Gaby Book 28  Balancing Trick by Maddy Bell Copyright© 2023 Madeline Bell

 
Okay, maybe the collection of Schliech wildlife I bought for Drea was a bit extravagant but it was the plush penguin that I bought for myself that had the Rents rolling eyes. Look he had such a pleading expression I couldn’t leave him on the shelf could I? Anyhow we were soon on our way back to Dernau, not that I saw much of the journey, last night finally caught up and I passed into the land of Nod before we even reached the autobahn.

"Daa-ad, phone,” I called down to the bike cave where he was ‘servicing’ the bike I’d had on tour.
"Who is it, tell ‘em I’ll ring back.”
"It’s George, says its urgent.”
I’m sure he sighed, "Be right there.”

George is of course the owner / manager of the Apollinaris bike racing teams, he mostly looks after the seniors leaving the junior squads day to day running in Dad’s hands. Of course as he’s the boss when he says jump everyone asks how high.

"Gaby?”
"Hmm?” I looked up from my ‘homework’, a rather dry article from a ‘trade’ publication explaining how some forthcoming EU legislation would impact the hospitality trades.
"Can you speak to the rest of the team and set up a conference call for later this evening?”
"That sounds ominous.”
"I’ll explain later, something’s come up, call?”
"Er okay, what time?”
"I have some calls to make first, after dinner?”
"Mand should be back about seven, eight?”
"Eight it is.”
"So what do I tell them?” I asked, hoping for a tidbit myself.
"I’ll explain later,” he repeated.

Doesn’t look like I’m gonna get any inside information. Mum was no help, she was getting ready for the Spring Cobble Classics, a series of one day races mostly in Holland and Belgium but also into northern France. As some of them are on consecutive days the team are being based in Belgium for the duration, this week they are going to do the recce and a sort of cobble riding training camp. There are junior versions of some of the races but they don’t always allow mixed teams like us so despite being the top German under eighteen squad we’ve only had a couple of invites although three of us will be making up most of a National team in the ‘girls’ Fleche Wallone next Saturday.
 

With everything else going on, if I wanted to eat, dinner was going to be down to me, a first look in the cupboards would suggest a trip to the chippy. But we’re in Germany, there is no chippy, the nearest takeaways are several kilometres away. Okay, there is food but I really didn’t fancy too much prep or fancy doings, I found a tub of chilli in the freezer, some reasonably sized taters in the sack, bot exactly Michelin but it’d fill a hole.

"So what’s this all about?” Mand enquired as we cleared the debris.
"No idea, Dad’s been all cloak and dagger since that call with George earlier.”
"Well you’re no good as a spy Bond.”
"I’m licensed to ride not spy,” I retorted.
"C’est drôle.”
"So how was the Bahn Museum?”
"Busy,” she replied stifling a yawn, "Coulda done with a bit more sleep.”
"What time did you get back?”
"After one then Eva picked me up just after six.”

I heard the phone ringing, someone’s keen, its only five to.
 

“… so that’s where we stand,” Dad concluded.

Our trip to ride the Potsdamer Havel Classic in a fortnight looks to be off, Dad’s been seconded to run the senior squad as George has had to go into hospital, something with his heart. That leaves us without a manager or even transport to get to the races.

"How long’s this for like?” Josh enquired.
"How long’s a piece of string,” Dad replied, "Initially its to cover the Classics by which time we should know a timescale for George getting back in the saddle.”
"So no races for what, three weeks?” Daz queried.
"What about next week?” Tali asked.
"That's still happening,” Dad told us, "I’ve spoken to Frank Obermayer, he’ll be in contact with each of you once he’s organised your transport, the rest of you can still do the event at Wuppertal, I can organise transport but you obviously won’t have the usual backup.”
"Be like riding back home like,” Josh opined.
"Couldn’t we do the same for Potsdam,” Gret suggested, "Dad was gonna help anyway.”
"Its only a couple of hours on the train from here,” Tali volunteered.
"Took forever when I went with the school,” I mentioned.
"It was going to be a full day’s drive anyway,” Dad pointed out.
"I guess,” I allowed.
"So in theory you’d all be up for still doing Potsdam?” Dad posed.
"What about Daz?” Mand put in.
"Daz?” Dad prompted.
"Guess I could fly there as easy as Cologne.”
"Of course, you’re back in the UK that week, you could have a week off?”
"I’d prefer to race if I can.”
"Okay, is your Dad there now Greta?”
"I can fetch him.”
"I’ll give him a call in a few minutes, explain directly. So the three of you for the Wupper next week, I’ll get your transport organised, Manda, I’ll leave you to co ordinate stuff okay, lads?”
"Sure Boss,” Josh agreed.
"As regards Potsdam, leave it with me, I’ll speak to Dieter, see what we can organise but in theory you’re all okay with a simpler set up for Potsdam?.”
"Aye,” it was Josh who once again spoke.
"What about after that Dad?”
"Well there’s a gap in the seniors programme before the Giro, we’ll know what’s happening better and have time to get a bit better organised so don’t worry about that yet. Anything else?”

There was silence across the airwaves in reply.

"Okay, I’ll speak with Dieter now, one of us will ring you back, maybe tonight but more likely tomorrow.”
"Can you pass our best wishes to George,” Tali requested.
"Me too,” Gret added.
"I will, bye for now,” and the call was ended.
 

"We’re trusting you girls to not do anything daft while we’re away,” Mum lectured.

Since the conference call Dad’s been on the phone almost solidly for a couple of hours, Mum’s been making a few calls too.

"We aren’t little kids,” I stated.
"No you are two young women and I know from first hand experience that ‘things’ can happen that might seem logical at the time but in hindsight were not such great ideas. Anything recent spring to mind daughter?”

Nothing I’ve done sprang to mind, maybe Nina, Misty’s makeover last week?

"Can’t think of anything.”
"So you’ve been planning on all the tattoos for a while then?”
"Ah, yeah, about that.”
"Yes?”
"Erm, well they’re not actually real.”
"We’re all hallucinating?”
"No, I didn’t mean that, they’re not proper tattoos, they’re just stick on,” i admitted.

Mum’s demeanor subtely changed, was that relief?

"So they aren’t permanent, they fade or something?”
"Its what they use for actors and that, Maria said they usually last about a week or you can clean them off whenever with something like nail varnish remover.”
"I wondered how they did that,” Mand mentioned, "I thought they painted them on or something.”
"I was just stringing you all along for a bit.”
"Hmm, that be as it may, no burning the house down or parties while we’re gone.”
"Mu-um.”
"I mean it Gaby, you can have friends around but I don’t want to come back to complaints from the neighbours or the Polizei.”
"Yes Mum,” I sighed.
"Manda?”
"No parties, no house burning,” Mand stated.
"We’ll be gone before you get home tomorrow, we’ll leave you some housekeeping money, I trust you can feed yourselves?”
"Well duh!”
"One of us will be checking in every day.”
"Mum, we’ll be okay,” I cut into her lecture.
"We’ll see.”
 
"Good, you’re still both up,” Dad opined finding the three of us in the kitchen a few minutes later.
"Just thinking about bed,” I stated stifling the latest yawn, its been a long day, well couple of days.
"I think we’ve got you all organised, Manda, next weekend, the lads will come down on the train, Henny Pinger will take you up in the team bus, pick them up in Köln and take you all across to the race, he’ll let you know times later in the week. You won’t have quite the usual backup but there will be spare wheels and so on. Gab, Frank will be in contact about Belgium probably Thursday.”
"What about Potsdam?”
"Give me a chance kiddo, Dieter and I have been looking at the logistics, the others were quite straightforward but getting you pair there has been a bit more challenging.”
"I thought we were going on the train?” Mand queried.
"Well it was the obvious choice but to be realistic its a minimum of three trains, possibly more, I’m not saying you couldn’t do it but it would take all day and not be particularly relaxing.”
"So what, we’re not going?”
"I didn’t say that, no you two will be flying, Dieter will book everything tomorrow and let you know the details, you’ll have to get to the airport but I’ll get that organised in the morning.”
"What about the bikes?”
"You will need to put them in hardcases, I’ll fetch a couple out before I go, will you be okay packing them, Dieter will rebuild them at the other end.”
"We might be girls but we’re not totally useless,” I told him.
"You don’t need to bite my head off, I was just checking.”
"We can manage Mr B,” Mand put in, "I used to have to do all my own mechanics before.”
"I can do stuff too,” I pouted. Okay, I don’t actually do more than punctures but its not like we have to literally take the bikes apart is it, its only wheels and stuff like the saddle really.

We talked for another few minutes, mostly Dad making sure we knew where stuff like the fuse box and stop cock are located. I doubt we’ll need to know but Dad was just being his usual thorough self. Eventually though my eyes reached the point of no return and the siren call of my own bed became irresistible.
 

Easter Monday, no college, I can lie in so why am I awake at silly o’clock? There was clearly some activity downstairs, the rents will be off this morning, me and Mand are going round to the bakery for a bit of an Angels reunion cum late Easter brunch. Its been organised for weeks, everyone’s coming so missing it isn’t an option. I dragged myself out of bed, did the necessities and made my way downstairs.

"Where’s Dad?”
"Down at the yard fetching your bike boxes for next week,” Mum advised looking up from the pasta she was draining, guess they’ll be having pasta salad for lunch later.
"You had breakfast?”
"We’ll get something when your Dad gets back, you sort yourself.”
"I’ll do it, we can at least all have breakfast together before you go.”
"Thanks kiddo.”

An hour later the four of us were sat at the dining table, well its a bit nicer than eating in the kitchen. We usually have the makings of a buffet fruhstück spread, emergency brötchen from the freezer and as its Easter, boiled eggs even if they aren’t decorated. We don’t often all sit down for breakfast together, we are all up and out at different times, doing different things so it was a bit of a novelty.

"I’ve put a list of your bike settings in the cases so Dieter can set them up when you get there.”
"Stop fussing Dad, we’ll work it out.”
"Dave?” Mum hinted.
"Eh, oh right, I’ve put you some money for expenses on the pinboard, you don’t have to spend it all but there’s enough to eat at the airports and so on.”
"Expenses, does that mean you want receipts?”
"It wouldn’t hurt,” Mum told us before Dad could answer.
 

"So you’re home alone for vierzehn Tage?“ Con repeated back.
"Yep, as of,“ i checked my watch, "Twenty minutes ago me and Mand are orphans.“

We weren’t the first to arrive at Thesings for our little soirrée, that honour went to Pia, Ing having dropped her off on the way to her own social gathering down in Bad Neuenahr, but neither were we the last as my currently carrot haired musical companion had yet to arrive.

"Nen is coming?“ Bridg asked.
"Said so last night,“ Pia confirmed, "Think her mums bringing her.“
"Anyone want coffee?“ our host enquired.

We were in the cafe rather than the apartment, well there’s not a lot of space up there and with the bakery closed, it is Easter Monday, it made more sense.

"That looks like her now,“ Mand stated, i know she’s not really one of the Ahr Angels but she did help at the market and anyhow, it would’ve been churlish not to invite her.
"Get the door someone,“ Con requested.

Given my experience working here i got up to do the honours, getting the portal open just as a flustered Mist reached it. We exchanged a quick hug as she came through.

"Sorry i’m late, some idiot put a whole toilet roll down one of the toilets which flooded the whole toilet block, talk about a mess.“
"Didn’t think you were working at the campsite anymore,“ Pia observed.
She gave a shrug, "Its a few extra euros, the place is heaving with it being the Easter holidays.“
"Maybe we should've opened the kiosk Con,“ i called over to my ‚partner‘ on that enterprise.
"Don’t think Kris would’ve been too happy.“
"I guess,“ i allowed.
"Come on then Nen, what’s with the hair and stuff,“ Bridg demanded.
 
And so it began. There was so much that Mist and i have shared over the last couple of weeks but there was also stuff we hadn’t and some that was best not distributed too freely. It all seemed a little surreal, here we all were, the five musketeers of Silverberg Gymnasium, the class of 2006 as the Americans would have it and for the first time that i remember there are secrets between us.

It was also a little disconcerting to see Misty in ‚normal‘ clothes, her hair has lost none of its vibrance in the last week whereas my pinkness has already lost the hardness it had. I guess i’ve become used to her new piercings much as my ‚tattoos‘ no longer catch my eye at every sight. The BlauHase tour remained the primary topic of conversation for most of our gathering but, like all good things our Easter gathering ground to an end, promises given, plans made.

"Oh nearly forgot,“ Pia started, "Dad wants to know who wants to work the tourist bus dinners.“
"When are they?“ Con enquired.
"Thursdays starting in three weeks, there might be some extras over the summer.“
"Count me in,“ Mand immediately told her, "Not like i have a burgeoning social calendar.“
"I should be okay too, put me down,“ i added.
"Might have to give it a miss, i don’t get back from college till late on Thurdsays,“ Con advised.

Living closest, Mand and i gave Con a hand with the clean up, it might not’ve been a chimps tea party but there were still crumbs and crockery.

"So what’re you guys doing the rest of the day?“
"Training,“ i told her with a bit of a sigh, "Up to the Ring and back.“
"Joy,“ Mand agreed.
"You fancy coming for dinner?“
"We shouldn’t impose,“ Mand told my friend.
"It would save me cooking,“ i put in, giving de Vreen a dirty look.
"You aren’t imposing, mum said to ask you when i told her you were on your own - and there’s a Tatort double as well.“
"Done!“

Mand just rolled her eyes, i guess you don’t have to like slightly cheesy police dramas.

"Food at seven, Tatort at eight,“ Con beamed.
"Come on then Mand, mountains to climb before then.“
 
And so we hurried back home, its best bit of eighty kilometres up to the Grand Prix circuit and back, best part of four hours riding even for us, so we’d best get a move on if we are going to make it to dinner. You can never be certain what Therese will dish up but there’s always plenty and washing up after is a small price to pay – and there’s always cake, it is a bakery after all!
 
Maddy Bell © 19.05.2023