Thursday, another day at the grindstone, well figuratively, the Cabin isn’t like super hard work like bricklaying but nevertheless it can be quite tiring. Not that I’m complaining, the money is quite welcome of course and as Mum keeps telling me, we’re learning invaluable skills. Whatever, I get to hang with my Bestie most days, my other friends not so much and Max stops for lunch nearly every day – not a bad life.

However, my day was shattered a bit after ten.

"Looks like customers,” Con suggested with a flick of her head.

I looked out only to find the entire English Bond clan descending on us.

"I want chips,” Charlie was demanding.
"You’ve only just had breakfast,” Aunt Jill advised as the troops were herded into the garden.
"Come and sit with Nanna.”
"Apple juice!” Violet pronounced.
"Those girls are cute,” Nen suggested.
"My cousins,” I mentioned with a sigh, guess I need to say hi, "Hi Gramps, Nanna.”
"Gabrielle?”
"Yes Nanna.”
"Didn’t realise this was where you work,” Gramps mentioned as he settled a Munchkin onto a chair.
"Yup, this is it, so what are you all up to?”
"The cablecar,” Uncle Jim advised.
"Thought we’d get a coffee first,” Aunt Kath put in.

And so, after a lot of debate from the younger visitors I sorted out the drinks order. Nen set to with the hot drinks, Con with the cold and I dropped a basket of Frites into the oil.

"Here we go,” I announced a few minutes later as I delivered a tray of beverages.

I distributed the various drinks before adding several small plates of chips in front of my small cousins.

"Chips!” several voices chorused in delight.
"Gab?” Kath queried.
"On the house, can’t have dissatisfied customers can we eh Daisy?”
"What do you say kids,” Nanna prompted.

A broken chorus of tiny ‘thank you Gaby’s’ barely broke the input of fried potato. Okay, it was maybe a bit naughty of me but it wasn’t so long ago I was getting the ‘no you can’t’ stuff from the olds. Probably score a few Brownie points with them all too, not sure I came out in the best of lights on Tuesday what with Mum’s bragging and revelations about my singing ‘career’.

"My pleasure.”

I was saved from too much familial interaction by the arrival of more customers demanding my culinary expertise – hey, there’s an art to cooking Schnitzel!

"Have a nice time!” I called out as the tribe departed.
"We’ll try,” Uncle Sam replied as he assisted the child herding.
"Have a good day Gaby,” Gramps mentioned before ducking into the window to give me a kiss on the forehead, "See you tomorrow eh?”
"Yes Gramps.”
"Come on Stanley, let the girl alone,” Nanna chivvied.
"Bye Gramps, bye Nanna!”
"Gabrielle.”

And they were gone.

So, what with it being Thursday, training day, I get to finish earlier.

"You getting changed?” Nen enquired.
I glanced at my watch, "Oh sugar, I thought there was ages yet.”
"You were rather engrossed in Stern,” Con snickered.

Okay, not my usual reading matter but there are some interesting articles.

"Don’t think you’re in it this issue,” Nena opined.
"Hmmph!”

I was still readjusting the girls, how comes they move so much in sports bras, but only when you’re dressing? Oh yeah.

"She ready?” Mand’s voice queried from the front.
"She’s just coming,” I advised even as I rearranged my bib straps on the way to the front.
"Gab!” Con hissed.
"Hmm?”
"What if there were customers?”
"Shouldn’t be looking.”
"You could be a bit more ladylike,” Mand suggested, "Anyhow, you ready?”
"Just need to get the bike.”

There was a group snigger from the others.

"What?”
"You might want to put on a jersey?” Nen prompted.
My hands automatically moved to confirm the actions of my lips, "I’ve got one … on,” Bum, no I haven’t, "Er right back.”
"I’ll get your bike,” Mand called to my departing back.

"You’re face.”
"It wasn’t funny,” I grumped as we started the Effelsberg climb a few minutes later.
"We did tell you.”
"Yeah,” I moodily agreed.
"So why’re you being more of a ditz than usual, Max?”
"No and I’m not a ditz,” I complained.
She gave me a look, "So what's up?”
"Nothing.”
"Oh come on Gabs, how long have we known each other?”
"A year.”
"Your being pedantic now.”
"Whatever.”
"So what’s up?”
"Really, its nothing important.”
"And?” she pushed.
"My cousins.”
"Con said they were at the kiosk earlier.”
"Yeah, its just a bit, I don’t know, sad, that we don’t get to see each other much.”
"You great softy!”
"Hmm.”

Conversation stopped as we hit the steeper grades – we are supposed to be training.

"I’ve got rels I’ve never seen,” Mand advised.
"Doesn’t that make you sad?”
"Not really, works both ways, they could come see us if they’re bothered.”
"I guess,” I admitted, "I suppose my lot have come over to see us.”
"There you go.”
"Yeah, I suppose we didn’t exactly see a lot of anyone before we moved.”
"So you going to this fashion show thingy?”

There was an unfamiliar car on the drive when we got back home, a black Audi with Frankfurt plates.

"Hello?” I called upstairs as I shucked shoes and stuff.

I could hear mumbled voices up above, I was stripped to bra and shorts before there was any sort of reply from above.

"That you Gab?” Dad queried.
"Yeah, we just got back, who’s car’s that?”
"In a bit, get yourself showered and changed and come through to the office.”
"What’s up?”
"You want me?” Mand asked from behind me.
"No Mand, just Gabs if you don’t mind.”
"Fine, I need to get ready for work anyhow.”
"Gab?”
"Yes Dad.”
"Quickly please.”

This doesn’t sound good, he’s sounding pretty serious, has something happened to Mum, or Gran?

"Sit yourself down kiddo.”

I’d done the shower, dress thing in record time, well for me anyhow, just under fifteen minutes.

"This is Herr Obermayer from the Federation.”
"Er hi.”
"Hello Gabrielle.”
"Er just Gaby, so what's going on?”

Well its not Mum or Gran at least.

"Dave?” the official offered.
"Be my guest.”
"There’s no easy way to say this Gaby, one of your drug tests has come up positive.”
"What?”

Talk about unexpected.

"Its a joke right?” I got out as the words congealed into a sentence.
"I’m afraid not,” Herr Obermayer mentioned with a sigh.
"How? When?”
"At the Frankfurt Rundfahrt,” Dad supplied.

It took me a moment to recall that particular race, it was like months ago.

"I have to inform you that your A sample has returned a positive result for Testosterone, you may request an independent test on the B sample, should this confirm the A sample results there will be a hearing and disciplinary action will be taken. In the meantime your race licence is revoked until such time as any hearings or suspensions are completed.”
"No, you can’t do this, we’re racing in Spain in a fortnight, Dad?”
"Sorry Gab, we have to jump the hoops, we’ll get it sorted.”

The irony hit me then, Testosterone, the stuff my body’s inability to produce was the nail in the coffin of any pretentions I had of maleness.

"What now Frank?” Dad asked.
"Get the B sample tested as soon as, the Federation are keen to process everything as quickly as possible, whichever way it goes. For what its worth I think its an error but that's off the record, we have to do it by the book.”
"Thanks Frank, guess I need to make some calls.”
"Nice to meet you Gaby, sorry its not in happier circumstances.”
"Er yeah,” I allowed.

"What am I gonna do Dad?”
"We’ll handle it, now I’ve got to ask this kiddo, you’ve not taken anything have you?”
"Dad!”
"I had to ask, we’ll get it sorted.”
"What about Spain?”
"For now we continue as normal, if we have to change plans, well we’ll cross that bridge when we get there eh?”

Maddy Bell © 08.01.2018