*Chapter 25*

Ahr

 
 
I don’t really know what I was thinking, I hadn’t got anything with me, I was dressed in what you might politely call scruffs and Anna was clearly already doing something.

“Anna!” I shouted spotting her down the first aisle.

“It was your car I saw, welcome home, Gab!”

We embraced tightly. “It’s good to be here.”

“Tut, tut, mädchen!” old Frau Paproth mentioned as she pushed her shopping trolley into my ankle.

“Er sorree,” I allowed dancing out of the way, last time she did that I had a bruise on my shin for weeks.

“When’d you get back?”

“Last night,” I admitted, “I had to go training with Mum this morning otherwise I woulda rung.”

“You’re looking well, I didn’t think the English weather was so good.”

“It wasn’t, we’ve been in the Alps for two weeks.”

“I remember now, Con said she saw you the other week on the way south.”

“So what are you up to?”

“Shopping for dinner, guess who landed the chef job all summer?”

“Lucky you.”

“You coming to Köln tomorrow? Last chance to shop before school.”

“Don’t remind me, I’m only there two days though, I go to the World’s on Wednesday.”

“Worlds? For your racing, I thought that’s what you did all summer?”

“Well yeah, it was training for next week, the big one up in Denmark.”

“You’ll forget your own bed.” She stated.

“Tell me about it, so, you wanna hang, we could go to Thesing’s, catch up a bit?”

“Love to,” she started, “but I’ve got too much to do if I’m going out tomorrow.”

“’Kay,” I sighed.

“We’re catching the nine o’clock in the morning, see you at the station?”

“Sure,” I agreed, “nine.”

“See you in the morning, ciao!”

“Tschuss,” have I just been given the brush off?

Suppose I’d better go home then. It’s not far back to Bond acres, ten minutes tops normally, today it took me fifteen as I moped about Anna’s dismissal.
 
 

“You’re back quick,” Mum noted when I slunk into the kitchen.

“I s’pose,” I replied with a shrug.

“You two fallen out?”

“I haven’t, she was busy is all.”

“Too busy to chat with someone she hasn’t seen for what, six, seven weeks?”

“I guess, we’re going up to Köln tomorrow.” I mentioned although I didn’t sound that enthused to me even.

“And just when were you going to ask if you could?”

“Er later? Please?”

“Just kidding, kiddo, ‘course you can. So you doing anything now?”

“Not really.”

That admission sealed my fate. The last day of the school hols and how do I spend it? Training and changing bed linen that’s how. The others won’t even be home yet I don’t suppose, I think Manda’s rents are gonna meet the bus at those services we used on the way down but like Mark and Jamie have still got a lot of travelling to do.

“Gaa-ab, phone!” Dad shouted up to my eyrie where I’d slunk once I escaped the sheets and duvets.

“Coming.”

Wonder who’s calling on the landline for me?

“Hello?”

“Gaby Bond, where have you been?” Con’s voice demanded, “I’ve been trying to call you all day.”

“It’s not rung.” I observed. Hmm where is my handy?

“I tried several times this morning and more this abend.”

“I was out with Mum and the girls this morning, been here all afternoon though.”

“Whatever, got you now,” she noted, “So, you wanna come hang later?”

“I guess,” I agreed somewhat more brightly.

“‘Bout six thirty? Guess who has to clean the shop tonight.”

“I could give you a hand,” I volunteered.

“Nah it’s alright, have to go, dad’s giving me the evil eye, Frau Paproth has just come in. Later!”

“Yeah, later.” I agreed.

Where is that mobile phone?

 
 
That mystery was solved a few minutes later when I discovered it in my tracky top; as to why it hadn’t rung, well guess who forgot to put it on charge last night?

“What you want for tea, kiddo?” Mum enquired.

“I’ll probably grab something at Con’s,” I offered.

“In that case I’ll let your father take me to the Schloss,” she grinned.

 
 
I wheeled the behemoth that is my school bike out of the garage, the bag of chocs and the purple plushy cow for Con safely stowed with my now partly charged handy and my Handtasche. Yeah I know but it’s useful for my keys and stuff alright?

“Don’t be too late if you’re going out in the morning.”

“Yes, Dad.”

“Be careful on that thing.”

“Yes, Dad,” you’d think I had a Mofa not a great lumping Schauff shopper.

Of course I didn’t really need to ride, it is only ten minutes walk but you kind of get into a habit, pretty much all my peers get about by bike for anything considered local.

“Byee, say hi to the Baron for me.” And with that I pointed the monster down the driveway and onto the road.

 
 
It was certainly a bit weird riding this monster again after seven weeks of exclusively riding assorted race bikes. Hub gears, dynamo, big fat tyres, racer its not but solid and reliable it does well and I was soon relishing the plush ride over the less than perfect surface of the road into town. Boy it’s good to be home.

Of course the bakery was closed when I scooted to a halt outside, the shop and café in darkness. I parked my transport up and lifted the basket with my stuff in off its bracket, proper Miss Marple wicker thing of course, then headed to the side door. I usually only come out this way, going in through the shop, it took me a moment to workout which was the house bell.

Bzzzzzt!

“Hello?” a dismembered voice offered.

“Just me.” I supplied.

“Gabs, be down in a mo, the door release isn’t working.” Con mentioned.

“’Kay.”

So much for fancy electronics.

 
 
A couple of minutes later I heard movement beyond the door before it swung welcomingly open.

“Gabeee!”

“Con!”

So okay, I’m being a bit of a girl today but like we haven’t seen each other for weeks, well two anyhow.

“Sorry about earlier, my phone was out of power.” I offered when we broke our embrace.

“Well you’re here now, let’s get the door locked and we can go in.”

“Sure,” I agreed.

She pushed the door shut and the lock seemed to work well enough this time.

“I’ll have to show you this, Gab,” she told me heading towards the back door of the shop.

“What? Not a new Gaggia?”

“Nah, something much better.”

Better than a new Gaggia? They’ve not redecorated and the place was hardly bristling with stuff in the first place.

“New till?”

“You’ll see,” she grinned opening the door into the darkened interior.

“Whatever,” I mumbled following her inside.

 
 
“SURPRISE!”

It was that, I jumped nearly out of my skin! The lights flashed on to reveal all the gang, Pia, Nena, Brid, Stef, Anna as well as Marty and Max all stood expectantly in the shop.

“Welcome home, Gabs,” Stef told me as I was pulled into the first of several hugs.

“Um,” yeah I know, I need to work on that.
When Max landed a wet one on my cheek I nearly threw one, not because it was horrible or anything, just like in front of everyone you know?

“Max!” I hissed.

“Sorry, Gabs, got a bit carried away.”

My mind wandered for a moment, thoughts of making out with Toni last week, comparing the two lads performance with the lips – have to say that Max was coming in a poor second there. Toni, hmm have to text him later.

“I thought I’d blown things when you caught me in Edeka earlier,” Anna stated.

“You weren’t buying dinner then?”

“When have you ever known me cook? It was the first thing I could think of.”

Further discussion was interrupted by the doorbell.

“That’ll be the food,” Con announced, “gis a hand, Mart.”
 
 

“Food?”

“No flies on you eh, Gab?” Pia suggested.

“What’s a party without food?” Stef posed.

“Party?”

“Well duh, baroness, you don’t think we came to see you do you?” Brid delivered, struggling to keep a straight face.

Con and Mart came back in bearing several boxes, boxes three centimetres high and about thirty across – pizza!

“We got your favourite, Gab.” Con told me.

“Pepperoni?”

“Ut uh, double pepperoni, extra cheese and black olives.”

They really do know me!

Maddy Bell © 24.03.2014