A/N: This story is dedicated to the Vanessa's TSOM forum, which inspired me
to write. I'd like a huge thank you to my beta's Kylie and Vanessa, without
them, this story wouldn't be the same. Thanks Kylie, Vanessa, and the TSOM
forum! 5 review ransom for the next chapter, I LOVE reviews!
Summary: After many years, the von Trapps are back in Austria, and Liesl is lovesick again. From Liesl's POV.
Homecoming
It's so devastating. We are home again. When we escaped from Austria, we rode on a train to Switzerland. Now we are coming back on the same one. As we get off the train, we are immediately surrounded by memories.
"Remember how Friedrich almost got left behind?" Says Briggita. Everyone laughs, even Fredrich. He had been talking to a pretty girl and Father had to re-board the train and practically drag Friedrich off of it.
Father goes to the conducer.
"Can we have this luggage delivered?"
The conductor nods.
"Here is our address. These need to be delivered before evening."
Father hands him the address of the house we are renting for a few days, before we find a place to stay. Mother gets her guitar, which she brings everywhere, and we head off. We have a few more hours before we can go to the house we're staying in, so we're going to the market to buy some things for lunch.
As we walk the street to the market, I see the horse fountain. I remember going on a picnic with mother, before she and father got married. I also remember seeing Rolfe near that same fountain. Tears roll down my cheeks. It has been a long time since I have last talked to him. He was very rude, but for some reason, I still love him. Mother and I had had many talks on love after we had left Austria. I wonder if I will ever see Rolfe again. I wonder if he is still alive. I feel a hand on my shoulder. I wipe the tears from my face and turn to face mother.
"Are you coming, Liesl? Or would you like to catch up with us later?"
I know Mother understands what I'm thinking.
"I'll come with you."
* * * * *
As we arrive at the market, I hear people are talking and someone playing a guitar.
Everything is the same, but yet, it's not. People seem to be more serious.
I go to a booth with the most gorgeous dresses. Fredrich and Kurt are looking at some footballs, Briggita is looking through some books, and Marta and Gretl are looking at a dollhouse.
"Oh, Mother, look!"
I glance to see Isabell dragging mother to a doll both. Isabell Maria was born in America five months after we arrived. She is three now, and just adores dolls. Mother says she'll make a good mother someday because she takes such good care of her dolls.
"May I have one?"
"Not today, darling."
Mother says as Isabell starts to cry.
"Maybe we can come back later and buy one then."
Isabell has stopped crying. I smile. Mother always seems to know what to say to Isabell.
We soon have a basket full of goods. Father has rented some bikes from the train station so we could ride up into the hills and eat.
When we've reached the top of a hill, I realize I've been here before.
It is where mother taught us how to sing, before she and father got married.
My siblings remember it too, and start telling father all about it.
After lunch, we sing. Mother has brought her guitar, so her and Father take turns playing it, but all I can think about is Rolfe.
What if he had moved out of the country? What if he had moved to Vienna? What if... My thoughts are interrupted by father.
"Let's stop by our villa. Maybe they will let us in."
At the mention of our old villa everyone, turns quiet. I heard mother and father talking on the train about our old villa. They're hoping no one is staying there so we won't have to buy it back.
We turn our bikes in at the train station and walk to Agien Street. I had almost forgotten how lovely it was here.
When we come in sight of our villa, and everyone turns more solemn.
We had heard that Herr Zeller had taken it after we had left, but we didn't expect this. The garden was full of weed, the shrubs were in dire need of a trim, trash and papers were almost everywhere. We were shocked. We went into our house and luckily they hadn't messed it up too much. They had searched what looked like every drawer and cabinet, every place that might hold a clue to where we were. But other than that, everything was in its place. It practically looked like we just left last week, except for the large amount of dust everywhere. Everyone went to their bedroom. I go to my room and open my armoire. The dresses I had left in my there have plenty of holes left by moths. Oh, well. They probably wouldn't have fitted me anyway. As I go through the dresses, I remember when I wore each one. Then I remembered. I had kept the most special dresses in my secret place, in a box behind a loose board in my armoire. I reach down for the board and pull. I pull so hard that when the board comes loose, I fall back onto the floor. The box it still there! I'm so glad the Nazis didn't find them! I sit on my bed and open the boxes. I pull the dresses out, one by one. The dress I wore for my 17th birthday. The one I wore for Mother and Fathers wedding. Even the one from when Mother and Father announced their engagement. I knew that these would be cherished by generations to come. In the next box, I pull out the most special dress of all. The dress I wore when I first saw Rolfe and when Rolfe had given me my first kiss. I sit on the bed and remember that night. How it had started storming and raining. And about that kiss. "Children!" I hear Father calling. I carefully put all the dresses back into the boxes and carry them downstairs. "Mother, look!" "Mother, look what I found!" Almost all the children had some kind of cherished toy or trinket in their hand. We had taken mostly toys, and there was only room for one small toy. Mother had Isabell and is telling her about the different places in the house. "Mother, can I show you something?" "Yes, of course Liesl." Then she turns to father, "Georg, will you please watch Isabell for a moment?" Father nods and takes Isabell. Mother and I go into the drawing room, the same one in which Mother and I had sang together the day before we left Austria. I show her the boxes. "This is where I kept my most important dresses." I open the first one, and explain each one in turn. Then I show her my most special box. I open my mouth to start saying about it, when Maria interrupts me. She smiles her wonderful smile. "I remember this one. The one we had to soak in the tub the night of the thunderstorm." We laugh. "And, If I remember correctly, Isn't this the one you met Rolfe in?" I nod. Tears cloud my eyes at the mention of his name. I try to hold my tears back. "Liesl, it's alright to cry. You cry a little then wait for the sun to come out, it always does." "But, I afraid. What if something happened to him? What if I never see him again?" "It's alright to be afraid, Liesl. You just have to trust God. If it his is will, you will see him again." "You really think so?" "I know so. Just look at you're Father and I." Father comes to the door carrying Isabell, who is fast asleep. "Liesl, Maria, It's time to go." He smiles. "I sure hope you've been saying nice things about me." Maria and I smile. I reply, "Wouldn't you want to know." As we walk down the drive, I glance back at the house and my eye catches sight of our gazebo. I remember how Rolfe and I had danced in it once. I wonder if Rolfe and I will ever dance together again.
* * * * * * * * * * *
The Friedrich comment is dedicated to the TSOM forum, who believes that Friedrich would be quite the ladies man. = )
Summary: After many years, the von Trapps are back in Austria, and Liesl is lovesick again. From Liesl's POV.
Homecoming
It's so devastating. We are home again. When we escaped from Austria, we rode on a train to Switzerland. Now we are coming back on the same one. As we get off the train, we are immediately surrounded by memories.
"Remember how Friedrich almost got left behind?" Says Briggita. Everyone laughs, even Fredrich. He had been talking to a pretty girl and Father had to re-board the train and practically drag Friedrich off of it.
Father goes to the conducer.
"Can we have this luggage delivered?"
The conductor nods.
"Here is our address. These need to be delivered before evening."
Father hands him the address of the house we are renting for a few days, before we find a place to stay. Mother gets her guitar, which she brings everywhere, and we head off. We have a few more hours before we can go to the house we're staying in, so we're going to the market to buy some things for lunch.
As we walk the street to the market, I see the horse fountain. I remember going on a picnic with mother, before she and father got married. I also remember seeing Rolfe near that same fountain. Tears roll down my cheeks. It has been a long time since I have last talked to him. He was very rude, but for some reason, I still love him. Mother and I had had many talks on love after we had left Austria. I wonder if I will ever see Rolfe again. I wonder if he is still alive. I feel a hand on my shoulder. I wipe the tears from my face and turn to face mother.
"Are you coming, Liesl? Or would you like to catch up with us later?"
I know Mother understands what I'm thinking.
"I'll come with you."
* * * * *
As we arrive at the market, I hear people are talking and someone playing a guitar.
Everything is the same, but yet, it's not. People seem to be more serious.
I go to a booth with the most gorgeous dresses. Fredrich and Kurt are looking at some footballs, Briggita is looking through some books, and Marta and Gretl are looking at a dollhouse.
"Oh, Mother, look!"
I glance to see Isabell dragging mother to a doll both. Isabell Maria was born in America five months after we arrived. She is three now, and just adores dolls. Mother says she'll make a good mother someday because she takes such good care of her dolls.
"May I have one?"
"Not today, darling."
Mother says as Isabell starts to cry.
"Maybe we can come back later and buy one then."
Isabell has stopped crying. I smile. Mother always seems to know what to say to Isabell.
We soon have a basket full of goods. Father has rented some bikes from the train station so we could ride up into the hills and eat.
When we've reached the top of a hill, I realize I've been here before.
It is where mother taught us how to sing, before she and father got married.
My siblings remember it too, and start telling father all about it.
After lunch, we sing. Mother has brought her guitar, so her and Father take turns playing it, but all I can think about is Rolfe.
What if he had moved out of the country? What if he had moved to Vienna? What if... My thoughts are interrupted by father.
"Let's stop by our villa. Maybe they will let us in."
At the mention of our old villa everyone, turns quiet. I heard mother and father talking on the train about our old villa. They're hoping no one is staying there so we won't have to buy it back.
We turn our bikes in at the train station and walk to Agien Street. I had almost forgotten how lovely it was here.
When we come in sight of our villa, and everyone turns more solemn.
We had heard that Herr Zeller had taken it after we had left, but we didn't expect this. The garden was full of weed, the shrubs were in dire need of a trim, trash and papers were almost everywhere. We were shocked. We went into our house and luckily they hadn't messed it up too much. They had searched what looked like every drawer and cabinet, every place that might hold a clue to where we were. But other than that, everything was in its place. It practically looked like we just left last week, except for the large amount of dust everywhere. Everyone went to their bedroom. I go to my room and open my armoire. The dresses I had left in my there have plenty of holes left by moths. Oh, well. They probably wouldn't have fitted me anyway. As I go through the dresses, I remember when I wore each one. Then I remembered. I had kept the most special dresses in my secret place, in a box behind a loose board in my armoire. I reach down for the board and pull. I pull so hard that when the board comes loose, I fall back onto the floor. The box it still there! I'm so glad the Nazis didn't find them! I sit on my bed and open the boxes. I pull the dresses out, one by one. The dress I wore for my 17th birthday. The one I wore for Mother and Fathers wedding. Even the one from when Mother and Father announced their engagement. I knew that these would be cherished by generations to come. In the next box, I pull out the most special dress of all. The dress I wore when I first saw Rolfe and when Rolfe had given me my first kiss. I sit on the bed and remember that night. How it had started storming and raining. And about that kiss. "Children!" I hear Father calling. I carefully put all the dresses back into the boxes and carry them downstairs. "Mother, look!" "Mother, look what I found!" Almost all the children had some kind of cherished toy or trinket in their hand. We had taken mostly toys, and there was only room for one small toy. Mother had Isabell and is telling her about the different places in the house. "Mother, can I show you something?" "Yes, of course Liesl." Then she turns to father, "Georg, will you please watch Isabell for a moment?" Father nods and takes Isabell. Mother and I go into the drawing room, the same one in which Mother and I had sang together the day before we left Austria. I show her the boxes. "This is where I kept my most important dresses." I open the first one, and explain each one in turn. Then I show her my most special box. I open my mouth to start saying about it, when Maria interrupts me. She smiles her wonderful smile. "I remember this one. The one we had to soak in the tub the night of the thunderstorm." We laugh. "And, If I remember correctly, Isn't this the one you met Rolfe in?" I nod. Tears cloud my eyes at the mention of his name. I try to hold my tears back. "Liesl, it's alright to cry. You cry a little then wait for the sun to come out, it always does." "But, I afraid. What if something happened to him? What if I never see him again?" "It's alright to be afraid, Liesl. You just have to trust God. If it his is will, you will see him again." "You really think so?" "I know so. Just look at you're Father and I." Father comes to the door carrying Isabell, who is fast asleep. "Liesl, Maria, It's time to go." He smiles. "I sure hope you've been saying nice things about me." Maria and I smile. I reply, "Wouldn't you want to know." As we walk down the drive, I glance back at the house and my eye catches sight of our gazebo. I remember how Rolfe and I had danced in it once. I wonder if Rolfe and I will ever dance together again.
* * * * * * * * * * *
The Friedrich comment is dedicated to the TSOM forum, who believes that Friedrich would be quite the ladies man. = )