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?

 
"So where's Drea?” I queried once I was installed on a chair by the range.
"Kindergarten,” Bern advised as she filled the coffee maker, "Mama took her, she and Tante Isabel have gone up to Adenau, they'll collect her on the way back. So really Gab's, what are you doing out on your bike on a college day?”
"Long story short, I'm sort of doing my placement at the kiosk so Lisbet, thats my course tutor, arranged that I don't need to go down to Koblenz until after half term.”
"Kiosk? Thats an unusual placement,” Mart's cousin suggested.
"I run it with my friend Connie, her parents own it but we're responsible for making it work.”
"Lucky you,” Tally opined.
"She's a dab hand with currywürst,” Bern put in as she organised the coffee.
"Its not difficult,” I pointed out arranging my hat and gloves to warm.
"Ah but its a useful skill,” Tally told us, "Me, I can burn water.”
"No one can burn water,” I scoffed.
"Seriously Gaby, I put a pan on to do some eggs, I got distracted and next thing I know the alarm is wailing and the pan is smoking.”
"I'd best feed the hens,” Bernie mentioned, "They get annoyed if you're late, be right back.”
“'kay,” I allowed.
 
"I'm pretty impressed that you birthed Andrea,” Tally observed once Bern had departed.
"I don't want to make a career of it,” I told her slipping my boots off so I can warm my frozded tootsies.
"How'd you know what to do? I'm pretty sure I couldn't do it,” she admitted.
"Well I went to the pre natal classes with Bern and one of my friends, her mother is a midwife so I guess I picked stuff up.”
"I would've just panicked.”

And I didn't?

"So you at college Tally?”
"Uni, Modern Languages at Chemnitz, I'm supposed to be revising for my Italian oral this week but Mama said she was coming to Eifel to see Tante Erika and the baby, no contest! So Bernie says you are a famous Radrennerin?”
"Er sort of, not exactly famous.”
Bern swept back in with a cold draught, "Brr, its freezing out there.”
"You were quick,” I noted.
"Well they are in the coop, doesn't take long to put the grain in the trough.”
"Gaby was just telling me that she's not famous,” Tally put in.
"Not famous, yeah right and I'm the next Pope! Double Weltmeisterin our Gaby and thats without everything else.”
"Oh do tell.”
"Bern,” I groaned.
"Well if you don't blow your trumpet, its down to your friends Gaby Bond,” Bern stated.
"There's more than the cycling?” Tally pursued.
"Oh far more,” Bern gleefully expoused as she took off her jacket. "Lets see, there's the Kiosk, she sings with a band, runs the local cheerleaders, she was the WeinKonigin a couple of years ago then there's all the charity stuff oh and her boyfriend is the next Baron Lech!”
"Thats exagerating a bit Bern.”
"In what way? You want some raspberry torte?”

Distracting me with food, that's underhand Bern.

"Er sure.”
"You sing in a band?” Tally queried.
"Well its not like I'm a proper member.”
"Don't think they see it that way,” Bern stated, "You did the Rheinhalle and that festival with them.” She turned to her cousin in law, "She can sing the leaves off the trees.”
"So who are this band, should I know you?”
"BlauHase, we do a mixture of rock covers and some of Stefan's own stuff, mostly its just local gigs.”
"Thought you said there was a tour?” Bern mentioned passing me a mug of coffee.
"Well nothing's fixed yet.”
"Sounds impressive to me,” Tally stated.
"I've got a CD you can listen to,” Bernie offered, "Drea loves singing along to Tante Gaby.”
"Good job she doesn't understand some of the lyrics,” I cautioned.
 
"I should get off, I want to call at the Kiosk on the way back and I told Dad I wouldn't be late.”

It was already nearly thirteen, my stop for coffee had evolved into staying for lunch – well who's gonna turn down Linsensuppe with sausage and home baked bread? Not me for sure.

"You gonna be okay? I'm sure Papa would take you down, he'll be back soon,” Bern suggested.

I'm still getting to grips with Bern referring to Mart's parents as Mama and Papa, seems weird when I know her parents, have known them for like ten years.

I shrugged, "I'll be fine, pretty sure the main roads will have been ploughed so its only getting out of your lane – and I'm on the mountain bike.”
"Your choice, ring when you get back though.”
“'kay, you sound like Mum.”
"You'll get it when you have children,” she replied.
"That'll be never then,” I chortled.
"Stranger things have happened,” she pointed out.
"More intrigue?” Tally queried.
"Personal stuff,” I told her.

I finished preparing for the arctic tundra beyond the farmhouse door, readjusted my helmet and slipped by glasses on.

"Nice to meet you Gaby Bond.”
"And you,” I stated before addressing my friend, "Give my regards to Erika and give Drea a hug from me.”
"I will, be careful girl.”
 
The good news was that no more white stuff had issued from above, the bad news was that it was still the wrong side of zero despite the weak sunshine decorating things. The lane down into the village had me pushing as much as riding, just when you thought you'd cracked it, a soft patch of white stuff had you plummeting axle deep into a pothole! Eventually though I reached the 'main' road and turned towards Kesserling a couple of kilometres down a freezing chute, the road unevenly cleared, one moment it was compact snow, the next potentially icy tarmac.

To say I took it steady would be an understatement, at least after the Kaltenborn road comes in the road levels off some through Ahrbrück to the '257'. By now, that and the Ahrtal Bundestraße should be cleared and it is downhill all the way home so it shouldn't take too long even being cautious. It was certainly a reief to get to Kesserling and whilst no more effort had been made to clear the road, traffic for the wood mill had reduced the snow to a grey mush that for the most part was easier to navigate.

When I finally reached Brück it was a debate whether to use the bike track or stick to the main road, after getting sprayed with slush a couple of times, I elected to use the still white over bike track. Okay it was more pleasant but slower, from the wheel tracks I certainly wasn't the first bike to use it since the snow but a few times I hit rutted ice, hidden below more recent falls. Thankfully MTB tyres being so fat, they coped a lot better than even the Schauff would've.
 
It might only be a dozen kilometres from Staffel to Altenahr but it was pretty much an hour later that I slid to a halt outside the kiosk.

"Can I get a coffee.”
"Sure,” Kris told me without looking up from her magazine.
"Interesting?”
"Just an article about the boss lady,” she advised over her shoulder as she started the coffee.
"Therese?”
"Hardly, nah, Gaby, she's got fingers in mamy pies,” she told me.
"Really?”
"You wouldn't think so to see her,” she turned around and the brain cells finally collided, "Gab! What are you doing here?”
"Keeping tabs on the staff, so what's this article?”

The article, it turns out, was a gig review in our local monthly paper, Ahrtal Zeitung, the gig however being the showcase before Chrimbo over at the Rheinhalle in Bonn. On the button they are not. Seems that the music correspondent enjoyed our set even if we relied on the covers 'too much', I flushed a bit just reading that 'the diminutive lead singer had the audience hooked from the first note to the last'.

Luckily I wasn't properly named, I was 'Erdbeere' on the programme and that's the name 'Axel P' used in his review. It wasn't a big article, no pictures and it covered the whole presentation but I felt some sympathy for the other acts as fully two thirds of Axel's words were devoted to BlauHase. I really do need to make a decision about this tour thing though, I fibbed earlier, the tour dates are booked, I just haven't decided whether to commit to two weeks with the band.

"Think he likes you,” Kris suggested as she passed me my cup of coffee.
"Who?”
She tapped the paper, "Axel.”
"Its about the band.”
"If you say so but its mostly 'the singer this, the singer that'.”
"I hadn't noticed.”
"Likely story.”
"So how's business?”
"What do you think? Its the middle of winter, its snowed, its freezing cold, everyone is rushing here for Kaffee and würst.”
"Well I don't know, we've not been open most of the winter.”
"Don't get me wrong Gab, I'm grateful for the shifts but this week has been like the Friedhof.”
I took a sip of my coffee, "Has Therese said anything?”
"Not really, what's to say? Anyhow, aren't you supposed to be at college?”

So I had to go through the whole explanation again.
 
"Your Mother is looking for you,” Dad told me when I got into Bond Acres.
"She say what for?”

To be honest I'm pretty sure I know what for, sorting out my eyrie.

"Not directly but your room did come up in conversation, where've you been?”
"I ended up going to see Bernie then I stopped at the kiosk on the way back.”
"You've been out over six hours.”
"I ended up walking a lot of it, oh I had a face off with a boar, I ended up staying for lunch.”
"You had lunch with the boar?”
"Dur, with Bern and Mart's cousin – sugar I need to ring Bern, let her know I'm back.”

I fumbled through my pockets looking for my Handy.

"You could have rung us to say where you were,” Dad sauggested.
"Ay um yeah, er sorry.”
 
"A ha! There you are daughter mine!” Mum gleefully declared, catching me climbing the stairs.
"Er hi Mum, I'm just gonna get a shower then I'll start on my room,” I offered.
"Eh, oh yeah, your room, good.”
"There something else?”
"Your birthday.”
"Twenty four days and eight hours away.”
"George has finalised the spring programme.”
"And?”
"We're racing in Spain and Portugal the week before Tenerife then we go straight to Meh hi co so I don't know when we'll fit in your birthday, sorry kiddo.”

Bum! I know its her job and all that but we've, well i've been planning on this birthday shopping trip for weeks, a weekend with Mum in Paris.

"Really?”
"Your Dad did come up with an idea, I know its not Paris but we could do a day in Köln or somewhere this next week then fit in Paris later in the year?”

Its disapointing not going to Paris but this new plan does have its merits, I get two trips, two chances to be at the recieving end of Mum's largese.

"I guess.”
"Okay, how does Monday sound?”
"We'll have to be back for Cheer, I'm in charge this week, Tuesday would be better.”
"I've got a training session in the morning,” I was informed.

Looks like even the cut back version is gonna get the knock back.

"What about Saturday, I'm supposed to be at the Kiosk but I can probaly get Kris to cover and I'll do a day in the week instead.”
"Saturday as in next week?”
"Yeah.”
"We set off Saturday, what about this Saturday?”
"I guess, if I can get Kris – and the weather is okay.”
"I'll leave it with you then, any idea where you want to go?”
"I'll have a thunk.”
"Okay, in the meantime, room.”
"Yes Mum.”
"I'm doing Bolognese for tea, spaghetti or shells?”

Spaghetti might be traditional but it can be pretty messy, shells, Conchiglie get my vote today.

"Shells I think.”
"Shells it is, your Father will eat anything and we might not have to wash the table cloth afterwards!”
 
I know its a bit backwards, showering then cleaning my room but after a day of riding, even if it was mostly quite slow had me feeling definitely, urgh. A quick shower then, I can have a more relaxed clean later or in the morning. It really was a splash and dash affair, whilst i've been putting the clean up off, it needs doing and i've got a plan.

Like most plans, it's not perfect but its my plan so there. A ten minute flurry of activity soon found the flaw in said plan, yes you could see the floor, the heaps of discarded clothing were gone and even my bed linen was stripped. However, there was now a veritable mountain of my stuff on the landing below, ostensibly heading for the washing machine – guess what I'm doing for the rest of the evening?

Oh well, once its done.
 
I got the first two loads done before Mum called me to pasta, we sat to eat with the rumble of washing machines and drier giving it what for below us.

"So you given any thought to Saturday?” Mum prompted.
I hadn't of course so I just said the first thing that popped into my head, "Bonn?”
"Bonn? You sure?”
"Yeah, why not, we won't be travelling for hours and there are some good shops.”
"If you say so kiddo, I was going to suggest going by train but its as easy driving to Bonn.”
"Er yeah, sure,” her driving's not that bad, really, if you close your eyes and hum.
"Maybe someone could treat their Mother to lunch?” Dad sort of suggested.
"I guess I could stretch to Maccy D's.”
"Not quite what I had in mind,” Pater advised.

Well I wasn't serious, not really.

"I'm sure we can find somewhere suitable, dinner's on me Mum.”
"Why thank you daughter.”
"Er Mum?”
"Okay there had to be a catch, what?”
"Is there any fresh bed linen, I don't think mine'll be dry tonight.”

 
© Maddy Bell 01.08.2019