Gaby Book 25 Only Five Minutes by Maddy Bell Copyright© 2019 Madeline Bell After all the excitement of the last few weeks culminating in the trip to Austria, surely Gaby can get back to some sort of 'normal'? Well it wouldn't be Gaby if it was that simple would it?

 
Mad's attention was caught by the waving arm up by the Arndale entrance, about time Al. There was movement around her, she glanced back along the platform, huh, another tram coming. The surge of bodies would make going to meet Ally difficult for a minute or two so she just stayed where she was.

“What was that all about?” Ally queried when Mad joined her on the pavement.
“No idea, some bloke ran along the platform then got in the van, what took so long?”
“The queue from hell and half the cubicles were out of order.”
“Kids and toilet paper,” Mad surmised.
“Probably,” Al agreed, “so we ready then?”
“Lets do it,” her friend enthused as they linked arms and headed for the German Market.
 
“Where we going?” Rodg asked over his shoulder.
“Out of Manchester for starters,” Kylie suggested as she grappled with the flailing bundle of girl.
“Slow down,” Russ suggested as they careened around the back of the City Hall.
“If you stop fighting I'll let you up,” Kylie told the girl, currently pinned under one of the old blankets which Rodg always had in the van for when he did furniture moves.
“Umph!” the struggling ceased and Kylie released her grip enough to slip the zip tie loop around the girls ankles before pulling them up tight.
“Ut oo ooin?”
“Just making sure you can't run off.”

Another loop secured their captives hands before she was satisfied that the girl wouldn't escape.

“So where we going Kyl?” Russ enquired from the front of the van.
“'ave to be my place, they'll be lookin' in Manchester not Stockport.”

 
“Dumkopf!” Gab muttered as the man almost ran into her as the tram and the van ahead of it came into the platform area.
“You alright?” Gran asked reaching her grandaughter.
“Yeah, you'd think he was gonna miss the tram.”
“Come on or we will,” Gran noted as the others on the platform surged towards the stopping tram.

They followed the crowd onto the tram, having to stand as they couldn't get to where Gab could see empty seats. The tram didn't set straight off, instead they stood for what felt like ever before moving off – at last! It was only a couple of stops along to the sort of tram interchange behind the City Hall, not a big distance but it saved fighting the crowds.

It was only a short walk around the building to where the 'German' market started, an area heaving with people, the familiar smell of wurst and pommes drifting on the air. It was a valliant attempt, the huge two floor drinks hall, a small 'windmill' and plenty of food.

“You want to eat yet?” Gran queried.
“Not yet but we should have some Glühwein to get in the mood,” I suggested.
“You're in charge,” Gran proposed.
 
With a mug of mulled wine in hand, the familiar smells, the buzz of the crowds – well you could almost forget that we're in England, it could be Köln or Bonn maybe. Of course, Gran had to buy the wine, they were carding and there's no way I look eighteen today. I sipped at the alcohol, not bad – well I guess they just ship it in from back home but even so.

“So what next Princess?”
“Not you too Gran?”
“Well you're my Princess.”
“If you say so,” I sighed, I flicked open the flyer I picked up whilst Gran got our drinks. “there's about five bits, we can just work our way through I guess, there's a Wheel at the far end.”
“I saw that as we walked up to the tram,” Gran noted.
“We can grab something to eat along the way,” I suggested.
“Okay, lets do it,” Gran enthused.

I drained the last of my drink, reclaimed our mug deposits and we set off into the crowds.
 
There's a sort of formula for a good Christmas market, there must be plenty of food and drink, artisan stalls and at least a few 'junk' stalls selling stuff you would never normally buy. That could be silly hats, t shirts with daft logos or even garden gnomes. Ideally they should be spread about, mixing everything up although often you get a collection of food stalls close by.

In Germany it will mostly be German street food and maybe stuff like French pizza, Belgian waffles and so on. Here in Manchester beside the German foods its a bit more international with stuff like exotic burgers, Chinese and Indian food and even fish and chips! I wasn't particularly gift shopping, but never say never. We moved on from the City Hall, a short walk taking us to another discrete group of stalls, and so it began.
 
I plonked my bum on a seat, “phew!”
“Tired?” Gran suggested.
“Footsore,” I admitted, maybe I should've worn my trainers.
“You sit here, you want one of those sausages?”

Hmm, I hadn't forgotten about food but I hadn't seen anything I fancied, I guess a Krakauer would be okay.

“A Krakauer if they've got any.”
“What's that?”
“A slightly spicy würst,” I informed her.
“Okay, I'll see what they've got, you want ketchup or anything?”
“Ketchup and mustard please.”
“Must be a German thing,” she muttered as she set off on her food quest.
 
I sat watching the crowds, back home it would mostly be families this time of day but here its more mixed. It was clear that a good number were curious whilst others were pretty obviously enjoying the availability of beer on the streets. A flash of colour caught my eye, hey that looked like Maddy, nah, what we she be doing in Manchester, I didn't get a second look, maybe its my imagination, we're going over to see the Peters tomorrow.
 
My musing was broken by Gran returning with food.

“So,” she offered me a tray, “i know you like mayonnaise on your chips.”

Well it wasn't a glob of mayo like we'd have at home but there was a general trail over the top and instead of being in brötchen the sausage was tucked in one end with a red and yellow stripe running its length. I hadn't expected the pommes but I'm not complaining. Gran sat herself down and perched her own food on her knees.

“Oo, nearly forgot,” she reached into a coat pocket and extracted two bread rolls.
“Thanks Gran, I'll get us drinks after.”
“I'll get the drinks.”
“But you've bought everything today,” I protested.
“Can't I treat my grandaughter when I see her?”

How can you argue with that logic? I reassembled my sausage in a bun, yup, it was a Krakauer, I could be back home! I did at least fetch the drinks, there's something about hot chocolate drunk al fresco at a market, makes me all squishy inside.
 
We passed on the big wheel, ten pounds each was a bit steep, I did buy a pair of Ohrring, handmade glass drops, they'll go with my posh frock. Gran let me buy her a brooch, it wasn't my style but she was happy with it. I got an overpriced bag of fudge for the rents and some pick an' mix for me, the light was closing in as we headed back to the car, well we need to get back to Gran's to make dinner.
 
“You want some of that mulled wine stuff?” Mad queried as they worked through their French Fries, Frites if its a German market she idly thought.
“They're carding,” Ally pointed out.
“And?” Mad opined, “ just need to be confident, wait here.”

Mad found a quiet corner and applied the dark red lippy she'd liberated from her mums dressing table this morning. It was only a cheap costum ring but it looked like an engagement ring, that on her third finger she slipped a ten pound note into her pocket then walked along to the Glühwein stand, timing it so there was no queue ahead of her.

“What'll it be luv?”
“Two gloo wines please.”
“You got ID luv?”
“Er sure, I get it all the time,“ she made a show of going through her purse to eventually fish the driving licence out, “here we go.”
“That's fine, its the council, they're really cracking down this year,” the bar tender told her.
She gave a shrug, “just doing their job I guess.”

Mugs were filled, money exchanged and Mad headed back to where Ally was still munching fried potato.

“Here you go.”
“Thanks, I wondered where you got to, you have any trouble?”
“Course not.”
“And whats with that lippy, you look like your Mum.”
“Thats the idea, you just need the right props,” she flashed the ring, and flashed the driving licence to her friend.
“That your mum's?”
“Don't be daft, do I look forty? Its mine dummy.”
“How?” Ally asked as she took a sip of hot beverage.
“This guy I know does like ID for Trekkies an' that, he's got a sideline in fake licences.”
“Urgh!” Al allowed as she swallowed her drink, “lets have a look then?”
“Not here dummy,” Mad hissed.
 
Neither of them had been to a 'real' German market so their experience was all a bit secondhand from what Gaby had told them and sent pictures of. Not knowing what to really expect they enjoyed checking out the stalls, although the number selling the self same Christmas decorations was a bit irksome. Whilst they'd both been to Germany, Ally with the school and Mad during her unintentional autumn adventure, their experience of the food was fairly limited.

Mad had tried a bit more when she was with the Bond's so it was with some confidence she ordered a plate of Bratkartoffeln, recognising it as something Gab had cooked up.

“So what exactly is it?” Ally asked poking at it with the plastic fork.
“Fried potato,” Mad suggested.
“Well thats not potato,” Ally stated pointing to a chunk of meat.
“Well its not just potato, there's like onion and I think thats bacon bits, when Gab made it we had fried egg on top.”
“Egg and potato? Sounds weird.”
“Egg and chips?” Mad suggested.
“I guess, we only had fries when we went to Köln, fries and chicken, fries and that schnitzel stuff, fries and sausage.”
“Think I get the picture,” Mad cut in, “they do eat other stuff you know.”
“What next?”
Maddy checked her watch, “we've got just over an hour before the train goes, another look around this bit?”
“I really should get something for my rents, what about you?”
“Yeah, I guess, lets finish this as we go.”

Neither of them had a lot to spend so their gift buying options were restricted a bit, which was probably just as well, the ceramic village was nice but a bit over the top as a thank you present. Stuff was bought, the final purchase being a bag of donuts for the journey home. They had thirty minutes to get to the train.

“Which way's the station?” Ally queried.
“Erm, I know my way from the Arndale.”
“Well which way is the Arndale?”
“Not sure, there must be a sign somewhere.”

There was, but it was hidden behind a row of cabins. With time ticking by they spotted a security guard and asked him for directions, it sounded like a proper hike, they set off at a near trot.
 
“How much further?” Ally huffed.
“Can't be far, he said we cross the main road and its just around the corner.”

They'd actually missed a turn so they were closer than they knew, when they crossed the four lane road they could see Manchester Piccadily ahead of them.

“We gonna make it?” a panicked Ally asked as they waited to cross at the next junction.
“Plenty of time,” her companion stated.

Well the train was due out in just under ten minutes.

"I need a wee,” Mad announced as they entered the concourse.
“Mad!”
“You go to the platform, I'll meet you there,” Mad suggested handing off her shopping.
“There's only five minutes before it goes.”
“I'll run.”

Luckily there wasn't a queue, Mad was in and out in two minutes flat, she was almost undone by the crowds coming off the newly arrived London train. Which did mean she saw the headline on the Manchester Evening Post being hawked at the end of platform nine.

'Girl snatched from City street'
 
Ally was waiting by the carriage door with the conductor.

“Come on lass, not going without you,” he smiled as she reached them.
“Got...huh...caught with crowd.”

Al just about dragged her inside, it was pretty full, people were still stowing bags and finding seats. The train was already moving before they were able to leave the vestibule and leave to find some accomodation. The thing with Manchester Piccadily is that its a terminus so the trains tend to fill from the buffers out, by the time they reached the front of the four carriages there were actually a few empty seats.

“Phew!” Mad allowed, sliding into a rear facing seat.
“That was close,” Ally mentioned.
“A bit.”
“A lot,” Al stated forcefully.
“There was a big crowd just come off a train, I couldn't get past, think I need one of those donuts.”

There was nothing to see except their own reflections in the windows, the gloom of December having quickly given way to full on darkness. Donuts were consumed in tired silence, the whole carriage seemed to be in a similar state of lethargy, conversations were muted allowing the faint strains of music leaking from someones headphones to reach them.

“Did you see the headline on the local rag?” Mad asked.
“Chad?”
“Where am I gonna see that?”
“Sorree!”
“The Manchester one,” Maddy enlarged.
“They've cancelled Christmas?”
“Be daft, apparently a girl was snatched in Manchester today.”
“Really? Thats scary, who'd want to do that?”
“There are some sick people out there, I hope she's alright.”
“Yeah,” Mad agreed.

The sad thing was, that on past experience these things rarely ended well, her parents hadn't really said much after her inadvertant trip across the North Sea but, she realised with new insight, they had probably been thinking the worst. She gave a shudder, what if she hadn't found the Bond's, or got lost in that forest – well more than she had.

“You alright? You were muttering.”
“Er yeah.”
“You want a drink when the trolley gets here?”
“Er yeah, good idea.” Mad agreed.
 
© Maddy Bell 25.6.2019