Chapter Four: Thunderstorm
May 29, 1938 later that evening
Wow suddenly I have so much to write about. I ran out the door and over to the gazebo. Rolfe was standing there and he came out. I tried to kiss him, but he told me we mustn't. We got into this discussion that is really not that interesting. It ended in him saying that he was worried about me and started singing a song about how naïve I was. Hmm…I would usually find singing about this strange, but I had not been able to sing ever since Mother died. So I went along with him. I also thought this might be a good time to try to get a kiss from him. It didn't work. By the end of his singing he pushed me away. Then he tried to take my hand, but I didn't let him. Finally he led me and we sat down on the bench. When something was finally about to happen drops of rain started to come down. We ran in to the gazebo for cover.
I decided to sing some more. I couldn't help it…I just wanted to sing. At the end of the song we danced a little and then after hesitation he kissed me!!!! Yes I got my first kiss. Oh it was wonderful. The only bad part about it was when it ended. Rolfe got on his bike and rode away. Now I might be naïve, but you don't just leave like that after kissing someone. Do you? Even though he left I couldn't contain my excitement and threw my arms up walked out of the gazebo and yelled
"Weeeeeeeh!!" Oh wow I am mortified I did that now. I realized that I was soaking and the door was locked. Oh dear what was I supposed to do now? If I knocked then everyone would know I had been outside and we were not allowed to walk outside late at night. I decided to climb up the wall to the governess room and hope Maria was not there. We climbed that wall a lot to play tricks on the governesses. I have never been up it in my pink dress while it was raining. It was terrible. I was so scared that I jumped onto the balcony and ran in forgetting to check and see if Maria was there. She was, but she was praying. I tiptoed hoping that she would not see me. She then started to talk about me in her prayer.
"Now God about Liesl. Help her to know that I am a friend. And to tell me what she has been up to." Oh dear. Busted. I interrupted her prayer and she shushed me. When she was finished I started rambling about what happened. She asked one question.
"Liesl were you out there walking all by yourself?" I nodded my head yes. I had to lie. I always lie to governesses. Then I saw her face. She knew I was lying. I nodded no and to my amazement she gave me a robe to put on. She told me that she wanted to talk to me after I was done. I was amazed. She didn't even ask about it further. I went inside the bathroom to change my clothes. I told her exactly what I was thinking.
"I told you today that I didn't need a governess, well maybe I do." She smiled at me and I realized how pretty she really was. She also looked familiar. I was changing and heard her singing with the children. They must have been frightened by the storm. Usually I was the one comforting them because the governesses just would not care very much. It dawned on me that her voice was beautiful and she looked like that girl we had seen on the mountain years ago. I didn't have much time to think about it because my siblings seemed to be having too much fun. They were talking about their favorite things and I just had to add on. I burst out of the door and screamed.
"Telegrams!" Soon we were dancing and singing around the room a wonderful song of remembering your favorite things when you are feeling bed. I realized I had not had that much fun in a long time. Unfortunately it was to be short lived. Maria twirled around and almost ran into Father. We immedianly formed a strait line. Maria tried to be cheery with a bright "Hello," it did not work. He was frustrated and was telling Maria sternly that bedtime is to be strictly observed his house. Yea ever since Mother died bedtime has been strict. We used to stay up late and all sing together. Father's attention turned to me. I was so scared. He asked me where I was after dinner. I stumbled. I did not know what to say…he would never approve of me seeing Rolfe.
"What she would like to say Captain is that she and I were getting better acquainted, but it is far to late to get into all of that now. Children you heard your Father, go back to bed immedianly." Maria said quickly. I nodded at my Father and ran reluctantly back to bed with my sisters and brothers. I was in a total state of shock. She just saved me from getting punished probably pretty badly. Why did she do that? I had done nothing to her, but be rude and mean and she saved me. I can't help it I am liking her more and more by the minute. She told me we would be friends, but I never believed a governess could be my friend. Until now. Oh I wanted to go back to that room and talk to her. I want to have someone to talk to. I really have been hiding so much from everyone and I would love to tell someone.
I am also confused about Father. He has never even been near the governess quarter's staircase. What made him go up there? Had he heard us laughing and singing? Did he have something to tell Maria? Hmm…I bet he heard his children laughing. We have not laughed in so long. I couldn't sleep so I lad my head down and listened to the rain pour down on the house. I saw Father come to my doorway. He glanced in at me sleeping. He seemed sad. I overheard him mumble to Franz.
"Yeah I better go and pack for Vienna. Maybe I will come back early." He muttered. I was shocked. Why would he want to take his girlfriend back to Salzburg so soon? He never shortens his trips especially since he had met the baroness. Hmm…I guess I am again ending my entry confused with my Father.
May 31, 1938
Well Father has been gone for a day. This day has been so much fun. I don't want him to come back early. Today Maria called me down to the sewing room. She was making clothes out a material that looked like the drapes in her bedroom. I wondered what she was making.
"Fraulin Maria? Why are you making things out of drapes?" I asked as I walked in. She looked at me and smiled.
"Good morning Liesl! I am making clothes for all of you. Your Father decided not to get me material so I thought I would use this because I was getting new drapes. We are going to town tomorrow and might get dirty. I wouldn't want to get your cute gray sailor uniforms messed up." Maria laughed. "Since our conversation was interrupted by your Father I thought maybe you would like to talk now. Oh and don't ask where we are going tomorrow, it is a surprise." I was suddenly overjoyed and excited. We were going into town? I had not been out of this house for a long long time.
"We are really going to go into town tomorrow?" I asked excitedly. Maria nodded. " Wow I have not been there for ages, not since Mother died." Maria warm smile turned sad. She turned and gazed at me.
"Oh I am sorry Liesl. I'm sure it has been tough especially on you, being the oldest and knowing her best." Maria said. I nodded tears coming to my eyes. I tried to do what Father had taught us and hold our tears. Maria looked at me with compassion in her eyes. "Liesl it is okay to cry really. I am sorry I brought it up." I realized that I was the one who brought this up and she was taking the blame for it. Tears streamed down my checks and Maria put her arm around me and hugged me. This was the first time I had ever been comforted about my Mothers death. There was so many times when I wished that someone would hug me just my Mother would have done and told me everything would be fine. Now suddenly someone was there.
"I lost my Mother when I was young too. I never knew her." Maria said. I couldn't believe it.
"You did? You could nit have. You are fine now though and happy. You must have had a great Father and brothers and sisters." I said.
"No Liesl. Actually I didn't. I had one half brother who I never knew and my Father past away when I was very young as well. I lived with my uncle…who was not very nice to say the least." She replied. I was shocked. I thought she must have at least come from an okay family. Hers sounded even worse then mine was.
"I'm so sorry Fraulein." I was so sad for the way I had acted. Why had I acted like such a brat? Why did she end up being this wonderful nice person? "Fraulein, how did you…umm…you still believed in God?"
"Yes Liesl I did. For a while I made fun of religion. Then I went to a priest one day and he really just told me the truth I guess. I began to believe in God more and more with every passing day. That is when I decided that I should become a nun and teach everyone about God." She replied.
"You aren't a nun yet right? Why did you come and be a governess for us before you became a nun?" I asked. I was suddenly curious. I wanted to know everything about her. Maria smiled a little.
"Well I am not a nun yet. As much as I try those abbey rules were very strict. You have seen me Liesl, I can't obey even the easiest of rules. So I got into trouble a lot. We were not allowed to sing. That was the worst. I would escape sometimes and climb up into the mountains and sing. Reverend Mother decided maybe I was not suited to be a nun. So she told me to explore life outside the abbey, then I could go back and become a nun once I knew what the world was like. I was not excited at first, but it is getting more and more fun being here. Now I can sing. Well when your Father is gone of course." She said.
"Oh Fraulein, this is not what the world is really like. It is much too strict here. It did not use to be this way. Father actually used to love to sing." I said.
"Really?" Maria asked surprised. I saw a spark in her eyes when I mentioned my Father, but I went on anyways.
"Yeah he was really good. He used to sing such wonderful songs. We used to all sing as one family long into the night. Bedtimes weren't strictly observed." Maria smiled. Suddenly I found myself telling her everything about how it used to be. Then I told her about how Mother died and how the house and Father changed after her death. She seemed very interested.
"Fraulein the children and I have never laughed or had this much fun until you came." I stated. "Thank you." Maria smiled.
"Oh Liesl I am just doing my job, watching you. To bad the other governesses didn't do that." We talked some more about things until the dinner bell rang. "Well Liesl I suppose we should go to dinner, but please come and talk to me whenever you need to. Okay Liesl?" she asked. I nodded my head. Maria smiled and started to laugh. "Maybe when your Father gets home can go and walk in the garden so he won't hear us and yell at us for talking to loud." I had to laugh. Then I remembered something.
"Oh you said you used to sing on mountains, would you always go to the same one." I asked.
"Yes I always would go to the same one. I always thought of it as my mountain because I had never seen anyone up there, except once it was a large group of people, about six years ago maybe." She answered.
"Really? Fraulein we used to go up to the mountains to sing and eat. We had a mountain that we called von Trapp Mountain because we thought no one else ever went on it. It was use you saw!" I excitedly said.
"That was your family?" She asked. "I am amazed you were so happy, your Mother's voice was lovely. I remember looking at you all now." She pondered for a moment. I knew what she was thinking.
"Yes, that is how happy we used to be." I said.
"Well we will just somehow have to make your family happy again." Maria said. Her eyes were determined. Hmm…that happy again? Is it possible? I decided to ask her one more question.
"Can you please tell me where we are going tomorrow?" I asked. Now I think I have an idea of where we are going, but I was not sure.
"Liesl, it will be a surprise for all of you." She smiled at me and we walked to dinner.