Long Lost Everything// Band of Brothers

Chapter 1: Before The War

South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1923-1939

-

Her parents were born and raised in Germany, but Alice's mother didn't want her children growing up in such a dark place. Her father, Hans, was a strong fighter in the end of the first World War, but remained loyal to Germany even when he sailed himself and his very pregnant wife, Helen, to America where they settled in South Philadelphia where their first born, Michael, would be born on August 3rd, 1919. Hans remained loyal to Germany through letters with the intention to got back if Volksdeutsche was called, even if his wife didn't want to.

Four years after the birth of their son, Hans and Helen welcomed Alice into the world on April 13th, 1923. The golden haired baby girl, by American citizenship, was named Alice Louise Noether. But on a secret German document her father received, her name was Alice Noether. No middle name, just like her older brother. The middle names on the American documents were the only things tying them to their American 'heritage'. If they were to go back to the Fatherland, any trace of America would be wiped away like they had been living in Germany all along.

The Noether children grew up knowing they were of German decent and ever learned to speak their native language, but spent most of their time being normal kids. Alice met her best friend, a young boy from down the street, on her first day of first grade. Michael had lots of friends, but Alice only had the one. The young boy seemed to be the only one who was alright with her being practically foreign so he remained her one and only friend until the day her mother got sick.

November 7th, 1933, a cold front blew over and Helen Noether was struck with a painful case of pneumonia. She lived through Christmas of '33, but passed January 7th, 1934. All while she was sick, Alice had stayed home from school to care for her mother while Hans went to work and Michael continued to study. Alice's friend thought the first few days Alice was gone was maybe she had a cold or a case of the chicken pox, but after a week and a half of not hearing from his friend, he got curious and stopped by the Noether family home. Of course, Alice answered the door wearing her little white apron that was stained with chicken broth from the times she spilled a bit of the soup she was bringing to her mother. The young boy was disappointed to find out that she wouldn't be attending school until her mother got better or in the worst case, passed away and was no longer in need of constant care.

Michael brought home any school work he could for his sister so that she could stay up to pace with the children in her grade, but the only time she found for school work was at night before bed or when her mother was asleep. Alice never left her mothers side when she was awake and God forbid her father found out she passed while in Alice's care.

Staying home to care for her mother and ultimately take her place in the household, had taken a toll on the 10 year old girl as the bags under her eyes grew bigger and darker as the days went by. Although she learned how to cook, clean and care for people, all she wanted to do was go back to school and be with her friend. But even after Helen passed, Alice was put into private tutoring and was condoned to the isolation of her house. It seemed like she wasn't allowed to mourn her mothers death before she had to cook and clean for the two boys she lived with.

And no matter how many times she begged, Hans denied the young girl to see her friend and instead, sent her with her brother to hangout with his friends where she learned to be tough, how to fight back and how to deal out her own verbal punches. Sooner or later, she seemed to forget the adventures she had with her best friend, but she still kept him in the back of her mind. She wrote him a letter or two shortly after her mother passed explaining her new situation to which he quickly wrote back, hoping to see her on the street some time. Except when he did see her, it wasn't the innocent young girl he had first befriended. The kind sparkle in her eyes was covered by a fog of apathy and she wore a scowl most days, only smiling or laughing when one of her brothers friends said something funny or amusing. Countless times he approached her, but received nothing but a friendly smile on a good day. Most days, she seemed surprised to see him when he approached her and her new friends before going about her day.