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*Chapter 7*

Queens of the Ahr

 
 
I won’t bore you with the drive home, suffice to say that three toilet stops, a longer halt for some lunch and a short stop at the Grönbergs to drop Roni off meant that it was approaching seven when we turned into Dernau from the valley road. Mum and Dad had shared the driving, Ron and I spent a significant part of the day with eyes closed and sometimes it wasn’t due to Mum’s driving! Just kidding but let’s just say that the needle didn’t stray much below 150kph for a lot of road.

“Hmm, I could murder a cuppa.”

“Hopefully your sister’ll have the kettle on, I told her we’d be here about seven,” Mum supplied.

Oh how naive we are. We turned into the village as usual only to find a diversion in place, annoying but not the end of the world. I did sense the odour of Rattus rattus when we turned the next corner to find the street bedecked in bunting and a sizeable crowd complete with, if I’m not mistaken, a TV crew.

"Shitza!"

"My thoughts exactly, kiddo," Mum noted.

"Dad?"

"They said a little welcome," he offered whilst confirming his complicity.

"I'm tired, Dave," Mum complained in turn.

"Humour them for a bit, eh, I managed to defer the civic reception."

By now of course our arrival had been well and truly noted.

"Let's get it over with then," Mum sighed, "dig out the gongs, Gab."

Dig them out? Mine have been in my pocket all day; I’ve been sneaking quick looks whenever Roni dropped off.

 
 
I didn't give you the kilometre by kilometre of the drive down so you'll have to put up with more detail about the reception committee. We didn't get much chance to dither; Bernd our local member of the Polizei came to escort us up to the makeshift stage where we joined several eminent burghers and a mad MC.

"Und here they are, Dernau's very own Weltmeisterin, Jenny und Gaby Bondt!"

There was quite a lot of cheering; it looked like half the village had turned out. You have to ham it up a bit of course so we gave our public a smile and wave - I reckon I could be an actor. I spotted the Angel's down near the front and my sister off to one side now joined by Dad.

Of course no occasion worth its salt can be speech free and this gathering was well laden with saline material. So after our bit of arm waving we had to endure speeches from the mayor, his deputy and the chairman of the Lion's who had apparently sorted out this shindig.

"So, Jenny, how does it feel to be Weltmeisterin again?"

"Strange. When I took the title two years ago I thought it would be my only shot, when I got selected this time it was expected that I’d be helping the younger girls, the rest as they say, is history."

"And talking of younger girls, let us bring your daughter in."

I shuffled up between our MC and Mum.

"It was strange to see our own Weinkönigin riding the boys events in Denmark?"

Sugar.

"Er," I stalled but was saved by Mum.

"The rules only state that boys or men cannot ride the ladies events, British Cycling thought that Gaby was good enough to compete with the boys, I think you'll agree with their decision."

"The English, always thinking beyond the box, eh? So, Gaby, not one but two medals, beating Mom, eh?"

"This time," I allowed, "I need my own trophy case now!"

"Any carpenters out there?"

Boy he's sharp; he got that one in without me even seeing it. Of course it got the round of chuckles it was intended to generate.

"So what next, ladies?"

"Back to the grindstone, we go with Apollinaris to Japan in a few weeks so it's back to training for me and school for Gaby."

"Mu-um," I groaned, I sure didn't need reminding of that.

All I wanted to do was sleep but I guess the cost of fame is just that, fame. After the locals were done with us it was the turn of Gertie Schmidt and the TV crew. At least we only had to recycle the previous exchange.

"See you in the morning then, Gabs," Con mentioned.

"I guess so," I confirmed.

"Best wear something nice, rumour is that old Boxberg is doing a special assembly - bring the bling, eh!"

I groaned - she's been taking lessons from Woody, I’m sure of it.

"Yeah, whatever," I agreed.

 
 
"Sorry, Mum," Jules offered when we did eventually get to Chez Bond.

"Not your fault but I can overlook a lot with a decent cuppa?"

 
 
And so we were back home, the focus of the last eight weeks of my life been and gone. Will my life return to some sort of normality? I wish, school and of course I need to see the Doc again to sort out my er issues. No, normal for me is a world of excitement for most people.
 
 

I took Con's advice, even if it meant getting up super early. There is no way I’m looking a scruff in front of the whole Gymnasium, so I turned up at Thesing’s with my hair neatly braided, subtle makeup and a 'nice' dress. Okay for someone claiming to be male it's a bit er negative but it's not like wearing jeans and a t shirt will have people believing that, not around here at least.

"You got a date, Gaby?" Frau Thesing enquired.

"As if, Con said there's a special assembly at school so I thought I'd go smart."

"Well you are certainly that, congratulations by the way, we all watched on the telly, first you and then your mutter."

"Erm."

"Whoa, Gab-eee!" Pia announced.

"Yeah, yeah, a bit over the top for school."

"I know someone who'll like it," Con chipped in.

 
 
The tone of the day was set, my old Schauff weighs a ton and whilst I might be quite fit getting it moving, especially in a dress and sandals isn't an easy business. The conversation of our little group as we rolled down the Ahrtal quickly moved from my doings to catching up with the gossip and what I’d missed at school. Not too much of the latter thankfully and the girls had got notes for me anyhow.

Arrival at the Ahrtal Gymnasium came far too soon and with it a return to reality. I might have made my mark in the cycling world at the weekend, heck I was even on telly last night but here at school - well boys still kicked balls around and girls were doing the goss, here I’m anonymous. Well if you don't count the catcalls and general harassment fifteen-year-old girls get.

"Hey. Gab, nice dress!"

"I said someone would notice, " Con stage whispered.

Whatever, "Morning, Max."

"So like congratulations for the weekend, even Gran was watching."

All I need.

"Er thanks," I mumbled.

The warning bell of impending doom prevented any further discussion as we all headed for registration. Dunno why but I was getting a lot of weird looks this morning, well not weird as such but a lot of smiles and even little waves from kids I didn't know from Adam or should that be Eve?

 
 
“Welcome back, Gaby,” Fr Dürst noted as I slid into homeroom, “congratulations.”

“Um thanks, Miss.”

“It looks like you’ve been forewarned about the assembly?”

“Con sort of mentioned there might be something happening.”

Hey, how’d she know? What did she mean by that?

The second bell sounded and everyone found their seats, Fr Dürst immediately starting the register.

 
 
I felt a bit of a prawn as we all headed for the main hall a few minutes later, okay I wasn’t the only one in a dress but they were at least girls. Most of my peers were in some form of denim not a girly girly summer frock. We filed into the hall where Claudia Pfeffer, the school secretary tugged me to one side.

“Ah, Gaby, the Boss wants you up at the stage, have you brought your medals?”

I patted my bag, “I was warned,” I informed her with a grin.

“Good girl, let’s go the long way around.”

 
 
“… And so let’s have a big welcome for our very own Weltmeister, Gaby Bond.”

Was that intentional, calling me world champ in the male mode? Don’t suppose anyone else noticed.

Claudia gave me a gentle shove, “Go on. girl.”

So okay it’s hardly the first time I’ve done this sort of thing but it never seems to alter the degree of nervousness walking out in front of your peers causes. Old Boxberg had already done the warm up, if I hadn’t known it was me she was talking about I wouldn’t’ve recognised me. My gongs chinked together as I walked across to the head as the school politely clapped my entrance.

The following interview glossed over some of the less important facts, that I was riding for GB and that I won the boy’s title. No, Frau Boxberg was keen to promote me as local girl done good, an example to everyone – I could feel my face redden with embarrassment. The whole thing was rounded out by one of the lower year girls presenting me with a bouquet, what the heck do I do with that all day?

 
 
“Thanks, Gaby, I can always count on you to be a good egg,” Frau B mentioned as she herded me from the stage a few minutes later.

“Erm.”

“Sometimes we need to reinforce the Heimat, eh? We don’t have a lot to shout about in our little valley, no big league football team or famous choir. You and your mother are our heroes.”

“But we aren’t even German,” I observed.

“That, my dear mädchen, is immaterial, it’s not where you come from but where you are now, you are part of the valley family, a prominent part. You might not realise it but your family’s presence here has had a surprising impact on the Ahrtal.

A lot of people who aren’t really cycling or even sports fans watched the racing on Sunday, they were cheering you and your mother on regardless of the jerseys you wore, Apollinaris are ‘their’ team and you ride for their team and live amongst them.”

“Um.”

“You are part of the community, something to be proud of, someone to boast about to their friends. You know what it’s like Gaby, the Kirmes*, the Weinkönigin voting – everyone gets involved. No it has nothing to do with nationality, it’s community and you Gaby Bond are part of that, a part that your friends and neighbours care about more than you know.”

Ulp!

“Go on, you don’t want to be late for Herr Ansbacher’s class.”

“Er what do I do with these?” I enquired brandishing the colourful array of flora I was gripping.

“Give ‘em here,” Claudia instructed, “you can pick them up from the office later.”

“Thanks,” I gratefully handed her the blooms, heaven knows what I’m supposed to do with half a florist’s shop.

* Carnival cum fair

Maddy Bell © 13.09.2014