Maria headed down the stairs, making every single effort not to wake anybody up. She was dressed in the same light blue chiffon dress. It was her favourite dress as it was associated with fond memories with the family—she wore it during the puppet performance as well as when the Captain sang Edelweiss to the children. She decided to leave earlier as she did not want to see the children in tears if she left later. It would be better for everyone in the end. Maria took one last look at the von Trapps' foyer. This was her final goodbye.
As soon as she boarded the bus, the feelings of regret, guilt, shame, and heartache quickly emerged. She suddenly felt a lump in her throat. What had she done? What was she going to tell the Reverend Mother? Maria had failed twice now. She was too ashamed to return to the Abbey yet she had no option otherwise.
The bus soon pulled up at its final stop in downtown Salzburg. Maria stepped off the bus and headed over to the ticket booth.
"I would like a ticket for the next bus trip to the University of Salzburg," Maria requested to the ticket agent. The Abbey was located in close proximity to the university which was why she chose that particular bus route. The agent shook his head.
"I'm afraid not. The rain has washed out the main road to the university. All bus trips to university have been cancelled until the road is repaired," he responded.
"And how long would that take?" she asked.
"I don't know…a few days perhaps?"
"A few days? But I have to be there today! Isn't there something you can do?" Maria cried out impatiently.
"Fräulein, most of the roads in that area have been washed out. They've been barricaded so there is no way to access them. I'm sorry, but there is nothing that we can do at this time,"
Disenchanted, Maria walked away from the ticket booth. It was mid-morning. The sun was shining, the sky was clear. What was she going to do in the meantime?
Maria walked through the cobblestone streets of downtown Salzburg. She heard church bells ringing. A newlywed couple was leaving the church surrounded by beaming family members. The sight brought such joy to Maria yet it delivered an ache to her heart. Ignoring the pain, Maria continued walking.
A horse-drawn carriage was crossing her path. Maria stopped momentarily to allow it to pass. In the carriage was a young couple embracing. They looked like they were in their late teens. Maria's heart filled with the same joyful feeling that she experienced when she watched the newlywed couple. However, a feeling of emptiness lingered within her. Perhaps that was the cause of her aching heart. Nonetheless, she continued on.
"Anna!" a woman's voice called out from the distance. "Stop right there!" Maria looked around to see who the woman was talking to. All of a sudden, Maria spotted a little girl, who looked no more than three, running towards her amongst the crowd of people on the streets. Just before the girl would crash into Maria's shins, Maria dropped her belongings and swooped the girl up in her arms.
"Well you're not going anywhere, young lady!" Maria scolded playfully. She balanced the child on her hip while she waited for the girl's family to catch up.
"Thank you so much Fräulein," the mother said breathlessly as Maria handed the child over to her. She paused to catch her breath. "It's so hard to keep up with your children when they wander off like that." Standing next to the mother and father was a little boy, who looked about age six. He seemed to be entranced by Maria's guitar case.
"What's in there?" the boy asked.
"It's my guitar. You can have a look," Maria replied as she bent down to open up her case. She pulled out her guitar and adjusted the strap around the boy's shoulder. Struggling to wrap his arm around the body of the guitar, Maria supported the instrument's body and neck with her hands. As he started to strum a few notes, the boy's face lit up in excitement.
"So you're a musician I'm assuming?" the father asked.
"Nope. I'm studying to become a nun," Maria replied confidently. The mother's smile quickly turned into a frown.
"Oh no dear, Fräulein, are you sure you want to devote the rest of your life to being a nun?" the mother questioned. She sounded awfully concerned.
"Yes, this is what I want. It's what I am meant to be," Maria responded.
"But you seem to work so well with children! Are you sure you want to seclude yourself from the outside world?" she asked. Maria reflected for a bit.
"Well, I used to be a governess to seven children," Maria said humbly. She didn't want to reveal any more details than that.
"And what happened?"
Maria looked down towards the cobblestone while rubbing the back of her neck in humiliation. The mother took Maria's hand as if she was her confidante.
"Please, Fräulein. Don't go to the Abbey. I can see it in you. You will regret it. Listen, I studied to become a nun once. But I couldn't do it. I was too free-spirited to be under strict discipline. So I left and found everything that life had to offer," she explained. She and her husband exchanged looks as he placed his arm around her.
Maria was enlightened. Something was telling her that she had to return to the villa. The washed away roads that prevented her from going to the Abbey. The newlywed couple. The pair of young lovers in the horse-drawn carriage.
"I have to go now. Thank you for your words of wisdom," Maria said hurriedly. She hastily packed her guitar and picked up her belongings.
"Listen to your heart, Fräulein, and it will guide you through the path that you were meant to take," the mother called out as Maria walked away. Those were some familiar words that she once heard.
It was mid-afternoon. Maria rushed back to the bus ticket booth. Dodging passersby of all ages, shapes, and sizes, she looked like a klutz as she tripped and stumbled through the streets of Salzburg.
"Excuse me Herr, when is the next bus to Aigen?" Maria asked desperately while catching her breath between words.
"Aigen? Why, you just missed it by a few minutes! The next one won't be until 7 pm," the agent replied.
"7 pm?" Maria cried out. Her heart sank. Nevertheless, Maria purchased a ticket for her bus ride that would arrive in several hours.
Finally, the bus arrived. Maria hopped on. The doors closed behind her and the bus headed off to Aigen.
