr. Dussel, I do work seriously and there is nowhere else for me to work in the afternoons. I beg of you to kindly reconsider my request.”
With these words the offended Anne turned her back on this very learned doctor, Ignoring me completely. She looked as though she was seething with rage. She will probably go run to her father and tell him how horrible her roommate is. That insulinant child!
Later that day the girl came to me after the dishes were done and started more unneeded drama telling me “Mr. Dussel, I don’t suppose you see any point in discussing the matter anymore, but I must ask you to do so” How relentless! I could not just let her get away with this” Maybe if I tried just playing nice she would be put in her place, so I put on my best smile a replied. “I am always, and at all times, prepared to discuss this matter, but it has already been settled.”
She kept on talking about how unfair I was saying “When you first came here we arranged that this room should be for both of us; if we were to divide it fairly, you would have the morning and I all the afternoon! But I don’t even ask that much, and I think my two afternoons are really perfectly reasonable.” At this I jumped up outraged feeling as though someone stuck a needle in me. How dare she the ungrateful child! “You can’t talk about your rights here at all. And Where am I to go then? I shall ask Mr. Van Daan whether he will build a little compartment in the attic, then I can go and sit there. I simply can’t work anywhere. With you one always gets in trouble. If your sister Margot, who after all has more reason to ask such a thing, would have come to me with the same questions, I should not think of refusing, but you…” She attempted to show emotion on her face but I could tell she was hurt but I continued “But you one simply can’t talk to you. You are so outrageously selfish, as long as you get what you want, you don’t mind pushing everyone else to one side, I’ve never seen such a child. But after all, I suppose I shall be obliged to give you your own way, because I shall be told later on that Anne Frank failed her exam because Mr. Dussel would not give up the table for her.”
At one moment she looked as though she wanted to smack me. When I had finally stopped talking and left the room I could hear her rush away, probably to run to her father whining about how horrible I am.
I was right, her father came to me when I was about to take my turn in the bathroom. We talked for nearly two hours about if Anne deserved to sit at the table. Me and Mr. Frank had already had this discussion before and he had agreed with me, but now because of the wretched child we had to have the whole conversation again. That little brat spoke to me as if I was an intruder who tried to monopolize everything, but of course her father made her out to be a perfect angel who just spoke her mind nicely.
I finally gave in and allowed her to use the table twice a week. I don’t see that girl ever maturing and acting like a young lady.
Wish me luck dealing with that girl, Dussel