Usual disclaimers here.
Innsbruck, Von Berg's villa, July 16th 1919, late in the morning
"Maria!" Georg called clearly annoyed.
The little girl went on playing in her tree, very oblivious of her guardian's calls. "Maria!" he repeated more firmly.
Not listening at all, she proceeded to climb higher, trying to reach the top of the tree. A bit worried now, Georg got up from his chair and called again, louder.
"How many times must I repeat it to you? Please don't climb that high, you're going to hurt yourself! The branches up there are not solid at all! Get down at once!"
"Don't worry Mani! I know I can do it!" Maria answered, going on her dangerous ascension.
"Now, young girl, don't make me go and reach you or you'll regret it. Get down a bit." he stated in a definitive tone, quickly walking to the tree. Little Maria could be so unnerving at times!
"Okay, okay, I'm getting down," the girl mumbled. "Here, is that enough?" she asked, sulking a bit.
"Not enough, a bit lower please," Georg answered, looking up worryingly, afraid that a thin branch might break under her weight. "Like that, it's perfect. And don't do it again, okay?" he added in a sweet but commanding tone. Nevertheless, not quite trusting Maria, he stood under the fir tree for a while, observing what she was up to... Seeing that, for once, she seemed to follow his instructions, he came back to the terrace where he had been sitting with Stefan, enjoying that warm, shiny morning. He was about to sit down again when he noticed that his childhood friend was gazing at him with clearly amused eyes. He got near the wheelchair and asked confused :
"What's so funny?"
Stefan chuckled a bit before taking his notebook and pen. He wrote down something and then showed it to Georg, smiling broadly. "Once I had a friend who always kept on saying he didn't want any children..."
Georg smiled at the remembrance, his face flushing a bit with shame.
"Well, let's say I was young and really stupid at that time..."
Stefan rose a hand to get his friend's attention back and wrote down something else. "Why are you so worried? We've done much worse things when we were teens, remember?"
Georg knew perfectly what he was thinking about. Awful pranks in the neighbourhood, making fun of that poor Jesuit guy at school, climbings in horrible climatic conditions, worrying their families to death...
"It's different. Since I'm looking after her, I'm afraid that she might get hurt, that's all..."
"If one day, someone had told me that I would hear such parental comments from your mouth, Mani Von Trapp, I certainly would have laughed at him..." a feminine voice interrupted the most unusual conversation. Ingrid von Berg, Stefan's sister, had just come out from the villa along with her two little children Peter and Elisabeth.
"Hey, you two," she said to her children. "Why don't you go and play with Maria for a while? There's still time before we have lunch."
"Yes, Mama," they both chirped, immediately running towards the tree to join their brand new friend.
Ingrid lovingly watched her children as they ran across the park as fast as they could. Children like Peter, Elisabeth or little Maria were really the only hope left in this chaotic world where governments did not hesitate before sending millions of hopeful young men to their death for doubtful reasons. Maybe they would be able to make something better out of the tragic and bloody inheritance their parents had left them. One slaughter was enough. Trying to put these melancholic thoughts aside, she went on teasing her friend:
"I must say that little Maria had done a pretty good job. She really deserves a decoration of some sort!"
Georg turned a little so he was facing her.
"What the hell d'you mean Ingrid?" he asked with mock anger.
"That she made out of some insufferable, hot-headed, ill-tempered guy a kind and quite civilized gentleman... Look at yourself Mani! Here you are worrying about a seven-year-old girl, reading her bedtime stories and combing her hair... Just the perfect father of the year!" she answered, hitting playfully his head.
Georg did not answer anything, watching Ingrid as she was sitting down next to her brother. She and Stefan von Hütten did not look alike at all. The blond and delicate woman was as quiet, prudent and responsible as her brown-haired young brother had been reckless and hot-headed before his injuries. He had known them since his childhood in Salzburg where they used to live next to his own home. Since he could not stand his own brother, he used to spend his days with them, playing in the von Hütten's park. Then, when Stefan and he got older, they often left to do some climbing in the near mountains, achieving more and more stupid challenges and, in the process, worrying Ingrid to death... She was such a kind, sweet and generous woman, she really did not deserve her fate. It was so unfair. Widow of late Heinrich von Berg, fallen in 1916, she had to look after her injured brother now... However, she was strong and seemed to manage quite well. So well that, when he hesitantly asked her if he and Maria could come and spend a while here in Innsbruck, far away from the endemic troubles in Vienna, she had accepted immediately. "The more the better!" she had answered cheerfully. So here he was, enjoying this quiet morning on the terrace of the von Berg's villa, which was facing the mountains. The almost dark blue sky, so typical of the mountain regions was forming an amazing contrast with the mounts covered with fir trees. The atmosphere was so clear that it was possible to see the houses of small villages which were miles away. Yes, it was the perfect place for him and Maria. The perfect and beautiful place to start a new life.
Innsbruck, Von Berg's villa, July 16th 1919, evening
When Georg came in the foyer, silently closing the door behind him, he saw Ingrid quietly sitting by the open window, enjoying the evening fresh air. Another sweet uneventful day had gone by and actually, he was getting use to this way of life more quickly than he originally thought. Spending his days doing nothing but enjoying a quiet family life –well, a rather strange family life was more correct. It was so far away from the aspirations he had when he was a restless young cadet, but, still, it seemed so perfect at that moment. Pain and furore had so much filled his life for the last four years he really had learnt to value those quiet uneventful days...
He walked slowly towards Ingrid and sat down by her. Started by his silent coming, she took her eyes off the dying sunset and turned a sad face to him.
"Hello Mani... Maria had finally fallen asleep, I see..."
Lighting a cigarette, he stretched his legs in front of him. Maria did not like his smoking habit at all so he did not smoke in her presence. However, he still enjoyed the ritual evening cigarette at the end of the day. He answered quietly:
"Yes... I don't understand... She spends her whole day running everywhere, climbing trees or jumping over everything close to an obstacle and she is not even tired in the evening. She really exhausts me at times!"
Ingrid had not listened to him, watching outside again. Trying to hide her tears. When he noticed her growing sadness, Georg put a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"Crying once again, Ingrid?" he asked in a comforting voice. She seemed to do that a lot, waiting for the evening, when everybody was asleep, to let her grief submerge her... Drying her wet dark eyes, the blond woman answered, her voice still shaking a bit:
"Sorry Mani, but I can't help it. I just can't... I miss him so much, you know..."
"I know that, Ingrid..." he answered lightly stroking her shoulder. "But, I also know you're a strong woman. You'll make it, I'm sure," he went on with a timid smile.
She looked at her friend. He had changed so much... Where had the reckless, clumsy and proud Mani gone? He had become such a humble and responsible grown up man. Even if he tried to hide it, he had not come over his traumatic experiences, she could tell by the sudden sad look that overflowed his eyes at times. However, most of time, he seemed to cope with it. His encounter with Maria had really been a blessing for him... This last thought made her remember about the thing her friend asked her earlier. She broke the silence, a bit more cheerfully that time.
"By the way, Mani, when do you want to go to town to buy Maria's present?"
"Well, whenever you're ready to watch after her for an hour or two, if you don't mind," he answered with a smile, quite knowing it would difficult to convince Maria to let him go to town alone. "I also would be glad if you helped me to find some excuse to convince her," he added laughing a bit at the thought.
"Is she that stubborn?" she asked, beginning to laugh too.
"You can't even imagine!"