Chapter 7 - isolation
Louisa and her father walked towards the bedroom she and Brigitta shared. "Grab your things." he said and motioned to the door. Louisa looked a bit unsure but went in.
"Since you and Brigitta share a room, isolating you would mean that she would have to sleep with the younger girls. I am not in the mood for a sleepover party tonight". Louisa walked over to her closet and gathered some clothes.
"Take your nightgown, clothes, toothbrush, toothpaste and your hairbrush, nothing more". She obeyed and did as she was told to. After Louisa had everything, she followed him to a departure.
"This will be the place where you will eat, work and sleep for at least the following twenty four hours". She looked around. She assumed it was a department for the staff, but for that it was too sober. It was obvious that it wasn't the most luxurious department in the mansion. There was a bed, desk with a chair, a closet and a door that led to a small bathroom.
"I will leave you alone now. Get ready for bed, I will wake you tomorrow morning." he said as he turned around to the door. Louisa put her stuff down on the desk in the corner of the room. Her father walked out of the room. While closing the door he wished her a good night.
Louisa did not say a word, she knew it would only bring her more misery, besides she was too angry. After she heard the lock fall into the hole and the footsteps disappearing she hit the pillow as hard as she could and threw it against the door.
With Liesl and Louisa gone Friedrich had to help the younger ones by himself. "Friedrich?" Brigitta asked softly. He turned around and found Brigitta in the doorway with a brush and a ribbon.
"Yes, what is the matter?" he asked while he buttoned his pyjama shirt. "Could you braid my hair please?" Brigitta asked. "I can try, but I am not as good as Liesl or Louisa". She smiled and sat down on Marta's bed.
Friedrich called Kurt into Marta's and Gretl's room. "Can you please help Marta with her nightgown so I can help Brigitta?" Friedrich asked. "Yes, no problem". Kurt answered.
Georg walked down the hallway, but stopped when he heard noise coming from Marta's and Gretl's room.
"Is father ever going to be like he used to be and tuck us in like he used to?" Brigitta asked. "I hope so… But at least we have each other." Friedrich said a bit absent. He looked around and saw their gloomy faces. "I will be happy to tuck you in. I'm sure Liesl doesn't mind either." Friedrich said, hoping to lift their spirits. Brigitta and Kurt giggled.
His heart ached a bit at hearing their conversation, about him. He did not change that much, did he? Perhaps he reacted a bit harsher than he used to, but the children had to learn that their behaviour was not acceptable. Discipline is the only way. He knew, from his own experiences.
Georg cleared his throat and entered the room. Friedrich, Kurt and Brigitta quickly stood up, a bit fearful that he heard their conversation. "It is past your bedtime. Go to your bed please." he said, with a voice too low and strict for his liking.
Kurt and Brigitta ran to their rooms, while Friedrich hastily tucked Marta in. When he wanted to run to his room his father stopped him.
"Have you brushed Marta and Gretl's teeth?" his father asked. "I have brushed Marta's teeth but not Gretl's. I did not know I had to brush Gretl's teeth as well, sir." Friedrich nervously said.
"Don't worry about it. But remember that it is important to brush Gretl's teeth as well, even though she only has four". His father picked Gretl up and held her.
"Go to bed, I will take care of it." he said as he walked towards the girl's bathroom. Friedrich nodded and went to the bedroom he shared with Kurt.
After their father put Gretl to bed he checked if everyone was in bed and wished them a good night.
The next morning their father woke Liesl and Louisa an hour early. To his astonishment he found Louisa already awake staring out of the window.
She jolted when she heard the door open. "Good morning, Louisa". He looked around in the room as she ran towards the end of the bed.
"I see you have already woken up." he said. Louisa, who chose to remain silent, glanced at him. Her eyes said it all. He expected a response from Louisa and was a bit stunned she did not speak back.
Truth was, Louisa was not able to sleep any longer and chose to wake up. She looked out of the window while she sank away in her thoughts. She had done this for the past few weeks. Georg had actually done this as well.
"Make your bed and get ready. I will bring breakfast later." he said. She sighed and slightly rolled her eyes. He gave her a raised eyebrow and a stern look in return.
Liesl, on the contrary, was still asleep when her father came to wake her. She woke up with a start when she heard the lock.
He told her the same thing as he had told Louisa and left the room.
After breakfast their father brought Liesl and Louisa breakfast. "Thank you, sir." Liesl said with a half smile. "All prisoners have the right to have at least two meals a day." he said and gave her a nod.
When he gave Louisa her breakfast she still did not say a word, instead she spoke with her eyes. "Here is your breakfast." he said as he put the plate on the desk. "You might want to get rid of that look on your face and your attitude. I do not like it". He pointed at her face.
"Why would you care? I did as you told me to, I kept my mouth shut. You keep complaining about everything. Honestly, what am I supposed to do? You will never stop, no matter what I do, it is never good enough." she huffed.
"I do not recall me asking you anything. If you do anything that I do not appreciate there will be consequences, understood?" he said sternly. Louisa did not react and stayed silent.
"This is the moment where you say, 'Yes, sir. I understand, sir. I'm sorry sir, it will not happen again, sir'." he said annoyed. "Yes. Sir." she said loudly, clearly emphasising each word.
"Very well. Enjoy your breakfast. I will be back soon with work to occupy you". He turned on his heels, left the room and shut the door.
After Georg made sure the other children had started their studies, he went to Liesl's room and handed her her homework. "Finish your homework, after that you should study for your next history test, since your last grade was a seven". "Yes sir." she obediently said.
Then he walked to Louisa's room. He assumed she was going to challenge him again.
"You will be writing lines today, after that you can start working on your homework. At the end of the day I will check what you have done." he said as he laid the papers and books down in front of Louisa, on the desk.
He looked down at the plate on the corner of the desk. To his surprise he found the plate, untouched. "Not hungry?" he asked. Louisa shrugged her shoulders.
"You have got to eat something, otherwise you might faint." he said concerned. "I don't have much of an appetite." Louisa said looking down.
"You have to eat." her father said sternly.
"Or else what? I won't get dinner?" she said defiantly, now looking him straight in the eye.
"I will leave the plate, in case you want to eat anything later. Let's discuss your punishment." he began.
"Grab your dip pen. You are going to write the next, a three hundred times: 'I will not steal, lie, have a big mouth, an attitude and disrespect my father again. I was in the wrong and now I have to learn from my mistakes.'" he said while he paced around with his hands clasped behind his back.
He looked over Louisa's shoulder, to check if she had written the correct line down. The paper had several ink stains because of her left-handedness. "Number the lines please. Oh and try not to stain and rip the paper too much, would you?".
Louisa closed her eyes for a few seconds, trying not to let her anger take the best of her. Her father looked at her suspiciously.
"You know that if I write all of this down it does not mean I actually agree with it, don't you? Writing this three hundred times is not going to change that". She looked up and stared at her father.
"That means we would have to make it five hundred…" he said.
"Five hundred would not do it either. Why would I be the one that is writing lines, when you are the real thief here?" she raised her voice.
"Enough!" he yelled. Louisa drew back a bit and lowered her head. "It does not get through to you, does it? What I say goes!" Her father sighed and try to lower his voice.
"I will extend the time that you spend here and you will be writing it six hundred times. Do anything I do not approve of and it will be more".
"Yes sir." Louisa said reluctantly. Her father walked out, slammed the door shut with a bang and went to his study.
A/N: I know this is the same kind of chapter as the previous one. As I mentioned last time, these moments are very important for when they rebond. The way Georg reacts to such 'mischief' is obviously going to change. And yes, this is not the worst reaction of all, it's just the beginning. Keep in mind that the children's behaviour also isn't completely acceptable. Of course we know where it comes from, they lost their mother and in some kind of way their father as well. But I think Georg overlooked the cause of their behaviour and has the wrong reaction, which does not help, it pushes (especially) Louisa in the wrong way.