Warriors (Band of Brothers - Joseph Liebgott)

Chapter 32: Germany

The Company had made their way into Germany. The weather had turned warmer and the flowers had begun to bloom; it lifted everyones spirit.

Mariah, Joe, and Babe were sat at a table in the town square. They were playing cards while listening to Nixon tell them about what was happening in the world. Perconte and Luz joined them a few minutes later. Luz was holding his cheek.

"What the hell happened to you?" Mariah asked.

"Oh, you're going to love this." Perconte said. "Mr. Smooth over here tried to corner a girl in a barn so he could get a kiss. She didn't like that so she slapped him."

"It really hurt. Hey Mariah, you got anything in that bag of your that could help?"

Mariah began looking in her bag. "Here we are." Mariah pulled her hand out of the bag and slapped him. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"Ow." Luz whispered, holding his cheek. Everyone at the table laughed and turned their attention back to Nixon.

"I'm sure you'll all be happy to know that Oklahoma is still playing on Broadway."

Luz's face lit up and he began to sing. "OAKLAHOMA, WHERE THE WIND COMES SWEEPIN' DOWN THE PLAIN. AND THE WAVIN' WHEAT CAN SURE SMELL SWEET-"

"WHEN THE WIND COMES RIGHT BEHIND THE RAIN!" O'Keefe finished in a high pitched voiced.

"Are you sitting on your bayonet there?" A soldier asked O'Keefe. "Why don't you leave the singing to Luz."

"Oh, Rita Hayworth's getting married." All the men groaned.

"Oh Rita, say it isn't true."

Nixon flipped the piece of paper on his clipboard over. "Wartime News: Resistance in the rural pockets crumbling and looks like there might be a breakout in Remagen. Apparently, the Krauts forgot to blow up one of their bridges when they headed back over the line. I guess the boys in the 17th Airborne did well after all."

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it was time to move out again. They were heading to The Alps. Mariah jumped into the truck and sat beside Joe. "Luftwaffe and SS huh?" Perconte said. "Hey, looks like you're gonna get your wish anyway O'Flannery. These guys are fucking crazy."

"His names O'Keefe, Perconte." Mariah told him.

"Whatever."

The trucks began to pull out, as they rumbled down the road the men began to sing. "GLORY, GLORY, WHAT A HELL OF WAY TO DIE. GLORY, GLORY, WHAT A HELL OF A WAY TO DIE! GLORY, GLORY, WHAT A HELL OF A WAY TO DIE. AND WE AIN'T GONNA JUMP NO MORE!"

As the truck she was in kept driving Mariah turned her body so she was facing the passing landscapes. They passed through forests and farm land. She placed her arms on the edge of the truck and leaned her head onto them. She began to think back to the farm she grew up on; she missed it. She closed her eyes and pictured it - The barn, the big house, the animals, her family.

She thought back to Christmas; all of her siblings coming home, cutting down a tree in the forest behind their home, decorating the house and baking cookies. She missed her family, she wanted to go home.

"Hey," Joe whispered in her ear. "You okay? You've been zoned out for the past half hour."

Mariah put her hand on his knee. "I'm fine, just thinking about home."

Joe smiled at her. "I can't wait to see it one day."

"You will, I promise."

"You two's lovey dovey shit is making me sick." Perconte said to the two.

Mariah flipped him off.

"Hey Mariah, did you know that your boyfriend only reads comic books?" Webster asked.

Mariah couldn't help but chuckle. "Why yes Webster, I do know that."

"This woman knows everything about me Web."

The trucks kept driving, a few hours later they came across a building, it looked abandoned but they could hear yelling coming from beside it. Three men walked out with their hands up, three soldiers came out behind them. They forced them onto their knees and shot them. All of the replacements in the truck jumped. "Don't worry boys, you get used to it." Mariah told them.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to it."