E’volvo’lution Chapter 10

The weekend was glorious and Berget and I went out in my car to find as many scenic spots, cafes and bakeries as we could. After the stress of the week it was good to wind down.

On the Monday Anders came to my office as I was looking through the applications that had come in during the week. He told me that Greger had been absolutely full of it when he’d got home and wanted to know if I thought that Halina was serious.

I told him that it was as serious as it could get and for him not to worry. He said that when I had the time I should drop into his son’s workshops to see how they were getting on as I may be surprised.

I stopped sorting out those applications and then went for a walk with my two-way. It had become a constant companion now.

In his workshop, Greger had the tractor I had used for the double trailer job and had painted it light blue. He showed me his design for the cab and I thought it looked good. The front-on view was very simple, just the company name across the grill and ‘Thor’s Maidens’ over the windscreen. The door would be just an arm holding the hammer with a halo of lightning and Lundin Transport written in the hammer head.

He then showed me a picture that he had received from Australia. It was basically the original design but with a landscape of rocks and volcanos and the twelve girls were standing in the landscape rather than in separate circles.

I could see how it would work. “If you make the volcanos reach the top of the trailer, we could put in some pyrotechnics and speakers and have them rumble every half an hour and there could be fire shooting out of some nozzles.”

He picked up the drawing, grabbed my hand and we went to see Bjorn who was excited by the concept.

Before he left us, Greger laughed, “Oh! The reply said that if we could arrange a show during June, it would fit in with their actor being in Europe.”

He then rushed out, laughing whole-heartedly.

I turned to Bjorn, who was smiling broadly, “He’s been like this since he got back, he is so focussed it’s not funny. Anyway, here’s what I wanted to show you.”

It was a framework of a lightweight container sized box. It had a couple of doors in one side and was partitioned inside into two halves. “This is what we thought you could have on ‘Answer’ for the shows. It’s cheap to make and easy to lift on and off. My brother has decided that the sides will be that E-Volvo-lution page of the centrefold and is looking forward to painting it. I rather think that the final Antonia may look more like your sister than you.”

I told him it didn’t matter and then went to find Gustav, who was poring over a mass of paperwork, all relating to the extra work.

We didn’t have to start right away but the family had decided that if we had a couple of trucks running locally it would add to the build-up and also make them fit into the landscape.

As such, he was planning pick-ups from the list of factories and had spoken to the NATO contact about what things we should start warehousing. It was all starting to roll along so I had better get my team into place.

On Wednesday, a package arrived in the office addressed to me. It was pretty big so I lugged it into my office to open.

It had come from Sweden and, when I opened it there was something wrapped with a note attached. I had to sit down when I read the note, which was from my friendly driving instructor.

It said that his CO had got everyone into the mess hall and shown them the video that had been recorded with him in the cab. I had just beaten my own time for the three circuits, mainly because I was accurate with my movements to hook on and drop off the trailer.

It went on that the drivers had all been told that if, in the future, they were told that they drove like a girl they should take it as a compliment. It then said that the guys had all donated some kit and the parcel contained a uniform of a captain in the Swedish Army, Arctic Transport Division and that I was welcome back any time.

There was a second note, on army letterhead, which told me to call a number given if I was coming back to Sweden with any of my drivers, and they would all get a couple of days instruction on the circuit.

That was something else again and I was determined then to take at least six with me when we picked up the new trucks. When I opened the package it was a pair of white cold-weather pants, white boots and a big parka similar to the ones we were given last week but this one had a Captains insignia on the shoulders and the badge of the Arctic Transport Division.

The name tag said Captain Berg and there was yet another lanyard in the top pocket that looked real and was ID for Captain Antonia Berg of the Swedish Army. There was another note in the pocket that read, “This is purely ceremonial, don’t expect to get paid.”

I packed it all away again and took it out to my car. This was getting crazy, what next?

That out of sight I got stuck into the applications, and this lot were pretty easy in the end. Most were too old, too young or too inexperienced and the three I rang up answered no with my first question.

After lunch Anders caught up with me and asked if I would do a job over the weekend. We were contracted to take a tractor to a place on Saturday morning where it would hook onto a special unit. The trailer was a purpose-built stage, complete with PA.

I was to take it to a big arena just a little south and park up for the rest of Saturday and Sunday up to around midnight. He said that I would have to overnight both nights in the cab as the trailer could not be returned until Monday morning.

He suggested that Berget could go with me to keep me company as she had almost finished training her successor. We would bring the tractor back, and then get time off until Wednesday morning.

That sounded good to me so I said I would do it and went to tell Berget what she should expect for the weekend. She got excited because the show we would be at was a mix of folk-rock and pop groups, including a few she really liked but that I had never heard of.

On Thursday, another pallet load arrived addressed to me and Bjorn. A fork-lift put it into his workshop and we un-wrapped it to find twenty boxes.

We opened one and found a military radio for the trucks. There was a note with the manifest that said the radios should be hidden until the driver was told it was needed. Bjorn said that he would make a cradle that fitted under the CB that would look like a lockable storage box.

He showed me a pile of other boxes that were state-of-the-art CB radios that were tiny compared with any that I had used before. The ones in the new trucks would be used to replace older units in our fleet.

He had made some drawings of the interiors but would not be able to start building until the first trucks had arrived. It was a lucky thing that with them all being identical, we hoped, he could mass produce from then on. The trim would be less fussy than ‘Answer’ as these would be on the road for long periods.

Thursday evening, Astrid removed my stuck-on bits and she said that I would need to leave them off for a few days. They had been attached to me for a week or more too long.

I told her about my weekend job and she advised that if I wore slacks I could get through. She told me that the show we were going to was a very popular one and that there would be plenty of food and drink outlets so we wouldn’t have to worry about taking any.

Friday, I organised letters to all of our chosen girls, giving them a starting date with four each week to stagger the load. We hoped to have them all out on the road with our normal drivers to get hands-on experience. It was a bit odd with my breasts loose in the bra but no-one noticed.

Saturday morning, I left the car at home and walked to the yard with a bag that contained essential supplies for two nights away. A nightie, washing and cleansing supplies, make-up, spare slacks, underwear, tops and a jacket if it got cool.

Berget had come in with her car and it was parked inside one of the sheds. The truck I was to drive was only a six by four but an XL cab with decent room. We took it out of the yard and went to pick up our trailer.

It certainly was a bit different as it just looked like a black container so we would have to wait until we got there to see it in action At the arena we were very carefully placed and inbuilt jacks in the rear bogie lifted the back of the container until it was level.

When the guys opened the container it was amazing. There were doors at each end that had a mass of speakers and the middle part swung up and was locked in place. When it was plugged in to a power supply I saw that there were spotlights built in that shone on the stage area and there was a mixing board next to a back door that had steps up.

The place was a hive of activity which only slackened off when it was time to open the gates. We tested the food stalls and then found a seat. The first band got up on the stage where some amplifiers had been added, along with a drum kit and a bank of microphones.

We had a lovely time listening to the bands as they played. The first few hours were more soft-rock and pop but the last band of the night was pretty loud. The big crowd lapped it up and we decided that it was time to settle for the night.

We made our way around to the back of the trailer and got in the cab. Behind the speakers it was quieter and I had put the curtains up that you can use when you overnight in a public place.

Berget kissed me, “Thank you for this. I’ve always wanted to come to this show but being here for the whole event is really great. Tomorrow will be fantastic.”

We undressed and she gasped when I took off my bra and the boobs came with it. I told her that I had to keep them off for a few days to let my skin breathe and she asked, “Everywhere?”

I nodded and she kissed me in a way she hadn’t before. I didn’t even have time to put on my nightie before we were on the bunk and kissing. Our lovemaking was long and sensuous and the final minutes were in time with the band playing just a few feet from our sweating bodies.

I’m not sure what came first – me, her or the final chord. What I did know was that we collapsed afterward to the sound of several thousand music fans cheering and the singer calling out “Thank you, you were fantastic.” That’s when we both started laughing.

When everyone had left we could use the toilets and then went back to bed to sleep, our first night together. Of course, it wasn’t all about sleeping and it wasn’t all about sex, but we did get some sleep and we did have sex, a few more times.

Around four in the morning she whispered, “I love you, Anton,” for the first time.

There was a cleaning crew in before daylight so we could use the toilets and showers and waited for the food vans to open up. We sat up in the cab and cuddled as the sun rose.

I commented that it was a good job we were getting the keys next week and now we could go and buy a bed. That led to a discussion about other things we would need and it was quite a list. We agreed that it may take a few weeks before we had the place ready for us as we could do things a room at a time. We were really only starting out with the clothes on our backs.

The Sunday was great, several bands we both liked. We pigged out on food we would never eat normally, and just enjoyed being together. I had my hair in a pony-tail, not used any make-up and had left my bra off so we walked about, hand in hand, like an ordinary couple.

This was the first time since my first weekend in the country that I was not presenting as Antonia. The crowd were pretty much all young and not into trucks so I had very little chance of being identified. It was a lovely day, followed by another equally lovely night.

We were woken early Monday morning by shouts and some banging about. The organisers were back to unload the extra equipment from the trailer and to close it up so we could leave. They had a breakfast going so we tucked in before we pulled out.

I had to be back into Antonia mode again but now it felt different, more like a part I was playing. Berget was different to me as well, more loving. I told her that we needed to be back at our usual relationship for work.

I vowed not to use attached panties again and we dropped into an underwear shop on our way home and purchased a number of shape-wear panties for me to use. I would go back to having the breasts stuck on and Berget could supervise that once we were in our home.

We parked the tractor in the yard and put our bags in Berget’s car before dropping into the office to let the boss know we were back. The new receptionist was happy to see Berget as she had a few questions that were quickly cleared up.

Greger came out of his office, “You two, when are you moving into your new home?”

I told him we would get the keys at the end of the week and had planned to take a few weeks organising furniture and all the other stuff we needed.

“Too long,” he said, “I need you to be out of Astrid’s home in three weeks so that Halina can stay there for a while. I tell you what, how about the two of you take the week off next week, get the keys and spend all week getting your stuff. You can use one of the electrics to move furniture and then you won’t be slowed down waiting for deliveries. Let me know the days you need help and I’ll send a couple of the lads to shift the heavy things for you. If you do that I’ll personally add a thousand Euros to your wages this week so that you can get everything you need.”

We didn’t even have to think before we both said thank you and gave him a kiss on the cheek. We said we would see him Wednesday morning and went off in Bergets’ car.

She took me home and we agreed that I would pick her up before lunch so we could get into the city and have a look in the shops. At Astrid’s I stripped off and had a long shower before redressing in a good dress, hose and boots, making sure that Antonia was back in the house.

When I picked her up, Berget was looking almost good enough to ravage. We went and had lunch and then hit the furniture and electrical shops in the big complex east of the city, and near to where we’ll be living.

I rang the agent and asked if we could borrow the keys tomorrow so we could measure up and he told us that the paperwork had all gone through, and we could pick them up as soon as we liked.

Needless to say, we were there in less than an hour and had the keys to the apartment in our hands. We went there and let ourselves in, stood in the main room and kissed passionately. We had a tape measure so sketched out the layout and measured it up. Of course, one of the traps in buying electrical goods is getting things that look good but are too big for their space so we took extra care in the kitchen.

The main bedroom was big enough for a big bed and the second was all right for a double. Berget raised her eyebrow when I suggested a double bed there. I said, “What if my mother and father want to come over for the wedding, they have to stay somewhere.”

There was a small room which I had thought could be a study but Berget had other ideas. “We have space here for it to be a nursery.” That prompted me to kiss her again.

We let ourselves out with a list of sizes and another list of cleaning and kitchen supplies. These would be purchased tomorrow and we would spend the day cleaning the place so it would be good when we got the furniture.

I dropped her off at her house and then went back to see what Astrid had to think about her new lodger. She had already spoken with Greger and was only worried that I felt as if I was being kicked out. I told her that we had the keys and would be cleaning the place tomorrow so it would all be good.

That evening she reattached my breasts and Antonia was back again, in the flesh. I showed Erik my new Polar Parka and he had to sit down as he was laughing so much.

“That’s priceless,” he said, when he could get his breath. “There you are; a guy who’s officially a girl according to your passport but also a member of two Armies; at a Captain rank no less.”

I agreed that it was, on the face of it, crazy. I argued that it was all ceremonial but would help me keep in with the military as we move forward. I asked him to keep it to himself as I was unsure what the Minister would think of it. Erik chuckled as he told me that I had both a Swedish and Estonian passport so was entitled to be in both armies.

Tuesday, I picked Berget up and we went first to a hardware store and bought brooms, sponges, cleansers, dusters and all those things one needs to keep your home tidy. Then it was a stop at an electrical store for a vacuum, microwave, toaster and kettle just for starters.

At the apartment we vacuumed and swept, dusted and wiped until we were happy with the result. Although we had the kettle, we hadn’t remembered any tea or coffee and there was no fridge yet to keep milk in. In the underground car park we swept out the storage enclosure and both car parks and then went off for lunch and an afternoon ordering furniture.

With us able to pick up from the warehouses we had no problems ordering a fridge, washer/drier, bed for us, bed for guests, wardrobes, kitchen table and chairs, lounge suite, TV and all the other bits and bobs you need.

My bank account was pretty low by the time we finished but we knew that Greger would be good with his offer. We had arranged pick-up of all the purchases for the following Tuesday and it would all fit into an electric.

That evening we hosted Astrid and Erik for a meal at a good restaurant as thank you for putting up with me. Astrid said that she wouldn’t have missed it for the world and they both agreed that it had been a lot of fun.

I asked about Agnis and her accommodation and ended up promising to help Astrid in the evenings to set up the second spare room as a nursery. Berget offered to help getting the cot and other things. She said she may need the experience for later.

Wednesday and the rest of the week I worked on various bits of the project, looking at more applications, making lists of those drivers we had committed to taking on and seeing where I could pair the army girls with the civilians from the applications and notes I had made.

I also worked with Gustav to feed them into our system for hands-on experience with our whole range of activities. The other thing was to research other shows other than the local one and to see if I could book a space for a double trailer and the flatbed.

I came up with five shows that looked suitable, starting in June with the big truck event in Austria then on to Tallinn in August with both trucks, as well as a second ‘Maidens’ if we had one, for the Master Truck Show in Poland if the dates clashed.

There was a big show in the UK, in Peterborough, in late August and one in Croatia in September. I called our friendly Volvo agent to see if we could get an invite to grace their stands at the Commercial Vehicle shows and he said he would get back to me. I didn’t expect too much from that.

I organised an electric with a couple of guys on Tuesday so made sure I had everything up to date by the time we finished Friday. Berget said that her weekend would be taken up with sorting out all of her things that she wanted to keep and I thought I had better do the same.

I went and bought a bag of big garbage bags to put my clothes in so I didn’t have to borrow a case from Astrid. A lot of things could just go on hangers draped over the back seat. I went to the hardware store again and got a small toolbox with a range of tools for around the house; you never know when you need a screwdriver.

When I took them up to the apartment and put them away under the sink I was starting to consider the place as home.

Marianne Gregory © 2022