Message to Germany:

October first, 2017 was the day that proved to be dead serious to the world. All of the teachers waited nervously in their classrooms. Everyone talked about being a big announced this morning at ten. Nobody liked the sound of it.

“What could it be?” Milo whispered as we sat at our desks, waiting. I shook my head. My eyes stayed on Ms. Diederich. She kept her hands together at her desk. She’s starting to shake a lot less. Yet, that lady always mumbles to herself when she was teaching the class. I wanted to tell her to calm down, but what good would that do? Ms. Diederich looked at her watch.

“Ten more minutes,” she said softly. I kept my eyes on her. Come on, I thought. It can’t be that bad. I had no idea how wrong I was about to be.

Right on schedule, the teachers turned on the TV. They all flipped to channel four.

The Chancellor of Germany stood before a huge audience on TV. He straightened up his tie with sweaty hands. He walked up to the microphone. His mother, the other chancellor, had been sick for a year and a half. Recently, her health had taken a turn for the worse. So, her son has been filling in for her. The vice chancellor stood beside him. The chancellor cleared his throat.

“My people of Germany,” he said. “I have come to the decision to step down today as chancellor.” Surprised whispered filled the room. The chancellor held up his hand.

“Now, now, please be quiet,” he said. The man waited until the room became silent. He drew in another breath.

“I am sorry that I have failed you,” he said. “We didn’t see this coming. None of us could predict the chain of events about to unfold.”

Failed? Chain of events? What is he talking about?

“But this time,” the chancellor went on. “This is too big for us as a people to handle. I have let you all down. I apologize to my mother, the vice chancellor here, the government, and all the people here.” He bowed his head as the people went silent on TV. The vice chancellor walked over to the younger man and whispered something in his ear. The now-former chancellor lifted his head.

“As for what will happen next,” he said. “The best thing I can tell you is wait and try to do your best for Germany. I will be spending the rest of this time taking care of my mother. Thank you and I am sorry that I failed you.” The former chancellor bowed his head as the people nervously clapped. No one really spoke for the rest of the day during classes. The teachers kept getting distracted by their own worries. The students didn’t even go outside for recess. Ms. Diederich shut the TV off as the announcement recapped what had happened. Milo leaned over to me.

“What happens to us now?” he whispered. I shrugged and shook my head. Nothing from then on made any sense anymore.