My parents met while my father was in the army and stationed in Germany. I was born in the US but by the time I was in 5th grade, my parents separated. Things got hectic, and my mother and I moved back to Germany and moved in with her brother.
It was a big old house near Berlin and I hated it. I spoke no German and none of my mother’s family spoke English. My uncle Max and his wife Greta had three children, all older than me – two girls and a boy, who was the oldest.
It wasn’t long before I found out how harsh and mean these people were. I didn’t understand a word they said at the beginning but they would scream at their offspring and thrash them unmercifully. My Aunt Greta would spank them not only in front of each other but also in front of other family members, including me.