And so another week has commenced, a week of college, a change from mild dry weather to something definitely more autumnal. Oh not wet or anything but a definate reduction in temperature, I did the skirt on Monday but for Tuesday I broke out a pair of jeans. Yep, just another week in the world of me, Gabrielle Bond except its not just an ordinary week.

My nerves increased seemingly by the minute, by the time I got home I was a complete bag of blancmange.

“I'm gonna cancel.”
“Eh?” Dad allowed without looking up from whatever it was he was doing on his laptop.
“Thursday, I can't do it.”
“Okay.”
“Okay?”
“Fine by me.”
“Did you hear what I said?”
“You're not doing the concert, like I said, fine.”
“You're not gonna ream me out or anything?”
“Nope, you're old enough to make your own mind up.”
“But?”
“Well I suppose I'll have to rejig your training schedule.”
“Ooh! I can't talk to you!”

Grrr! I stomped up to my eyrie, parents!
 
'Bicycle, bicyle, bicycle, bicycle race,' Freddy warbled through my ear buds.

With the darker evenings, training has moved indoors, I'm not a huge fan but it does avoid getting wrapped up like a Michelin man and running the gauntlet of dodgy roads and inattentive drivers on our unlit roads. I hummed along to Queen as I concentrated on holding a steady heart and pedalling rate, staring, as usual at Dad's workbench. Its well boring, I mean, there's no skill to riding on a turbo, you just sit and pedal going nowhere.
Queen were replaced by ELO and Mr Blue Sky, well these old rock numbers are pretty good for training to, they have a good cadence, simple lyrics and are pretty inoffensive if you start doing the bike laraoke thing. Can you imagine how embarrasing it would be breaking out into the Spice Girls or, heaven forbid, Take That? No, give me something with a bit more weight to it any day.

So of course, when Bo Rhap came up a couple of minutes later my thoughts moved to Thursday again, the Rheinhalle, BlauHase. No I can't do it, I'll make a right idiot of myself, Stefan and the guys will understand, I'm sure they will, its not like I'm really part of the band, they can do it without me. Guess I need to tell everyone else too, save them making the journey, I thought Dad would go ape, not what I was expecting at all.
 
Dave stood on the cellar steps and listened, over the incessant hum of the turbo you could clearly hear a word and pitch perfect rendition of what he recognised as one of the songs his daughter had been practising for the concert. How she was singing and riding at the same time, well another time.

“Dave, what are you doing?” Jenny queried from over his shoulder.
“Shush,” he told his wife.
“Gabs playing her music too loud?”
“That's not a CD love, that's your daughter.”
“Get on with you.”
“Straight up.”
“No wonder that band want her to sing with them.”
“She's talking about dipping out,” Dave whispered back.
“Nerves?”
“Reckon so,” he agreed.
“What did you tell her?”
“Nothing, its her decision, she'll make the right one.”
“You think?”

The singing ended, the turbo's drone now the only noise from around the corner.

“Come on,” Dave motioned for Jen to return upstairs with him.
 
What was that? Sounded like someone on the cellar steps. I peered across the garage but there didn't seem to be anyone there, maybe it was a mouse or something – have to tell Dad so he can put out the traps. The alarm sounded, forty minutes already? I eased off the pedals a little and grabbed my towel before popping my ear buds out. I hate this bit, you don't notice all the perspiration when you're going for it but as soon as you ease off its like a burst pipe, sweat bursting from every pore. By the time I finished warming down, my BH was dripping and the seat of my bibs was decidedly soggy.

Once off the bike I stripped the soggy kit off and chucked it into the washer before climbing into the basement shower. I was soon standing under a stream of nice hot water, pleasurable wet as opposed to yuckiness. The water played over my neck and shoulders, bliss, when I climbed out I was somewhat more relaxed and thoughts of pulling out of the concert, whilst not gone completely, were pushed much further back in my thoughts.
 
“Good ride kiddo?” Mum queried when I made my way into the kitchen.
I shrugged as I towelled my hair off, “turbo.”
“Yeah, not the best fun,” she agreed, “you put your kit in?”
“Duh! Course I have, you know Thursday?”
“What about it?”
“I was thinking.”
“Do I need armour?”
“Eh?”
“You thinking is always dangerous.”
“Huh!”
“So what about Thursday?”
“Well I was thinking, if we went up earlier, we could eat before the concert?”

I swear Mum let out a long held breath.

“I'm sure your Dad'll be up for that, we were thinking of going for dinner afterwards anyhow, you sure its a good idea before singing though?”
“Well I wasn't thinking a big meal, just a burger or something, we could still get dinner after.”
“I'll talk to Dad.”
“Cool!”
“That it?”
“Er yeah, bit nervous I guess.”
“You'll be fine Gab, just treat it like a big race.”
“Yeah, I guess, so what's for tea?”
 
“I think she's really nervous about Thursday Dave,” Jen mentioned as they lay in bed.
“Its quite a big thing, I can't imagine doing it myself.”
“Me either, i'd rather teach a room of thirteen year olds than get up on a stage.”
“We'll be there for her Jen.”
“I know, but she's been through so much.”
“And come through it all, she's a tough cookie love.”
“I'm just thinking about Denmark, she really threw the dummy there Dave.”

Her partner didn't immediately reply.

“Dave? You still awake?”
“Sorry, just thinking, maybe we could do something to take her mind off the concert, it worked in Roskilde.”
“What're you thinking?”
“Dunno, shopping?”
“Not sure that'd help, have you been shopping with number two daughter lately?”
“Well no,” he admitted.
“Its not exactly stress free Dave.”
“So what do you suggest?”
“Hmm, I know, we could go take a look at that warehouse place up in Bocholt, look at some bikes, take her mind off singing.”
“Rose?”
“That's it, to be honest I wouldn't mind a look myself, couldn't tell you when I last went to a bike shop.”
“What about Bernie and her fella? they won't want to trail around a bike shop.”
“Tell you what then, you take Gaby up in your car and I'll do the taxibus, meet you up at Bonn?”
“Okay, what about Manda?”
“I'll sound her in the morning.”
 
“You got everything in there kiddo? We won't have time to come back later.”
“Yes Dad, I'm not twelve anymore,” I pointed out plonking my case in the hallway.
“And don't I know it.”

When Dad suggested going to this Rose place last night I wasn't quite sure, but Mum mentioned new shoes, bike shoes that is – what's a girl to do? The only downside is Mum's driving but at least I can share the terror with Mand. Of course i've got my dress for tonight in the case, the fancy hose, my heels and my makeup box, I should be all set.

“You ready kiddo,” Mum asked breezing into the house.
“Uh huh.”
“Manda, time!” she went on.
“Coming!” de Vreen called ahead of a clatter on the stairs.

I saw Dad wink at Mum, wonder what subterfuge is going on?

“Okay girls, lets get off, we've a long drive ahead.”
 
Its not really that long a drive, something around two hundred kilometres, with Mum's driving think a couple of hours max. The dodgy bit is that we have to go past Köln, Düsseldorf and Duisberg, some of the busiest autobahns in the country. We piled out to the car.

“See you later!”
“Don't spend too much,” Dad admonished.
“Tschussie!”
 
“Its huge,” Manda exclaimed.

It certainly was, a huge barn of a place, 'Rose Biketown' emblazoned in huge letters identifying the place. We'd come straight here, Dad's directions were spot on of course, Mum turned into the car park and we pulled into a bay off to the side of the entrance.

“We'll do here then we can get lunch along in the town okay?”
“Hope they've got a toilet.”
“I'm sure they have,” Mum allowed, “come on, times a wastin'.”
 
Whilst the bikes are all their own, for everything else they stock a lot of top brands. Not that there's anything wrong with the bikes, you see quite a few at the races up this way and they're pretty smart. Okay, maybe not quite Pinarello level but thats a bit snobby really. After sorting out the immediate needs, me and Mand headed up to the top leaving Mum to wander around the three floors on her own.

“Bit different to Butler's,” Mand opined.
“Butler's?”
“Shop back in Croydon,” she told me.
“Right, we used to go to a place in Clowne, right little place, had everything mind.”

We wandered through the huge open showroom, the bikes artfully displayed rather than all parked on top of each other. More like a smart car place than a bike shop. Road bikes, mountain bikes, city bikes, trekking bikes – the only thing missing is kids bikes. The sort of middle floor was todays Mecca though, glasses, gloves and shoes!

“You girls okay?” an assistant queried as we gazed at the latest race shoes displayed on the wall.
“We're after some race shoes?” Mand suggested.
“Anything caught your eye?”
“Could I try the new Sidi's?”
 
© Maddy Bell 18.02.2019