Part 3- Over the Border
My revelation stuns us all into immediate silence…
The car in front of us shuts off its lights, making the flag on the hood visible to all of us.
I instinctively pull Ellie too me, and turn my eyes to him.
" Stay here." It's not a choice, but an order we must follow. " Do not get out of the car, no matter what happens."
" Yes father." The fear I hear in their voices is the same fear that has suddenly formed in my heart.
His eyes meet mine for a moment, before he opens his door. I fight back the urge to call out to him…to beg him not to leave us, as the car door closes.
He walks to the front of the car, and is confronted by a Nazi.
I watch intently, as I wait for his fellow soldiers to get out of the car.
After a few moments I realize that there are no other soldiers. It's just the one soldier standing in front of me. He's a young man… he's practically a child. There seems to be something familiar about him…something I can't quite put my finger on.
I hear Liesl gasp from behind me, and it dawns on me who the young Nazi is even before she confirms it. " Rolfe."
I glance back at her and her eyes meet mine, seeking permission to go talk to him.
" Your father said to stay here, no matter what." I say firmly.
" But I can…" She stops mid-sentence, her eyes going to the tense scene outside.
I turn around just as I see the Captain push Rolfe with all his force into the hood of our car.
" I'm sorry Fraulein." I hear Liesl before I see her.
By the time I do see her, she's already climbed over the backseat and is headed out the drivers door.
" Liesl...wait." I reach out to grab her arm but she's gone before I have the chance." Louisa." I say calmly, " No matter what happens, keep your baby sister safe." I suddenly find myself holding back tears.
She nods quickly, as I open the door.
" Liesl get back into the car." The Captain commands, his eyes never leaving Rolfe.
" Rolfe, please." She begs him, her voice full of love.
I say nothing, figuring that it's best if I remain unseen and unheard as long as possible.
" It's you we want, Captain. Your family is free to go." I see a flash of sadness in Rolfe's eyes, and I suddenly realize that he is not a Nazi by choice, but by force.
" Rolfe, please, if you ever cared about me, you'll let us go."
" Liesl, get back into the car." I've never heard his voice as firm and commanding as it just was.
" I'm sorry father." She takes a few hesitant steps to Rolfe before softly pleading with him, " This isn't you, Rolfe. You're not one of them. Please, please let us go."
Rolfe's eyes meet hers, " I can't…if I let you go, they'll kill me."
" Not if they don't know." I say quickly, " Let us leave now, and no one has to know we were ever here."
The Captain's eyes meet mine, and I'm shocked to see fear in them. " Rolfe, I would rather die then leave here as a Nazi."
I gasp, knowing that he means it, " You don't have to do this. Just let us go." I plead with Rolfe, hoping that with enough persuasion we might be able to break the trance the Nazis have put on him.
" My orders were…I don't want them to kill me." He starts babbling, and I know we're getting through to him. " I didn't want this, they…they made me." I see tears welling in his eyes and I want to pull him into my arms. But he fights his tears off as quickly as they formed. And looks the captain dead in the eyes, " I was told to bring to you Bremerhaven tonight, and that's what I have to do."
" Over my dead body." I feel me heart drop into the pit of my stomach. I open my mouth, but find no words…
" If that's the way you want it, Captain." I watch in horror as Rolfe slowly draws his gun…
" Rolfe...no." Liesl begs, silent tears staining her cheeks.
" Do you really want to kill me? You believe in their cause, enough to kill me in front of Liesl? You do know, the kind of damage a bullet does to the human body? So much blood, Rolfe. You want her to have to watch me die at your hands?"
His eyes leave the Captain's, as he quickly look to Liesl a. " I…I, I don't know what I believe anymore."
" You aren't one of them, Rolfe. You're just a boy; you can show them that we Austrians can fight them off. Leave your guard, and come away with us." He's stepping closer to Rolfe with every word that he says, " Don't let them win." I watch as Rolfe drops his head, at the same time that the Captain places his hand on the gun, " Fight them." I release the breath that's caught in my throat as he takes the gun from Rolfe.
Rolfe raises his head slowly, his eyes meeting Lisel's, " All right, you can go. But not in your car, they'll find you. You'll have to go on foot. The border with Switzerland is about a hours hike if you stay on this road."
" Thank you, Rolfe." I say quietly.
He nods to me, before stepping to the Captain, " You'll need this." He hands over his flashlight, before extending his hand.
I watch them closely, their hand shake is quick, but it helps to ease the fear in the pit of my stomach. " You have to hurry. There's a few dozen soldiers out searching for you, and there's no telling when they may stop here."
The Captain nods quickly. " Be careful." Is all he offers Rolfe before turning to the car.
A few moments later and the children are standing next to me, " Where are we going?"
" Over the border." He tells them quickly, as he places Ellie in my arms.
" We're going to walk?" Marta asks.
" Shhh! We must be very quiet." The love I usually hear in his voice has yet to return, " Liesl."
She looks at me for a moment before saying a quick and tearful goodbye to Rolfe. " Coming father." She walks slowly towards us, the pain in her eyes makes my heartache.
" We'll talk later." He says, perhaps more sharply then he intended, " All right, let's go. I want you all in a straight line. Stay in line, and in front of us at all times."
" Yes father." They say quickly.
He nods to them and we begin our journey into the woods.
Almost two hours later and we're still making our way to the Swiss border…
The children still walk in a straight line in front of us. For seven young children they're handling this all-incredibly well. They have never complained, and have only spoken a few times to point out interesting things they've seen along the way.
Brigitta asked to hold Ellie about and hour ago, much to my delight. I love that they're not at all hesitant to bond with Ellie.
We walk just a few steps behind them his arm wrapped protectively around my waist. He's pulled me close enough that my head is resting comfortably on his right shoulder.
Despite the fact that we're walking, I find myself lost in his arms, as the children softly hum Edelweiss to Ellie. My eyes feel like lead, and I have to fight to keep them open...
" You know, when I would dream of you falling asleep in my arms, this isn't quite what I had in mind."
I laugh lightly, content just being in his arms. " I'm just resting my eyes."
As he places a tender kiss on the top of my head, I realize that despite our current situation, there is no place I'd rather be.
The children and the commotion they're making once again interrupts our tender moment…
" Father, look." I hear Friedrich yell, " The border."
" We made it." Louisa says happily.
I lift my head to see the border a few yards ahead of us.
" Keep it down, we're not safe yet." The love I usually hear in his voice has finally begun to return, " Slowly, we don't want to arouse anyone's suspicions."
They nod quickly before Friedrich speaks again." Father, there's a guard."
He doesn't respond, instead offering a quick nod. He takes a few steps, and we silently follow him to the man in the guard's tower.
" Captain von Trapp." The man in the tower says with a nod .
He offers the man a quick nod in return, but make's no effort to cross the border.
I watch the children study their father's face for a moment, before they find a second wind and practically run over the border.
They stand on the other side of the border, safe in Switzerland as the Captain holds out his hand to me.
I look deep into his eyes, before taking his hand.
He pulls me to him, and we cross the border together….our new life starting, as the first rays of the sun peek out from behind the Alps.
To be continued…
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*** Don't worry, there's more! I would never end this without them living happily ever after.
My revelation stuns us all into immediate silence…
The car in front of us shuts off its lights, making the flag on the hood visible to all of us.
I instinctively pull Ellie too me, and turn my eyes to him.
" Stay here." It's not a choice, but an order we must follow. " Do not get out of the car, no matter what happens."
" Yes father." The fear I hear in their voices is the same fear that has suddenly formed in my heart.
His eyes meet mine for a moment, before he opens his door. I fight back the urge to call out to him…to beg him not to leave us, as the car door closes.
He walks to the front of the car, and is confronted by a Nazi.
I watch intently, as I wait for his fellow soldiers to get out of the car.
After a few moments I realize that there are no other soldiers. It's just the one soldier standing in front of me. He's a young man… he's practically a child. There seems to be something familiar about him…something I can't quite put my finger on.
I hear Liesl gasp from behind me, and it dawns on me who the young Nazi is even before she confirms it. " Rolfe."
I glance back at her and her eyes meet mine, seeking permission to go talk to him.
" Your father said to stay here, no matter what." I say firmly.
" But I can…" She stops mid-sentence, her eyes going to the tense scene outside.
I turn around just as I see the Captain push Rolfe with all his force into the hood of our car.
" I'm sorry Fraulein." I hear Liesl before I see her.
By the time I do see her, she's already climbed over the backseat and is headed out the drivers door.
" Liesl...wait." I reach out to grab her arm but she's gone before I have the chance." Louisa." I say calmly, " No matter what happens, keep your baby sister safe." I suddenly find myself holding back tears.
She nods quickly, as I open the door.
" Liesl get back into the car." The Captain commands, his eyes never leaving Rolfe.
" Rolfe, please." She begs him, her voice full of love.
I say nothing, figuring that it's best if I remain unseen and unheard as long as possible.
" It's you we want, Captain. Your family is free to go." I see a flash of sadness in Rolfe's eyes, and I suddenly realize that he is not a Nazi by choice, but by force.
" Rolfe, please, if you ever cared about me, you'll let us go."
" Liesl, get back into the car." I've never heard his voice as firm and commanding as it just was.
" I'm sorry father." She takes a few hesitant steps to Rolfe before softly pleading with him, " This isn't you, Rolfe. You're not one of them. Please, please let us go."
Rolfe's eyes meet hers, " I can't…if I let you go, they'll kill me."
" Not if they don't know." I say quickly, " Let us leave now, and no one has to know we were ever here."
The Captain's eyes meet mine, and I'm shocked to see fear in them. " Rolfe, I would rather die then leave here as a Nazi."
I gasp, knowing that he means it, " You don't have to do this. Just let us go." I plead with Rolfe, hoping that with enough persuasion we might be able to break the trance the Nazis have put on him.
" My orders were…I don't want them to kill me." He starts babbling, and I know we're getting through to him. " I didn't want this, they…they made me." I see tears welling in his eyes and I want to pull him into my arms. But he fights his tears off as quickly as they formed. And looks the captain dead in the eyes, " I was told to bring to you Bremerhaven tonight, and that's what I have to do."
" Over my dead body." I feel me heart drop into the pit of my stomach. I open my mouth, but find no words…
" If that's the way you want it, Captain." I watch in horror as Rolfe slowly draws his gun…
" Rolfe...no." Liesl begs, silent tears staining her cheeks.
" Do you really want to kill me? You believe in their cause, enough to kill me in front of Liesl? You do know, the kind of damage a bullet does to the human body? So much blood, Rolfe. You want her to have to watch me die at your hands?"
His eyes leave the Captain's, as he quickly look to Liesl a. " I…I, I don't know what I believe anymore."
" You aren't one of them, Rolfe. You're just a boy; you can show them that we Austrians can fight them off. Leave your guard, and come away with us." He's stepping closer to Rolfe with every word that he says, " Don't let them win." I watch as Rolfe drops his head, at the same time that the Captain places his hand on the gun, " Fight them." I release the breath that's caught in my throat as he takes the gun from Rolfe.
Rolfe raises his head slowly, his eyes meeting Lisel's, " All right, you can go. But not in your car, they'll find you. You'll have to go on foot. The border with Switzerland is about a hours hike if you stay on this road."
" Thank you, Rolfe." I say quietly.
He nods to me, before stepping to the Captain, " You'll need this." He hands over his flashlight, before extending his hand.
I watch them closely, their hand shake is quick, but it helps to ease the fear in the pit of my stomach. " You have to hurry. There's a few dozen soldiers out searching for you, and there's no telling when they may stop here."
The Captain nods quickly. " Be careful." Is all he offers Rolfe before turning to the car.
A few moments later and the children are standing next to me, " Where are we going?"
" Over the border." He tells them quickly, as he places Ellie in my arms.
" We're going to walk?" Marta asks.
" Shhh! We must be very quiet." The love I usually hear in his voice has yet to return, " Liesl."
She looks at me for a moment before saying a quick and tearful goodbye to Rolfe. " Coming father." She walks slowly towards us, the pain in her eyes makes my heartache.
" We'll talk later." He says, perhaps more sharply then he intended, " All right, let's go. I want you all in a straight line. Stay in line, and in front of us at all times."
" Yes father." They say quickly.
He nods to them and we begin our journey into the woods.
Almost two hours later and we're still making our way to the Swiss border…
The children still walk in a straight line in front of us. For seven young children they're handling this all-incredibly well. They have never complained, and have only spoken a few times to point out interesting things they've seen along the way.
Brigitta asked to hold Ellie about and hour ago, much to my delight. I love that they're not at all hesitant to bond with Ellie.
We walk just a few steps behind them his arm wrapped protectively around my waist. He's pulled me close enough that my head is resting comfortably on his right shoulder.
Despite the fact that we're walking, I find myself lost in his arms, as the children softly hum Edelweiss to Ellie. My eyes feel like lead, and I have to fight to keep them open...
" You know, when I would dream of you falling asleep in my arms, this isn't quite what I had in mind."
I laugh lightly, content just being in his arms. " I'm just resting my eyes."
As he places a tender kiss on the top of my head, I realize that despite our current situation, there is no place I'd rather be.
The children and the commotion they're making once again interrupts our tender moment…
" Father, look." I hear Friedrich yell, " The border."
" We made it." Louisa says happily.
I lift my head to see the border a few yards ahead of us.
" Keep it down, we're not safe yet." The love I usually hear in his voice has finally begun to return, " Slowly, we don't want to arouse anyone's suspicions."
They nod quickly before Friedrich speaks again." Father, there's a guard."
He doesn't respond, instead offering a quick nod. He takes a few steps, and we silently follow him to the man in the guard's tower.
" Captain von Trapp." The man in the tower says with a nod .
He offers the man a quick nod in return, but make's no effort to cross the border.
I watch the children study their father's face for a moment, before they find a second wind and practically run over the border.
They stand on the other side of the border, safe in Switzerland as the Captain holds out his hand to me.
I look deep into his eyes, before taking his hand.
He pulls me to him, and we cross the border together….our new life starting, as the first rays of the sun peek out from behind the Alps.
To be continued…
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*** Don't worry, there's more! I would never end this without them living happily ever after.
