There were others who disappeared and were never seen again. Her father decided to put some serious distance between his family and the danger in Poland, so they moved to the United States. In an effort to find work, her father moved the family 15 times in just a few years. It was a recipe for disaster. Magdalena had a foreign accent, no friends, and clothes that were always different from what her classmates wore.
Children can be cruel.
And they were. And I just laughed along. But there's that hidden room in my mind where it all got stored. Sometimes it made me feel odd and awkward. But I tried not to ever let it bother me.