Chapter 16
Sorry it took me so long to update. Busy with exams and everything….
The Captain decided that he wanted to take a break from running around. He looked over to where Maria and Mary were sitting. They looked so peaceful, just talking and laughing. He walked over to them, hoping that he could just sit and relax. When he got close enough for the ladies to see him, Mary frantically fiddled with her fingers. Maria, not noticing that the Captain was approaching, said, "Mary, why are you so nervous?" She turned around and saw the Captain coming. Ah, that's why. Maria thought. Maria turned to the Captain and greeted him with, "Tired of playing tag?" The Captain laughed. "Yeah, I'm getting too old for this sort of thing." Mary decided to butt in the conversation now. "I'm sure that you are aging, but it doesn't look like it." Mary said, hoping to get him at ease with her. The captain laughed and said, "Why thank you! I believe that's one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me." "No problem" Mary said softly. Maria just rolled her eyes at that. Mary ignored her and continued. "So, Captain. Tell me. How did you become a sea captain?" "Oh, its very simple, really. You see, my father was also a captain, and so, as a child, I was trained, and…that's really all there is to it." The Captain said rather modestly. Mary waved her hand in the air. "Oh, you're being so modest! I'm sure it wasn't just that….am I right?" "No, really. I was trained by my father, and then he enrolled me into summer camp where everything just fell into place from there." The Captain said, a little uncomfortable with Mary asking him so many questions that he didn't really like answering. Mary noticed that he looked a little uncomfortable, so she changed the subject. "So, tell me about yourself! Anything interesting?"
The captain answered within a few words. Within seconds, the air was silent, yet again. Maria noticed that the Captain just looked at her helplessly. He obviously looked like he was going through some pain in having to answer all these questions. She also noticed that Mary looked a little less enthusiastic then before. Maria decided to change the subject all together. "Well, why don't we all join the children in their game?" The captain immediately agreed, and took off to join the game. Maria and Mary trailed behind more slowly.
It was after dinner that night. Maria and the children were playing cards, just enjoying each other's company. The Captain was in his study, doing some paperwork, when he heard the loud laughter of his children and Maria. Wait- I just called her by her first name. I really shouldn't! I mean, honestly! She's my employee. He pushed that thought out of his head, and decided to see what his children, or more accurately, their governess. He walked out of the study, and wandered into the living room. When he went over to where the children were, he saw that they were playing Signal, and that they were arguing about who got the signal first. Maria noticed him standing there and gave him a silent plead for help. Chuckling, he gave her a reassuring look and said, "Children!" The children ignored him and continued arguing. The captain repeated himself, only to be ignored once more. Getting impatient, he gave one nasty yell. "CHILDREN!" The children immediately stopped, and looked at him. Finally, the Captain thought. "Now, I want you all to stop arguing, stop the game, and get to bed. It's getting late." "But Father!" The children began to object, but once again, the Captain interrupted. "Get to bed!" The children sighed, put the cards away, and left the room, leaving the Captain and Maria alone. "Phew!" Maria said. "Thanks for the rescue. I don't know how much more signal I can take!" Laughing, the Captain said, "You could have just told them to go to bed. They would have listened to you." Maria smiled but shook her head. "I know, but still…I promised them to let them stay a little later than usual, so I couldn't break my promise." She sighed. Before the Captain could respond, she said, "Well, I'm really tired. I think that I'll head to bed now. Goodnight, Captain." She got up. The Captain studied her for a moment. She did look really tired. "Sure. Goodnight." He finally said. Maria smiled at him tiredly, and walked out of the room, dragging her feet behind her. When she got to her room upstairs, she quickly changed into her nightclothes and collapsed on her bed. She felt so tired. At least I'll know that I'll sleep well tonight. Just then, she remembered what Mary had said after they had played tag with the children. "I was totally wrong about the Captain. He's so downright boring!" Mary had complained. "I'm not interested anymore!" Maria remembered that she was relieved to hear that, although she knew that she shouldn't have been. Maria started picturing the Captain's face. Oh boy… I shouldn't be thinking like this…I mean imagining my employer's face? Maria shut her eyes again and tried her best to fall asleep. Yet she couldn't get that image out of her head. After many hours, she finally went into a deep sleep.
The next morning, she groggily woke up, changed and went downstairs. When she arrived at the dining room, she saw that the children and the Captain were already waiting for her. "Good morning!" The Captain said cheerfully. "I hope that you slept well?" Maria looked at him and said, "Good morning. No, I didn't sleep all to well, but I'm fine, thank you." She said quietly. She took her seat. The children and the Captain looked at her in concern. She wasn't usually this quiet. The family ate in silence. Maria began to feel awful for causing the silence of the table. In an attempt to make up for it, she said, "Children, I was wondering what you wanted to do today?" The children, relieved that she was starting to sound like her old self again, eagerly shared their ideas, when the Captain interrupted. "Actually, if it's alright with you all, I think it's about time we went to town for some clothes for that party for Liesl, remember? Her birthday is coming up in two days!" The girls' eyes lit up while the boys groaned. "Oh yeah!" Gretl said, happily. "When can we go, Father?" The Captain lovingly smiled at his youngest daughter. "Whenever your fraulein says, Gretl." The children turned to Maria. Maria smiled at their excitement. "I'm ready whenever you are!" She laughed. The children cheered and the Captain said, "Well, let's leave right after we eat and change into presentable clothes." The children wasted no more time. They gobbled down their food, and ran over to their rooms to get changed within a few minutes. The Captain and Maria smiled at each other amusingly. They followed the children's example and went up to their rooms. After everyone went back downstairs, the captain drove the children, himself and Maria to town. The children talked among themselves, chatting about what they wanted to get. The Captain and Maria, both in the front of the car listened to them, glancing at each other from time to time to exchange looks of knowing smiles. When they got to town, the Captain parked, and said, "Well, where do you want to go?" The children gave different answers at once. "That way!" Marta, Gretl and Brigitta said, pointing to the right where there was a dress shop for kids. "That way!" Liesl said to the left. "That way!" Kurt, Frederick and Louisa said, pointing straight ahead, where they saw a bakery. Uh oh, the Captain thought. "Ok, how about this. Right now, since the kids dress shop is closest, we'll go there first. After that, we'll go the store that Liesl wanted, and then after we all get something, we'll go to the bakery, ok?" He looked at them expectantly. The children easily agreed. "Ok! Let's go over now!" They rushed over to the kids dress shop, dragging Fraulein Maria along, leaving the Captain with Liesl. He turned to her in concern. "Is something wrong, Liesl?" "No, Father." Liesl responded. "I just wanted to talk to you alone. We hardly ever get a chance to talk much." Growing more serious, the Captain said, "No, I guess we don't." he was saddened that he hardly had time to spend time with Liesl. Out of all the children, he spent the least amount of time with Liesl. "Why don't we go to that coffee shop over there, and have a talk- just you and me." Liesl's face lit up. "Really, Father? Just you and me?" "Just you and me" The captain reached over and gently caressed her cheek. "Just let me go tell Fraulein Maria." He went inside the shop, told Maria where he was going to go, and went back outside, where he led his eldest daughter to a coffee shop to have a heart-to-heart talk.