Gaby Book 16 - Sweet Sixteen

 
 
“Come on, if you don’t hurry up we won’t get there in time!”

Although not really a race, the fancy dress competitors still had that urge to go as quick as possible. Some were encumbered by their costumes, Tower Bridge was one example, but our closer fitting costumes allowed us to race along almost unhindered. So it was that by the time we reached the finish, we had caught another three teams and we finished to a great cheer from the gallery of cyclists and locals that lined the finish area.

‘Oh yes indeed,’ I mused as we headed up to the roundabout, ‘the first time I made an appearance as Gaby on a bike.’

Back then my twelve year old aspirations were mostly about having fun, Mum was still teaching geography at my school, I hadn’t even worked out that I was related to Mad. Thinking back though it was probably sometime around then that my life started to change, yeah things were never the same after that Christmas.

“Gab!”
“Eh?”
“Which way?” Mand queried.
I quickly assessed where we were, “Left.”
We made the turn before Mand spoke again.
“So what were you thinking about, you looked away with the fairies, there.”
“Nothing really, just some race I did with Mum a couple of years back, it went past Jodrell.”
“Must’ve made an impression.”
“Could say that,” I allowed, “you could say it was the real start of Gaby Bond’s cycling career.”
“You say that like as though it wasn’t you.”
“I’m not sure it was.”

We made the descent into Bad Münstereifel and rather than go around the town I took us into the centre to show Mand the telephone box.
“Weird or what?”
“Yeah,” I agreed, “no idea why it’s here.”
“Take a picture for us,” Mand demanded.
“Go on then,” I allowed.
She stood in front of the red British telephone box with her steed, the camera on my phone isn’t brilliant but you could just about workout who was in the picture.
“We’d best get a move on,” I suggested after noting the time on the church clock.
“Have to come here for a look sometime,” Mand suggested.
“A lot of tourists come in the summer, there’s some glass place at the top of the town.”

It didn’t take us long to return to our task and we were soon heading south on the Blankenheim road. I nearly missed our turn back towards the Ahrtal, I was looking for Adenau on the sign but it only had Mahlberg – it was the bus that turned just ahead of us that saved a lengthy detour.

“Mand?”
“Hmm?” she replied through a mouthful from her bidon.
“Have you ever slept with another girl?”
“Like the same bed?”
“I guess.”
“A few times, if I stayed at Sian’s or my cousin’s in Slough.”
“Right.”
“Why’d you ask?”
“Nothing really.”
“Something to do with staying with Sophia?” Mand guessed.
“Yes, no, well sort of.”
“She come on to you or something?”
“Well not exactly,” I demurred.
“She either did or didn’t, Gab.”
“We sort of cuddled.”
“And?”
“Well that’s it really.”
“Is that all? I thought you were going to announce undying love or something.”
“That’s just it Mand, I don’t know what I feel; left at the bottom,” I advised as we descended through the trees.

We made the turn before picking up the conversation.
“You didn’t want to ravish her, kiss her to death or anything?”
“No.”
“And she didn’t put on any moves?”
“Ut uh,” I agreed.
“But you cuddled.”
“Uh huh, ‘nother left coming up.”
“Dunno what your stressing about, cuddling is hardly illegal or anything.”
“But?”
“Nothing wrong with a cuddle, it’s pretty normal you know.”
“I suppose.”

We tackled the bends down to Dumpelfeld where we joined the main Ahrtal road that will take us back home. The gradient isn’t much but we started to wind things up a bit after Hönningen towards Brück, the end of the Express line. We crossed the Preiser’s pick up, exchanging a wave with his mum; Erika who I’m guessing had been shopping down in Ahrweiler.

Things got a bit competitive on the run back into Altenahr, Mand ran me close for the name board sprint – maybe I’m more out of condition than I thought. We dodged more shoppers then it was into the hole and down into the gorge. It was every girl for herself as we chased down the valley, neither of us giving an inch until we’d passed the Dernau board.

“Don’t forget you need to get home sharp,” Mum instructed as I scooted the Schauff down the drive.
“Later!”
As if I’d forget Gran’s dinner, hmm I wonder if Max’ll be about? My stomach growled in agreement, maybe I need to grab something at Thesing’s.

I enjoy working at the bakery, okay it’s probably not a full time career choice but there are worse places to earn a few euros. You soon know nearly everyone who comes in, certainly at this time of year, you get a few grockles in the summer. The product range is pretty fixed, a few seasonal specials for Easter and Christmas and there’s no hard sell – suits me to a T.

Today, the first week of January was pretty standard, a few people dropping in for coffee and cake, gateaux and buns for tea, the last bread orders collected. Plenty of time to clean up and just as importantly to grab a coffee and a slightly wilted brötchen to tide me over. Salami over salad isn’t my first choice in a sandwich but it filled the hole.

Of course I wasn’t alone, Con was acting boss so we did as much chatting as working.
“So she sewed you into the dress?”
“Uh huh, I didn’t know like, well not until I tried to take it off.”
“That’s a bit extreme.”
“Apparently it was common at one time, they didn’t change clothes for weeks.”
“Ew! I’m like a polecat after a day.”
“You said it,” I grinned.
“Why you, you, Gaby Bond, you!”
“So anyway we went outside to get some pictures.”
“I thought it snowed?”
“That was Saturday, it was quite nice on Friday down there.”
“Better than here.”
“Well anyway we went back inside and she went to get something in the bedroom while I went to the attic, when she didn’t come I went to find her.”
“And she was fitting on the floor?”
“Yeah, she had some right bruises afterwards.”
“She’s okay now though?”
“I guess.”
“I thought it was flashing lights that did it? They have those warnings on the TV.”
“Marianne, that’s her mum…”
“The Duchess. right?” Con interrupted.
“Yeah, so anyway she said it could be almost anything, just getting excited even which is what happens with Soph.”
“Downer or what?”
“Yeah, sugar, look at the time.”
Five past five, we close at five on Saturdays and I need to get home toot sweet!

I was out within two minutes, the dyno lighting my way home. I should’ve got a dress out earlier, what should I wear, not the white dress, the red one’s a bit much for a family dinner too. I got the revs going so I’d get back up the drive, almost crashing into the door, the Schauff’s brakes are pretty poor.

“There you are, Gabs, what are you wearing tonight?” Jules asked as I popped into the kitchen to lose my coat.
“Not sure yet.”
“Good.”
“Good?”
“Yeah, Mum suggested you wear your Swiss thing, Gran likes it on you apparently.”
“Looks like that’s decided then,” I sighed.

Great, so now I have to dress up like a tourist doll!

Maddy Bell 05.05.16