Short Chapter - nevertheless: Enjoy.
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Chapter 10
"You did what? " Maria couldn't believe what she had heard. At the one hand she was proud of her children, but at the other hand she was disappointed they had lied at her and Georg. The children looked depressed at each other. If Maria reacted that way - how would their father react?
"We're sorry mother." Liesl apologized. "We just wanted to help you and father. And this was the only way we could do so."
"Singing at the streets - Oh children!" Maria sadly shook her head. That was almost like begging she thought for a moment. But no - it wasn't. The children just had used their talents to earn money. They had worked for the money. Many people earned their money with music. She thought about it and remembered what Max had said. He would miss the money he could have made with them. Maria smiled. Maybe it wasn't a bad idea to visit this agent. But Georg - Maria sighed "Please give me that card, Liesl."
The children grinned. Their mother didn't seem to be really upset anymore; maybe she would go to the agent with them.
"No, I won't." Maria said as if she had been reading their minds. "I'll just keep it, to prevent you acting without due consideration again! And please! Don't sing in front of that theatre again. You know how your father is thinking of his family singing in public." She sighed again as she saw the faces of the children and put the card into her pocket. "Well, I'll think about it."
"Yeah!" The children jumped up and down, hugging their mother, hugging each other.
"Oh please!" Maria laughed. She hadn't seen the children this happy for weeks. And this was the moment when she decided to take them to the agent. Seeing the smile on their faces convinced her, that she had to do it. She only had to think about a way to tell it Georg. Or at least to think about a way to make the visit without his knowing. Of course she didn't want to lie at him, but maybe he would see the whole thing in another light if the agent would offer them something. If the Lord closes a door, he always opens a window. And he had opened many windows for them in the last weeks, she thought.
Three days later Maria took the children to the agent. They all were nervous, and Maria asked herself why she was doing it. But whenever she looked at the children, the beaming at their faces remembered her why.
The waiting room of the agent was filled with people. Some were murmuring lines, others walking up and down.
Maria walked toward the reception, while the children sat down.
"Excuse me, Madam."
An old woman with lots of wrinkles in her faces looked up.
"Yes, Dear?"
"Uhm, well, you see. Me - and my children are here for an audition with Mr. Callas."
"What did you say was your name?"
"I haven't told you my name yet." Maria answered and the old woman rolled her eyes.
"Your name, please."
"Von Trapp."
"Von Trapp, von Trapp." The woman looked at her calendar. "I'm sorry. But you aren't listed."
Maria smiled nervously. "No. We just - you see. My children, they were singing and well a man gave them the card of Mr. Callas and we, I thought -"
The woman laughed. "You can't come here without an appointment."
"I see." Maria nodded. "Well - how to get one?"
"Mr. Callas will give you one if he's convinced that you're good."
"But that's why we want to see him, to convince him we're good."
The woman sighed "I'm afraid I can't do something for you. As you see there are enough people waiting for Mr. Callas."
"Yes. But - what if we wait, too. Maybe he'll find some time?"
"Lady. If you want to wait - wait. But you'll only waste your time."
Maria thought about it for a moment. The children had been so happy. Going now, without even having had a chance - No. "We'll wait." She told the Lady with a firm voice and went back to the children.
Maria sat next to the children and they waited. The people were coming and going, and Maria started to doubt if Mr. Callas really would find some time. Suddenly an idea popped up in her head.
"Children" she said. "Get up."
Although they didn't understand why, they did how Maria told them.
"Listen, we'll sing Edelweiss. I'll give the entry. One, two, three - "
The voices of the children and Maria filled the room; the others looked confused at them. Suddenly a door swung open and a man entered the waiting room. "What the hell?" he said, looking astonished at Maria and the children. They didn't stop singing, but went on till the song was over.
Maria turned around and looked at the man. "You must be Mr. Callas, right?" She smiled. "Well - as you could hear my children are having beautiful voices, haven't they?"
Mr. Callas looked confused at Maria. He never had seen something like that in his entire life. As he didn't know what to say he just nodded.
"You see, Mr. Callas. We came here for an audition. But as your secretary told me you're only giving appointments if you're convinced somebody is talented. So I just thought we have to convince you. Would you be so kind to give us an appointment for an audition, now?"
Mr. Callas couldn't help laughing. "My, you're funny. Comes here with her kids and wants an appointment. He, he, he." He wiped the tears out of his faces and looked at Maria. "Well, you'll get one. Miss Miller, give them an appointment."
Maria smiled "Thank you Mr. Callas, thank you very much!"
"Yeah, yeah." Still giggling he vanished behind the door again.
Mrs. Miller gave them an appointment for the next day. Although she was happy about it Maria couldn't help feeling guilty because she had to lie at Georg for one more day. But there was no other opportunity.
"Well. You're really having quiet nice voices." Mr. Callas said after they had finished "DoReMi" at their audition.
"Thank you, Sir" Maria said proudly.
Callas looked pensive at the eight people standing in front of him.
"Okay. I'll give you a chance. I'm still searching for a pre-act for the "Charman Choir" at Saturday. You can have that job, if you want."
Maria beamed. "If we want? Of course we do!"
"Great. Okay let's see. As you're new in this business, I'm afraid I can't offer you more then, uhm, let's say 40 Dollars."
Maria gasped for breath and the children's mouths flew open.
"I'm sorry. But I really can't offer you more." Mr. Callas said
"Uhm, I think its okay. 40 Dollars are - okay." Maria stammered. That was much more than she had expected. Actually she hadn't expected anything at all, as it was only a test-performance.
"Great. Okay, let's see. You'll sing three songs. Do you know any chants?"
"Chants?" Maria grinned "I think so, yes."
"What about the "Ave Maria"?"
"Yes, of course."
"Great, great. Then you'll sing that. Do you know that song of Händel? The "Hallelujah"? Maria nodded. "And as third song - uhm - yes! As third song you'll sing Bach's "Lobet den Herren." Know that, too?"
Maria nodded again, she was speechless. They really would sing in public - But how to tell Georg?
To be continued.
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Chapter 10
"You did what? " Maria couldn't believe what she had heard. At the one hand she was proud of her children, but at the other hand she was disappointed they had lied at her and Georg. The children looked depressed at each other. If Maria reacted that way - how would their father react?
"We're sorry mother." Liesl apologized. "We just wanted to help you and father. And this was the only way we could do so."
"Singing at the streets - Oh children!" Maria sadly shook her head. That was almost like begging she thought for a moment. But no - it wasn't. The children just had used their talents to earn money. They had worked for the money. Many people earned their money with music. She thought about it and remembered what Max had said. He would miss the money he could have made with them. Maria smiled. Maybe it wasn't a bad idea to visit this agent. But Georg - Maria sighed "Please give me that card, Liesl."
The children grinned. Their mother didn't seem to be really upset anymore; maybe she would go to the agent with them.
"No, I won't." Maria said as if she had been reading their minds. "I'll just keep it, to prevent you acting without due consideration again! And please! Don't sing in front of that theatre again. You know how your father is thinking of his family singing in public." She sighed again as she saw the faces of the children and put the card into her pocket. "Well, I'll think about it."
"Yeah!" The children jumped up and down, hugging their mother, hugging each other.
"Oh please!" Maria laughed. She hadn't seen the children this happy for weeks. And this was the moment when she decided to take them to the agent. Seeing the smile on their faces convinced her, that she had to do it. She only had to think about a way to tell it Georg. Or at least to think about a way to make the visit without his knowing. Of course she didn't want to lie at him, but maybe he would see the whole thing in another light if the agent would offer them something. If the Lord closes a door, he always opens a window. And he had opened many windows for them in the last weeks, she thought.
Three days later Maria took the children to the agent. They all were nervous, and Maria asked herself why she was doing it. But whenever she looked at the children, the beaming at their faces remembered her why.
The waiting room of the agent was filled with people. Some were murmuring lines, others walking up and down.
Maria walked toward the reception, while the children sat down.
"Excuse me, Madam."
An old woman with lots of wrinkles in her faces looked up.
"Yes, Dear?"
"Uhm, well, you see. Me - and my children are here for an audition with Mr. Callas."
"What did you say was your name?"
"I haven't told you my name yet." Maria answered and the old woman rolled her eyes.
"Your name, please."
"Von Trapp."
"Von Trapp, von Trapp." The woman looked at her calendar. "I'm sorry. But you aren't listed."
Maria smiled nervously. "No. We just - you see. My children, they were singing and well a man gave them the card of Mr. Callas and we, I thought -"
The woman laughed. "You can't come here without an appointment."
"I see." Maria nodded. "Well - how to get one?"
"Mr. Callas will give you one if he's convinced that you're good."
"But that's why we want to see him, to convince him we're good."
The woman sighed "I'm afraid I can't do something for you. As you see there are enough people waiting for Mr. Callas."
"Yes. But - what if we wait, too. Maybe he'll find some time?"
"Lady. If you want to wait - wait. But you'll only waste your time."
Maria thought about it for a moment. The children had been so happy. Going now, without even having had a chance - No. "We'll wait." She told the Lady with a firm voice and went back to the children.
Maria sat next to the children and they waited. The people were coming and going, and Maria started to doubt if Mr. Callas really would find some time. Suddenly an idea popped up in her head.
"Children" she said. "Get up."
Although they didn't understand why, they did how Maria told them.
"Listen, we'll sing Edelweiss. I'll give the entry. One, two, three - "
The voices of the children and Maria filled the room; the others looked confused at them. Suddenly a door swung open and a man entered the waiting room. "What the hell?" he said, looking astonished at Maria and the children. They didn't stop singing, but went on till the song was over.
Maria turned around and looked at the man. "You must be Mr. Callas, right?" She smiled. "Well - as you could hear my children are having beautiful voices, haven't they?"
Mr. Callas looked confused at Maria. He never had seen something like that in his entire life. As he didn't know what to say he just nodded.
"You see, Mr. Callas. We came here for an audition. But as your secretary told me you're only giving appointments if you're convinced somebody is talented. So I just thought we have to convince you. Would you be so kind to give us an appointment for an audition, now?"
Mr. Callas couldn't help laughing. "My, you're funny. Comes here with her kids and wants an appointment. He, he, he." He wiped the tears out of his faces and looked at Maria. "Well, you'll get one. Miss Miller, give them an appointment."
Maria smiled "Thank you Mr. Callas, thank you very much!"
"Yeah, yeah." Still giggling he vanished behind the door again.
Mrs. Miller gave them an appointment for the next day. Although she was happy about it Maria couldn't help feeling guilty because she had to lie at Georg for one more day. But there was no other opportunity.
"Well. You're really having quiet nice voices." Mr. Callas said after they had finished "DoReMi" at their audition.
"Thank you, Sir" Maria said proudly.
Callas looked pensive at the eight people standing in front of him.
"Okay. I'll give you a chance. I'm still searching for a pre-act for the "Charman Choir" at Saturday. You can have that job, if you want."
Maria beamed. "If we want? Of course we do!"
"Great. Okay let's see. As you're new in this business, I'm afraid I can't offer you more then, uhm, let's say 40 Dollars."
Maria gasped for breath and the children's mouths flew open.
"I'm sorry. But I really can't offer you more." Mr. Callas said
"Uhm, I think its okay. 40 Dollars are - okay." Maria stammered. That was much more than she had expected. Actually she hadn't expected anything at all, as it was only a test-performance.
"Great. Okay, let's see. You'll sing three songs. Do you know any chants?"
"Chants?" Maria grinned "I think so, yes."
"What about the "Ave Maria"?"
"Yes, of course."
"Great, great. Then you'll sing that. Do you know that song of Händel? The "Hallelujah"? Maria nodded. "And as third song - uhm - yes! As third song you'll sing Bach's "Lobet den Herren." Know that, too?"
Maria nodded again, she was speechless. They really would sing in public - But how to tell Georg?
To be continued.