Leni Milchstrasse's origin
Author's note:
Milchstrasse family- belongs to the German nobility.
Major Heinrich Milchstrasse-father of Leni
Mieke Milchstrasse-mother of Leni
Adolfa Milchstrasse-sister of Leni
July 1919
Leni Milchstrasse had turned 9 years old since her last birthday on December 24th. Coming from a noble family, her father was a prominent military officer with the rank of major in the German Army during the World War I.
When Germans lost the World War I, all of the German military forces had been disbanded and most soldiers including Major Heinrich Milchstrasse became unemployed.
German government was also disbanded by its enemies. Germany was stripped of its colonies, monetary resources, military supplies and armaments so it would not rise to threaten other countries again and so it would pay off war debts to Britain, France and other allies. .
Because Germans was denied by victorious allies the right to rebuild their country and regain prosperity, unemployment increased and chaos reigned widespread throughout the country. Half of the people were already starving for days.
Many noble families including Milchstrasse family lost their fortunes because they were stripped of everything by the governments of Britain and France and the German government couldn't stop them.
Leni always enjoyed playing the piano since she was 6 years old. Hence she was very sad to have her beloved piano sold by her parents so they could pay her debts but there was nothing she could do. One day when Leni learned that her parents were going to sell their piano to repay their debts. she protested against it. She even cried about losing her piano.
"Mama, Papa, Please don't do it. You can't sell our piano," wailed a 9-year old Leni, hugging her mother.
"Hush, Leni," saild Leni's mother. "I'm sorry, sweetheart but we have to sell our piano so we can buy food for you and Adolfa to eat,"
"Mama, I don't want to eat I want to play piano! I love music" sniffed the 9-year old girl.
"Listen to me, Leni. Food is much more important than a piano or music because you need food to live. On the other hand, you don't need a piano to survive."
Leni still sniffed.
"Do you understand me, Leni?" Her mother asked.
"Y-y-yes, mama," came Leni's reply.
"Good. Don't worry, Leni. We'll get our piano back. I promise you," her mother said.
"When, Mama?"
"Soon, darling. I don't know when but we'll get our piano soon."
Leni nodded, feeling hopeful again. But her hopes were ruined when they had to sell their mansion and estate a month later.
Afterwards, the Milchstrasse family moved into a small, dirty and cramped house of poor quality in the slums of Berlin.
All Major Milchstrasse had found was menial jobs but, being a former nobleman, he was dissatisfied with his current job with which he could barely support himself, his wife Mieke and his two daughters Leni and Adolfa.
June 1920
Almost two years had passed after the end of World War I, the Milchstrasse family had been living in poverty after Major Milchstrasse quit his last job in frustration a month ago. That was when Heinrich Milchstrasse started drinking alcohol.
One day, when a bitter Heinrich announced to the family decided to force his eldest daughter to drink, Mieke Milchstrasse protested, "But Heinrich, Leni is too young."
Heinrich slapped Mieke's face and glared at her. "Shut up, you cow. Don't you dare talk to Major Milchstrasse of Imperial German Army," he snapped.
Heinrich walked to a sniveling and whimpering Leni who was hugging her sister and grabbed her hair, causing her to yelp. He roughly pulled the ten year old girl by hair from her sister Adolfa.
Then he slapped Leni on the face at least ten times. Delighted by Leni's sobbing, he grabbed the bottle.
"Don't you worry, Leni. It's time you become an adult," Heinrich laughed, pressing the bottle against the 9-year old girl's lips.
Mieke, being horrified at the sight of her own husband forcing alcohol into her own daughter, grabbed a kitchen knife and plunged it into Heinrich's back.
He dropped the bottle as the alcohol was about to enter her mouth. The bottle fell and broke into numerous pieces on the floor. Then Heinrich gradually followed.
Major Heinrich Milchstrasse of the Imperial German Army lay dead on the ground.
10-year old Leni was so shocked by her father's death she didn't cry. But her mother knelt by her dead husband's side and cried.
The silver-haired girl also heard her sister's loud sobbing but didn't dare to turn around to look at her. She just speechlessly stared at her mother's remorseful expression on her face.
Leni was totally shocked and speechless. She was so frozen by shock, she didn't even move, let alone speak.
After Heinrich's death, Mieke Milchstrasse was forced to become a prostitute to feed her two daughters.
December 24th, 1920
Five months later
Unfortunately, Adolfa Milchstrasse had died of illness caused by malnutrition two months earlier, giving both mother and sister another tragedy.
Soon, Leni's mother followed. Mieke had fallen ill and collapsed into Leni's arms when she arrived from her work. The young girl dragged her mother to her bed. Then Leni hurriedly called a doctor who later arrived twenty minutes later.
When Leni heard the doorbell rang, the young girl openbed the door and saw a middle-aged man dressed in a black suit with brown-hair and mustache standing in front of her.
"Doctor! Mama is sick," explained Leni.
"Then lead me to her, young lady," replied the doctor.
"Please come in,"
Leni had summoned a doctor only to learn that her mother was dying of pneumonia. Leni was also saddened by the fact that they could not afford medicine for her mother.
"Your mother has pneumonia," the doctor informed Leni.
"C-can she be cured?" Leni asked him.
"Yes if she was given medicine," he replied.
"Do you have medicine?" she asked, full of hope.
"At this time? In the middle of Germany's economic collapse? It is hard to find medicine anywhere in the city of Berlin. Even if you found medicine, you have to afford it," the doctor said.
"But we don't have money," Leni whimpered.
"Then she is dying," he plainly said. "I am sorry, Leni." The doctor took his coat and hat and wore them. Then he gathered his bag.
"NOOOOO! You can't leave mama. Please save her," Leni screamed, tightening her grip on the larger man's leg to pull him in vain. "SAVE MY MOTHER!"
All the doctor could say was "I am sorry, Miss Milchstrasse," before he left the house, leaving Leni on her knees, weeping for her mother.
Tonight
Leni calmly knelt by her mother's bed, clasping Mieke's hand. But the 10- year old silver-haired girl didn't stop crying. She hadn't cried so painfully hard since her sister died.
"Don't cry, Leni," Mieke said.
"Y-yes, muh-mother," croaked Leni, her heart beating harder than ever. Mieke coughed but ignored her sickness.
"Remember, Leni Milchstrasse, you are of noble blood. Do not forget you are from the German nobility."
Leni nodded. Mieke's coughs have became louder, troubling the girl.
"Be strong. Be brave. Survive, my daughter."
"Yes, mother. I will," Leni affirmed. Mieke coughed loudly again.
"Then I am proud of you, Leni Milchstrasse," her mother said. Then the older woman closed her eyes.
"M-mother?" Leni whispered, holding her mother's tightly. The woman did not move. Frantically, the girl started to shake Mieke's body.
"MOTHER!!!!" the girl shouted, tears rolling down her cheeks. Mieke still did not move.
Mieke Milchstrasse had passed away on Leni's 11th birthday When Leni's mother died, her eleventh birthday was the saddest birthday.
Her family was destroyed because of war and politics.
To be continued
Author's note:
Milchstrasse family- belongs to the German nobility.
Major Heinrich Milchstrasse-father of Leni
Mieke Milchstrasse-mother of Leni
Adolfa Milchstrasse-sister of Leni
July 1919
Leni Milchstrasse had turned 9 years old since her last birthday on December 24th. Coming from a noble family, her father was a prominent military officer with the rank of major in the German Army during the World War I.
When Germans lost the World War I, all of the German military forces had been disbanded and most soldiers including Major Heinrich Milchstrasse became unemployed.
German government was also disbanded by its enemies. Germany was stripped of its colonies, monetary resources, military supplies and armaments so it would not rise to threaten other countries again and so it would pay off war debts to Britain, France and other allies. .
Because Germans was denied by victorious allies the right to rebuild their country and regain prosperity, unemployment increased and chaos reigned widespread throughout the country. Half of the people were already starving for days.
Many noble families including Milchstrasse family lost their fortunes because they were stripped of everything by the governments of Britain and France and the German government couldn't stop them.
Leni always enjoyed playing the piano since she was 6 years old. Hence she was very sad to have her beloved piano sold by her parents so they could pay her debts but there was nothing she could do. One day when Leni learned that her parents were going to sell their piano to repay their debts. she protested against it. She even cried about losing her piano.
"Mama, Papa, Please don't do it. You can't sell our piano," wailed a 9-year old Leni, hugging her mother.
"Hush, Leni," saild Leni's mother. "I'm sorry, sweetheart but we have to sell our piano so we can buy food for you and Adolfa to eat,"
"Mama, I don't want to eat I want to play piano! I love music" sniffed the 9-year old girl.
"Listen to me, Leni. Food is much more important than a piano or music because you need food to live. On the other hand, you don't need a piano to survive."
Leni still sniffed.
"Do you understand me, Leni?" Her mother asked.
"Y-y-yes, mama," came Leni's reply.
"Good. Don't worry, Leni. We'll get our piano back. I promise you," her mother said.
"When, Mama?"
"Soon, darling. I don't know when but we'll get our piano soon."
Leni nodded, feeling hopeful again. But her hopes were ruined when they had to sell their mansion and estate a month later.
Afterwards, the Milchstrasse family moved into a small, dirty and cramped house of poor quality in the slums of Berlin.
All Major Milchstrasse had found was menial jobs but, being a former nobleman, he was dissatisfied with his current job with which he could barely support himself, his wife Mieke and his two daughters Leni and Adolfa.
June 1920
Almost two years had passed after the end of World War I, the Milchstrasse family had been living in poverty after Major Milchstrasse quit his last job in frustration a month ago. That was when Heinrich Milchstrasse started drinking alcohol.
One day, when a bitter Heinrich announced to the family decided to force his eldest daughter to drink, Mieke Milchstrasse protested, "But Heinrich, Leni is too young."
Heinrich slapped Mieke's face and glared at her. "Shut up, you cow. Don't you dare talk to Major Milchstrasse of Imperial German Army," he snapped.
Heinrich walked to a sniveling and whimpering Leni who was hugging her sister and grabbed her hair, causing her to yelp. He roughly pulled the ten year old girl by hair from her sister Adolfa.
Then he slapped Leni on the face at least ten times. Delighted by Leni's sobbing, he grabbed the bottle.
"Don't you worry, Leni. It's time you become an adult," Heinrich laughed, pressing the bottle against the 9-year old girl's lips.
Mieke, being horrified at the sight of her own husband forcing alcohol into her own daughter, grabbed a kitchen knife and plunged it into Heinrich's back.
He dropped the bottle as the alcohol was about to enter her mouth. The bottle fell and broke into numerous pieces on the floor. Then Heinrich gradually followed.
Major Heinrich Milchstrasse of the Imperial German Army lay dead on the ground.
10-year old Leni was so shocked by her father's death she didn't cry. But her mother knelt by her dead husband's side and cried.
The silver-haired girl also heard her sister's loud sobbing but didn't dare to turn around to look at her. She just speechlessly stared at her mother's remorseful expression on her face.
Leni was totally shocked and speechless. She was so frozen by shock, she didn't even move, let alone speak.
After Heinrich's death, Mieke Milchstrasse was forced to become a prostitute to feed her two daughters.
December 24th, 1920
Five months later
Unfortunately, Adolfa Milchstrasse had died of illness caused by malnutrition two months earlier, giving both mother and sister another tragedy.
Soon, Leni's mother followed. Mieke had fallen ill and collapsed into Leni's arms when she arrived from her work. The young girl dragged her mother to her bed. Then Leni hurriedly called a doctor who later arrived twenty minutes later.
When Leni heard the doorbell rang, the young girl openbed the door and saw a middle-aged man dressed in a black suit with brown-hair and mustache standing in front of her.
"Doctor! Mama is sick," explained Leni.
"Then lead me to her, young lady," replied the doctor.
"Please come in,"
Leni had summoned a doctor only to learn that her mother was dying of pneumonia. Leni was also saddened by the fact that they could not afford medicine for her mother.
"Your mother has pneumonia," the doctor informed Leni.
"C-can she be cured?" Leni asked him.
"Yes if she was given medicine," he replied.
"Do you have medicine?" she asked, full of hope.
"At this time? In the middle of Germany's economic collapse? It is hard to find medicine anywhere in the city of Berlin. Even if you found medicine, you have to afford it," the doctor said.
"But we don't have money," Leni whimpered.
"Then she is dying," he plainly said. "I am sorry, Leni." The doctor took his coat and hat and wore them. Then he gathered his bag.
"NOOOOO! You can't leave mama. Please save her," Leni screamed, tightening her grip on the larger man's leg to pull him in vain. "SAVE MY MOTHER!"
All the doctor could say was "I am sorry, Miss Milchstrasse," before he left the house, leaving Leni on her knees, weeping for her mother.
Tonight
Leni calmly knelt by her mother's bed, clasping Mieke's hand. But the 10- year old silver-haired girl didn't stop crying. She hadn't cried so painfully hard since her sister died.
"Don't cry, Leni," Mieke said.
"Y-yes, muh-mother," croaked Leni, her heart beating harder than ever. Mieke coughed but ignored her sickness.
"Remember, Leni Milchstrasse, you are of noble blood. Do not forget you are from the German nobility."
Leni nodded. Mieke's coughs have became louder, troubling the girl.
"Be strong. Be brave. Survive, my daughter."
"Yes, mother. I will," Leni affirmed. Mieke coughed loudly again.
"Then I am proud of you, Leni Milchstrasse," her mother said. Then the older woman closed her eyes.
"M-mother?" Leni whispered, holding her mother's tightly. The woman did not move. Frantically, the girl started to shake Mieke's body.
"MOTHER!!!!" the girl shouted, tears rolling down her cheeks. Mieke still did not move.
Mieke Milchstrasse had passed away on Leni's 11th birthday When Leni's mother died, her eleventh birthday was the saddest birthday.
Her family was destroyed because of war and politics.
To be continued