Diaries: 1943 January 14-1943 May 26; 1943 May 27-1943 October 13; Loose material from diaries

34 posted three books (The [strikethrough] Forsite [/strikethrough] Forsythe Saga) to your aunt Margit and arriving home the plumbers came to fix up something in the lavatory. Today news give account of strengthening of the airattacks upon Italy. Home news: Márta Z’s father, Gyula Pósch [strikethrough] is [/strikethrough] became president of the National Bank of Hungary. The former president, Baranyai abdicated because he was persuaded by Reményi-Schneller, (finance-minister) to do something (presumably some sort of coming devaluation) and having assumed it, R-Sch promised to go. The thing was done, but he did not stir from his place so Baranyai went.

Febr. [February] 9. Tuesday. Would you believe that since one and a half year one can’t get tomato preserves? This summer Pravdáné cooked some bottle full for me and today, when I was hungry and unsatisfied after lunch, I opened the last bottle and had a cup of tomato juice. It was nice and as an early spring is promising itself I hope I can hold out somehow until new vitamins will be more easily available. But I do not feel well since some

35 days, very probably my stomach is exulcerating since no real diet is possible.

I spent the afternoon with Bö (Mrs Tárnoky), she too can hardly wait any longer for peace and traveling possibilities. Walked home through the chain-bridge and tunnel, about half an hour. Not very pleasant. Today was cold again.

Febr.[February] 10. Wednesday. Spent some hours with Marguerite, poor thing, her emotional life too complicated. Funny, but she really seems to need my advice, giving it, I am conservative and pro [?]. Early afternoon I had to do some shopping, just to be able to give Tullia some tea, expenses: more than 9 Pengős. Tullia came, I like to have a talk with her, without the other members of her family, especially without her sister. Then the plumbers came again and at last finished their job with the reservoir. Alone now with headache.

Yesterday, walking through the chain bridge I had the illusion, I have only to go to Nr 10 Fő utca and find everything and everybody there as

36. years and years before, when I was still at home there as a young girl. I went in, I found them all there, Maryuska, Duzzkó, Margit, still unmarried. It was perfectly natural that I arrived, we talked everyday affairs and somehow I could not tell them about you, though I [strikethrough] felt [/strikethrough] knew, you exist somewhere but still it was somehow anachronistic. In those times, you see, you were still unborn. And though I felt very much at home with them, I slowly got out of the house into a reality, where you are living, my own. And so I walked through the tunnel and twenty-odd years.

Febr. [February] 11. Thursday It was for this afternoon that Dédé promised to say goodbye, as their train had to start at 7 30 p. m. He did not turn up though, it is that he did not start or just was late as usual? I am so sorry for him but in these months he spent here I have learnt two important factors about him: he is all fantasy in his way of thinking and never in time, with hours late every time we agreed on something. It is only you, whom

37 I tell these and I love him all the same. But he will never be reliable. May be he is a bit sore about my tentatives to put him right about the present situation. – He just called on the ‘phone, their departure is [strikethrough] delayed [/strikethrough] postponed until the 20th Febr. All right.

Same night. The boy is coming on. He and his young fellow officers begin to see some contractions. They remember now when gen. Nagy has been out to see Hitler (The Nagy boy is serving under Dédé) how Hitler told him he wants Stalingrad out of prestige reasons. After the fall of Stalingrad German propaganda did nothing else for a week as explain how it was not a question of prestige but real necessity. – Listening to some extracts out of Churchills House of Commons speech: one German submarine [strikethrough] sunks [/strikethrough] is sinking now monthly 7.5 ships, that is monthly 750 ship sinkings, as second Anglosaxon estimates about hundred German submarines are operating on the Atlantic. They put the total number of them on 400, daily increase on one.

38 I am told that some submarines were sent to the Black sea via Danube, somehow elevated between two tugs. They are awaiting allied raid on the Roumanian Black sea parts, which seems to be likely. – Churchill asked patience for the coming nine months: so about the middle of November he hopes to have cleared things if only roughly. Let us hope!

Febr. [February] 12. Friday. Spring is here, [strikethrough] without [/strikethrough] and no mistake. I had been out to see Eszterke, she wanted some advice and presented me with a pot of cherry-marmalade. In the morning Pravdáné here, all help and faithfulness, poor things, they are going to be turned out of their flats from the Citadel, the whole building will serve air defence purposes. She says our old house will be used as “hiradós” center. There are signs of partial evacuation of Budapest, children under 13 years will be sent away about the middle of March. Did I tell you, that Piri Hollenrung lost her husband in the war, she is left behind with two small babies.