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March 12, Monday After two weeks, I could lay my hand on a fresh newspaper. The occupation of Cologne, the crossing of the Rhine are good news, the fight for Breslau, the siege of Danzig and Stettin too, rather promising as to the end [strikethrough] ing [/strikethrough] of war. The Corvin picture house plays an American picture, 3 Ritz brothers, but, oh, British troups still before Bologna, just the same, as before Xmas! Two theatres are playing Moliére and Gogol on the Pest side. Children are sent in thousands to the countryside from Pest. The Russian military commander of Buda has announced, no man can cross the Danube, until there are still ruins and demolitions on this side. I am afraid, this will last more than ten years. Strong men and women are taken by the Mauthner seed-plants for agricultural work, compensation: full board. No pay. This is to explain why money will have its value. – Fighting is going on on the isle of Luzon – The new Hungarian secret police has [strikethrough] thousand and [/strikethrough] fifteen hundred cases [strikethrough] in [/strikethrough] on hand… In Moscow the [strikethrough] [?][/strikethrough] picture about siege and occupation of Budapest is already going. You will see that, I am sure.
No water supply today, but I had my daily bath as the tub is filled. Some big pipe has burst, as not even at the water [strikethrough] plants [/strikethrough] works have they any. Well, we have to be prepared for such surprises. – One of my patients just tells me, that the American legation house at Szabadság tér is unhurt and intact. I am glad to know that, my diary to you will reach you sometimes.
The noon Elko called, he was for five days [strikethrough] in [/strikethrough] at Pest,
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[strikethrough] reinforces [/strikethrough] confirms the news about the American interest sphere, knows about an American -British mixed commission at Debrecen, partly already at Pest, numbering 220 members of whom 130 would be Americans and 90 British. The news seem to be too good, one has to take them with reservation, the interest sphere an undeserved luck for the country.
One of my patients, a wounded printer was over to Pest too, he states 10 dk of bread rations are to be had there, weekly one kg of potatoes for children, flour on black market 90 Ps per kg, one egg 10 Ps.
To give you an idea, how slim I am (except youth, I am like a [strikethrough] flapper [/strikethrough] teenager) I tried on today your Rózsári tailormade, which I am going to exchange for cigarettes. Well, the thing hangs loosely over my skeleton. Don’t envy, it is not becoming. – The night heavy bombers flew above us, their going and coming lasted for hours – I suppose Italy based aircraft going for somewhere Germany – I could not sleep for a long time, I made menu plans, I am going to cook, when with you, taking into consideration American ingredients, like Heintz soup and pineapple preserves, etc. I planned to have always ready and handy all sorts of nice cold meat in the refrigerator, to prepare one morning in the week several nice cakes, I thought of manifold ingenious salad dressings – all these I can do, it just stimulates, thinking about them, only milk and cream and butter I can’t beat the thought of, it hurts, I am too much in need of them.
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Elko – just like his naivity [naivety]– thinks, you, Geo darling, may be here with this mixed commission. I hope you never dreamt of such a madness. I would never wished for your coming, would strongly counteradvise you, if the question did arise. No more Europe for you, at least not for long years to come.
March 13, Tuesday After one, cloudy day’s pause here is the wind again whistling through the broken walls and doors. Still it is not the same cruel enemy we had until now, this is the spring smelling, a equinoctial storm. To walk in it is fatiguing but cheerful. So was my day until now. After yesterday’s lull in patients (I believed, they passed out or healed so perfectly, they forgot me), there were calls this morning, men and old. I had to deal with different humours, I had to judge for myself and I had an opportunity to be happy with some of them. One women patient got news from her mother somewhere at Heves megye (Átány), she is OK, no thing was taken from them, she had plenty of food and sending soon. This was good news to hear that looting was not at all as a rule committed only where hard fighting preceded or where the inhabitants were suspected of collaborating with the nazis. On the other hand it is good news for me, because this means also food for me, as she owes me some [strikethrough] many fees [/strikethrough] . – Laci Benda, the angel, sent me back the little heart-shaped lighter you brought me from Genova, seven years [strikethrough] before [/strikethrough] ago. He [strikethrough] let [/strikethrough] had it repaired for me. [strikethrough] instead of the lost one [/strikethrough].
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Slowly, but in spite of all, I begin to return to my normal way of living. Since a few days I have my morning bath. This noon and Sunday too, I sat on the sunshine. This afternoon I had been to my hairdresser’s [strikethrough] flat [/strikethrough] and had my hair washed the first time since Dec. 23! There is no current so my hair [strikethrough] is [/strikethrough] was full with [strikethrough] wires and spirals and [/strikethrough] rollers so I have to stay until tomorrow afternoon, when my hairdresser having finished compulsory work, will take the [strikethrough] wires [/strikethrough] rollers out and comb my hair! For the summer I shall have to cut it short, the Eton way, I suppose to be independent.
With regards compulsory work, I have to tell you. This is the real sort of punishment for all people who tolerated the nazis so well and had been cruel to prisoners of war. There is terrible much work to do and they all will have to do it. When at noon time again five hundred men and women were collected before my balcony for bridgebuilding work, I felt some slight sort of satisfaction and besides felt an aristocrat, being safe [strikethrough] because my medical work [/strikethrough] as a physician.
March 14, Wednesday There [strikethrough] seems to be [/strikethrough] is some hope to survive the famine. True, there are still no rations and no [strikethrough] shop [/strikethrough] grocery has opened yet, but three or four patients have announced, they are going out to the countryside to [strikethrough] fetch [/strikethrough] get food – and I am in it, closely concerned – there is a railway timetable in Friday’s newspaper, spare, but already existing to some directions. The boy, who was hidden with Lángs was [strikethrough] fetched [/strikethrough] taken by his mother yesterday,
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she is buying and selling food, the Lángs told her, she owes me a lot for the treatment for the boy. Already I got two eggs and shall get some of the bread, they are baking today. Life is improving day by day, even if slowly. Sure, there will be things, they can’t be re-made. Poor dear Amélie, the 78 years old mother of my Dutch friend, who behaved splendidly during the siege is broken mentally since she [strikethrough] got knowledge [/strikethrough] learned of the death of her other daughter. She is entirely childish, senile? Which of them? This is a loss. I enjoyed her brave spirit and admired her so much.
We had deep fog for this morning but no cold and no wind. The sun seems to be coming out.
With regards former Jewish persecution by the nazi-regime, an interesting fact comes to daylight. So many Jews reappear, who hid or escaped from ghettos or concentration camps or deportation transport, it could not be made without strong and many fold gentile collaboration. People, after all, were not so heartless, as one could have believed on the surface.
Without almost any transition (átmenet?) people who called American pilots air gangsters only this summer are hoping the most for an American sphere of interest [strikethrough] sphere [/strikethrough] on our country. I suppose, they hope to get rid of forced labour only.
March 15, Thursday This is a long promised day, civil administration would take the place of military command – well, I do not think, it can be done, the frontline is still