Let's Start At The Very Beginning

Chapter 8

It turns out Maria needed to be a little worried after all. 

Maria's house had electricity and water by the next day and the rest of the week was dedicated to settling in. Jane and Michael had wanted their own rooms, so it was done. However, out of the 5 nights that had spent there Michael had slipped into Jane's room for three. They were invited over to the von Trapps in the afternoon and the children were thrilled to see their friends again.

When they walked in the door Georg was in the sitting room, along with his oldest three children and Brigitta.

Louisa and Friedrich were playing cards, Brigitta was reading and Liesl was drawing while Georg sat in a chair across from his daughter, reading the paper.

"Ah Maria! Children," Georg stood to acknowledge them, the four von Trapp children in the room lifted their heads but said nothing.

"Jane! Michael!" Gretl came shouting down the stairs with Marta behind her.

Georg saw them coming and held a hand up. Both girls' faces fell in fear "I've told you a hundred times that you should not shout or run in this house." Georg was stern but didn't yell. Maria felt uncomfortable watching the interaction and could tell her children felt the same way as she felt them cling to her skirt.

"So-sorry father," Marta stuttered. Maria felt awful, Marta was obviously a sensitive child, and shy as they came, she spoke so quietly Maria could hardly hear her.

Maria decided to interrupt "Why don't you all go outside to burn some energy before dinner hmm?" Maria pried Michael's hand from her skirt

"Just don't get dirty." Georg called after them. Maria watched as Marta shed a tear, Gretl, seemingly unfazed, opened the back door and the von Trapp girls and Michael walked straight ahead. Jane looked back toward her mother, Maria simply nodded, and the girl went on her way.

As soon as the door was shut Maria was blunt "Georg they're children, Gretl is only five." Georg began returning to his seat and Maria sat on the couch catty cornered. This wasn't like him. He had sweet moments, he always had, earlier in the week for example.

It was the first substantial holiday break since Georg had started university. At the moment he was attending the University of Salzburg, studying architecture, but just because he was in town didn't mean he wasn't getting a normal Uni experience.

Hedwig and Fritz had allowed Georg to live in the dorms since he had worked and gotten a couple of scholarships. He had made many friends in his short time, including a second-year student named Max Detweiler. Georg and Max hit it off right away. Max was also an architecture major, not because he was good at math, but because he could draw better than anyone Georg had ever met, and he had an inkling that deep down Max wouldn't stick with architecture, he loved art itself too much, but Georg kept that to himself.

Max had opened his eyes to a whole new world, a world larger than he thought existed. Max was well traveled, street savvy, and too smart for his own good. Between Max and Georg's other good friend who was at finishing school, he learned about things he wouldn't have ever imagined. He gained a reputation with women, not anything graphic, but a stolen moment here or there, a rogue.

Maria heard of these rumors, news travels fast in the city, and she kept her thoughts to herself.

With Hede spending the school holiday with a special friend, Hedwig found the house empty. Georg came to visit for a couple of days, but it just wasn't the same. She called the tiny apartment in the heart of Salzburg and invited the girl she missed almost as much as her own daughter to dinner.

Maria obliged happily. She got ready with butterflies in her stomach. She sat at her desk in the cubbyhole of her room and looked at the pictures pinned on her wall, including one of Georg and her by the lake. Would he be there? Did he still have that "Friend"? Would she meet his friend?