Another very easy chapter. I borrowed a few ideas out of the movie "The von
Trapp family singers in America" *GG* (I just remembered the "sex-appeal"
thing and couldn't resist using it for my story - well, read it yourself;-)
Please tell me what you're thinking 'bout the way the story goes:-)
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Chapter 12
The last notes of "Ave Maria" faded away and Maria hold her breath, nervously waiting for the reaction of the audience. There was nothing. Silent she counted: one, two, three. They hadn't liked it. She glanced at the children, which looked rather nervous, too.
Suddenly she heard clapping, first slight, getting louder and louder. Maria's heart jumped and she smiled at the children. The audience liked their singing. They liked it! She beamed as they bowed and the children looked like it was Christmas. After a second bow they left the stage and Maria fell at Georg's neck.
"They liked it, Darling" she shouted excited and kissed him.
"I told you they would." Georg smiled, stroking a stand out her face "Children you've been great!" He hugged them.
"Where's Max?" Maria asked breathless.
"As he heard the applause he left. He murmured something of attracting customers." Georg grinned and looked happily at his family. Their cheeks were rosy and the smiles in their faces big. Their voices got louder as everybody wanted to express his feelings, still jumping up and down, hugging each other. Trough the hurly-burly he glanced at Maria and she smiled loving at him. "I love you." His lips formed and her beautiful smile got even bigger.
"I think we got to celebrate our success." Friedrich said.
"Yes." Kurt added "What about some ice-cream?"
"Ice-cream?" Georg raised a brow.
"Yes." Kurt nodded. "And we'll pay for it!"
"Ah - and my I ask where you got the money from?"
Kurt blushed and looked helpless at his siblings, which looked quiet embarrassed, too.
"Oh, I think they still have some money left out of their times as street singers." Maria grinned and winked at them. "Well, I think we'll accept this kind invitation. Georg?"
"Of course. It's pleasure for me to accept."
They spent the rest of the evening in a small café, eating ice-cream, chatting, dreaming of their future and thinking about names for the Baby. Max really had managed it to make a deal for another performance at the birthday of a banker. And that was only the beginning.
The weeks went by, one performance followed the other. Maria's stomach grew as well as their repertoire of chorals and their reputation as choir. Mr. Callas and Max had made some deals and they had about two performances every week. As they earned some more money now, they even thought about moving into another flat - or even better a house. Besides Maria didn't want to live in the city anymore. She hated the loud noises, the narrowness, the missing of trees and hills.
But although the audience still came, their success seemed to vanish after a while and Mr. Callas told Max that he was thinking of breaking off their contract. As long the von Trapp's made a profit he had been willed to support them, but now the income and expenditure balanced each other. Maria didn't understand why the audience suddenly seemed to have less interest in their performances and therefore asked one of the guests for the possible reasons.
"You see, your singing is really beautiful, but -" the man cleared his throat.
"But what?" Maria looked asking at him.
"It's so stiff."
"Stiff?" Maria didn't understand.
"You see. In these times - well everything is just so serious" the man looked at Maria. "I'm sorry" he murmured and rushed away.
Maria took that critic very serious and she decided to talk with Mr. Callas about it. But he wasn't a great help, too.
"You see, Baroness, I understand that man. You're really very European."
"European?"
"Yes, of course you'll always have your very own audience as you and you're family are great artists - but for the taste of the masses that's not attractive enough to leave their houses. You see - you're missing some sex- appeal which is rather important in showbiz."
"Oh." Maria nodded. She had no clue what he was talking about. She never had heard that English word before "Thank you, Mr. Callas."
She thought the whole way home about the "sex-appeal." She wondered what it was. It couldn't be too hard to find it. Therefore Maria went into a book-store, looking at the books and finally asking a seller.
"Excuse me. Do you have any books about "sex-appeal"?"
The man looked confused at her and answered in the negative. Maria was helpless. Somehow she had to find out what that mysterious sex-appeal was. Smiling she looked at the seller.
"You see. I really got to know what sex-appeal is, because I need it desperately." As the man blushed upon her words Maria got even more confused. "Couldn't you explain it to me please?"
"Madam, I really don't know -" he stammered.
"Please. I really got to know."
"Uhm, well whether you have it or not."
"Oh." Maria wasn't wiser at all. "So I suppose I don't have it?"
The seller looked at Maria. If her face wouldn't have been so serious he would have thought she was making fun of him.
"Well, yes, no, I mean - you see. Of course there are some ways, uhm, to emphasise a woman's, uhm, personal advantages and the result would be sex- appeal, yes."
"Really?" Maria beamed "And how?"
"Uhm." He didn't know what to say. "You really want to know how to get, uhm, sex-appeal?"
Maria nodded eased. She seemed to be on the right scent.
"Well. You see. You don't wear make-up, do you? And your skirt it's, well, too long. The whole dress appears so - reserved." He said quickly, obviously not being very happy with the topic.
Maria looked down at her dress. Make-up and shorter skirts? She sighed. Those Americans were really odd. Anyhow she decided to follow the advice of the man.
"Maria?" Georg looked at his wife, who sat in the kitchen, working at one of her dresses. "What are you doing?"
"I'm trying to get some "sex-appeal"."
"You're doing what?" Georg couldn't help to smile.
"Sex-Appeal, Darling. I'm trying to get it." Maria said earnest.
Georg looked at his wife. He knew that women sometimes behaved strange during their pregnancy, but that was even too much for a seven-time father. He walked towards Maria and kneed in front of her.
"And may I ask you why you want to get some, uhm, "sex-appeal"?"
"You know what it is?" Maria looked asking at her husband
Georg smiled. "Well, yes. And as I see you're having your very own picture of it, too."
"I'm just following the advice of that seller."
"That seller? Maria, please would you be so kind to tell me what is going on?"
"I talked with Mr. Callas today. About the reasons why the people don't seem to like our performances anymore. And he told me that we're too European, that I'm missing something called "sex-appeal." I never heard that word before, and I hardly could have asked Mr. Callas what it is. Therefore I went to the bookstore -"
"To the bookstore?" Georg looked unbelievingly at his wife.
"Yes, but they hadn't any books about it. Because of this I asked the seller -"
"The seller?"
"Yes, I asked the seller how to get it -"
"You asked the seller how to get it?"
"Georg, why are you repeating everything I'm saying? I asked him and he told me, well and now I'm trying to get some "sex-appeal."
Georg took the dress out of Maria's hands and looked at her. "Believe me, Maria. You don't need sex-appeal as you already managed it to get married and if I may add this you're pregnant in the 6th month."
"But if we want to get some audience I got to get it!" Maria protested.
"No. You don't. We'll find another way. Besides: If you're making that skirt much shorter someone could mix it up with a belt."
Maria laughed. "Oh come on, it's not that short."
"But short enough. You're my wife and in my eyes you don't miss sex-appeal, but having already enough of it. You needn't to intensify it for other men. I could get jealous."
"But -"
"No but. And I don't want to hear another word of it."
"Georg, I-"
"Ah - I said no other word."
"Yes you did, but -" Georg quickly stopped Maria saying another word by kissing her deeply.
"And now you better go to bed. You two need some sleep." He softly kissed her stomach.
"Yes, Sir." Maria grinned, she was really deadly tired.
After their performance at the other evening a man came towards them. He looked rather wealthy and asked them to sing at his wife's 60th birthday. She was out of Austria, too and therefore would enjoy some German songs.
They sung a few beautiful chorals and the party-guests seemed to enjoy it. After their performance there was a reception and Maria took the chance to talk with the man's wife about Austria.
"You see, I left it about 40 years ago and somehow I'm still missing it." The lady told her.
Maria looked astonished at the woman. "40 years? That's a long time, Mrs. Johnson."
Mrs. Johnson laughed "Well, it's my 60th birthday, isn't it?"
Maria blushed "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to -uhm."
"It's alright darling. But would you and your family do me a favour?" Maria nodded
"Would you sing a Jodler for me? I haven't heard one for years."
"Of course." Maria grinned "Any special wishes?"
"When I was a little girl, we always used to sing "Heimat der Berge" at our trips."
"We'll do our very best to sing it as good as possible, Mrs. Johnson."
And they really did. Mrs. Johnson even had some tears in her eyes when she thanked them for the song.
"Thank you very much. This was so beautiful and vivid."
Vivid? Maria looked at Mrs. Johnson "I got to thank you." She answered.
That was it. She even didn't know why she hadn't had this idea herself. Why shouldn't they change their repertoire a little and add some folk songs? There were many people who missed their European home and therefore would enjoy the songs out of their childhood. And of course it made much more fun to sing them. Of course Maria liked the chorals, but you had to be serious if you were singing them, it were old songs to thank god. Grinning she started to search Georg to tell him her idea.
To be continued.
Please tell me what you're thinking 'bout the way the story goes:-)
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Chapter 12
The last notes of "Ave Maria" faded away and Maria hold her breath, nervously waiting for the reaction of the audience. There was nothing. Silent she counted: one, two, three. They hadn't liked it. She glanced at the children, which looked rather nervous, too.
Suddenly she heard clapping, first slight, getting louder and louder. Maria's heart jumped and she smiled at the children. The audience liked their singing. They liked it! She beamed as they bowed and the children looked like it was Christmas. After a second bow they left the stage and Maria fell at Georg's neck.
"They liked it, Darling" she shouted excited and kissed him.
"I told you they would." Georg smiled, stroking a stand out her face "Children you've been great!" He hugged them.
"Where's Max?" Maria asked breathless.
"As he heard the applause he left. He murmured something of attracting customers." Georg grinned and looked happily at his family. Their cheeks were rosy and the smiles in their faces big. Their voices got louder as everybody wanted to express his feelings, still jumping up and down, hugging each other. Trough the hurly-burly he glanced at Maria and she smiled loving at him. "I love you." His lips formed and her beautiful smile got even bigger.
"I think we got to celebrate our success." Friedrich said.
"Yes." Kurt added "What about some ice-cream?"
"Ice-cream?" Georg raised a brow.
"Yes." Kurt nodded. "And we'll pay for it!"
"Ah - and my I ask where you got the money from?"
Kurt blushed and looked helpless at his siblings, which looked quiet embarrassed, too.
"Oh, I think they still have some money left out of their times as street singers." Maria grinned and winked at them. "Well, I think we'll accept this kind invitation. Georg?"
"Of course. It's pleasure for me to accept."
They spent the rest of the evening in a small café, eating ice-cream, chatting, dreaming of their future and thinking about names for the Baby. Max really had managed it to make a deal for another performance at the birthday of a banker. And that was only the beginning.
The weeks went by, one performance followed the other. Maria's stomach grew as well as their repertoire of chorals and their reputation as choir. Mr. Callas and Max had made some deals and they had about two performances every week. As they earned some more money now, they even thought about moving into another flat - or even better a house. Besides Maria didn't want to live in the city anymore. She hated the loud noises, the narrowness, the missing of trees and hills.
But although the audience still came, their success seemed to vanish after a while and Mr. Callas told Max that he was thinking of breaking off their contract. As long the von Trapp's made a profit he had been willed to support them, but now the income and expenditure balanced each other. Maria didn't understand why the audience suddenly seemed to have less interest in their performances and therefore asked one of the guests for the possible reasons.
"You see, your singing is really beautiful, but -" the man cleared his throat.
"But what?" Maria looked asking at him.
"It's so stiff."
"Stiff?" Maria didn't understand.
"You see. In these times - well everything is just so serious" the man looked at Maria. "I'm sorry" he murmured and rushed away.
Maria took that critic very serious and she decided to talk with Mr. Callas about it. But he wasn't a great help, too.
"You see, Baroness, I understand that man. You're really very European."
"European?"
"Yes, of course you'll always have your very own audience as you and you're family are great artists - but for the taste of the masses that's not attractive enough to leave their houses. You see - you're missing some sex- appeal which is rather important in showbiz."
"Oh." Maria nodded. She had no clue what he was talking about. She never had heard that English word before "Thank you, Mr. Callas."
She thought the whole way home about the "sex-appeal." She wondered what it was. It couldn't be too hard to find it. Therefore Maria went into a book-store, looking at the books and finally asking a seller.
"Excuse me. Do you have any books about "sex-appeal"?"
The man looked confused at her and answered in the negative. Maria was helpless. Somehow she had to find out what that mysterious sex-appeal was. Smiling she looked at the seller.
"You see. I really got to know what sex-appeal is, because I need it desperately." As the man blushed upon her words Maria got even more confused. "Couldn't you explain it to me please?"
"Madam, I really don't know -" he stammered.
"Please. I really got to know."
"Uhm, well whether you have it or not."
"Oh." Maria wasn't wiser at all. "So I suppose I don't have it?"
The seller looked at Maria. If her face wouldn't have been so serious he would have thought she was making fun of him.
"Well, yes, no, I mean - you see. Of course there are some ways, uhm, to emphasise a woman's, uhm, personal advantages and the result would be sex- appeal, yes."
"Really?" Maria beamed "And how?"
"Uhm." He didn't know what to say. "You really want to know how to get, uhm, sex-appeal?"
Maria nodded eased. She seemed to be on the right scent.
"Well. You see. You don't wear make-up, do you? And your skirt it's, well, too long. The whole dress appears so - reserved." He said quickly, obviously not being very happy with the topic.
Maria looked down at her dress. Make-up and shorter skirts? She sighed. Those Americans were really odd. Anyhow she decided to follow the advice of the man.
"Maria?" Georg looked at his wife, who sat in the kitchen, working at one of her dresses. "What are you doing?"
"I'm trying to get some "sex-appeal"."
"You're doing what?" Georg couldn't help to smile.
"Sex-Appeal, Darling. I'm trying to get it." Maria said earnest.
Georg looked at his wife. He knew that women sometimes behaved strange during their pregnancy, but that was even too much for a seven-time father. He walked towards Maria and kneed in front of her.
"And may I ask you why you want to get some, uhm, "sex-appeal"?"
"You know what it is?" Maria looked asking at her husband
Georg smiled. "Well, yes. And as I see you're having your very own picture of it, too."
"I'm just following the advice of that seller."
"That seller? Maria, please would you be so kind to tell me what is going on?"
"I talked with Mr. Callas today. About the reasons why the people don't seem to like our performances anymore. And he told me that we're too European, that I'm missing something called "sex-appeal." I never heard that word before, and I hardly could have asked Mr. Callas what it is. Therefore I went to the bookstore -"
"To the bookstore?" Georg looked unbelievingly at his wife.
"Yes, but they hadn't any books about it. Because of this I asked the seller -"
"The seller?"
"Yes, I asked the seller how to get it -"
"You asked the seller how to get it?"
"Georg, why are you repeating everything I'm saying? I asked him and he told me, well and now I'm trying to get some "sex-appeal."
Georg took the dress out of Maria's hands and looked at her. "Believe me, Maria. You don't need sex-appeal as you already managed it to get married and if I may add this you're pregnant in the 6th month."
"But if we want to get some audience I got to get it!" Maria protested.
"No. You don't. We'll find another way. Besides: If you're making that skirt much shorter someone could mix it up with a belt."
Maria laughed. "Oh come on, it's not that short."
"But short enough. You're my wife and in my eyes you don't miss sex-appeal, but having already enough of it. You needn't to intensify it for other men. I could get jealous."
"But -"
"No but. And I don't want to hear another word of it."
"Georg, I-"
"Ah - I said no other word."
"Yes you did, but -" Georg quickly stopped Maria saying another word by kissing her deeply.
"And now you better go to bed. You two need some sleep." He softly kissed her stomach.
"Yes, Sir." Maria grinned, she was really deadly tired.
After their performance at the other evening a man came towards them. He looked rather wealthy and asked them to sing at his wife's 60th birthday. She was out of Austria, too and therefore would enjoy some German songs.
They sung a few beautiful chorals and the party-guests seemed to enjoy it. After their performance there was a reception and Maria took the chance to talk with the man's wife about Austria.
"You see, I left it about 40 years ago and somehow I'm still missing it." The lady told her.
Maria looked astonished at the woman. "40 years? That's a long time, Mrs. Johnson."
Mrs. Johnson laughed "Well, it's my 60th birthday, isn't it?"
Maria blushed "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to -uhm."
"It's alright darling. But would you and your family do me a favour?" Maria nodded
"Would you sing a Jodler for me? I haven't heard one for years."
"Of course." Maria grinned "Any special wishes?"
"When I was a little girl, we always used to sing "Heimat der Berge" at our trips."
"We'll do our very best to sing it as good as possible, Mrs. Johnson."
And they really did. Mrs. Johnson even had some tears in her eyes when she thanked them for the song.
"Thank you very much. This was so beautiful and vivid."
Vivid? Maria looked at Mrs. Johnson "I got to thank you." She answered.
That was it. She even didn't know why she hadn't had this idea herself. Why shouldn't they change their repertoire a little and add some folk songs? There were many people who missed their European home and therefore would enjoy the songs out of their childhood. And of course it made much more fun to sing them. Of course Maria liked the chorals, but you had to be serious if you were singing them, it were old songs to thank god. Grinning she started to search Georg to tell him her idea.
To be continued.