The Sound of a Musical

1 - How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?

Maria and the Captain's marriage had lasted for several years, and their love for one another sparked a question in teenage Liesl's mind, will I find him? Her pillow was damp with tears and her mother lovingly comforted her. She held her tightly and told her that love is like a bird, it takes a little nurturing, but when you find the right man, love grows and flies to amazing proportions. In addition, she told her, you shouldn't be worrying whether he will come to you, because you could come to him.

"Just remember your favourite things." Maria patted her daughter on the back.

"Do, a deer, a female deer..."
"Ray, a drop of golden sun, me, a name I call myself, fa a long long way to run...."  They sung in unison for quite some time, until the Captain showed up at the door with Edelweiss (flowers).

"Remember that time when I was angry at you for the beautiful voice you have? "

"Remember when you kissed me in the gazebo on that starry Austrian night?" He paced towards her and interlocked her fingers with his. Their noses touched in an intimate embrace.

"Yes, of course Miss Fraulein. How could I not remember your red-as-apple cheeks?" Maria bashfully giggled and raised her eyeline to meet his gaze. The Captain helplessly kissed her and quickly stood up. "We have vistors from America in a week's time. I hope the children will sing a song or two in their presence."

Gently, the door sealed shut, leaving Maria fall into a deep sleep...

*   *   *

The seven Von Trapp children jumped on the bed around where their mother was still sleeping, although it was late morning. She, like any young souls, refused to get up on a Saturday morning. (She was like this back at the Abbey.)

The strings on her guitar clumsily vibrated as the instrument crashed to the floor causing a disastorous cacophony of horrible sound. An unpleasant groan hit the children like one too many spoonfuls of sugar. Ahhh. Liesl immediately wrung her fingers round her ears and her brothers and sisters did the same. To a win-lose situation, in which their new found hearing enabled to hear their mother gradually beginning to snore.

Gretl and Louisa each grabbed a fluffy pillow. Scared, Fredrich and Kurt edged away to sit by Brigitta. The two girls sat on either side of Maria, who was sleeping in the middle of the double bed.

"3...2...1...! Ahhhhhh!!!" Like lunatics both girls chucked their pillow at the other resulting in a loud pillow fight. Not wanting to miss a fight - of any sort, whether a boyish one or not - quickly raced into their room and started bashing their sisters with their pillows. A few minutes later, Brigitta joined in, and with a bit of convincing, Liesl too. What they didn't know, though, was that Von Trapp was leaning his against the door frame in awe secretly laughing with the children.

"Ah, you little monsters. All of you." As if on a ship once again, all seven arranged themselves, by height, into an orderly line. Maria, eyes only half open, stumbled over the covers on top of the bed so the Captain could see her and said,

"Yes, I'm up.... Sir." a gleeful laugh curved his unsuspecting lips upwards into a loving smile. He blushed. Their eyes quickly met. All of their arms interlocked as they merrily bounced down the stairs, laughing and giggling all the while.