Chapter 11
As Maria and the children returned to the flat, Georg was already at home. Maria glanced at her husband and decided she better would tell him the news alone. Therefore she he sent the children for an outing.
"What is it?" Georg asked Maria, knowing that she was concealing something.
"Georg, promise me not to be mad at me - or the children." Maria started and told Georg the whole story without even taking breath. As she had finished she looked nervous at her husband.
Georg couldn't believe what he had heard. His children and his wife intended to sing in public, although they knew he hated the idea of his family singing in public. Even worse they hadn't told him a word till there was no way out of the situation. He got up and wandered up and down, without saying a word.
Maria waited impatient for him to say something and as he remained silent for 5 minutes she thought she would collapse out of nervousness. Finally she broke the silence.
"Georg, please say something. Your silence drives me crazy."
Georg cleared his throat. "You see, I'm disappointed. I thought you and me - we can talk about everything and you didn't tell me a word."
Maria swallowed. The sad sound of his voice made her almost cry. "I never meant to hurt you Georg" she whispered. "I thought, maybe - I don't know what I thought. I just wanted to make the children happy. And I remembered what Max had said about our singing. You see -" she pointed at the room "this is no life. Me, I wouldn't care, believe me. But the children, they've deserved something better. And the Baby - I won't my children to grow up in such circumstances. And if we really can earn money with music - shouldn't we do so? Wouldn't it be a sin to do not so?"
Georg walked towards Maria and took her hand. "Maybe you're right. We'll see what will happen after your performance. But if this agent won't contract you, I absolutely won't hear another word about "The von Trapp Family Singers".
Maria smiled and nodded. "I promise."
"Maria?"
"Yes?"
"Do you realize something?" Georg grinned "It's the first time we're alone in this flat."
Maria smiled and leaned towards Georg, kissing him softly. "You're right, Darling. Maybe we should take the advantage to clean up a little."
"Clean up? Don't you have any better ideas?"
"Actually, No. What about you?"
"Mmmh, let me think about it - What about this?" Georg kissed Maria deeply.
"Oh I like it, it's really much better than cleaning up." Maria put her arms around Georg's neck and kissed him again. She felt warm shudders running down her body as their kisses got more passionately, a feeling she had almost forgotten. The feeling of his lips on her skin was like electricity. "I love you" she murmured into his ear.
Georg smiled "I love you, too. How couldn't I?" The closeness of Maria made every muscle, every nerve in his body vibrating. A feeling which got even stronger as he felt Maria's hands unbuttoning his shirt. Still kissing her he lifted Maria carefully up and carried her towards their bedroom.
"Hello" Suddenly a voice sounded and it knocked at the door.
"Don't open." Maria whispered and pulled Georg at the bed.
"Hello!" The voice and the knocking got louder.
"That can't be true" Georg sighed "Whoever it is, I'm going to kill him."
He kissed Maria a last time and walked towards the door, while he buttoned up his shirt again. Angrily he opened, but closed the door again as he saw who was standing outside.
"That can't be true" he said
"What can't be true, Darling?" Maria asked. "Who is it?" She got up and walked towards the door, looking confused at her husband and finally opened the door again.
"Oh my - Georg look!" Maria shouted happily.
"I already saw it." Georg looked at the man standing in front of him. "I just thought it must be a Fata Morgana."
"Well, Hello everybody! I'm sure you're glad to see me, aren't you Georg? Maria - you look beautiful. The pregnancy fits you!"
"Thank you." Maria hugged him warm.
"Where are the children?"
"They're in the Park. And you won't believe it!" Maria beamed. "We're going to sing in public at Saturday."
"What? Georg, I'm disappointed. After all I discovered the "Von Trapp Family Singers"! You got to tell me every tiny winy detail, Maria."
Georg laughed. "You haven't changed a bit! What are you doing here?"
"Well, I was bored. Austria isn't the same without you. Besides those Nazi's don't consider amusement for a lifestyle. I was tired of pretending things. So I bought myself a ticket and-" he was interrupted by the voices of the children.
"Uncle Max! Uncle Max!" they shouted as happy and surprised as Maria a few seconds before.
After the first joy about the unexpected reunion wore off, Max looked at the children.
"Why don't you guys show me the neighbourhood? And later we'll meet for Dinner. Let's say in an hour?" He winked towards Georg and Maria, well knowing he had disturbed them.
"That sounds good" Georg said "But as you see, the times we went out for dinner are over."
Max raised a brow "You're my guests. And believe me - soon you'll be the ones to keep me again", he added grinning.
"If you say so" Georg was still sceptical, but as everybody seemed to be in love with the idea of singing he finally had to accept it. There weren't many things left which brought smiles into the faces of his family, and if singing made them happy, he was willing to forget some of his principles. "But you mustn't think I'm thankful for it."
Max grinned and clapped his hands "Now come on children." He shoved them towards the door. "It's time for the "Von Trapp Family Singers" to show me their new home."
As they had left Maria looked questioning at her husband.
"Where did he know from?" she said, still feeling the blood in her cheeks.
"Well, maybe because you usually don't wear your dresses, let's say, as revealing as today." Georg walked towards his wife and pointed at two open buttons at Maria's dress which gave sight at her décolleté. Maria blushed again and looked indignantly at Georg. "Why haven't you told me?"
Georg couldn't help laughing.
"Georg, please don't laugh! I'm feeling awful about it. You really should have told me."
"I was in a state of shock. Remember? Max appeared without warning." Georg grinned and slowly started to button up Maria's dress. "Besides you looked really sexy."
Maria leaned her forehead against Georg's and kissed the tip of his nose. "And why are you buttoning up my dress, if you liked how I looked?"
"We have a guest. We're really better going to clean up, now."
"I think it's perfectly clean." Maria grinned and gave her husband an inviting look.
Both smiled at each other as Georg started to unbutton Maria's dress again.
They spent the next days practising the songs for their performance. Despite Georg's protests Max bought them a few new dresses. Besides he informed his self about the American Showbiz. He was convinced he could make something out of the von Trapp's. He only had to find a way how.
Saturday came closer and the nervousness grew. The children behaved like excited chickens, while Maria unsuccessfully tried to calm them down. And as much she tried to take her mind off Saturday herself - it didn't work. Their future depended upon one evening, upon three songs. Only during her evening walks with Georg she at least found some peace.
As Saturday arrived nobody could eat anything for breakfast and there was an unusual silence. They practiced the chorals a last time and finally drove to the theatre. Mr. Callas was already waiting for them and gave them a few last orders.
The moment had arrived. The auditorium was filled with an expectant audience and somebody announced them.
Maria grabbed for Georg's hand. "I'm going to faint. I can't go up there, Georg." She whispered.
"You won't faint. You'll go out there and knock them of their seats. You'll be great." Georg smiled. "Believe me. You'll be great!" He kissed Maria's hand and his eyes followed his family as they entered the stage.
"Break a leg." He whispered as the curtain rose.
To be continued.
As Maria and the children returned to the flat, Georg was already at home. Maria glanced at her husband and decided she better would tell him the news alone. Therefore she he sent the children for an outing.
"What is it?" Georg asked Maria, knowing that she was concealing something.
"Georg, promise me not to be mad at me - or the children." Maria started and told Georg the whole story without even taking breath. As she had finished she looked nervous at her husband.
Georg couldn't believe what he had heard. His children and his wife intended to sing in public, although they knew he hated the idea of his family singing in public. Even worse they hadn't told him a word till there was no way out of the situation. He got up and wandered up and down, without saying a word.
Maria waited impatient for him to say something and as he remained silent for 5 minutes she thought she would collapse out of nervousness. Finally she broke the silence.
"Georg, please say something. Your silence drives me crazy."
Georg cleared his throat. "You see, I'm disappointed. I thought you and me - we can talk about everything and you didn't tell me a word."
Maria swallowed. The sad sound of his voice made her almost cry. "I never meant to hurt you Georg" she whispered. "I thought, maybe - I don't know what I thought. I just wanted to make the children happy. And I remembered what Max had said about our singing. You see -" she pointed at the room "this is no life. Me, I wouldn't care, believe me. But the children, they've deserved something better. And the Baby - I won't my children to grow up in such circumstances. And if we really can earn money with music - shouldn't we do so? Wouldn't it be a sin to do not so?"
Georg walked towards Maria and took her hand. "Maybe you're right. We'll see what will happen after your performance. But if this agent won't contract you, I absolutely won't hear another word about "The von Trapp Family Singers".
Maria smiled and nodded. "I promise."
"Maria?"
"Yes?"
"Do you realize something?" Georg grinned "It's the first time we're alone in this flat."
Maria smiled and leaned towards Georg, kissing him softly. "You're right, Darling. Maybe we should take the advantage to clean up a little."
"Clean up? Don't you have any better ideas?"
"Actually, No. What about you?"
"Mmmh, let me think about it - What about this?" Georg kissed Maria deeply.
"Oh I like it, it's really much better than cleaning up." Maria put her arms around Georg's neck and kissed him again. She felt warm shudders running down her body as their kisses got more passionately, a feeling she had almost forgotten. The feeling of his lips on her skin was like electricity. "I love you" she murmured into his ear.
Georg smiled "I love you, too. How couldn't I?" The closeness of Maria made every muscle, every nerve in his body vibrating. A feeling which got even stronger as he felt Maria's hands unbuttoning his shirt. Still kissing her he lifted Maria carefully up and carried her towards their bedroom.
"Hello" Suddenly a voice sounded and it knocked at the door.
"Don't open." Maria whispered and pulled Georg at the bed.
"Hello!" The voice and the knocking got louder.
"That can't be true" Georg sighed "Whoever it is, I'm going to kill him."
He kissed Maria a last time and walked towards the door, while he buttoned up his shirt again. Angrily he opened, but closed the door again as he saw who was standing outside.
"That can't be true" he said
"What can't be true, Darling?" Maria asked. "Who is it?" She got up and walked towards the door, looking confused at her husband and finally opened the door again.
"Oh my - Georg look!" Maria shouted happily.
"I already saw it." Georg looked at the man standing in front of him. "I just thought it must be a Fata Morgana."
"Well, Hello everybody! I'm sure you're glad to see me, aren't you Georg? Maria - you look beautiful. The pregnancy fits you!"
"Thank you." Maria hugged him warm.
"Where are the children?"
"They're in the Park. And you won't believe it!" Maria beamed. "We're going to sing in public at Saturday."
"What? Georg, I'm disappointed. After all I discovered the "Von Trapp Family Singers"! You got to tell me every tiny winy detail, Maria."
Georg laughed. "You haven't changed a bit! What are you doing here?"
"Well, I was bored. Austria isn't the same without you. Besides those Nazi's don't consider amusement for a lifestyle. I was tired of pretending things. So I bought myself a ticket and-" he was interrupted by the voices of the children.
"Uncle Max! Uncle Max!" they shouted as happy and surprised as Maria a few seconds before.
After the first joy about the unexpected reunion wore off, Max looked at the children.
"Why don't you guys show me the neighbourhood? And later we'll meet for Dinner. Let's say in an hour?" He winked towards Georg and Maria, well knowing he had disturbed them.
"That sounds good" Georg said "But as you see, the times we went out for dinner are over."
Max raised a brow "You're my guests. And believe me - soon you'll be the ones to keep me again", he added grinning.
"If you say so" Georg was still sceptical, but as everybody seemed to be in love with the idea of singing he finally had to accept it. There weren't many things left which brought smiles into the faces of his family, and if singing made them happy, he was willing to forget some of his principles. "But you mustn't think I'm thankful for it."
Max grinned and clapped his hands "Now come on children." He shoved them towards the door. "It's time for the "Von Trapp Family Singers" to show me their new home."
As they had left Maria looked questioning at her husband.
"Where did he know from?" she said, still feeling the blood in her cheeks.
"Well, maybe because you usually don't wear your dresses, let's say, as revealing as today." Georg walked towards his wife and pointed at two open buttons at Maria's dress which gave sight at her décolleté. Maria blushed again and looked indignantly at Georg. "Why haven't you told me?"
Georg couldn't help laughing.
"Georg, please don't laugh! I'm feeling awful about it. You really should have told me."
"I was in a state of shock. Remember? Max appeared without warning." Georg grinned and slowly started to button up Maria's dress. "Besides you looked really sexy."
Maria leaned her forehead against Georg's and kissed the tip of his nose. "And why are you buttoning up my dress, if you liked how I looked?"
"We have a guest. We're really better going to clean up, now."
"I think it's perfectly clean." Maria grinned and gave her husband an inviting look.
Both smiled at each other as Georg started to unbutton Maria's dress again.
They spent the next days practising the songs for their performance. Despite Georg's protests Max bought them a few new dresses. Besides he informed his self about the American Showbiz. He was convinced he could make something out of the von Trapp's. He only had to find a way how.
Saturday came closer and the nervousness grew. The children behaved like excited chickens, while Maria unsuccessfully tried to calm them down. And as much she tried to take her mind off Saturday herself - it didn't work. Their future depended upon one evening, upon three songs. Only during her evening walks with Georg she at least found some peace.
As Saturday arrived nobody could eat anything for breakfast and there was an unusual silence. They practiced the chorals a last time and finally drove to the theatre. Mr. Callas was already waiting for them and gave them a few last orders.
The moment had arrived. The auditorium was filled with an expectant audience and somebody announced them.
Maria grabbed for Georg's hand. "I'm going to faint. I can't go up there, Georg." She whispered.
"You won't faint. You'll go out there and knock them of their seats. You'll be great." Georg smiled. "Believe me. You'll be great!" He kissed Maria's hand and his eyes followed his family as they entered the stage.
"Break a leg." He whispered as the curtain rose.
To be continued.