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24 May 2036 - The day everything changed (Ana’s)

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24 May 2036 - The day everything changed (Ana’s)

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Dear Diary, before I tell you about this day, I want you to be aware of the life I had before this nightmare started.

As a normal teen I would wake up every morning at the smell of fresh toast, take the bus to school, have maths, science or literature, hang out with my friends to talk about the latest gossip, have dinner with my family and go to bed. Normal life right?

It was. Until May 24 2036 happened, and changed every aspect about my life.

On that day, when I woke up the only smell I felt was the smell of dust and gunpowder. When I looked out the window the only thing I could see was barbed wire and armed soldiers. Then I noticed we had no electricity and no one was home. As I tried to ask the soldiers what was happening, all I got was a cold “You were lucky to stay on the right side”.

That was when I realized my world had collapsed. I wouldn’t see my family for a very long time because of some stupid shopping they decided to do that morning, while I was in my bed peacefully sleeping, without knowing what would happen next.

I was desperate. I felt breathless. I felt this emptiness inside me, and I knew it wouldn’t leave.

It has been 3 years. I wish I could tell you something changed, but I can’t - I’m still empty.

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Diary:

A private record with personalised entries.

It is arranged by date and reports on events, experiences, thoughts, feelings and observations over the course of the day.

Expressing sequence of events;

expressing cause, contrast and addition.

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A City Divided: Diary from the Berlin Wall

Task:
Write a diary entry from the perspective of a girl or boy who has suddenly been separated from half of their family by the Berlin Wall.

Imagine waking up one morning to discover that, overnight, a wall has been built dividing your city in two. You do not fully understand what is happening, but you know that someone you love is now on the other side. In your confusion and fear, you decide to record your first impressions in your diary.

Your diary entry must:

Be written in first person (I, me, my)

Capture your immediate reactions and emotions

Show what it feels like to experience this shocking event for the first time

Include sensory details (what you see, hear, smell, feel)

Write about:

What you saw when you first noticed the wall

The atmosphere in your neighbourhood

The reactions of your family, friends, or neighbours

Your thoughts when you realize your family is divided

Your emotions (fear, anger, sadness, confusion, disbelief)

What you are most worried about

What you wish you could say to your family members on the other side

Your hopes or fears about the future

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13 August 1961

Dear Diary,

Today something very strange happened in my city. When I woke up this morning, I heard loud noises outside. There were trucks, soldiers, and people shouting in the street. At first I thought there was some construction work, but when I went outside, I saw something shocking.

During the night, a wall was built across the city.

The street where we usually walk, talk, and go to the shops is now blocked with barbed wire and soldiers. The wall looks cold and grey, and it goes on for a long distance. It feels strange and scary to see it there. The air smells like dust and cement, and everything feels quiet and tense.

Many neighbours were standing outside looking at the wall. Some people were angry and shouting at the soldiers. Others were crying. Nobody really understands what is happening. Everyone looks worried and confused.

Then I realized something terrible. My father is on the other side of the city because he stayed last night with my aunt. Now the wall is between us. I asked my mother when he will come home, but she said she doesn’t know. I could see that she was trying not to cry.

This makes me feel scared and confused. Yesterday everything was normal, and today our city is divided. I don’t understand why this is happening.

I am worried that I won’t see my father for a long time. If I could talk to him now, I would tell him that I miss him very much and that I hope he is safe. I just want our family to be together again.

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Dear diary,

today, march 10th, I woke up confused when I looked around and saw a lot of commotion. The rumor that they were going to cut the bridges between Gaia and Porto became true. Today when I opened the window and heard all the noise, I realized something serious was happening.

People were already gathering in the streets, talking loudly and pointing toward the river. I decided to walk closer to the Douro to see it with my own eyes. When I got there, the view felt unreal. Police officers had blocked the entrances to the bridges, and there were barriers everywhere. No cars, no buses, not even pedestrians were allowed to cross.

The Dom Luís I Bridge, usually full of tourists taking pictures and locals rushing to work, looked strangely empty. It felt like the city had suddenly stopped. Many people were filming with their phones, while others were arguing with the police, demanding explanations,the only thing they told us was that a new order had been implanted by the government. People weren't satisfied with the answer, but they didn't say anything else.

From that moment on, my life turned upside down. I used to study in Porto, and now I couldn't go to school anymore.

It's now ten o'clock at night, I've already had dinner with my parents, we're terrified, we don't know what life will be like from now on.

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Dear Diary,

Today something shocking happened in my city. When I woke up this morning, I heard a lot of noise outside. There were trucks, soldiers, and many people talking loudly in the street. When I looked out the window, I saw soldiers putting up barbed wire and starting to build a wall. It was very strange and frightening to see this happening so suddenly.

Many people were standing outside their houses, watching what was happening. Some were arguing with the soldiers, and others were crying. After a while, I realised something that made me feel even worse. Part of my family is now on the other side of the city. Yesterday this was not a problem, but today we cannot cross anymore. It is hard to understand how a wall can suddenly divide families and change our lives in one night.

I feel scared, confused, and angry. I am also worried because I don’t know when I will see them again. If I could talk to them now, I would tell them that I miss them and that I hope they are safe.

I hope that one day this wall will disappear and families will be together again.

I hope tomorrow will be a better day.

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14th August, 1961

Dear diary, today I don’t have good news, unlike most of the days I write you. Everything feels… wrong. I don’t know why this is happening, but it’s making me go crazy. Everything was fine when I went to sleep last night, but today I woke up with the noise of my family rushing inside the house and I knew something was wrong. That’s when I discovered what happened. They built a wall, all of a sudden! The first thing I did was look out the window. There were soldiers on the street. I opened it and I could hear the world outside better. Strange noises, metal clanging and deep rumbling like trucks. Why is this happening? Where are all my neighbours that usually go walk their dogs or ride their bicycles? All I can see is soldiers and some people asking what’s happening. And, of course, that wall. I never thought I would miss simple things like that. Then it snapped me. Where’s my dad? You know me better than anyone else, diary, you know how I have a deep connection with him. I asked my mom and she said that he was on the other side of the wall, where he works. I cried so much… We thought he would come home today, as usual, but now there is a wall between us. A wall with barbed wire and guards and guns and… I don’t know what to do, I really miss him, and I’m afraid. What if I don’t see him again? I don’t know what will happen tomorrow. The wall keeps getting taller, people say it might stay forever! But I hope someday it will come down, and we will be together again. It’s late, mom is saying I should go to sleep now. I’ll write you again tomorrow, diary, thank you for listening to me.

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This morning I woke up as in any ordinary day, got out of bed and headed clownstairs where I found my mom absolutely hysterical, when I asked what's up she just mumbled something about a wall so I went outside to check cuz as far as I know the only important wall I know is the great wall of China and she would't be crying about that.

When I got to the front door, Oh snap! There was a wall dividing my country and to make matters worse my dad was on the other side, and so were all my friends.

I knew there was a lot of tension between the East and West but building a whole damn wall dividing the two is just sick, is this whole tension between the two sides worth diving families?

Unfortunately, not only is my family divides, but I am also on the Eastern part which is really underdeveloped when compared to the west and now all the news from the west are just rumours smuggled through the boarders.

I really hope this whole ordeal gets sorted out soon!

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Dear diary,

Today, in the morning, I woke up and saw something really weird. I looked out of the window and there was a Barbed wire wall, which literally split the city in half. Can you actually believe that?! I couldn't believe what my eyes were seeing. The worst part of all of this, is that my best friend is on the other side!

It's already 5pm, everyone is scared with this situation because nobody was expecting this... I hope this is going to end soon, I'm really worried about my best friend bcs I can't talk to her and and I don't know how she is doing right now.

I'm trying to talk with my parents about all of this, but they are literally freaking out...

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13/08/1961 6h07 pm

Dear diary

Can you believe what just happend this night??

They have separeted me from my hole family and now i can not see them ever again, this russians are crazy, i wanna kill them all !!!

While we were slepping some bastards built a weird wall dividing the west from the east. This wall from what i can see also has some barbed wire stopping anyone from trespassing, it is also guarded by many souldiers that would shot if they see anyone trying something stupid.

I dont know what to do whithout my family, i just want to touch, hug, feel ou kiss them all. I seriously hope they are doing ok without me.

15/08/1961 10h67am

Hello again dear diary

Today i was felling so alone... I must go see my family. No one will stop me from getting reunited with them

By the night today i will probably be stupid and try to go to the west were my family is.

My plan is:

From 10h50pm to 11pm there are no guards because they change the shift like i saw the past 2 days, and that is the time im doing a run for it

Secondly, when i arrive at the wall i will start to climbing a little so that i can cut the barbed wire and pass to the other side. Im going to take a rope to climb first and then i will cut using a knife.

If all this goes well i hope im in the other side with my family at the morning

Which me luck friend

16/08/1961 10h00

Dear Diary

Can you believe what happened last night??

I was shot twice, one on the left led and also on the right shoulder. Im at the hospital now, but i couldn't be more happy, I MADE IT TO THE WEST!!

My family is all with me, i missed them so much and now im not letting them go away anymore, if they want they shoot me first in the head...

Thank you very much for the company

From your friend- Ragio Badoso Faixo

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Dear diary,

Today is June 14, 1961. It was just a normal day.

I woke up, brushed my teeth, got dressed, and prepared my siblings. And while walking them to school, I looked up and realized that we couldn't. That was a wall. And my siblings' school was on the other side. We tried to see if there was an entrance, or if we could go around, but there wasn't. We asked the locals why it was there, but they didn't have an answer themselves.

I was in utter choked, but at the same time, kinda happy and confused, and most certainly, curious. We returned home to our parents, mad and disappointed, in the fact that we were back so early. We tried to explain the situation, but unfortunately, they took us for liers. They went outside, looked at each other, and my mom started crying because all her side of the family was on the other side. My dad didn't know how to comfort her, but I guess he tried.

I went back to my room and dove into my thoughts. Nobody had answers, so all I could think was "why?". Why was that wall? Did it have to do with the allies? Does it have to do with our people? How could they have so much power over us? I became so paranoid that I didn't realize how distant I grew to my family. I was in shambles, but with no where to run. Or to hide. I was going insane in my room.