Chapter 8
The deck was soon filled with passengers. Everybody pointed flutteringly at the horizon; the sound of excited voices filled the air. The children had joined Maria and Georg and the whole family stood at the railing, looking at the Statue of Liberty, which came nearer and nearer.
Finally the "Nieuw Amsterdam" slowly drove into the port of New York. Everybody wanted to leave the ship first, it was hard for the Trapp's to do not get separated in the crowd.
"What is going to happen now, Father?" Marta asked.
"Well, we'll go to Ellis Island now. There we'll have to wait till we get our visas."
"Visas?" Gretl asked.
"Yes, a residence permit that'll allow us to stay in the United States of America."
"Can they refuse giving us a Visa?" Liesl asked low.
Georg looked at his oldest daughter. She had become so mature during the last weeks. She wasn't a child anymore, but a beautiful, intelligent young Lady. He smiled at Liesl.
"Yes. But- " Georg added quickly as the children looked shocked at him. "But - I think we'll get some. We didn't come for fun, but we had to leave our old home. I'm sure they'll give us visas."
Maria glanced at her husband. Was he really convinced that they would get a residence permit? She took a deep breath and tried to remember the sentences, the words she had learned during the days on the ship. Other passengers had told her what the authorities might ask, so she had tried to prepare herself for the interviews.
When they entered Ellis Island a civil servant asked for their personal data's and a doctor checked them. Finally a woman brought them to one of the waiting rooms.
The room was crowded with emigrants. Old people, young people, big One's and small One's, Christians, Muslims, Atheists. There were smiling faces, tired faces, sad faces. The sound of different languages, crying Babies, prayers, chats filled the air together with the smell of food, sweat and fear.
Georg shoved his family towards a free place in the corner of the room.
"I've never seen so many people in such a small room!" Brigitta said.
"Me neither. Do you think they all want to get Visas?" Kurt asked
"Of course. Do you think they're sitting here just for fun?" Louisa answered. "I wonder if it'll be a long wait. I hate waiting rooms"
Brigitta sat at the floor and looked at the people. "A few of them look as if they've been here for years."
"Years?" Kurt looked shocked at his sister.
"I don't like this room. I won't stay for years!" Gretl said with tears in her eyes.
"Children, children" Maria cut off their talk. "We won't be here for years. And for now, " Maria pulled out a few sandwiches of her bag, "I suggest we're having breakfast."
After the breakfast they sat in their corner, waiting for something to happen. They waited one hour, two hours, three hours. The children were bored and got uneasy. So Maria started to sing with them. The other voices in the room got lower and lower, finally it became totally silent. Only the clear voices of the children and Maria filled the room with their songs. My Favourite Things, DoReMi, Edelweiss, The lonely goatherd.
After they had finished, the people came towards the von Trapp's, thanking them for the music, offering them help with the authorities, telling them their stories. The time flow away and suddenly a man stood in front of them.
"Maria von Trapp?" he asked.
"That's me." Maria got up.
"Follow me please." Maria looked surprised at her husband. Why didn't the man ask Georg to come with him? He was the head of the family.
Georg smiled encouraging at his wife. He was surprised, too. But he knew that Maria somehow would manage the situation.
The man leaded Maria into his office, a small room with a desk and a few chairs in it. Papers and documents were scattered everywhere and a little window gave sight at the sea.
The man offered Maria a chair and took place, too.
"Let's see." The man looked at a paper. "Maria Augusta von Trapp. Born January 26th 1913 in Salzburg, Austria?"
"Yes." Maria nodded. "That's me."
"At January 15th 1938 you've married Baron Georg von Trapp, a retired officer of the imperial Austrian Navy, born at April 4th 1891 in Zara, Dalmatien?"
"Yes."
"He brought 7 children into the marriage, right?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Well, Baroness von Trapp. The check-up showed that you're pregnant, is that correct?"
Maria nodded.
"You see Baroness von Trapp. It's not the first time that somebody is trying to get a Visa with that little trick."
"Trick?" She didn't understand what he was talking about. "I'm afraid I don't understand."
"Of course, they never do."
"But I really don't understand what you're talking about. We came to the United States because we had no other place to go. My husband refused to join the Navy of the Third Reich; we could impossibly have stayed in Austria."
"Yes, yes. So he refused? Are you sure he did?"
"Of course, I am sure! " Maria got angry. "Or do you think we left our home in the middle of the night because we were bored? We had to leave!"
"Baroness von Trapp, I please you to answer my questions in a calmly way. You maintain that your husband refused to serve the Navy of the German Reich. Why did he refuse?"
Although Maria tried to calm down, she couldn't. The questions of the man made her just angry. "Because he's Austrian."
"Forgive me, but this answer is not very satisfying, Baroness."
"He just couldn't. It's hard to explain. But he has his political opinions and they do certainly not agree with the ones of a Hitler."
The man nodded and looked at his papers again, remaining silent while he made some notes.
"When will your child be born, Baroness?"
"December."
"I see. And you really want to tell me, that you didn't know that it'll obtain the American citizenship if it's born in the United States?"
Maria gasped for breath. "Of course not! I really don't know what you're talking about. You don't want to imply I planned to get pregnant to -" Maria didn't know what to say anymore, she could hardly fight her tears.
"As I said you wouldn't have been the first."
Maria jumped up. "How come you're thinking in such a way of me - and my family?!?" She yelled at the man. "We didn't plan anything; there was not time to plan anything. Believe me, if I had the choice to get pregnant or not - in these days, this situation, I certainly wouldn't have got pregnant."
"I told you once, Baroness, please answer my questions in a calm way."
"How can I answer calmly, if you're imputing me such terrible things? Wouldn't you get angry too, if somebody would ask you such questions?"
The man looked surprised at Maria, but didn't answer her question. He just made a few more notes and finally told Maria she could return to her family.
Georg and the children had been waiting anxious for Maria. As she returned, Georg immediately realized that she was angry about something. He told the children to wait and walked towards his wife.
"Everything's alright, Darling?" he asked her
"No it's not." Maria sniffed. She felt horrible, she had messed everything up. Instead of being nice and friendly, she had yelled at a man who had their future in his hands. "I think I mucked everything up." A tear scrolled down her face.
Georg took her in his arms. "I'm sure you didn't." Maria sobbed. "I did. I yelled at him. He must think I'm hysterical. They'll never give us visas and it's my entire fault."
"I'm sure you had your reasons for yelling at him." Georg didn't know what had happened. He never had seen Maria in such a state, she was all in tears. He hold her close, weeping her in his arms he tried to becalm her. After a while Maria really felt better. "I'm sorry." She whispered into Georg's jacket.
"It's okay, Darling."
"It's not."
Georg didn't know what to respond. He still didn't know what has happened, but he knew that sometimes it was hard for Maria to control her temper. "Why don't you just tell me what had happened?"
Maria nodded and told Georg the whole story. While she calmed down a bit, Georg couldn't help to get angry, too. This was certainly not the way how someone had to speak with his wife.
"Nice methods." He finally said. "If he would have talked in such a way to me - I would have knocked him off, believe me."
The days passed and nothing happened. Maria had tried to see the man again, to apologize, to explain him everything, but she wasn't allowed to. They spent the waiting time talking to the other emigrants, playing games and singing. But every minute seemed to be an hour, every hour a day. Their nervousness grew; it made them crazy to be so helpless. They couldn't do anything but to wait.
Besides Maria longed for some privacy. Her pregnancy tempered her more than she would have confessed. Although she felt some appetite again, there was still the sickness in the morning, an inner fidget she couldn't explain. And she longed for some private moments with Georg. Since their night in the catacombs they hadn't had a possibility to be together. She missed his kisses, his touches, the feeling of getting lost in his arms.
Georg felt the same way. Almost seven weeks had passed since they had left Austria, seven weeks of waiting. And now they were waiting again. The situation of his family, their uncertainly future bothered him more and more. Every time he looked at Maria and the children he felt guilty, his contrition drove him almost crazy.
At the morning of their fifth day at Ellis Island the man showed up again. He walked towards the von Trapp's; his face didn't say anything. Maria wanted to say something, to apologize, but he was faster.
"Family von Trapp. Follow me please."
To be continued.
The deck was soon filled with passengers. Everybody pointed flutteringly at the horizon; the sound of excited voices filled the air. The children had joined Maria and Georg and the whole family stood at the railing, looking at the Statue of Liberty, which came nearer and nearer.
Finally the "Nieuw Amsterdam" slowly drove into the port of New York. Everybody wanted to leave the ship first, it was hard for the Trapp's to do not get separated in the crowd.
"What is going to happen now, Father?" Marta asked.
"Well, we'll go to Ellis Island now. There we'll have to wait till we get our visas."
"Visas?" Gretl asked.
"Yes, a residence permit that'll allow us to stay in the United States of America."
"Can they refuse giving us a Visa?" Liesl asked low.
Georg looked at his oldest daughter. She had become so mature during the last weeks. She wasn't a child anymore, but a beautiful, intelligent young Lady. He smiled at Liesl.
"Yes. But- " Georg added quickly as the children looked shocked at him. "But - I think we'll get some. We didn't come for fun, but we had to leave our old home. I'm sure they'll give us visas."
Maria glanced at her husband. Was he really convinced that they would get a residence permit? She took a deep breath and tried to remember the sentences, the words she had learned during the days on the ship. Other passengers had told her what the authorities might ask, so she had tried to prepare herself for the interviews.
When they entered Ellis Island a civil servant asked for their personal data's and a doctor checked them. Finally a woman brought them to one of the waiting rooms.
The room was crowded with emigrants. Old people, young people, big One's and small One's, Christians, Muslims, Atheists. There were smiling faces, tired faces, sad faces. The sound of different languages, crying Babies, prayers, chats filled the air together with the smell of food, sweat and fear.
Georg shoved his family towards a free place in the corner of the room.
"I've never seen so many people in such a small room!" Brigitta said.
"Me neither. Do you think they all want to get Visas?" Kurt asked
"Of course. Do you think they're sitting here just for fun?" Louisa answered. "I wonder if it'll be a long wait. I hate waiting rooms"
Brigitta sat at the floor and looked at the people. "A few of them look as if they've been here for years."
"Years?" Kurt looked shocked at his sister.
"I don't like this room. I won't stay for years!" Gretl said with tears in her eyes.
"Children, children" Maria cut off their talk. "We won't be here for years. And for now, " Maria pulled out a few sandwiches of her bag, "I suggest we're having breakfast."
After the breakfast they sat in their corner, waiting for something to happen. They waited one hour, two hours, three hours. The children were bored and got uneasy. So Maria started to sing with them. The other voices in the room got lower and lower, finally it became totally silent. Only the clear voices of the children and Maria filled the room with their songs. My Favourite Things, DoReMi, Edelweiss, The lonely goatherd.
After they had finished, the people came towards the von Trapp's, thanking them for the music, offering them help with the authorities, telling them their stories. The time flow away and suddenly a man stood in front of them.
"Maria von Trapp?" he asked.
"That's me." Maria got up.
"Follow me please." Maria looked surprised at her husband. Why didn't the man ask Georg to come with him? He was the head of the family.
Georg smiled encouraging at his wife. He was surprised, too. But he knew that Maria somehow would manage the situation.
The man leaded Maria into his office, a small room with a desk and a few chairs in it. Papers and documents were scattered everywhere and a little window gave sight at the sea.
The man offered Maria a chair and took place, too.
"Let's see." The man looked at a paper. "Maria Augusta von Trapp. Born January 26th 1913 in Salzburg, Austria?"
"Yes." Maria nodded. "That's me."
"At January 15th 1938 you've married Baron Georg von Trapp, a retired officer of the imperial Austrian Navy, born at April 4th 1891 in Zara, Dalmatien?"
"Yes."
"He brought 7 children into the marriage, right?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Well, Baroness von Trapp. The check-up showed that you're pregnant, is that correct?"
Maria nodded.
"You see Baroness von Trapp. It's not the first time that somebody is trying to get a Visa with that little trick."
"Trick?" She didn't understand what he was talking about. "I'm afraid I don't understand."
"Of course, they never do."
"But I really don't understand what you're talking about. We came to the United States because we had no other place to go. My husband refused to join the Navy of the Third Reich; we could impossibly have stayed in Austria."
"Yes, yes. So he refused? Are you sure he did?"
"Of course, I am sure! " Maria got angry. "Or do you think we left our home in the middle of the night because we were bored? We had to leave!"
"Baroness von Trapp, I please you to answer my questions in a calmly way. You maintain that your husband refused to serve the Navy of the German Reich. Why did he refuse?"
Although Maria tried to calm down, she couldn't. The questions of the man made her just angry. "Because he's Austrian."
"Forgive me, but this answer is not very satisfying, Baroness."
"He just couldn't. It's hard to explain. But he has his political opinions and they do certainly not agree with the ones of a Hitler."
The man nodded and looked at his papers again, remaining silent while he made some notes.
"When will your child be born, Baroness?"
"December."
"I see. And you really want to tell me, that you didn't know that it'll obtain the American citizenship if it's born in the United States?"
Maria gasped for breath. "Of course not! I really don't know what you're talking about. You don't want to imply I planned to get pregnant to -" Maria didn't know what to say anymore, she could hardly fight her tears.
"As I said you wouldn't have been the first."
Maria jumped up. "How come you're thinking in such a way of me - and my family?!?" She yelled at the man. "We didn't plan anything; there was not time to plan anything. Believe me, if I had the choice to get pregnant or not - in these days, this situation, I certainly wouldn't have got pregnant."
"I told you once, Baroness, please answer my questions in a calm way."
"How can I answer calmly, if you're imputing me such terrible things? Wouldn't you get angry too, if somebody would ask you such questions?"
The man looked surprised at Maria, but didn't answer her question. He just made a few more notes and finally told Maria she could return to her family.
Georg and the children had been waiting anxious for Maria. As she returned, Georg immediately realized that she was angry about something. He told the children to wait and walked towards his wife.
"Everything's alright, Darling?" he asked her
"No it's not." Maria sniffed. She felt horrible, she had messed everything up. Instead of being nice and friendly, she had yelled at a man who had their future in his hands. "I think I mucked everything up." A tear scrolled down her face.
Georg took her in his arms. "I'm sure you didn't." Maria sobbed. "I did. I yelled at him. He must think I'm hysterical. They'll never give us visas and it's my entire fault."
"I'm sure you had your reasons for yelling at him." Georg didn't know what had happened. He never had seen Maria in such a state, she was all in tears. He hold her close, weeping her in his arms he tried to becalm her. After a while Maria really felt better. "I'm sorry." She whispered into Georg's jacket.
"It's okay, Darling."
"It's not."
Georg didn't know what to respond. He still didn't know what has happened, but he knew that sometimes it was hard for Maria to control her temper. "Why don't you just tell me what had happened?"
Maria nodded and told Georg the whole story. While she calmed down a bit, Georg couldn't help to get angry, too. This was certainly not the way how someone had to speak with his wife.
"Nice methods." He finally said. "If he would have talked in such a way to me - I would have knocked him off, believe me."
The days passed and nothing happened. Maria had tried to see the man again, to apologize, to explain him everything, but she wasn't allowed to. They spent the waiting time talking to the other emigrants, playing games and singing. But every minute seemed to be an hour, every hour a day. Their nervousness grew; it made them crazy to be so helpless. They couldn't do anything but to wait.
Besides Maria longed for some privacy. Her pregnancy tempered her more than she would have confessed. Although she felt some appetite again, there was still the sickness in the morning, an inner fidget she couldn't explain. And she longed for some private moments with Georg. Since their night in the catacombs they hadn't had a possibility to be together. She missed his kisses, his touches, the feeling of getting lost in his arms.
Georg felt the same way. Almost seven weeks had passed since they had left Austria, seven weeks of waiting. And now they were waiting again. The situation of his family, their uncertainly future bothered him more and more. Every time he looked at Maria and the children he felt guilty, his contrition drove him almost crazy.
At the morning of their fifth day at Ellis Island the man showed up again. He walked towards the von Trapp's; his face didn't say anything. Maria wanted to say something, to apologize, but he was faster.
"Family von Trapp. Follow me please."
To be continued.