A/N: Here it is! This chapter is just for Emilyn, who want to know what the
rest of the children were up to. = ) I'm posting two chapters today because
Sunday is my birthday, so I'm feeling generous. = ) If you like this story,
remember to review!!!
* * * *
Today is Brigitta's birthday party. It has been a few months since I found out I was
pregnant, and my stomach is starting to get rounder. Actually, I am on my second
trimester now. I had agreed to go and help put up the decorations. It will mostly be
the family, but some of Brigitta's friends from school are coming, too. It's hard to
believe she is already turning fourteen.
It seems like only last week when mother had come to our house as a governess. As
I walk down the street, the wind blows. I take a deep breath of the fresh spring air.
Today is going to be a very lovely day. I arrive at my old house and I see that all the
windows have been opened to let in the fresh air. As I walk through the door, I am
greeted by Isabell.
"Liesl's here!"
Mother comes in to the entry hall.
"Liesl, thank goodness you're finally here. Will you help Louisa, Isabell, and Friedrich
to set up the table on the terrace? Here put this table cloth on it."
I take the newly washed table cloth from mother, reach for Isabell's hand, and head
outside to set up the table. Louisa and Friedrich are already starting to drag the
tables outdoors.
Friedrich is home for his college spring break and is going to be staying in the villa
for a few weeks. He is now engaged to a high-spirited girl who reminds me a lot of
mother.
Louisa has started college and already has a boy friend.
I guess the gazebo will soon be in use again!
Isabell and I get the presents from the hall, which were from various relatives who
couldn't attend as well as from my brothers and sisters.
When the table had been set up, Louisa helped me put the table cloth on, then we
arranged the presents on a separate table, which was near the gate to the lake.
Friedrich had wondered off. He told me he was going to write a letter to Lucy, his
fiancée. Father had told them that they would have to wait a few years before
getting married. He wants them to finish college first, and then decide on their future
together. Friedrich does not mind what father said. Our maid, Eliza, came out set out
the plates and forks and various eating utensils we would need for the party.
Soon, everything was ready and the guests began to arrive. As each one arrives,
mother, father, and Brigitta greet them, and I take their presents and carry them to
the table. Marta, Gretl, and Louisa stack them on the table. Friedrich and Kurt are
nowhere in sight, but I'm sure they'll turn up when the food is served.
When the last guest had taken her place at the table (Brigitta is still at the age were
she doesn't like boys, but father and mother say that she'll be over it soon), lunch is
served. Brigitta is sitting at the head of the table, the place of honor.
After everyone had eaten their fill of chicken schnitzel, potato salad, and cooked
cabbage, we had chocolate cake and strawberry ice cream for desert.
Eating strawberry ice cream reminded me of the time we had tried to see mother at
the abbey, when she was still our governess.
When we came home, father had asked where we had been. Friedrich had to say we
were picked blue strawberries! Even to this day, we tease him about it.
After we were finished, Brigitta was given the choices of what to do next.
"Briggita, would you like to open your presents or do you want to play some games
first?" asked mother.
Brigitta smiled shyly, she still was shy to some extent when all the focus was on her.
"Presents!"
So she opened the presents.
She received many lovely things, a good deal of which were books. Even after four
years, Brigitta is still crazy about books, she has even read some of Shakespeare's
plays. Rolfe, who had just come in, help me give her the presents. We had gotten
her a book of ten different Shakespeare plays. Mother and Father gave her a music
box, which played three different selections of Beethoven, who was Brigitta's favorite
composer. Friedrich gave her a biography of her favorite actress. Kurt, who still loves
food and detest girls (he thought they had cuties!), had given her a cookbook.
(Briggita happens to be a great cook!)
Marta and Gretl gave her a painting, which they made themselves.
They were starting to turn into young Picassos, and loved to paint all the time.
When Briggita had finished opening all her presents, she and her friends went off to
play their games. Mother and I sat down, side by side, onto some deck chairs.
"How have you been feeling, mother?"
"Well, much better now that I don't get morning sickness anymore."
"That great, mother! I haven't been getting sick much in the mornings, either, but
lately I've been getting cravings for food."
"Oh, Liesl, actually I've been getting them sometimes, too."
"So I've noticed!" says father, who had been conversing with Rolf.
"Oh, you little imp!" playfully replied mother.
"Why, thank you darling!" shot back father.
Mother and Father seem to fall in love a little more every day, and I hope that it will
be the same between Rolf and me.
Brigitta and all my siblings are getting old now, it's seems like only yesterday when I
would play dolls with Gretl and Marta. It's hard to imagine that before long, they
may be getting married. I hope everyone of them will have a happy marriage, if it is
God's will.
It's hard to imagine that soon, I will be a new mother, and that mother and father
will be grandparents. I hope that it will be a healthy baby, and I hope that mother
has a healthy baby, too.
TBC
* * * *
Today is Brigitta's birthday party. It has been a few months since I found out I was
pregnant, and my stomach is starting to get rounder. Actually, I am on my second
trimester now. I had agreed to go and help put up the decorations. It will mostly be
the family, but some of Brigitta's friends from school are coming, too. It's hard to
believe she is already turning fourteen.
It seems like only last week when mother had come to our house as a governess. As
I walk down the street, the wind blows. I take a deep breath of the fresh spring air.
Today is going to be a very lovely day. I arrive at my old house and I see that all the
windows have been opened to let in the fresh air. As I walk through the door, I am
greeted by Isabell.
"Liesl's here!"
Mother comes in to the entry hall.
"Liesl, thank goodness you're finally here. Will you help Louisa, Isabell, and Friedrich
to set up the table on the terrace? Here put this table cloth on it."
I take the newly washed table cloth from mother, reach for Isabell's hand, and head
outside to set up the table. Louisa and Friedrich are already starting to drag the
tables outdoors.
Friedrich is home for his college spring break and is going to be staying in the villa
for a few weeks. He is now engaged to a high-spirited girl who reminds me a lot of
mother.
Louisa has started college and already has a boy friend.
I guess the gazebo will soon be in use again!
Isabell and I get the presents from the hall, which were from various relatives who
couldn't attend as well as from my brothers and sisters.
When the table had been set up, Louisa helped me put the table cloth on, then we
arranged the presents on a separate table, which was near the gate to the lake.
Friedrich had wondered off. He told me he was going to write a letter to Lucy, his
fiancée. Father had told them that they would have to wait a few years before
getting married. He wants them to finish college first, and then decide on their future
together. Friedrich does not mind what father said. Our maid, Eliza, came out set out
the plates and forks and various eating utensils we would need for the party.
Soon, everything was ready and the guests began to arrive. As each one arrives,
mother, father, and Brigitta greet them, and I take their presents and carry them to
the table. Marta, Gretl, and Louisa stack them on the table. Friedrich and Kurt are
nowhere in sight, but I'm sure they'll turn up when the food is served.
When the last guest had taken her place at the table (Brigitta is still at the age were
she doesn't like boys, but father and mother say that she'll be over it soon), lunch is
served. Brigitta is sitting at the head of the table, the place of honor.
After everyone had eaten their fill of chicken schnitzel, potato salad, and cooked
cabbage, we had chocolate cake and strawberry ice cream for desert.
Eating strawberry ice cream reminded me of the time we had tried to see mother at
the abbey, when she was still our governess.
When we came home, father had asked where we had been. Friedrich had to say we
were picked blue strawberries! Even to this day, we tease him about it.
After we were finished, Brigitta was given the choices of what to do next.
"Briggita, would you like to open your presents or do you want to play some games
first?" asked mother.
Brigitta smiled shyly, she still was shy to some extent when all the focus was on her.
"Presents!"
So she opened the presents.
She received many lovely things, a good deal of which were books. Even after four
years, Brigitta is still crazy about books, she has even read some of Shakespeare's
plays. Rolfe, who had just come in, help me give her the presents. We had gotten
her a book of ten different Shakespeare plays. Mother and Father gave her a music
box, which played three different selections of Beethoven, who was Brigitta's favorite
composer. Friedrich gave her a biography of her favorite actress. Kurt, who still loves
food and detest girls (he thought they had cuties!), had given her a cookbook.
(Briggita happens to be a great cook!)
Marta and Gretl gave her a painting, which they made themselves.
They were starting to turn into young Picassos, and loved to paint all the time.
When Briggita had finished opening all her presents, she and her friends went off to
play their games. Mother and I sat down, side by side, onto some deck chairs.
"How have you been feeling, mother?"
"Well, much better now that I don't get morning sickness anymore."
"That great, mother! I haven't been getting sick much in the mornings, either, but
lately I've been getting cravings for food."
"Oh, Liesl, actually I've been getting them sometimes, too."
"So I've noticed!" says father, who had been conversing with Rolf.
"Oh, you little imp!" playfully replied mother.
"Why, thank you darling!" shot back father.
Mother and Father seem to fall in love a little more every day, and I hope that it will
be the same between Rolf and me.
Brigitta and all my siblings are getting old now, it's seems like only yesterday when I
would play dolls with Gretl and Marta. It's hard to imagine that before long, they
may be getting married. I hope everyone of them will have a happy marriage, if it is
God's will.
It's hard to imagine that soon, I will be a new mother, and that mother and father
will be grandparents. I hope that it will be a healthy baby, and I hope that mother
has a healthy baby, too.
TBC