Perpignan, October 14, 1943
Dear Children,
The announced package arrived yesterday. Since I received a notice, I got a permit from 2-6 PM and took a leisurely walk to the railroad station and then to Trudi who wasn’t home. I left word that she should visit me today. Now about the package. It contained sugar, noodles, 1 glass jam and 1 triangle of Swiss cheese. Everything else had been stolen. I wrote you once before and told you that you should send the rail packages in such a way that they get delivered either by Express or à domicile [1]. In this case the carrier might not have accepted the package. If I had not accepted it, there would have been a deposition, a search etc… and after a few weeks the package would have arrived and, in addition, the other stuff would have been missing too. The long fingers pry into the packages and when they notice that they contain food, then they steal. Otherwise it just could not happen that so many packages arrive with things missing. This time it happened to me.
On Tuesday I cooked with Margot’s things: beans and carrots to which Mrs. Adelsheimer contributed potatoes, celery, leek, garlic so that it became a very good and tasty vegetable dish. I’ll cook the same again this afternoon. It will last for three meals and then it is the turn of chestnuts. Maybe I’ll buy myself some pears to go with them. I didn’t use to like chestnuts with pears but here it is a different matter.
Wachsberger is better again, on Monday it was touch and go. I suppose that the disease is making strides. I didn’t go to see Clementel. I mean , if one doesn’t remind him, then the file stays at the bottom. Since it doesn’t mean much to me to go somewhere else or not, I just let things slide. It can’t be much better somewhere else.
Thank your directrice in my name. In my next letter to you I’ll enclose a little note for her which you may deliver or not. You can tell your railroad station employees – which should be known in person by your directrice as is customary in small towns – that things were stolen from the package
Otherwise nothing more for today except love and kisses
Your PAPA
[1] To the residence.