3. So Long, Farewell…

It was the evening of the Salzburg Music Festival. A group of girls were just finishing a clogging routine. As I sat next to Ehren, I could tell that something was different. Ever since the Anschluss, everyone had been on edge and nervous.

We clapped as the girls finished. Max appeared.

"Thank you," he said, "And now, the Family von Trapp!"

Georg, Maria, and the children filed onstage. They sang the Do Re Mi song Maria was so fond of to thunderous applause. Then Friedrich ran offstage to get a chair and Max gave Georg his guitar. He sat down and began to sing:

"Edelweiss, Edelweiss
Every morning you greet me
Small and white clean and bright
You look happy to meet me"

Watching Georg, I felt a pride I hadn't felt since the Anschluss, and also a terrible sadness.

"Blossom of snow may you bloom and grow
Bloom and grow forever
Edelweiss, Edelweiss
Bless my homeland forever.

Edelweiss, Edelweiss
Every morning …"

Georg's voice broke and trailed off. I couldn't hold it in any longer. I broke down sobbing.

"Small and white clean and bright-"

I looked up. Maria and the children had begun to sing. Georg smiled and rejoined them on the next line:

"You look happy to meet me-"

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone stand up. It was Baron Elberfeld. He motioned to me, and I stood, too. Soon everyone was standing. I practically had to pull Ehren up by the collar, but in the end he was standing as well. We all sang:

"Blossom of snow may you bloom and grow
Bloom and grow forever
Edelweiss, Edelweiss
Bless my homeland forever."

I believe this was the longest standing ovation I'd ever seen. Eventually, Max came and motioned for us to sit down.

"Thank you," he said, "Ladies and gentlemen; I have an announcement that concerns you. The festival competition has come to its conclusion, except of course we don't know yet what that conclusion will be. While the judges are putting their heads together, I think there should be an encore. This will be the last opportunity the von Trapps will have of singing together for a long, long time. Even now, officials are waiting in this auditorium to escort Captain von Trapp to his new command in the naval forces of the Third Reich."

The audience exploded with gasps and cries of shock and outrage. Ehren gave a stiff nod.

"Shame on you!" I hissed, elbowing him sharply in the ribs.

"That hurt," he muttered.

"It was supposed to, dear," I retorted, layering the last word with sarcasm.

"And so, ladies and gentlemen," Max finished, "The Family von Trapp again!"

They sang a reprise of the song the children had sung months ago at the party. They exited amid applause.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen," said Max, "I have the decision of out distinguished judges. The fith award goes to… Hans Clappmann!"

Hans walked out with an enormous grin on his face. Max presented him with his prize, a cheese in red wax. I could hardly help laughing when his lederhosen came undone. Thankfully, he kept them up.

"The fourth award goes to… the Schnitzel Sisters!"

The clogging girls were presented with a string of sausages.

"Third prize goes to… Willi Ruef, the singing contortionist!"

He came onstage amid wild cheering with both ankles behind his head. Ironically enough, his prize was a giant pretzle.

"Second prize goes to… Fraulein Steiger, first soloist from St. Agatha's church!"

The fraulein came out bowing and smiling. Max handed her her prize of a jar of saurkraut. She shook his hand fiercely and kept bowing and smiling. Max finally recoverd his hand and had to push her offstage, bowing all the way.

"And now," he said, "The first award, the highest honor, goes to… the Family von Trapp!"

The audience applauded as they had never applauded before. But, the von Trapps did not appear.

"The Family von Trapp!" Max said again.

Still, nothing.

Ehren stood up and gestured furiously at the Nazi lieutenant.

"The Family von Trapp!"

This time the applause was hesitant and nervous.

"Where are they?" the lieutenant yelled.

"The von Trapps!" shouted a soldier.

A second soldier ran onto the stage.

"They're gone!" he cried.

The audience collectively lept to their feet.

"What?!" Herr Zeller exploded. He jumped onto the stage and grabbed Max by the front of his shirt.

"He's supposed to be in Bremerhaven!" he roared.

"Call headquarters!" the lieutenant ordered.

"Play something!" Max called to the orchestra director.

Ehren ran off to join the soldiers. In spite of that, and the choas around me, I couldn't help saying a prayer of thanks and another for the safety of the von Trapps.

--

At almost one in the morning, Ehren came to my home. He sat down dejectedly in a chair and stared at the floor without saying a word.

"I take it they got away?" I said at length.

"Yes," he sighed.

"Don't you wonder," I began slowly, "If they were willing to risk everything to resist the Third Reich, maybe they're in the right?"

For a while he was silent, and I worried that I had gone too far. Then, he turned his grey eyes back up at me.

"Maybe," he said, taking my hand, "Maybe they are."