E’volvo’lution Chapter 13

February was the big wedding. I had backed away from being the Maid of Honour. I pointed out to Halina that we both looked so alike. With me already well known to a lot of people, I could end up stealing the show.

She saw the problem almost as the words ‘stealing the show’ came out of my mouth so organised a couple of her friends who had been at her first wedding to come over and take the bridesmaids parts.

Her divorce had come through in double-quick time, mainly because it was uncontested and also because the other woman was already pregnant and putting her foot down.

Greger would have Bjorn as his Best Man. My parents came to town in the truck as my father had a load to deliver to the warehouse. They stayed with us at the apartment.

The ceremony itself was a glittering affair, and I do say that literally. There were more diamonds on the guests than was decent, what with at least three ministers and their wives, most of the Swedish community and a lot of transport company owners. The Lundin family had a very good name in Tallinn and everyone wanted to be seen with them.

Berget and I stood with Astrid and Erik and looked after Agnis, who was, by this time, becoming a squirming bundle of arms and legs that continually asked questions.

Erik volunteered, in the end, to take her out of the church so we had a little peace and quiet. Actually, although Agnis had none of the Lundin looks it didn’t matter; she was following the path of her mother and grandmother and would be growing up as a likely beauty queen.

The reception was a very happy show, everyone commented on how much the two were in love. I danced with Bjorn and asked him if we could have a chat, in his workshop, the following week so that I could run a few things past him.

Over the course of that week my mother was shown the whole scope of our operation and declared that if she had been proud of me before, she was doubly proud now. She went back home with Mats in the truck and an empty double container.

It was now getting into show season and our friends at Volvo had been so impressed with the ‘Maidens’ at the opening, they wanted us to be on their stand at a few of the more serious shows, starting with the Commercial Vehicle Show in Birmingham, UK, in April.

There was another show in Paris a week later and then one in Poland in May. We wouldn’t be using the big trucks for any of these, nor would we utilise the light show but would have the hammer in its depression to tease the guys.

Berget and I went by air into Manchester after Elizabeth and Marlen had taken the truck to the National Exhibition Centre. They picked us up in the people mover and the four of us stayed in a hotel then rotated during the show with our ‘driving costumes’ on. Three of us were there to look good and Elizabeth would be talking to the customers while Berget held sway in the shop selling posters.

After that show I flew home for a few days while Berget joined the other two on the trip to Paris to be part of ‘Interlogistics’. This was another very serious show and Volvo was getting a lot of questions about having an arty truck at these events but they held firm, saying that it was to show just what could be done with a standard truck.

The fact that Maidens Transport was starting to be noticed helped as well. I was dropped off at the show by another crew on a delivery run, complete with more posters as we had sold a lot in the UK, especially ‘Answer’ ones.

It seemed that my picture was on almost every garage wall in Europe and, I suspected, some bedroom walls as well.

In May we did the Autostrada-Rotra in Poland and the Logistics Finland with other crews and then June came around and it was show time with a capital ‘S’.

One rig with a crew and a poster seller went to the serious Truck Expo in Bulgaria. The other was going to the Truck Event in Austria with one of the big tractors; Elizabeth and Marlen in the cab. This was the one that Bjorn and I had worked on some extra effects which we had tried out one evening in the new building.

The film star was in Europe and would join us at the truck towards dusk on the Saturday night. He had seen a video of Anders at the opening and we had been told that he knew roughly what to do.

I, for one, was looking forward to it and we had all seven of our Maidens ready to do their thing. All of our girls looked good as we had set up regular visits to Astrid for all our girls, even me. Marlen had taken on a lot of advice from the army girls about exercise and proper eating so was becoming quite a stunner.

Elizabeth would not be doing the show part as I wanted her to act as an interpreter for me when I explained to the star what changes I had made.

I drove ‘Answer’ behind the other rig with a now very evidently pregnant Berget in the cab with me. In all the time she had worked for the company she had done more distance in the last month than the previous five years.

We got there on the Friday and parked the two trucks, being met by the representative of the movie star who wanted to see for himself. We set the ‘Maidens’ on its special boards, connected up the rest of the setting and I pulled the hammer out from its storage and dragged it around to the side of the trailer as if it was a tonne weight. I put it into its depression and Berget, who had the control, turned on the electricity.

He, of course, wanted to lift it but couldn’t even make it budge. When he turned to me I just said, “I have had more practice at this than you,” which Elizabeth interpreted for him.

We then added a new feature which was a long strip of light canvas which was attached to the bottom edge of the trailers and went the full length, so hiding the middle bogey.

It was painted to link the picture on the side with the ground sheets below. I then got up onto the top of the front trailer and opened a long, low box we had added. Inside was a series of LED light-bars which I turned out so that they pointed down towards any crowd who was watching the display.

I then had a box of flash-bangs which were designed to be pushed onto spikes behind the lights that would set them off with an electrical charge. We had also altered the painted hammer on the front trailer so that it would look like it was glowing.

It took a couple of extra hard drives to control what we had planned but I thought it would be worth it, even if only used once. I also took the covers off the outlet for the volcanic eruption. Marlen had unloaded the people mover so we put the hammer away again with much theatrics, locked both vehicles and she took us all, with our luggage, to the hotel we were booked into. She then went off to the airport to pick up the other six girls.

That evening we were joined by most of the Lundin clan. Greger, Halina, Bjorn and Ezuli, Anders and Victoria were a happy, but unsure group.

Only Bjorn knew what we had changed, other than the show girls. Greger was worried that we wouldn’t win any awards and Anders said that it didn’t matter. We were here and would put on a bit of a show.

He told us that we were already guaranteed space in the magazines with pictures taken here being the only bits to be added to the article.

We all had an early night and in the morning after breakfast, Marlen took Berget, Elizabeth and me back to the show site, dropping us off and going back to the hotel for the others.

Anders had hired a people mover for the family so would be getting there whenever they decided. We unlocked the trucks and I went up onto the trailer roof again to check that no birds had roosted on our equipment.

We let down the steps for the store and switched on all of the lights, point of sale and the water urn. Berget and I went into the rear trailer via a smaller set of steps into a side door. We erected a framework with curtains which would be used for both the girls changing as well as our Thor.

It seemed that the star was keen to see what lay in store and turned up mid-morning in a big coat and sunglasses. There was a short conversation with Elizabeth who then told me that one of the guys with him was a camera-man who would be filming the short show and who wanted to know the timing.

Through Elizabeth I described exactly what was planned and what to listen for to give them pointers. At the end of the discussion the star came over and gave me a hug, laughing loudly. He then gave Elizabeth one as well and the group went off to whatever they had planned the rest of the day.

The three of us then went into the rear trailer and changed, the two into tunics and me into the red dress, ready for when the doors opened, also putting the hammer in place.

All through the day there was a good crowd, many interested in last years ‘Truck of the Show’ from Tallinn and also wanting selfies with me next to the painting.

Marlen had arrived with the other six girls, all in their own tunics and they rotated in front of the ‘Maidens’ picture and also talked with the crowd. We had taken two hundred tunics for sale during the show and we sold quite a few by the time we shut the shop at six. An awful lot of guys, and a few girls, had tried to move the hammer.

The Lundins had come around a few times and seen how busy we were. Anders had commented on the draped side-panel. I told him that it wasn’t just for show and that he would have to wait until the performance to see why it was there.

We’d all rotated during the day so were still fresh enough for the evening event. I closed up ‘Answer’ and went to join the others. The six girls to do the show went to the rear trailer and changed into their costumes and then sat in the easy chairs we had in the front trailer. The rest of us placed tall cones around the display side, linking them with bunting to keep people from getting too close.

Then our Thor turned up and the camera-man found a good position while the star went into the rear trailer with a guy who had a big bag. The crowd was starting to build as social media kicked in, no doubt fed initially by the film agents.

At about half-past seven the light was dim enough for the thing to work and there must have been a good thousand on-lookers in the crowd, which now included Felix, Q, and a few other well-built guys in civvies.

The chap that had gone in with the case came out from behind the truck and joined us so I took out my two-way and asked Katrina if everyone was ready. She said she was so I gave the cameraman the nod to start filming and pressed the button that kicked the sound and light show into action.

It started with the speakers giving out a very realistic thunder rumble and the hammer on the painting started to glow. Some seconds later there was another, longer rumble and a voice growled “Thor!!!”

The crowd was now absolutely silent when the light-bars rippled with a white light like sheet lightning and then there was a long rumble of thunder and the voice growled “Thor” again as our six show girls walked out from behind the trailer heading to take up places under their pictures; followed by Thor himself in costume.

He was really in the act and walked as if he owned the world. There was an immediate reaction from the crowd and a flicker of flashes from hundreds of phones which added to the aura of the scene, something I hadn’t factored in.

When he reached the hammer there was another rumble of thunder and the word “Thor” was now very loud as the area around the hammer glowed and the hammer on the painting started pulsing.

I switched the magnet off and it was all down to timing now as he grasped the hammer and waited for the next peal of thunder, lifting the hammer easily. As the thunder rolled he raised the hammer above his head and knocked on the side of the trailer at exactly the right time. The hammer in the painting flashed with intensity and the light show started, the lightning flashes first and then the swirls.

As it worked its way towards the volcano I saw that he was moving so he was in the middle of the girls and had brought the hammer down again.

The next bit would take immaculate execution if it was going to work and my hand was tight on Berget's arm. As the lights reached the volcano the smoke and sparkles shot out from above it and the speakers shook with a never-ending rumble.

But end they did as the sparkles faded and our flash-bangs all went off at once and the light bars shot white and yellow light into the eyes of the crowd. When silenced reigned, at last, and they all got their vision back, Thor and the girls had disappeared.

Well, actually they had all dropped to the ground and rolled under the trailer and were now hidden by the draped canvas. I knew that Marlen was on the other side to help them scramble out and into the rear trailer to change back into normal clothes again.

The silence lasted for at least fifteen seconds before the whoops, shouts and applause started. I heard the camera-man say something in English that even I could understand. The Lundins came over and we were enveloped in hugs; Anders saying that he thought the first showing was good but that they were going to talk about this one for years to come.

The agent and the camera-man both gave me and Elizabeth hugs, the camera-man was smiling broadly. The dresser went off to help the star and they all were going to steal away if they could, and then Elizabeth told me that they would be waiting for us at the hotel when we had finished tonight.

Before we shut down, an hour and two normal light shows later, we had so many that wanted posters of ‘Maidens’ we opened up the shop again and it took eight of us to handle the demand. There were a lot of girls who wanted to buy one of the show costumes but had to leave with the tunic instead.

Everyone wanted to get the star's autograph, but we just said that he had returned to Valhalla.

The “Maidens’ had stolen the show; so much that I didn’t even bother turning on the lights on ‘Answer’.

Marlen took the six girls back to the hotel while Berget, Elizabeth and I locked up the rigs, me getting up on the roof to fold away the light-bars, clean off any residue of flash-bangs and close up the volcano vents.

When I got back down Berget held me close and said, “I really do think you’ve gone and done it, this time, my love.”

Back at the hotel there was a small party going in one of the private rooms. The four of us were ushered in and there were cheers and a bit of clapping. As well as the Lundin clan, all of us drivers and the film people there was our friendly army types and a couple of guys I recognised as Volvo executives.

I really needed to get to bed so tried to keep conversations brief. Felix gave me a hug and told me that anybody who thought our trucks were anything other than civilian had rocks in their head. Q added that I could have a commission in his propaganda section, but with a smile on his face.

The star was so friendly I could hardly believe it. A guy with them was from the Tallinn film scene and he told me that was one of the best bits of two minute action he had seen and he said all of the Aussies were very happy.

I could see Berget visibly wilting so made our apologies so she could go and lie down.

Next morning, at breakfast, it was the two of us that looked the freshest. Bjorn told me it had gone on into the early hours and that Anders was genuinely grateful to me for pulling it off.

I told him that it was his skills, Gregers’ skills, a lot of input from other people that made it possible and he said, “But it is you who had the ideas and visualised the concept.”

I told Berget to stay at the hotel until later and Marlen dropped me, Elizabeth and Katrina off at the showground.

We found a group of guys waiting for us by the trucks. They were part of the organisation and they wanted us to do the show again. I said that I doubted if Thor was available but I would find out.

One of the guys said, “We’re prepared to put ten thousand Euros on the table if you can do it. Last night has created a firestorm of publicity for the show and I expect we’ll make a lot more than that in extra entry fees today.”

I pulled out my phone and called Anders, this would take some higher power than me.

When he answered I told him what I had been asked and said that it depended on whether the star would do it again. He said “Hold on a minute, I’ll ask him”.

There was an agonising few seconds while I listened to a muffled conversation and then he came back, “Yes, he’ll do it. He had a lot of fun. It will also give his guys another chance to film it and his camera-man is on his phone now organising more cameras to get multiple angles.”

I told the organisers that it was on and they said that I would need to move ‘Maidens’ so it could be watched by a bigger crowd. I told Anders that he would need to find us when he came as we would be in another place, and we finished the conversation.

So, instead of getting ready for the day we needed to take down our current set-up. Elizabeth got up in the cab after we had unhooked the draped canvas and pulled out all of the mock painted dirt and unplugged the magnet cable. She backed the rig off of the sheets and we put everything in the rear trailer.

Before we went anywhere we had to make sure everything in the shop was secure and then she guided the rig from our spot in the lowest gear at walking pace, following the organisers to another place with a large open area in front of us. We then had to set it all up again.

Once we had put the sheets out and Elizabeth had driven up onto them, I looked around and saw that, just fifteen or twenty metres in front of the truck a group of guys were messing about in a roped-off area.

I asked the organiser. He told me that they were setting up the fireworks, and the end of our show would be the start of theirs. I called Anders again and asked him if the film guys were still around.

He said they were and I asked if the camera-man was there and when he came on the phone I got Elizabeth to explain to him where we were, what the organisers had planned and a few things we could do to jazz our bit up a bit more.

We also told him that our show would probably start a bit later, even after sunset, so he would need to organise some lighting.

When Elizabeth handed me my phone back she grinned, “He sounded excited and you, dear boss, are wicked.”

Because of where we had been put we couldn’t allow the public behind the rig to get to the shop so I asked the organiser if he could rustle up a couple of tables. We had chairs already.

I went up onto the trailer roof again and reset the light-bars, put out more flash-bangs and opened the volcano vents again. In the trailer I got up on a ladder and opened up the cabinet which housed the volcano effects, removing the three sets of used canisters, putting in three new pairs and rewinding the track back to the start point. I expected that we would only need the one set tonight.

Outside, the other girls had set up the ground-sheets and the draped canvas. We had come in from an angle so the trailers now presented as a slight arc which would be helpful. There was space behind us with a gate which I figured would be handy later as well.

We set two tables in front of the rear trailer and pulled our stock of posters to lay them out on the sheets, adding a few chairs. We had been advised to put an extension line on the point-of-sale so this was run out to the tables.

The three of us were standing and talking about what we had done and if there was anything we had forgotten when the Lundin clan turned up. Halina had a red dress on and Anders told me that she and Greger were going to man the ‘Answer’ for the day with Joanna helping so I gave Greger the keys.

He then told me that Elizabeth and I were going to be in the show tonight as he thought that I should experience it from the other side. Marlen then took the three of us back to the hotel to change as Anders wanted the six of us to be in our show outfits all day.

I wasn’t happy at being eye-candy for the day but once I had been dressed and made beautiful by the hotel salon I was ready for anything.

Marianne Gregory © 2022