Writinginadiaryisareallystrangeexperienceforsomeonelikeme.NotonlybecauseI'veneverwrittenanythingbefore,butalsobecauseitseemstomethatlateronneitherInoranyoneelsewillbeinterestedinthemusingsofathirteen-year-oldschoolgirl.Ohwell,itdoesn'tmatter.Ifeellikewriting,andIhaveanevengreaterneedtogetallkindsofthingsoffmychest.

　　"Paperhasmorepatiencethanpeople."IthoughtofthissayingononeofthosedayswhenIwasfeelingalittledepressedandwassittingathomewithmychininmyhands,boredandlistless,wonderingwhethertostayinorgoout.IfinallystayedwhereIwas,brooding.Yes,paperdoeshavemorepatience,andsinceI'mnotplanningtoletanyoneelsereadthisstiff-backednotebookgrandlyreferredtoasa"diary,"unlessIshouldeverfindarealfriend,itprobablywon'tmakeabitofdifference.

　　NowI'mbacktothepointthatpromptedmetokeepadiaryinthefirstplace:Idon'thaveafriend.

　　Letmeputitmoreclearly,sincenoonewillbelievethatathirteenyear-oldgirliscompletelyaloneintheworld.AndI'mnot.Ihavelovingparentsandasixteen-year-oldsister,andthereareaboutthirtypeopleIcancallfriends.Ihaveathrongofadmirerswhocan'tkeeptheiradoringeyesoffmeandwhosometimeshavetoresorttousingabrokenpocketmirrortotryandcatchaglimpseofmeintheclassroom.Ihaveafamily,lovingauntsandagoodhome.No,onthesurfaceIseemtohaveeverything,exceptmyonetruefriend.AllIthinkaboutwhenI'mwithfriendsishavingagoodtime.Ican'tbringmyselftotalkaboutanythingbutordinaryeverydaythings.Wedon'tseemtobeabletogetanycloser,andthat'stheproblem.Maybeit'smyfaultthatwedon'tconfideineachother.Inanycase,that'sjusthowthingsare,andunfortunatelythey'renotliabletochange.ThisiswhyI'vestartedthediary.

　　Toenhancetheimageofthislong-awaitedfriendinmyimagination,Idon'twanttojotdownthefactsinthisdiarythewaymostpeoplewoulddo,butIwantthediarytobemyfriend,andI'mgoingtocallthisfriendKitty.

　　SincenoonewouldunderstandawordofmystoriestoKittyifIweretoplungerightin,I'dbetterprovideabriefsketchofmylife,muchasIdislikedoingso.

　　Myfather,themostadorablefatherI'veeverseen,didn'tmarrymymotheruntilhewasthirty-sixandshewastwenty-five.MysisterMargotwasborninFrankfurtamMaininGermanyin1926.IwasbornonJune12,1929.IlivedinFrankfurtuntilIwasfour.Becausewe'reJewish,myfatherimmigratedtoHollandin1933,whenhebecametheManagingDirectoroftheDutchOpektaCompany,whichmanufacturesproductsusedinmakingjam.Mymother,EdithHollanderFrank,wentwithhimtoHollandinSeptember,whileMargotandIweresenttoAachentostaywithourgrandmother.MargotwenttoHollandinDecember,andIfollowedinFebruary,whenIwasplunkeddownonthetableasabirthdaypresentforMargot.

　　IstartedrightawayattheMontessorinurseryschool.IstayedthereuntilIwassix,atwhichtimeIstartedfirstgrade.InsixthgrademyteacherwasMrs.Kuperus,theprincipal.Attheendoftheyearwewerebothintearsaswesaidaheartbreakingfarewell,becauseI'dbeenacceptedattheJewishLyceum,whereMargotalsowenttoschool.

　　Ourliveswerenotwithoutanxiety,sinceourrelativesinGermanyweresufferingunderHitler'santi-Jewishlaws.Afterthepogromsin1938mytwouncles(mymother'sbrothers)fledGermany,findingsaf