Written for the word prompt What Do You See https://lifeafter50forwomen.com/category/what-do-you-see/
Sarah held her small suitcase, and wandered across the streets, hoping for somewhere to stay. There were vacancies, but not in 1953, not for her. Great Britain had fought a war on her behalf, but it was still legal to put signs up in the window.
No Jews, no Blacks, no Dogs.
It felt like she was being dehumanised because of her religion, when she was just the same as everyone else. She stared at the number on her wrist, a permanent reminder of a camp, so basic, so atrocious, so wrong. There were days when she closed her eyes, and she was back there.
Vacancies. It lit up the window, and as she walked closer, there were no other signs. She knocked on the door, and a young woman answered. In her early twenties, she had a smile that reached the corner of her eyes.
“Have you any vacancies?”
“We have a room available, what is your name?”
“Sarah, but before you start I’m Jewish. I’m proud I’m Jewish, so if your room suddenly becomes unavailable.”
“It’s still available Sarah,” she said. “My name’s Mary, how long do you want to stay?”
There was hope, and one day the law will be changed, so that it wouldn’t be legal to but up those heinous signs. It wasn’t everyone. In the main Sarah had been welcomed when she couldn’t go back home. But those signs stood out like neon, and showed the other, deep rooted side of racism.
Writer Ravenclaw 
Things have changed on the outside but not deep down in the psyche of many people when prejudices and hate still lives. Thanks for this profound story.
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I agree, racism exists today, but at least it is against the law to discriminate.
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Sometimes it’s hard to prove discrimination even with laws. 😦
And laws aren’t always applied evenly.
Thanks for writing how it was, is and probably (hopefully not) will be for time to come. 😦
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To learn from the past, we can’t not mention it.
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Those signs often said ‘no Irish’ too. Great response to the prompt, Diana.
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They did, and it wasn’t against the law for those signs in windows. I would like to think we have learnt our lesson, but it still exists. I remember walking with my best friend and someone making a remark about the colour of her skin. I would like to think in 2022 it is better, but I know it isn’t.
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I had a similar experience staying in a hotel in the Lake District with a friend of mine in the early 2000s. Horrid isn’t it.
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Very poignant take on the prompt.
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A powerful story, one day this soert of inhumanity will be open. I’m glad they allowed her to stay, well done.
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