THE S.S. AMERICAN FARMER

The children spotted their friends; Georg let them run on ahead. They were so excited to see them.

"Peter, did you have any problems?"

"Only once Georg, not really a problem, but we were asked for our papers leaving Basel. I must say, I held my breath until they handed them back to me. How about you?"

"I just confused the ticket master when I handed him ten tickets. Then the guard asked for Rolf's papers, he was pleasant after discovering they were newlyweds."

"Maria, Peter and I are going to claim our trunks."

"Okay, I'll watch everyone."

They took Friedrich and Samuel with them, off they went to claim their trunks. When they returned it was almost time to board the ship. Georg surveyed the ship, it was small, he wondered how it would be in rough seas. Soon the families were all on the walkway to the ship; everyone was so excited.

"Father, this is so exciting." Brigitta exclaimed. There was so much loud talking, Georg could be heard, "Okay, everyone, quiet down, we need to listen to the steward." The steward was a young man about the same age as Rolf. He and Georg had been talking while waiting to board.

The steward had asked him, "Have you done much sailing, sir?"

Georg had to chuckled, "Well young man, whose name he now knew was Jon, yes, if you consider a submarine as sailing!"

"Submarine, sir. How exciting."

Then Georg asked him. "How did you get to be a steward?"

"My grandfather Admiral Werner was in the Great War, he always told me stories about sailing, so I thought I would give it a try this summer."

"Did your grandfather ever mention a man by the name of Georg von Trapp?"

"Oh, yes many times."

Georg smiled at the young man, who gasped and then said, "You…you are Captain von Trapp?"

"Nice to meet you, Jon, we need to talk later."

Jon then spoke to everyone. "First, the von Trapp family has four large cabins located starboard," then quickly added, "to your left." Then he looked at the adults with the others, "Yours are located on the right side of the ship, all five of them."

Then the following information; "I will be your steward for the trip, my name is Jon. Breakfast is served from seven to nine, lunch twelve to two and dinner six to eight. The chimes will signal the beginning of each meal. After you get settled, I suggest you come topside and watched the departure."

When he finished the talking began again. Georg heard all kinds of discussion as who was staying with whom. Professor Edwards spoke up. "Georg, the older boys, Samuel, Friedrich and Kurt can bunk with me." Rolf and Liesl had the smaller cabin to themselves. The largest, with two double beds was for the four girls.

Maria wasn't sure they should be alone. "Maria, we are right next to them, they will be fine."

"Okay, Georg." She didn't sound convinced, he smiled at her, "If it doesn't work, we will split up, but let's give it a try."

Not everyone was happy. Kurt wanted to be with David and Michel. All the parents talked it over, and so it was decided that Kurt, David and Michel could have a room together. Teresa and Sarah were like sisters; they shared the smaller room between their parents' cabins.

With the cabin issues solved, they went to explore the ship and of course Georg was the leader. He told them, "This ship is a refurbished cargo ship; that's why the cabins are not all the same size."

Their first stop was the dining room. Kurt's favorite room and probably that of all the boys. A large round table had a sign which read, "Reserved – Von Trapp Family." Georg noticed another table nearby, large enough for the others. He asked the dining room steward, "Can this one be reserved for our friends?"

"What name, sir?"

"The Salzburg Families will do just fine;" and so it was labeled.

Georg heard the song of the boatswain's whistle, calling all to their assignments for departure. Georg found the stairs; he and Maria were right behind Rolf and Liesl.

"Liesl, wait a minute, your mother is going to need some help with Barbara; these stairs are very narrow and straight."

Georg stood on the fourth step from the bottom, Liesl almost to the top. "Okay, Maria, hand me the baby, and then he gave her to Liesl, who gave her off to Rolf."

"Well," Maria said, "that was interesting; I guess I won't be going up and down very often."

"There must be an elevator, Maria. I'll ask later." Maria wasn't sure. She thought, what's an elevator? Something else I need to learn about.

The weather was perfect. They all stood close to the bow. The ships horn sounded and the deck hands released the ropes. The ship slowly pulled away from the dock; at first no one felt the ship moving. All they knew, the shore line became further and further away.

"Father, how does the ship know which way to go, there are no signs in the water?" Marta asked. Georg smiled as all the children crowded around him to hear his answer.

He looked up to an enclosed structure high above the deck. "Up there, in the wheelhouse is a compass and the ship's wheel. The officer turns the wheel to point in the direction he wants the ship to go. The ship turns very slowly, because it is so big."

Georg continued their tour of the ship; going down the portside stairs, they visited a game room and a library.

"A library, Father," Brigitta asked expectantly, "Can we use it?"

"Of course."

Back in their cabins, they changed for dinner. The chimes rang three times sounding the start of the dinner hour. The dining room was full; all seventy passengers seemed to be hungry all at the same time. Georg listened to the talking; he knew most people were speaking in English.

"Maria, do you know most of the passengers are speaking English?"

"Really, Georg, maybe they can help us learn."

After their meal, Jon found them. "Frau von Trapp, have you found the elevator?"

"No," she said politely. Not sure she wanted to know.

"Captain, come with me." Georg, put his arm around Maria's waist, they followed Jon to the back of the dining room.

Maria had to say something. "Georg, what is an elevator?

"Maria, you really don't know what an elevator is?" She shook her head.

"It looks like a cage."

"Well, it is a cage, attached to wire ropes which will pull the cage up the next floor or down. When you lived in Vienna, you never visited Miller's Department Store?"

"No Georg, I was too busy with my studies and cleaning the dormitory, my free time was spent in the mountains, singing." He embraced her, she had had such a simple life compared to his, he wanted her to know how much he delighted in showing her the world. He hadn't expected to be bringing her to the "New World."

"It's perfectly safe. Maria. Are you ready?"

Jon showed them how to open the doors, they all stepped inside, Jon closed the doors. They went up to the next deck but since they really needed to stay on the lower deck, they went back down. Maria relaxed; she knew this would be much safer for her and Barbara.

Getting the children to settle down was a chore, they were all still so excited, but Maria knew they were tired. No one had had good sleep for the past two days. Maria helped the girls get ready for bed. Gretl and Marta were asleep before Maria finished their prayers.

She finished praying with Brigitta and Louisa, as she was leaving she told them, "Okay, you two, don't stay awake too long; I know you found a good book to read Brigitta and Louisa don't write a "book" in your journal,"

"We won't." She heard. She gave them each a kiss.

In their cabin, Georg was sitting telling Barbara all about his adventures on ships; she was still wide awake; looking up at her father. "I guess your stories aren't exactly bedtime stories." He laughed as he handed Barbara to her.

"I'm going to check on the others." He chatted with the professor, "Don't let them keep you up." Then on to the boys, they were in the middle of a pillow fight. "Boys – settle down."

"Father, this is so exciting, I can't believe I'm on a ship sailing to America."

"That's good to hear but when I come back in an hour, I expect to see lights out and a body in each bed asleep." Georg spoke kindly but firmly. On his way back to his cabin, he knocked on Liesl and Rolf's door, "goodnight you two."

"Goodnight father, he heard them laugh.

Maria had fed and changed Barbara and put her to bed in the crib that was provided for her. "Tomorrow, Georg, I need to wash some diapers."

"No problem, there is a laundry room and a place to hang them, on top deck if it is nice."

"Georg, I had no idea the ship would be so nice."

"If you really like sailing, Maria, maybe some day we will go on a real cruise liner – like the Queen Elizabeth."

"I guess we can dream, can't we?"

Barbara was their alarm clock, at five-thirty she was hungry. Maria tried to get to her quickly, hoping Georg would sleep longer. What was she thinking, her"sailor" was up and dressed and out the door. While walking on deck, he was greeted by the First Lieutenant, "Captain, would you like to see the wheelhouse?"

"Of, course."

As they walked up the ladder, "I understand you were a submarine commander, a highly decorated one."

"Yes, but the empire was defeated and Austria became landlocked; and now Hitler."

"I'm sorry, Captain, it must be hard leaving your homeland."

"It is, but I had to do what was best for my family. Do you think the boys could visit up here later, my son Kurt is really interested in the Navy."

"No, problem."

Noting the time, he hurried back to help Maria with the children. That afternoon, Georg took the boys to the wheelhouse – the crew answered all their questions.

On the third day, they encountered bad weather. The rough waters "tossed the ship around like a ball; it moaned and cracked as it bent over from one side to the other." No one ate breakfast. Maria "went from cabin to cabin finding the children in all stages of wanting to be dead, the truest sign of seasickness."

The storm did not pass for three long days. Very few passengers ate, Georg and Maria seemed to be among the few who were not seasick. Later, on the afternoon of the third day, the sky cleared and the sea became like glass for the remainder of the trip. Everyone started to venture from their cabins for some fresh air and sunshine. Dinner that evening was light, the crew knew what to serve, chicken noodle soup.

With six days remaining, Maria was determined to learn some English. Georg had studied with the professor; he was already able to carry on a conversation with some of the passengers. There just hadn't been any time for Maria to even read her book.

Now with the book, pencil and paper in her pocket, she and Barbara went up on top deck to find people to talk with. Everyone was most willing to help her. She learned simple phrases of greetings. Conversation was easy with Barbara with her, they all asked about her. By the end of the week she could carry on a simple conversation. Georg was very proud. "I knew you would learn quickly." Now they tried to speak to each other only in English.

Only one more day at sea, the children were getting excited again. They couldn't believe they would be in America tomorrow.

After breakfast, the passengers lined the deck for the first glimpse of America. The ship sailed down the coast from the north and soon someone shouted. "Look! Look!" Everyone turned and saw the skyscrapers emerge from the fog. There was America.