Chapter 6 – Waking in the Mountains
Maria gently awoke to the sounds of the early morning birds. As she opened her eyes, she could see that it was still quite early as the sun was just rising. It was cold. Maria could see the thin layer of frost on the ground. She was thankful for the thick travel coat she was wearing.
Maria quickly realised that while she had fallen asleep the previous evening with her head on Georg's shoulder, her body had moved during the night so that her head now rested in his lap. She could feel his arm still wrapped protectively around her shoulder. Without raising her head, she could see that all seven children were still fast asleep only a few meters away on the blanket. She felt pleased that despite the cold mountain air, the children had at least gotten some sleep.
As Maria shifted around to look up at Georg, she was surprised to find that he was asleep. He had been so determined to stay awake to keep watch, however Maria knew that he hadn't slept much since the Anschluss and their frantic escape from Salzburg the previous evening obviously taken its toll on him. His head rested up against the tree with his eyes closed and his hat was still on but tilted slightly to the side making him look devilishly handsome.
He was peaceful. The stress and frustrations of the previous day were now gone. She looked up at his face and she wondered whether it was possible to love anyone the way she loved him. Ever since the first moment she held him in her arms, she knew she loved him.
His breathing was soft and regular; clearly he was in a deep sleep. But every now and then, a slight furrow in his brow would form, like he was in deep concentration or dreaming about something important. She didn't know what. At times he was still a complete mystery to her.
He had his hand rested up upon his face and even though he was asleep, from time to time his slender fingers on his left hand would twitch, the way they did when he was agitated. But he was not agitated now, now he was very peaceful.
She thought about the last few months and how wonderful they had been. To hold him close in her arms, to smell his sweet smell; the smell that was uniquely him. To see him look at her with those deep blue eyes, locking her gaze. For him to smile at her whenever she entered the room, the smile that told her she was the most important person in the world to him. To have him reach for her when she was near. The way he needed her, relied upon her, depended on her for everything.
She reached out and being careful not to wake him, she ran her hand gently through his dark locks. His hair was thick, wavy and soft. She loved the feel of it beneath her fingertips.
Maria let out a deep sigh. Yes she loved him, loved him so much. She would do anything for him, anything at all.
As Maria sat upright, she nudged Georg's arm that had been around her shoulder causing him to stir. He squeezed his eyes open and closed a few times and groaned as he awoke. Finally opening his eyes, he locked his gaze with Maria's and gave her a small smile.
"You were asleep." She said, matter-of-factly.
Georg groaned again as he sat up and glanced down at his watch. "Hmm… I'd hoped to have just a doze, but I guess I was tired. It seems I've been asleep for a while."
He wriggled slightly in his spot as he ran his hands over his face to rub his eyes. Letting out a yawn, Georg moved his arms up above his head in a big stretch.
"Oh…" he moaned as he brought his arms back down to rest on his knees. "Remind me never to fall asleep leaning up against a tree. It is most uncomfortable. My back is dreadfully sore."
Maria gave a little giggle. "So last night's accommodations were not quite up to the same standard as our hotel suite in Paris then?"
"Hmm… Not at all!" He laughed back. "I think I would give anything to be back in that suite with you now."
"For the comfortable bed or just for the company?" Maria asked him playfully.
"Both." He replied with a wicked grin as he gently stroked her face. Maria leaned towards him and placed a deep kiss on his lips.
As she pulled back, she indicated that he should sit forward slightly and she manoeuvred herself to sit behind him. She moved her hands up under his jacket, giving his back a rub.
"Oh… That feels good." Georg moaned at her touch, closing his eyes. "Maria, how do you always seem to know what I need even before I know it myself?"
"Just another one of my 'hidden talents' darling." Maria replied with a short laugh.
"And I take great delight in discovering all your 'hidden talents' as you know." He said with a smirk, causing Maria to supress a blush. A few minutes passed as Maria continued to massage Georg's sore back. Finally, Georg opened his eyes and asked: "Are the children awake?"
"No, not yet." Maria replied, glancing over to where the children slept. "I'm pleased they are getting some rest, despite the cold night. I should wake them in a moment." She paused. "So Georg, what happens now?"
Georg opened his eyes and took a few deep breaths. Turning around to look at her, he took her hand and gave it a kiss. "We keep on going. I don't know how long it is going to take us to get to Switzerland but it's our only option now. Once the children are awake, we'll start off. We'll move as fast or as slow as we need to depending on the children."
Maria nodded as she glanced back over to where the children were and noticed Friedrich and Kurt starting to wake. Both boys sat up and looked expectantly over to where their parents were.
"Ah, darling, if you would excuse me." Georg said to Maria as he started to get up. She gave him a inquisitive look. "Call of nature." He explained with a wink. "I'll take the boys, you take the girls."
Georg left Maria to approach the boys. Leaning down to whisper to them, both boys jumped up quickly and followed Georg off into the bushes.
Maria sat there for a moment, supressing a yawn before also standing up and going over to where the girls slept. Gently, she woke each of the girls. Predictably, Louisa and Marta were less than impressed to be woken up and both rolled over and quite promptly started to go back to sleep. Maria laughed, giving them each a poke until they sat up.
"Where did Father and the boys go?" Brigitta asked once all the girls were awake.
"Just off for a walk, they'll be back soon." Maria told her. But just then, the three of them came back and Georg gave Maria a slight nod. "Alright girls, our turn." Maria announced.
As the six of them left the campsite, Georg couldn't help snigger to himself as he watched Maria patiently answer all of Gretl's questions about where they were, where they were going to go, what they were going to do and how they were going to do it.
Around ten minutes later, Maria and the girls returned to where Georg and the boys were. Kurt stood close by throwing small pebbles at one of the nearby trees. Friedrich sat by Georg asking his father all sort of questions about their journey through the mountains to come. Georg was starting to get frustrated by Friedrich's never-ending questions. However, Friedrich was determined to win over Georg's approval and prove to him he was growing up into a man. But when Georg saw Maria and the girls return to the makeshift campsite, he took the opportunity to end his conversation with Friedrich.
As he stood up to join Maria, Georg failed to notice the look of disappointment on Friedrich's face. Maria saw how crestfallen Friedrich looked, because she knew that despite Georg's reunion with his children those many months ago after their argument by the lakeside, Georg still struggled with the notion that his children were growing up fast. It was not the time nor place to bring up that topic with Georg but Maria hoped there would be an opportunity later to speak to him alone.
All the children gathered to sit down on the blanket, patiently waiting to find out what the new day was going to bring. Just as they were doing so, Kurt announced. "I'm hungry!" Everyone laughed knowing that Kurt was always hungry.
Maria remembered the satchel that the Reverend Mother had packed for them. "Liesl, would you please bring over the satchel of food?"
Liesl did and started to unpack the contents. There were roughly a dozen or so apples, two large loaves of bread, a large block of cheese and a mysterious item wrapped up in a cloth. As Liesl unwrapped it, Maria gasped, clapped her hands together and started to whoop in delight! She then did a little jig on the spot and some sort of 'happy dance' but then immediately stopped when she saw eight faces gawking up at her in total bewilderment and confusion.
Maria paused, went bright red and hurriedly slapped her hands up against her face, trying to hide her enormous blush.
Georg was the first to speak. "Enchanting little ritual. Something you ah… learned at the Abbey?" He asked dryly, his eyebrows raised.
Hearing his comment in regards to her little performance along with remembering the last time he said that when she had sat on the ridiculous pinecone at her first dinner at the villa, Maria started to laugh. She laughed and laughed and when she looked over at everyone and saw they were still looking up at her in shock and puzzlement, it made her laugh even more. She continued to laugh to the point that she had to excuse herself and go for a little walk off to the nearby trees to recover.
Finally, when she had gotten control of herself, Maria took a few deep breaths and returned to the others.
"What on earth was all that about?" Georg quizzed her as she sat down.
"Oh… I'm sorry." Maria replied, still trying to cover up a giggle. "I just started laughing and I couldn't stop."
"So what was so funny about this?" Georg asked, still perplexed as he pointed down to the mysterious item now unwrapped. "It's just a cake."
"But that's it! It isn't just a cake." Maria tried to explain. "It's Sister Berthe's chocolate cake!"
When Maria was faced by eight blank looks, she realised that she would have to explain in more detail. "You see Sister Berthe makes the most divine, the most delectable, the most delicious chocolate cake I have ever tasted. She hardly ever makes it, but when she does, all the Sisters and postulants at the Abbey line up for a slice. I mean if the Sisters in the Abbey were the type of people who would fight over a piece of cake, they would do it. This cake is something that mere words cannot describe." Maria licked her lips, rubbed her stomach and let out a deep, satisfying sigh, causing the children to roar with laughter.
"I once was fortunate enough, or perhaps I should say foolish enough, to take a second slice." Maria giggled at the memory as she continued her story. "Well, Sister Berthe caught me and I was waxing floors for the next week, but that second slice of cake was really worth it! I wonder what the Reverend Mother had to do or say to convince her to give us this cake?" She looked away wistfully, deep in thought before a gently cough from Georg brought her thoughts back to the present.
"Can we have some for breakfast?" Kurt asked hopefully.
"No," replied Georg sternly. "Perhaps later in the day. No matter how 'good' your Mother claims this cake is, you still can't eat cake for breakfast." Kurt let out a groan of disappointment. "May I suggest that we all have an apple before we set off for the morning? A proper breakfast and it will at least lessen the weight of the satchel to carry."
Liesl handed all the children and Maria an apple to eat. When it came to Georg, however, he refused to take one. Maria gave him an inquisitive look. Pulling her aside as the children munched into their apples, he told her quietly. "We don't really have that much food, not for the nine of us anyway. I have no idea if or when we will find any more food along the way, so we have to make what we have last as long as possible."
When Maria started to protest, Georg quickly cut her off. "Really Maria, I'm fine for now."
"Georg, at least share mine, or in the very least, have a bite or two. Please."
Georg knew there was no way he could argue with her. Especially the way she said 'please' to him. Ever since the first time she had made a heartfelt request of him on the night of the puppet show and asked him in that voice of hers with her blue eyes sparking at him, he knew that whenever she made a request of him like that, there was no way he could ever deny her.
"Alright." He nodded and took the apple from her hands and took several small bites before handing it back to her. "Satisfied?" Maria nodded and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, quite pleased with herself and his change of heart.
As Maria pulled back from giving Georg the kiss, she noticed him peering over her shoulder at something behind her. Curious, she turned around to see Friedrich placing his uneaten apple back in the satchel and hoisting the bag up over his shoulder.
"Friedrich." Georg called to him sharply, summoning him with his finger. The boy turned and approached Georg and Maria, his eyes downcast.
"What were you doing?" Georg asked, motioning to the satchel. "Is there something wrong with the apple?"
"Oh no, Father!" Friedrich exclaimed, looking up. "I only thought… Well…" His voice trailed off, not knowing how to continue.
"Yes?" Prompted Georg gently.
"Well I was thinking, we don't know how long it is going to take to get to Switzerland and there isn't that much food between the nine of us and… I'm not that hungry anyway." Friedrich tried to explain.
Georg looked intently at his eldest son saying nothing, almost as if he was looking at him for the first time. Maria knew she should leave them alone but before she did, she leant towards Georg and whispered in his ear: "Like Father, like son." Georg's eyes widened at her comment, the meaning of her words suddenly hitting him.
As she left them to join the other children and help pack up the campsite, he remembered his argument with Maria those many months ago on the lakeside.
"And Friedrich. He's a boy but he wants to be a man like you and there's no one to show him how!"
"Don't you dare tell me about my son!"…
Georg hadn't realised until that moment how much Friedrich had grown up. He had been so consumed with worrying about the Anschluss and then their hasty escape from Salzburg, that he failed to notice the changes in Friedrich since Maria came into their lives. He thought back to Friedrich declaring proudly that he would do anything to help Georg after being told that they were leaving Austria; the way Friedrich never hesitated to say that they could make it over the mountains without help; and even that morning only a few minutes earlier, Georg could now see that Friedrich was desperate to prove himself as he asked Georg so many questions about their journey to come. Yes, Friedrich was growing into a man and it was up to Georg to show him how.
Friedrich now stood before Georg, his eyes on the ground, knowing that Georg was scrutinising him. His heart was racing, fearing he was about to get in trouble. He was therefore surprised when Georg laid a gentle hand upon his shoulder and led him away from the group motioning for him to sit down on some nearby rocks.
"Friedrich," Georg began. "I'm sorry, you have been so courageous throughout this entire dilemma and I'm afraid I have been too caught up in my own worries and concerns to notice that you are growing up son."
Friedrich looked straight into his Father's eyes and tried desperately to blink the small tear of pride that was forming in his eye. "Yes, sir." He replied.
Georg patted him on the back. "I'm glad I have another man around to help me through all of this." He told him seriously. Friedrich felt his heart swell as he heard these words.
"Now Friedrich," Georg said as he reached into his pocket and pulling out a Swiss army knife. "I bought this for you in Switzerland. Yesterday, in fact! I meant to find time to give it to you, but with our plans to leave the country, I'm afraid I hadn't gotten around to it. However I put it in my pocket hoping for an opportunity to give it to you. Here."
Georg passed the knife over to Friedrich whose eyes widened at the sight of the gift. He turned it over in his hands several times examining it. "It is the type of gift that is not for a boy, but for a man." Georg explained quietly before quickly showing Friedrich the different knives and tools within the handle of the knife, which included a can opener, screwdriver, scissors and a compass and many others.
"Now listen Friedrich, this compass is going to help us navigate our way through the mountains. Last night I drove west from Salzburg, past Innsbruck and up into the mountains. Now, all we need to do is keep to a westerly direction and we should eventually cross the border into Switzerland."
Friedrich was listening intently and rapidly started to ask many questions which Georg patiently answered. Quickly, they both lost track of time, totally engrossed in their discussion of the journey to come. They did not even hear Maria or the other children approach them.
"Excuse me, Georg? Friedrich?" Maria asked as they lifted their heads at the sound of her voice, ceasing their conversation. "The girls and I have packed up everything and we are ready to go."
"Alright. We are ready too." Georg told her as he stood up and stretched. Friedrich started to quickly leave to re-join his siblings.
"Everything alright?" Maria asked Georg quietly. He nodded before calling out to Friedrich. "Just a moment Friedrich." Friedrich stopped where he was and turned around to face his parents.
"I thought that maybe you could take the lead for us for this first little bit Friedrich, if you like." Georg said to him.
The smile on Friedrich's face spread from ear to ear as he joined Georg at the front of the line. After briefly confirming the direction to which they were heading with Georg, Friedrich took off down the mountain path with the rest of the family following him.
A/N: For some reason, I really struggled with writing this chapter. I think I'm now sort of happy with it, but I kind of need a bit of motivation and encouragement to keep going so please write me a review and make my day! :)