Miriam Troostwyk - May 28, 1998 and June 3, 1999
Relationship with Sister
Like a mother.
Like a mother.
A playmate.
Every morning--we had one bedroom together. She had a big bed and I had the children's bed. And in the morning I went into her bed and then she did on the wall, she said, "What kind of song is this?" And she...
She would knock it on the wall?
And then I told her.
Uh-huh. Now when, when she got married, did...
She went back to Germany...
She married...
because her husband...
and then she returned to Germany?
She returned to Germany, yeah. And she married the youngest brother from my uncle in Amsterdam.
The youngest brother of your uncle...
I had in Amsterdam, a sister from my father, Tante Yetti, that was a sister from my father. He was married--she was married to...
Oh, I see.
an older brother from my brother-in-law.
I see.
And my mother always said, "Why don't you marry Hermann? He is such a nice man. He will be very good for you." That is what I always heard. And my, my sister said, "I don't know. Leave me alone. I'm not yet ready for it. Don't mix me up." This is what I heard. But later she married him.
And they came--they--did they come back to, to Holland or did they stay...
No, they stayed in Germany. She went back to Germany.
Yeah.
And I remember she visited us very often and that I went with my father, on the hand from my father to the train...
Holding hands?
in Amersfoort.
Holding hands.
Then she came.
Right.
And when and, and I loved her very much. But when she was in the train, she wanted to take me.
Back with her, you mean?
And I was very--oh--[crys] crying. [pause] I didn't want to go to Germany. [pause] It was terrible. [long pause] You know you are in a age that you know everything that is so terrible. Thank you. [pause] I never think a lot of it but for children it's hard.
Did you go back to Germany?
No, never.
Did she come back to Holland?
She wanted me in the train and she always said, "To--come with me." I said, "No, I don't want to." I was afraid to go. And I wanted always to stay with my parents.
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