Chapter 3
Ten heads turned towards the Captain, ten faces which couldn't believe what he just had said, looked at him.
"Georg" Maria got up and looked at her husband. "You just CAN'T return to Austria!"
"But I got to. This is nothing we'll discuss. I'll leave tonight."
"Are you totally crazy now?" Maria couldn't believe the silly idea her husband came up with. Returning to Austria.
"Father, no!" "That's too dangerous" "We prefer it to live without money, as long you're safe" "Please, no!" "We don't need money" "I can work!" "We all can work!" "Please don't leave!!" The voices of the children cracked as they tried to convince their father not to return to Austria.
"As I said, this is nothing to discuss, children!" The Captain said in a sharp voice and the children became silent.
"Well. If you'll return to Austria, I'll come with you!" Maria said firm.
"Oh no, you certainly will not."
"Oh yes Georg, I will. If you're really going to do something such silly, I'll come with you. If you want it or not. I just couldn't sit around and wait for you!"
"Maria, I'll go alone!" The voices of the Captain and Maria got louder; letting the children realize that there was really something wrong between them.
"Please don't argue." Marta whispered.
Maria looked at the little one and swallowed her anger down. "I'm sorry, Marta." She hugged her and gave her a kiss at the head.
The look she gave Georg at the same time, made him sure, that he couldn't do anything against her ambitions to follow him to Austria. Even if he bounded her to the next tree, he was absolutely sure she somehow would manage it to get free. She was as stubborn - as stubborn as he was.
"I can't stop you, can I?"
"As a matter of fact: No, you can't"
The children were shocked. Not only that their father was really going to return to Austria, their mother intended to go with him. Gretel climbed on Maria's lap. "Please don't go." A tear scrolled down her face.
The old man cleared his throat. He knew it was time for him to do something.
"Well, it seems to me, that it wouldn't be very clever of you to return to Austria, without some expert help. Therefore I suggest you'll take Emily with you."
The Captain, Maria and the children looked at the old man. The situation became more bizarre from second to second.
"Emily?" The Captain said unbelievingly. That was ridiculous. Not only that it would be hard enough to manage the whole enterprise with Maria at his side - but with two women?
"Excuse me, Sir. But that's - well, that's -"
"The perfect plan" The old man interrupted him.
"Forgive me" The Captain looked at Emily. "Not that I don't believe that you're an intelligent woman, but I don't think you could be of any help."
Emily smiled. "Oh, there's no need to apologize Captain. But only because you don't know everything about me - or my father. Father?"
"I see, I see. It's time to lay my cards on the table. Remember all the stories I told you, children?"
"The ones about the smugglers in the hills?" Kurt asked.
"Yes." The old man nodded satisfied with Kurt's answer. "The stories about the smugglers. They weren't as fibbed as you thought they are, certainly not, he he. Actually most of them were absolutely true. Just leave the dark, bad men out and add, well let's see: Add an old man with a slouch hat and a white beard and a beautiful young lady." He grinned and pulled at his pipe.
Gretel's mouth stood open upon that news, actually everybody looked surprised - of course they were.
"You don't want to tell me that my family and I had been living with - Smugglers?"
"You did."
"That's criminal!" The Captain was angry that they haven't told them; that he had trusted two people who obviously were far away of the boarder to life honest lives.
"Oh come on Captain. Of course we aren't holies. But we aren't as bad as you might think. We never hurt anybody with our smuggling. We don't make that big money at all. We're just financing our life, which isn't that comfortable. Besides we always helped people like you. Up here in the hills there are many people who need some help."
"So - You really hided murderers in that old mine?" Friedrich asked.
"We did" Emily answered calmly. "If somebody asks for our help, we help. As long he's honest to us. It weren't bad people, people who killed just for fun, but people who had tough luck."
"But they were murderers." Maria said
"Yes. They were. But it's not of our business to judge anybody."
A dangerous silence arose. His thoughts were running through his head, as the Captain tried to rate the situation. The old man and his daughter were criminals, yes. But in Germany and Austria even worse people had the power over the state. Smuggling - that was nothing against their crimes. He felt that he couldn't use the old standards of good and bad anymore, not in this situation. Besides it really could be useful to have some expert help.
"What do you suggest?" he asked them carefully.
Emily and her father glanced at each other, before Emily answered. "First of all we can't leave already tonight, this got to be planned more careful. "
"You'll need new identities" The old man added. "Where's that friend of yours, Captain?"
"Vienna."
"I see, I see. Well, that shouldn't be a problem, shouldn't be a problem at all."
"But they're looking for you!" Liesl said. She still hated the idea.
"Maybe they're looking for a family of nine people; maybe they're looking for Captain von Trapp and his wife. Maybe they're looking for a couple. But nobody will pester three nuns on their pilgrimage to St. Stephan's cathedral, will they?" Emily grinned.
"What an idea" The old man was filled with enthusiasm. "Three nuns! How wonderful!"
"Wait a moment!" The Captain lacked of enthusiasm. "Three nuns?!? You don't want me to, to walk through Austria as a NUN? In woman's clothes?"
"Yes!"
"No, no, no." The Captain shook his head.
"Extremely situations call for extremely measures, Captain. I think Karl can fix it within three days to get us passports and clothes, don't you think so Father?"
"Wait - I haven't said yes, yet."
"Yes, three days should be enough." The old man ignored the Captain's objections. "I think he might make it in two."
"Besides nobody would believe me that I'm a woman"
"Then I'll better hurry to Dörfli." Emily got up, still ignoring the protests of the Captain.
"Not to speak of the fact, that I'll look silly."
"Yes, hurry up, hurry up. Oh - and could you bring me the newspaper along? Haven't read it for ages"
"I as a woman, a nun. R i d i c u l o u s!"
Although the situation was serious, the children started to giggle. The imagination of their father wearing woman's clothes was too funny. Maria couldn't help being amused, too. That was certainly not how Georg had planned the things to happen. Besides she liked the idea. Smiling she glanced at Georg. He looks like little boy who lost his favourite toy, she thought loving.
"Even if I say yes" the Captain said in a last try to convince them of the silliness of their idea. "As I said: Nobody would believe me that I'm a woman!"
"They will, Georg. Maybe you don't know, yet, but I always thought you have a feminine touch, too." Maria couldn't help making this comment, although she knew it wasn't fair - and the children couldn't help laughing out loud.
The Captain rose his eyebrow. "Why don't you accompany Emily a little? All seven of you."
"Great idea, come on children. Some fresh air never harms. That goes for you, too, Father." Emily answered. The old man sighed unhappily, he would have preferred it to follow the conversation between the Captain and Maria.
As they were alone, Maria took all her courage together and forgot her pride. "I'm sorry, Georg."
"Me, too." Both had made the first step towards a reconciliation, but the Captain still didn't want Maria to go to Austria with him. "But now that you know everything will be planned carefully, I think it isn't necessary anymore for you to come along with us. There's no need to worry, so you can stay here with the children."
"Georg, I will come along. I would be worried about you and I really don't want to be worried about you anymore."
"But there is NO need to worry! It's not going to be dangerous. As Emily said, they won't look for nuns."
"If it's not going to be dangerous, why don't you want me to come along?" Maria answered with a triumphant smile.
"Because - "
"Mmmh?"
"You're as stubborn as a bullock."
"Maybe I am. But knowing I am you should stop trying to change my mind. I'll come with you."
"Alright." The Captain nodded. "Well, I think I'll get some fresh air, too."
"If I'm as stubborn as a bullock, you're as stubborn as a herd of old cows." Maria thought, sinking into the old mans arm chair. Of course she would have preferred it to stay with the children, but only if Georg would stay, too.
The old man's prognosis had been right. After two days they finally got everything they needed for their enterprise: Three nuns-robes, passports and tickets for the train from Schul, Suisse to Landeck, Austria. From Landeck they would take the Bus to Innsbruck, and finally switch to a train to Vienna again. Emily and Karl really had planned everything into detail.
The relationship between Maria and Georg was still cold. They only spoke about the really necessary things, nobody of them willing to make a first step again. Georg not, because he still felt guilty and besides he was still angry about Maria refusing to stay with the children at the cabin, but her will to come with him. Maria not, because she was angry about Georg's reserve and - if they would really get along again - she had to tell him that she was pregnant. And she couldn't do that, truthfully she didn't know why, she just couldn't.
The children still tried to convince their parents to forget the whole enterprise. Not directly - the Captain had told them if he would hear one more word about it, he would really get angry about them - but with tricks.
They all looked ten times a day at Liesl's embroidery, saying: "Oh how wonderful! How beautiful - I'm sure you'll get a lot of money for it, if you'd ever try to sell it". Friedrich tried to convince everybody that he was as strong as a wood- worker and therefore should become one, Kurt suddenly realized that he always had dreamed of becoming a herdsman, Louisa and Brigitta started to produce woollen-socks as if there was no tomorrow and the little ones pretended they hated pink parasols, sweets or cake and actually always and only wanted to eat bread and jam for the rest of their life.
But as much they tried - they had no success, but amusing the old man, Emily and Maria. Even the Captain couldn't help laughing sometimes, upon the glorious performance of his children.
However the day of their departure had arrived. The Captain, Maria and Emily got ready to leave in the early morning. Actually Maria and Emily already had changed into the nuns-robes, waiting for the Captain.
"I said I would look silly." Georg appeared, wearing the black dress of a nun.
"Well, not that silly, let me see.." Emily looked at him "Here" She gave him some glasses.
"These are women glasses!"
"Georg, if you're pretending to be a woman; it wouldn't be very clever to wear men glasses, would it?" Maria looked at her husband.
"Right. And try to speak, well, more female." Emily added.
The Captain snorted. "I'll do my best"
"You got to, Georg." Maria smiled.
"Oh, if you weren't a nun, I could fall in love with you" The voice of the old man sounded and the children started to giggle. "But you better should leave now."
"Yes. And take good care of the children" Maria answered, hugging them all.
"And you two, take good care of Emily" He winked towards his daughter.
With that the three left the cabin, starting to walk towards Schul. Mission "Edelweiss" as the children used to call it, had begun.
To be continued...
Ten heads turned towards the Captain, ten faces which couldn't believe what he just had said, looked at him.
"Georg" Maria got up and looked at her husband. "You just CAN'T return to Austria!"
"But I got to. This is nothing we'll discuss. I'll leave tonight."
"Are you totally crazy now?" Maria couldn't believe the silly idea her husband came up with. Returning to Austria.
"Father, no!" "That's too dangerous" "We prefer it to live without money, as long you're safe" "Please, no!" "We don't need money" "I can work!" "We all can work!" "Please don't leave!!" The voices of the children cracked as they tried to convince their father not to return to Austria.
"As I said, this is nothing to discuss, children!" The Captain said in a sharp voice and the children became silent.
"Well. If you'll return to Austria, I'll come with you!" Maria said firm.
"Oh no, you certainly will not."
"Oh yes Georg, I will. If you're really going to do something such silly, I'll come with you. If you want it or not. I just couldn't sit around and wait for you!"
"Maria, I'll go alone!" The voices of the Captain and Maria got louder; letting the children realize that there was really something wrong between them.
"Please don't argue." Marta whispered.
Maria looked at the little one and swallowed her anger down. "I'm sorry, Marta." She hugged her and gave her a kiss at the head.
The look she gave Georg at the same time, made him sure, that he couldn't do anything against her ambitions to follow him to Austria. Even if he bounded her to the next tree, he was absolutely sure she somehow would manage it to get free. She was as stubborn - as stubborn as he was.
"I can't stop you, can I?"
"As a matter of fact: No, you can't"
The children were shocked. Not only that their father was really going to return to Austria, their mother intended to go with him. Gretel climbed on Maria's lap. "Please don't go." A tear scrolled down her face.
The old man cleared his throat. He knew it was time for him to do something.
"Well, it seems to me, that it wouldn't be very clever of you to return to Austria, without some expert help. Therefore I suggest you'll take Emily with you."
The Captain, Maria and the children looked at the old man. The situation became more bizarre from second to second.
"Emily?" The Captain said unbelievingly. That was ridiculous. Not only that it would be hard enough to manage the whole enterprise with Maria at his side - but with two women?
"Excuse me, Sir. But that's - well, that's -"
"The perfect plan" The old man interrupted him.
"Forgive me" The Captain looked at Emily. "Not that I don't believe that you're an intelligent woman, but I don't think you could be of any help."
Emily smiled. "Oh, there's no need to apologize Captain. But only because you don't know everything about me - or my father. Father?"
"I see, I see. It's time to lay my cards on the table. Remember all the stories I told you, children?"
"The ones about the smugglers in the hills?" Kurt asked.
"Yes." The old man nodded satisfied with Kurt's answer. "The stories about the smugglers. They weren't as fibbed as you thought they are, certainly not, he he. Actually most of them were absolutely true. Just leave the dark, bad men out and add, well let's see: Add an old man with a slouch hat and a white beard and a beautiful young lady." He grinned and pulled at his pipe.
Gretel's mouth stood open upon that news, actually everybody looked surprised - of course they were.
"You don't want to tell me that my family and I had been living with - Smugglers?"
"You did."
"That's criminal!" The Captain was angry that they haven't told them; that he had trusted two people who obviously were far away of the boarder to life honest lives.
"Oh come on Captain. Of course we aren't holies. But we aren't as bad as you might think. We never hurt anybody with our smuggling. We don't make that big money at all. We're just financing our life, which isn't that comfortable. Besides we always helped people like you. Up here in the hills there are many people who need some help."
"So - You really hided murderers in that old mine?" Friedrich asked.
"We did" Emily answered calmly. "If somebody asks for our help, we help. As long he's honest to us. It weren't bad people, people who killed just for fun, but people who had tough luck."
"But they were murderers." Maria said
"Yes. They were. But it's not of our business to judge anybody."
A dangerous silence arose. His thoughts were running through his head, as the Captain tried to rate the situation. The old man and his daughter were criminals, yes. But in Germany and Austria even worse people had the power over the state. Smuggling - that was nothing against their crimes. He felt that he couldn't use the old standards of good and bad anymore, not in this situation. Besides it really could be useful to have some expert help.
"What do you suggest?" he asked them carefully.
Emily and her father glanced at each other, before Emily answered. "First of all we can't leave already tonight, this got to be planned more careful. "
"You'll need new identities" The old man added. "Where's that friend of yours, Captain?"
"Vienna."
"I see, I see. Well, that shouldn't be a problem, shouldn't be a problem at all."
"But they're looking for you!" Liesl said. She still hated the idea.
"Maybe they're looking for a family of nine people; maybe they're looking for Captain von Trapp and his wife. Maybe they're looking for a couple. But nobody will pester three nuns on their pilgrimage to St. Stephan's cathedral, will they?" Emily grinned.
"What an idea" The old man was filled with enthusiasm. "Three nuns! How wonderful!"
"Wait a moment!" The Captain lacked of enthusiasm. "Three nuns?!? You don't want me to, to walk through Austria as a NUN? In woman's clothes?"
"Yes!"
"No, no, no." The Captain shook his head.
"Extremely situations call for extremely measures, Captain. I think Karl can fix it within three days to get us passports and clothes, don't you think so Father?"
"Wait - I haven't said yes, yet."
"Yes, three days should be enough." The old man ignored the Captain's objections. "I think he might make it in two."
"Besides nobody would believe me that I'm a woman"
"Then I'll better hurry to Dörfli." Emily got up, still ignoring the protests of the Captain.
"Not to speak of the fact, that I'll look silly."
"Yes, hurry up, hurry up. Oh - and could you bring me the newspaper along? Haven't read it for ages"
"I as a woman, a nun. R i d i c u l o u s!"
Although the situation was serious, the children started to giggle. The imagination of their father wearing woman's clothes was too funny. Maria couldn't help being amused, too. That was certainly not how Georg had planned the things to happen. Besides she liked the idea. Smiling she glanced at Georg. He looks like little boy who lost his favourite toy, she thought loving.
"Even if I say yes" the Captain said in a last try to convince them of the silliness of their idea. "As I said: Nobody would believe me that I'm a woman!"
"They will, Georg. Maybe you don't know, yet, but I always thought you have a feminine touch, too." Maria couldn't help making this comment, although she knew it wasn't fair - and the children couldn't help laughing out loud.
The Captain rose his eyebrow. "Why don't you accompany Emily a little? All seven of you."
"Great idea, come on children. Some fresh air never harms. That goes for you, too, Father." Emily answered. The old man sighed unhappily, he would have preferred it to follow the conversation between the Captain and Maria.
As they were alone, Maria took all her courage together and forgot her pride. "I'm sorry, Georg."
"Me, too." Both had made the first step towards a reconciliation, but the Captain still didn't want Maria to go to Austria with him. "But now that you know everything will be planned carefully, I think it isn't necessary anymore for you to come along with us. There's no need to worry, so you can stay here with the children."
"Georg, I will come along. I would be worried about you and I really don't want to be worried about you anymore."
"But there is NO need to worry! It's not going to be dangerous. As Emily said, they won't look for nuns."
"If it's not going to be dangerous, why don't you want me to come along?" Maria answered with a triumphant smile.
"Because - "
"Mmmh?"
"You're as stubborn as a bullock."
"Maybe I am. But knowing I am you should stop trying to change my mind. I'll come with you."
"Alright." The Captain nodded. "Well, I think I'll get some fresh air, too."
"If I'm as stubborn as a bullock, you're as stubborn as a herd of old cows." Maria thought, sinking into the old mans arm chair. Of course she would have preferred it to stay with the children, but only if Georg would stay, too.
The old man's prognosis had been right. After two days they finally got everything they needed for their enterprise: Three nuns-robes, passports and tickets for the train from Schul, Suisse to Landeck, Austria. From Landeck they would take the Bus to Innsbruck, and finally switch to a train to Vienna again. Emily and Karl really had planned everything into detail.
The relationship between Maria and Georg was still cold. They only spoke about the really necessary things, nobody of them willing to make a first step again. Georg not, because he still felt guilty and besides he was still angry about Maria refusing to stay with the children at the cabin, but her will to come with him. Maria not, because she was angry about Georg's reserve and - if they would really get along again - she had to tell him that she was pregnant. And she couldn't do that, truthfully she didn't know why, she just couldn't.
The children still tried to convince their parents to forget the whole enterprise. Not directly - the Captain had told them if he would hear one more word about it, he would really get angry about them - but with tricks.
They all looked ten times a day at Liesl's embroidery, saying: "Oh how wonderful! How beautiful - I'm sure you'll get a lot of money for it, if you'd ever try to sell it". Friedrich tried to convince everybody that he was as strong as a wood- worker and therefore should become one, Kurt suddenly realized that he always had dreamed of becoming a herdsman, Louisa and Brigitta started to produce woollen-socks as if there was no tomorrow and the little ones pretended they hated pink parasols, sweets or cake and actually always and only wanted to eat bread and jam for the rest of their life.
But as much they tried - they had no success, but amusing the old man, Emily and Maria. Even the Captain couldn't help laughing sometimes, upon the glorious performance of his children.
However the day of their departure had arrived. The Captain, Maria and Emily got ready to leave in the early morning. Actually Maria and Emily already had changed into the nuns-robes, waiting for the Captain.
"I said I would look silly." Georg appeared, wearing the black dress of a nun.
"Well, not that silly, let me see.." Emily looked at him "Here" She gave him some glasses.
"These are women glasses!"
"Georg, if you're pretending to be a woman; it wouldn't be very clever to wear men glasses, would it?" Maria looked at her husband.
"Right. And try to speak, well, more female." Emily added.
The Captain snorted. "I'll do my best"
"You got to, Georg." Maria smiled.
"Oh, if you weren't a nun, I could fall in love with you" The voice of the old man sounded and the children started to giggle. "But you better should leave now."
"Yes. And take good care of the children" Maria answered, hugging them all.
"And you two, take good care of Emily" He winked towards his daughter.
With that the three left the cabin, starting to walk towards Schul. Mission "Edelweiss" as the children used to call it, had begun.
To be continued...