Maria walks slowly out of the doctor's office closing the door behind her. Her mind replays what the doctor has just told her.
" Baroness please don't be concerned. Sometimes these things take time. You are young and healthy. There is nothing physically wrong with you" the doctor had told her.
Maria tries to take what he said to heart. She wants a child, her and Georgs child. Patience is not one of her virtues. She walks and soon finds herself in front of Nonberg Abbey. She decides to go to the chapel. As she opens the heavy wooden door a young woman pushes by her and runs out towards the street. Maria watches as the woman stops, looks at Maria and then continues running away from the abbey. Maria shakes her head and goes into the chapel. She walks up to the front pew and kneels to pray.
Maria bows her head and makes the sign of the cross.
"Dear Father hear my prayer. I ask you to bless me with a child. I love Georg and the greatest expression of that love is a child. I hope that my prayers are answered soon", Maria crosses herself again. She stands and as she is about to walk back down the aisle she hears a soft cry. She looks around the chapel but sees no one.
" I must be hearing things," she says to herself. She walks down towards the door but stops when she hears the cry again. Looking into the last pew she sees a small basket. She walks towards it and stops when she hears the cry again. She sees movement coming from the basket. She reaches down and pulls a blanket to see what is hiding underneath. She gasps as the mystery reveals itself to her.
A baby. Maria reaches down and picks the baby up. The baby appears to be about 6 weeks old. Maria rocks the baby and smiles when the infant quiets. She can't imagine why anyone would leave the infant alone. Then it dawned on her. The young woman leaving the chapel.
"I wonder if she is the mother. But why would she leave this beautiful baby behind? What would make her do this" Maria says out loud to herself.
Maria looks in the basket for a note or some other clue as to why she would have abandoned the baby. She finds a note with some jewelry inside. Maria reads the note.
I pray that whoever finds Samuel will take care of him, as I cannot. I am in danger and so is he. They are killing us, all of us. They want us gone. He is innocent and cannot help it that he was born into a world that hates us because of our beliefs. Please protect him so that he can grow and hopefully the world or at least Germany will have changed. I know the jewelry is not much but is was all I had.
Maria stares at the note and tears slowly roll down her cheeks. She hugs the child close to her and softly sings to him.
"Maria? She hears a voice from behind her and turns around to see the Reverend Mother. "My dear what have you there?
"I found him in the pew with a note" she says as she rocks the baby. The Reverend Mother suggests that they go to her office to talk. Maria takes the basket and proceeds to her office. Once inside Maria shows her the note. The Reverend Mother reads it and shakes her head sadly.
" This world is going insane. The reports I hear from Germany are true I'm afraid. The Nazi's are rounding up all Jewish citizens. They take away their businesses and their children can no longer go to school. Hitler believes that the Jews are to blame for all the problems Germany has had. There have been rumors of camps where they take the Jews. No one ever sees them again. I can only guess Samuel's mother is Jewish and she wishes to save him by giving him to the church. I don't know what we can do for him. They say the Nazis will soon take over Austria. How do I explain a child here in the convent."
Maria looks at Samuel and sighs. She gently strokes his cheek with her fingers. Maria looks at Reverend Mother again at the baby.
"Let me take him home. Georg will know what to do. I can't turn him over to the police. Georg doesn't trust them. So many people in Austria think the Nazis are trying to help us but Georg says they are not. We have already made plans if the Nazis takeover. Georg is sure that they will want him to join them and that will never happen. We will leave before that will happen" Maria says as she watches Samuel slowly fall asleep.
" What if someone questions you about the baby. Where he came from? Reverend Mother asks.
" I will say he is my cousins child and that they were killed in a accident. I was the only surviving relative," Maria says as she puts Samuel back in the basket.