Escaping!
The Reverend Mother of Nonnberg Abbey closed her Bible and leant back in her chair. It had been a quiet night, as was usually the case at the Abbey but tonight had been a little different. After receiving in the post two days prior the piece of paper advertising that the upcoming Salzburg Folk Festival would be broadcast on the wireless, she had been looking forward to listening to it knowing that the von Trapp children would be singing at the Festival.
She wouldn't have normally been interested in such events, but she had a particular interest in hearing the von Trapp children sing, especially since they were now Maria's children. She had been very surprised just after the children had been announced to hear Maria's clear voice also coming through the wireless. The Reverend Mother had not realised that Maria and her husband had returned from their honeymoon. She had thought, based on what Maria had told her, that they would still have been away for at least another week or so.
Nevertheless she had particularly enjoyed the performance especially when Captain Georg von Trapp had sung 'Edelweiss'. It was a song she was terribly fond of, a song from her youth. The Reverend Mother was quite disturbed however when it was announced that he would shortly be joining the Order of the Third Reich. Aware of his background and naval history, the news did not surprise her but knowing the kind of man he was, it did astonish her that he would accept such a commission.
Just after the von Trapps had performed their encore, the Reverend Mother switched stations on the wireless to listen to the news. Ever since the Anschluss, she had been very interested in the political goings on. Although the sanctuary of the Abbey protected them in many ways from many of the political events going on around them, the Nazi occupation of Austria still affected the people in the city of Salzburg around her. She learned from the latest news broadcast that Austrian borders had just been closed. It worried her so she had switched off the wireless and spent the next few minutes in prayer and in consultation with her Bible.
All of a sudden there was a sharp knock on the door. "Come." The Reverend Mother answered.
Sister Margaretta entered the room quickly. "Reverend Mother," she said urgently. "I'm sorry to disturb you but you must come. Maria and the von Trapps are here!"
"Here?" The Reverend Mother questioned in disbelief.
Sister Margaretta and the Reverend Mother hurried from the office out to the central building just beyond the main gates to the Abbey. Huddled up together were Maria and the seven von Trapp children. Georg stood apart from them, watching out of the window cautiously. As soon as the Reverend Mother arrived, Maria broke away from the children, ran towards her and knelt down to kissing her hand.
"Oh, Reverend Mother. Forgive us, we had no where else to go!" Maria cried desperately.
"Hush, my child." The Reverend Mother replied kindly. "You are always welcome here Maria. But child, please tell me what happened?"
"Yes Mother. Georg and I returned to Salzburg as soon as we could after the Anschluss. But when we arrived back today, we found out that he had been commissioned into the Third Reich. But he couldn't join them, he just couldn't." Maria gasped. "So we decided to leave Austria tonight."
Maria then went on to quickly explain how Herr Zeller and the Nazi soldiers accosted them outside the villa and how they wanted to escort Georg off to Bremerhaven there and then. The Reverend Mother listened intently as Maria told her how on the spur of the moment Georg decided that they were all to perform at the Festival.
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As they went to get into the car, Georg looked over at Maria and held up his hand with his fingers crossed. Without saying a word, she knew what he was thinking and gave him a reassuring smile in return. After Georg started to drive off, Maria turned to him.
"Georg, what are we going to do now?"
"We'll go to the festival like we said. Unfortunately with the Nazis escorting us, I don't think there will be any opportunity for us to sneak away from them before we get to the Festival." Georg replied, glancing in the rear view mirror at the Nazi patrol cars following them.
Georg continued to drive, but was silent for a few moments, deep in thought.
"Max?" Georg glanced behind to Max who was squeezed in between Brigitta and Louisa in the back seat. "When are the children scheduled to perform?"
"Last spot. Why?" Max inquired.
"No chance that you can change the order?" Georg asked.
"No, not without questions being asked." Max said. "What are you thinking Georg?"
Georg gave a grunt and muttered to himself "What we need is time."
"Time you say?" Max asked. "You mean for a diversion for you all to leave without them noticing you?" Georg nodded. Max continued. "Time, time... Ah, I know. If you are all performing last, then perhaps you can perform an encore while the judging happens. After that, there will be only a few minutes while the results are announced. Would that give you enough time my friend?"
"I'm not sure, but it sounds like our only option. They'll be guarding the car no doubt, so wherever we go, it would have to be near by as we'll be on foot." Georg surmised.
Maria had been quiet through all of this exchange but she suddenly spoke up. "Georg, the Abbey. It is only a few blocks from the Festival. We may have just enough time to get there before they notice we're gone."
Georg glanced across to his wife and gave her a thankful smile. "Good idea darling."
Louisa spoke up from the back of the car. "Father? What about all our luggage? All our clothes and toys?"
"I'm sorry, Louisa," Georg said, eyeing her in the rear view mirror, "if the Nazis are guarding the car, there will be no way that we can take our luggage with us without arousing suspicion. We'll take only what we have on us, our travel cloaks, that's all. It will be quicker anyway for us to move without carrying anything."
Gretl, who was sitting on Maria's lap, started to cry thinking about her dolls that she would be leaving behind. Maria wrapped her arms around the young girl and quickly hushed her sobs.
As Georg turned the car into the car park of where the Festival was being held, he glanced at back at Max. "Well if I'm going to have to perform in this infernal thing, at least you can tell me what we're going to sing."
Max quickly rattled off the list of songs that the children had rehearsed.
"Hmm..." Georg replied, deep in thought. "Since you children sing these songs all the time, at least I know them. But if I can make a suggestion, if I am to be leading the von Trapp Family singers, I think we should add one more song that I can sing alone..."
"Edelweiss." Maria finished for him. Georg nodded.
As he parked the car, Georg quickly proceeded to give them all instructions on what to do once they had left the stage in order for them to get to the Abbey undetected. Only a moment later, the Nazi soldiers that were there to escort them into the Festival building surrounded the car. Giving Maria's hand a quick squeeze and a smile of reassurance, they all got out of the car and went into the Festival.
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Just as Maria finished telling the Reverend Mother what had happened, they heard the sound of cars arriving outside, horns blazing. The Reverend Mother hurried over to the window where Georg was still looking out, while Maria stayed huddled with the children trying to stay out of sight. The bell to the Abbey rang loudly.
"Come with me." The Reverend Mother said moving away from the window and beckoning Maria and her family to go with her. "Quickly, quickly! I have a place you can hide." She ushered them through a nearby door.
The bell to the Abbey continued to ring without ceasing. The Reverend Mother turned back to see Sister Berthe rushing towards to Abbey gate to answer the call of the bell.
"Slowly, slowly…" The Reverend Mother called to her in hushed tones. Sister Berthe immediately reduced her speed considerably.
Sister Berthe then proceeded to take her time while she walked down towards the gate. She almost moved slower than a normal person would and the Nazi soldiers got increasingly frustrated with her taking her time. As they shouted, "Hurry up woman!" she seemed to take great delight in the way she took such an extended amount of time to unlock the gate. Finally the gate was unlocked and the soldiers pushed past her to search the Abbey.
Meanwhile, the Reverend Mother hurried the von Trapps through the graveyard to the crypts on the other side.
As Maria followed quickly behind her she said to the elderly nun, "Oh Reverend Mother, we didn't realise we'd put the Abbey in this danger."
"No, Maria," the Reverend Mother said to her as she unlocked the gates to the crypts, "it was right for you to come here."
"We thought we might borrow your caretakers car," Georg said to the Reverend Mother.
"I'm afraid our car would do you no good now," she told him. "I've been listening to the wireless, the borders have just been closed."
Georg looked swiftly at Maria, before ushering both her and all the children inside the crypt.
He paused for an instant, seemingly in thought before turning back to the Reverend Mother saying. "Alright, the borders are closed." He glanced up at the mountains in the distance. "Then we'll drive up into those hills and go over those mountains on foot."
Maris looked back at him in alarm. "But the children?"
"We'll help them. They'll be alright." Georg reassured her.
"We can do it without help Father!" Friedrich announced proudly to them all.
Georg guided the children to the back of the crypts where they were about to hide behind two of the large tombstones while Maria went to farewell the Reverend Mother.
"Maria," the Reverend Mother said to her. "You will not be alone. Remember. I will lift up my eyes into the hills from whence cometh my help."
"Yes Mother." Maria replied and gave the Reverend Mother an affectionate hug and a parting wistful look, knowing it would probably be the last time she would see the elderly nun.
The Reverend Mother began to lock the gate to the crypt before giving the key to Georg. She clasped his hand for the briefest of moments before making the sign of the cross and telling him; "God be with you."
Georg gave her a quick smile of thanks before darting off to join the children hiding behind the crypt.
The Reverend Mother quickly left the von Trapps and made her way in the opposite direction to where the Nazi patrols were coming from as not to be seen. In haste, the elderly nun made her way through the back corridors to the kitchen where she found Sister Catherine and Sister Sophia huddled together after doing their nightly duties. Upon her entering the room, the younger nuns started to bombard her with questions about why the Nazis were at the Abbey.
"Children, children, be still." Reverend Mother said quickly. "We must hurry. The soldiers are here to find the von Trapps. I have hidden them away and I pray and hope that they do not find them. When the way is clear, they will be leaving in our caretaker's car. They will have a long journey ahead of them, therefore we need to give them what we can."
While Sister Catherine fetched a blanket and satchel from the nearby cupboard, Sister Sophia searched though the kitchen for as much food as she could. Just as she was finishing, she turned back to the Reverend Mother who was quickly and carefully wrapping up the freshly baked cake that had been left on the bench.
"Reverend Mother!" Sister Sophia cried. "That's Sister Berthe's chocolate cake. You know no one is allowed. Sister Berthe…"
"Sister!" The Reverend Mother cut her off. "There are many more important things to worry about at the present. I will talk to Sister Berthe later. But now we really must hurry."
The Reverend Mother found a piece of paper and quickly wrote a note to Maria. After packing the food in the satchel and receiving specific instructions from the Reverend Mother, Sister Sophia hurried out around the side of the convent to the lower floor beyond the graveyard. She waited in the shadows for a few moments to allow the passing Nazi patrol to go past. As the patrol went up the stairs to the graveyard, Sister Sophia quickly ran through the dark to the caretaker's car. Without a sound, she opened the door, depositing the items she carried as well as the keys to the car. After a quick check to make sure none of the patrols had seen her, Sister Sophia returned into the sanctuary of the convent, praying the soldiers would not find the von Trapps.
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Maria held her breath as the Nazis searched the graveyard. She clutched Gretl close to her chest as she could hear them getting closer and closer. They were shaking the gates of each of the crypts, starting from the end one, checking that they were indeed locked.
Maria saw Friedrich trying to look out to see where the Nazis were. She swiftly tapped him on the arm and he quickly ducked back behind the tombstone. The Nazis came closer, shaking the next gate and flashing their torches into the crypt.
Maria could feel her heart racing and she looked over at Georg who was hiding behind the other tombstone with Liesl, Kurt, Marta and Brigitta. She locked eyes with him for a moment before the rattling of the crypt gates began again. Closer and closer the Nazis came. Finally they reached the gate of the crypt that they were all hiding in. As the torch beam shone around the outside of the tombstone, Maria drew closer to the children, leaning away from the offending beam in the hope that it would not pick any of them up. She held her breath as the torch beam scanned over the tombstone where Georg and the other children were hiding. Almost as if the Nazis sensed that they were there, they did another scan of the tombstone that Maria and the children were hiding behind with the torch, but thankfully they were not discovered.
As they left, she heard one of them say, "Let's try the roof." There were a few footsteps as she heard them walk away to search other parts of the Abbey. It was silent for a few moments when all of a sudden Maria heard Liesl gasp out aloud, followed by footsteps leading away from them.
It was now completely quiet.
Maria looked over at Georg who was carefully surveying the graveyard outside of their hiding place. Slowly, very slowly, he stood up and following his lead; she silently stood and came out from where she had been concealed with the children.
Unexpectedly a blinding light shone, exposing them all standing in the crypt.
It was Rolf in a Nazi uniform shining a torch upon them. Maria now realised why Liesl had gasped just earlier.
"Rolf, please!" Liesl cried, begging him.
Rolf moved to reach for his whistle in order to alert his superiors. Georg quickly started unlocking the gate to the crypt.
"Don't! Wait!" Georg called out to Rolf just as Rolf had the whistle up to his lips.
Georg ran out of the crypt into the graveyard. Rolf took a step back, dropping his torch and pulling out a gun. Immediately Georg stopped. Maria stood frozen to the spot in the entryway to the crypt, the children behind her.
There was a lengthy pause as Rolf and Georg weighed each other up.
"Maria," Georg called back to her calmly. "Children." He made a small gesture with his hand, indicating she should leave as quickly as possible with the children.
As the children made their way out of the crypt and down the stairs, Maria heard Rolf tell Georg, "It's you we want, not them."
Maria quickly followed the children down the steps. She turned to take one last look at Georg who still had Rolf's gun pointing directly at him. As Georg walked slowly towards Rolf, Maria heard him firmly tell Rolf to put the gun down. Maria felt so incredibly fearful seeing Georg in that situation but she knew that at all costs, she must protect the children and be with them.
Maria hurriedly followed the children across the lower level towards the caretaker's car. It was unlocked and she spied the keys in the ignition. Maria was just about to instruct the older six children to somehow squeeze into the back seat when she saw a satchel, blanket and a letter sitting on the front passenger seat of the car. Maria quickly skimmed the contents of the letter and smiled to herself. As there was not a lot of room in the car, Maria asked Friedrich to place the satchel and blanket in the trunk of the car.
Then the six older children piled into the back seat, Maria took her place on the passenger seat with Gretl on her lap. Almost instantly an argument broke out between Kurt and Louisa over the lack of space in the backseat. Maria promptly silenced them and all seven children were instantly quiet, shocked by her anxious and brisk tone. Maria hugged Gretl to her, waiting for Georg to come.
Waiting for him, the seconds seemed like minutes, the minutes seemed like hours. Maria felt her heart racing with a mixture of fear, worry and anticipation that Georg would soon be joining them, she hoped. Maria took a deep breath and thought back to the last precious moments she and Georg spent together in their suite before they left the villa.
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Still trying to calm down her racing heart rate from their intense love making session, Maria snuggled up close to Georg. There were small beads of sweat still on his brow as he placed his arm around her and giving her a light kiss on her temple.
"So, Captain, did that live up to expectations?" Maria asked, letting out a little giggle.
"Hmm… More than you know." Georg replied with a cheeky grin, still slightly out of breath. "I'm only disappointed there won't be a next time in this bed."
"As long as there is a next time," Maria told him playfully, "I don't mind where it is."
Just as she finished saying those words, an ominous thought came into her head. If things went wrong with their escape tonight and Georg was captured, the consequences of that… well, she wasn't sure what she would do without him.
"Georg…" Maria started to say seriously.
Almost as reading her thoughts, Georg cut her off. "I know what you're thinking Maria. I will be there, trust me." He shifted himself up to look down upon her into her eyes. "But if anything happens, you must stick to the plan. You must get the children out of the country."
Maria fought hard against the tears that were forming in her eyes. "I don't know if I can." She whispered. "I'm not that strong enough."
Georg reached down, brushing her hair off her forehead and stroked her cheek tenderly. "You are strong. One of the strongest women I have ever met. You were strong enough to stand up to me when I was a morose, self-centred disciplinarian who had lost my way so badly that I didn't even know my own children anymore. You were strong enough to look for your life by returning to me from the Abbey and to face an uncertain future. Maria, you are strong, you can do this. Remember, I love you…"
Maria closed her eyes, remembering Georg's words to her. For the second time that night she fought off the tears that were forming in her eyes. She blinked them away and said a prayer as she continued to wait.
Suddenly, she heard the sound of whistles and a great deal of yelling. This was followed by the sound of footsteps running towards the car. The car door swung open and Georg jumped in, swiftly starting the ignition and driving the car at full speed out of the Abbey.
A/N: Please review! I really like reviews! I still don't own anything etc. except for a huge amount of Julie Andrews memorabilia!