Ch.6: Reunited
Being the youngest, at eleven years old, Johannes was the first child to complain. "Are we there yet? How much longer?" whined Johannes, from the backseat of the car. "I want to see papa!"
"We will be there in about five minutes," Max replied.
"I want to see mother and father," Louisa said quietly. "And make sure father is all right," she added.
"Oh, Louisa. We all want that," Liesl told her gently. The other children nodded, and sat in silence for a few minutes.
"Look! There's our mountain!" Kurt exclaimed. Brigitta looked out the window and shook her head at him.
"Kurt that is not a mountain, it's a hill and…"
"Here we are!" Max cried, interrupting the argument. Their car pulled into a long dirt driveway in front of their house. Maria saw them through the window and immediately ran out to greet them.
"I'm so glad you're home!" Maria cried happily, opening her arms as the children ran to her.
"Mother! We missed you!" they cried as she hugged them tightly in her arms. The children's happiness was apparent for a few minutes, until Brigitta began to look around.
"Mother, where is father?" she asked, visibly concerned. Maria's smiled faded as she thought of Georg. The children sensed her change of mood immediately.
"What's wrong, Mother? Father is all right, isn't he?" asked a very concerned Eleanor. She was about eighteen and very much the way Brigitta had been as a child. Maria sighed knowing that the truth would have to be acknowledged.
"Children your father's inside, lying down. Were going to have a family meeting with him, as soon as you're ready," she told them gently. Without speaking the children walked into the house. Maria had begun to follow the children when suddenly she noticed Max.
"Hello Maria! How nice it is to finally see you!" he cried. Maria gave him a small smile.
"It's good to see you too, Max. I'd love to hear about the trip, but I think Georg and the children are waiting for me."
Max looked at her questioningly and silently entered the house along with Maria. When Maria walked into the living room the first sight she saw was her ten children hugging their father and surrounding him closely. Maria smiled to herself. Though most of the children were grown up and had their own families already they all loved their house in Stowe and their adult lives never stopped them from visiting frequently.
She watched as they asked their father question after question.
"Are you sick, Father? What did the doctors say?" Louisa asked quietly. Georg's eyes met Maria's and she nodded her head.
"Children? Will you sit down for a moment? We have something to tell you," Maria motioned for them to sit down. They did so obediently. Maria didn't know how to start. She felt a lump forming in her throat as eleven faces stared at her expectantly. Walking over to Georg, she began to speak.
"Your Father is very sick." Their eyes gazed at Georg as he began to speak.
"The doctors found a tumor in my brain. I have cancer and there's no way for it to be removed. I don't have very long to live; a few weeks maybe," he finished for his wife.
The children were silent, but horror was visible on their faces.
"Father's going to die?" asked Johannes. Maria's heart broke as she quietly whispered,
"Yes." Her answer sent Johannes into a fit of sobs and the rest of the children soon followed.
"No you can't die!" cried Eleanor. "We need you so much!" He beckoned the child to come to him and he gently hugged her closely. The other children soon were hugging him tightly, thinking that perhaps if they held him tightly enough, he wouldn't be able to leave him.
"Everyone has to die sometime," Maria whispered as she comforted Rosemarie and Gretl. "He's had a good life, I suppose God needs him in heaven now."
That was all Maria could think of to say. She wanted to tell them that it was going to be all right and that they shouldn't cry. The only thing that stopped her was her realization. It wasn't going to be all right. They had the best of reasons to cry so how could she tell them not to?
Maria looked at her family. Every one of them had tears in their eyes except Louisa. She looked sad, but at the same time lost in her own thought. She hugged Brigitta and Marta tightly, but no tears were in her eyes. Her eyes met Maria's and she managed to give her mother a sad smile. Louisa had always been the best at hiding her feelings. Louisa was very much like her Father and she had always had a special spot in Georg's heart.
After giving the children time to grieve, Georg and Maria decided it was time to do something to make the children feel better.
We were thinking of going on a picnic before sunset. Would you like that?" Maria asked.
"Will it hurt Father?" Johannes asked.
"No it would probably be good for him," Maria replied.
"I guess we could," Eleanor began. None of the children seemed very enthusiastic. Liesl sensed this and quickly sided with Maria.
"Of course it will be fun! Remember how wonderful our picnics used to be?" The others nodded slightly and seemed to cheer up slightly.
When their picnic was made, they walked to their favorite meadow in Stowe. They had spent many happy afternoons there together and Maria hoped that some of that feeling would remain.
They ate their lunch with doleful expressions on their faces. Maria sighed as she bit into her apple. What could she do to make it better? She sighed deeply again and decided to have a little talk with her children.
"Can I speak to all of you for a minute please?" she asked the children. They all nodded, looking scared of what she might say.
"Now look," Maria began, "I know that you are all in shock and upset about the news, but your father would never want his children unhappy because of him. Look, I know your all miserable, but lets try to make your father's last days happy, all right?"
They all nodded in understanding, but their expressions remained the same.
"Can we all try to smile?" she asked. There were a few small smiles, but Maria could tell she was getting nowhere. Just as she was about to get up she heard a quiet sound in the background.
"Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens," Georg was playing the guitar and singing softly. The children looked at him in awe and walked over to him to listen. By the last verse Maria had begun to sing as well. The children just watched both their parents sing.
"Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes; snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes; silver white winters that melt into springs. These are a few of my favorite things"
The Captain and Maria both hoped the children would join them, but instead they just stared at them as they sung,
"When the dog bites, when the bee stings, when I'm feeling sad, I simply remember my favorite things, and then I don't feel so bad!" They finished singing but the children still didn't seem too happy. The rest of the picnic the children tried to act happy, but Maria could tell they felt awkward. It was no one's fault really, but Maria blamed herself.
When they got home no one wanted to do very much so they all went to bed quietly. Max told Maria and Georg how sorry he was, before retiring to bed as well. Maria put her arm around Georg as they walked to their bed. She knew he was not happy with the way the children had reacted, even though they knew it was inevitable. The look on his face told her all she needed to know.
Maria laid down gently in bed, next to him.
"Darling, it will get better, I promise." Georg turned toward Maria at the sound of her voice. Tears filled her eyes when see saw the hurt look on his face.
"I've never felt this distant from them since…since before you came," he uttered. Uncontrollable tears began to roll down his cheeks. Maria hugged him close and kissed him gently, trying to kiss the tears away.
"Shhh," she began. "They will feel better about things, I promise. They love you more than anything in this world; that's why it's so hard for them." She could feel him taking deep breaths. She waited for him to calm down and once she thought he was sleeping she began to turn over.
"Maria," he murmured, "don't leave." She sighed and hugged him close to her again.
"Don't worry, I'll be right her for you, my love," she whispered. "Always."
A/N: Please tell me what you think! Review!