Marieke van Beethoven (pt. 4)

Telling Beethoven about the baby was the happiest day of my life. While he was an adorably irascible man, he was passionate. If there is any one image I could imprint on my mind, it would be his facial expression when I said "you're going to be a papa". I would die happy remembering that smile.

However, being pregnant in 1807 sucks. Pregnant women crave things. Pregnant women from the future crave things that won't exist for two and a half centuries. All I wanted for 9 months was a diet pepsi and a bag of doritos. Fortunately, even the slightest sign of pain was cause for Beethoven to rush to my side and cater to my needs.

I snuck away when he sketched, though, because I knew both of us need to be alone at times. Walking through the streets of Vienna, I realized that the urge for strangers to touch a pregnant woman's belly has existed for a long time. I came home sometimes with a perfect black handprint on my dress from all the affection I recieved. Beethoven would laugh when people randomly touched my stomach, knowing that it annoyed me a little. He would wait until someone approached me with their hand outstretched and just watch my expression, one of frustration and sarcasm.

One day, after coming home from walking about, I heard the strangest tune coming from the piano. From just the notes, my mind made an immediate connection with words..."ain't no lie, baby, bye bye bye".

My heart racing and my mind frantically searching for an explanation, I dashed up the stairs to the flat. Beethoven was sitting at the piano, plinking out this tune I knew wasn't originally composed by him.

"Where did you hear that?" I demanded.

"It came to me, I hear it in my mind" he replied.

I scrambled to his sketches. Normally I would stay away from them, since I know he is very possessive. A new piano sonata entitled, "One more time" (working title); a quartet called "Jinn in a bottle"; even a symphony labeled "Everybody (Beethoven's back)"! I was in tears. Partly because I was 98% hormones but mostly because I had changed him. I brought him happiness. Happiness in the form of sappy, formulaic pop ditties.

What could I do?