Ch. 1: Goodbye Love
Maria had just awakened from a wonderful dream of her and Georg after their wedding. Excitedly she pranced down the stairs of their home. The wedding was in one week and Maria could not control her frenzied excitement. She saw her fiancé at the table looking disturbed. Walking over to him she gave him a hug to make him feel better. She also had to ask the question that first came to her mind when she saw him.
"Good morning darling, what is wrong? You seem so grim!" Maria asked him. He glanced up at her and seeing her sunlit face broke his deep frown. He had really never met anyone as stunning as Maria. Yet in a way that was what made him so upset…he had to leave her.
"Maria lets go and take a walk by the lake, shall we?" Georg asked. Maria nodded sensing that Georg had something to tell her. They walked around the lake in a silent peace of being with each other. The two of them sat down by the lake to talk. Georg couldn't help but kiss Maria deeply as he possibly could.
"I love you." Maria whispered to him. "I can not wait until the wedding." The mention of the wedding made Georg shudder. It wasn't that he did not want to marry her. It was quite the opposite really. He wanted her more than anything. What he was concerned with was the telegram he received. He pulled back from their warm embrace.
"Maria, there is something I have to tell you." Here head popped up from where it had been resting on Georg's chest. Her bright blue eyes gazed in right through his soul. "Maria we may have to postpone the wedding." Georg saw a flash of anger pass through her eyes. Or was it worry? He was not sure.
"Why Georg? Is it something I did? What happened? Do you not love me anymore? Is it Agathe?" She stood there frozen as if all the life had been swept out of her. This was the last thing Georg wanted. He did not think she would jump to such a radical conclusion. Cringing he realized he should have handled this some other way instead of making it a huge deal. He stroked Maria's face lovingly to try to calm her down.
"Oh my love, don't jump to conclusions like that. You know, I have told you repeatedly that I will always love you and do love you more than anything…even Agathe." He told her. This did not calm her down completely. Yet he now just heard sadness in her voice.
"Then why don't you want to get married?" She asked innocently. Georg's heart about broke. If she could only know what he would give for them to married this very day.
"Maria, I didn't say I didn't want to get married, but there is some terrible things happening in Austria now. Austria has just been taken over by the Nazis. Today someone sent me word that the Nazis have caught my Brother while he was trying to flee. So they asked me if I could try to come and save him." He told her.
"You mean your brother Michael who used to be in the Austrian Army?" Maria asked. Geog nodded at her. "Georg, but what about us? I mean our family? If you go then what will we do if we get caught? You told me we were going to flee too, if that is what it came to."
"I think you will be okay. Max will be here in case anything happens. Max can help you get out of this place if the Nazis find out about us. Look Maria I don't want to go and do this, but Michael needs help. I fear what the Nazis will do to him. So hopefully I can try to get him safe and out of Austria in about two weeks. Then, my love, we can finally get married. After we flee of course." Georg told her pulling her into a comforting hug.
"I'm scared for you Georg. I don't want you to go. What if something happens? Why can't we flee with you and Michael?" She asked.
"It would be way too many people darling. The Nazis would suspect something. I don't want to put the person I care most about in this world in danger. You would go too if it was your brother, would you not?" He asked her.
"My brother? You mean the one who does not care about me whatsoever?" Maria sighed. "Yes I suppose I would go and help him. I just love you to much to let you go." Tears began to spill out of Maria's sapphire eyes.
"Don't worry Maria. I love you more than anything; I will never let you go. I promise. We will be married when I return and we will live happily ever after. I promise." Even though Georg sounded sure of himself he wasn't. It was for Maria's sake, yet he knew how truthfully hard it was going to be to compete against the Nazis. So he kissed her affectionately as if it was there last kiss Maria and him would ever share.
Two days later he was off, waving goodbye to his beloved children and his fiancé. Georg had never felt worse then he did then. He gave Maria another passionate kiss to remember him by in case something did go wrong.
For two weeks Maria tried to have a happy and light spirit by distracting herself by playing with the children and doing chores around the villa. Luckily with seven children to attend to there left little time for pondering. The thing Maria hated the most was when those children would go to sleep. For then she was alone and felt very alone. In the past when the children would go to sleep her and Georg would stay up late taking walks and talking. When she would finally leave Georg's arms and go to her room to sleep she would fall right away into wonderful dreams. Unfortunately those dreams had now turned into nightmares. The peaceful feeling of the large house began to turn into a haunted feeling. It was way to big and too quiet.
Maria began to worry also about her fiancé. He was supposed to be back in a week. The weeks dragged on and it became almost a month since she had last felt his touch. It made her upset to think that if things went according to plan she would have been married now to Georg. The most frightening thing to Maria was that she realized the Nazis becoming more powerful in Austria. She knew they had to leave Austria, but how? Maria was sitting in the kitchen when she saw Liesl prance into the room.
"Mother this is for you. Franz just handed it to me." She said. Maria smiled. She loved it when the children called her Mother.
"Thanks Liesl." She replied. Maria tore open the telegram with a glimmer of hope that it would be from Georg saying he would be home soon. Her excited anticipation soon vanished as she read the telegram. She read it over once, and then stared at it blankly. Did it really say what she thought it did? Maria read it five times over before collapsing on the floor in shock. Then she saw a small brown piece of wrinkled paper folded up in the other. She took it out and unfolded it. Before reading it she read the other note again.
To The von Trapp Family
With our all our sorrow we have written to inform you of the death of Captain Georg von Trapp. He died a hero, trying to rescue his brother from the forces of the wicked Nazis. He will always be remembered and died a noble death serving his homeland, Austria.
Our prayers our with you,
M. von Trapp
Maria read the last bit that was a PS note from his Brother also sending her well wishes. Maria assumed the upper part of the note was also from Georg's brother. Maria opened the brown crumpled note. On it she saw blood stains and wet drops that she assumed were from tears.
Maria
Sometimes things happen and it is the will of God and you have to accept them. Even when you don't want to accept them. Please tell our children that I love them dearly. Tell them I will be watching out for them with Agathe. Maria I want you to know and believe with out any doubt that I love you more than it is possible to love. Even if it was not in God's plan for us to get married and spend many years together, I still love you. You were the most wonderful gift I ever received. Because of you I am able to die without being upset. I will accept the choice God has made, like you taught me to do. Without you I would not even have a chance at heaven when I walk up to those pearly gates. Now I have a shot at living for eternity. I know you will be joining me soon. I love you more than anything Maria. I love you more than even Agathe. I would not have changed a second in my life, my love, even though you might regret meeting me. I know though you love me and I want you to know I will always be there for you even if you can't see me. I love you Maria and you are the dearest thing to my heart. Goodbye love. I'm singing Edelweiss right now, as my breaths get shorter. You are my Edelweiss. You lit up my life in a way no one has done before. I love you Maria.
Georg
Maria hugged the note to her heart and sobbed.