*Chapter 29*

Joys of Womanhood

 
 
It’s at least as quick going up the valley by car as on the train; from Remagen it’s thirty minutes to Dernau on the ‘express’. We spent the journey almost in silence, a long day of travel and shopping having taken its toll. Soon enough we were through Ahrweiler, Dernau the next stop.

“Later guys,” I offered before heading towards the doors.

“Bye, Gab, see you Monday.” Pia suggested.

Monday, yeah, back to school, joy!

Con and Anna joined me and at 18.16 we stepped onto the platform of Dernau Bahnhof.

“Bye girls,” Myleen called out before doing the whistle thing.

“Bye Myleen,” we chorused.

The three of us trudged into town, Anna to retrieve her bike from Thesing’s, at least I’ve only got a few minutes walk, she’s got a good twenty minutes ride up hill to get home.

“Good luck for Monday,” I offered.

“Thanks, Gab, I’m gonna miss you guys.”

“We’ll still see you.” Con noted.

“I know but it won’t be the same.”

For the first time I can recall Anna seemed a bit unsure of herself, I know what she means though – seeing the guys back in Warsop was great but it just wasn’t like it used to be. We hugged and Con and I watched the senior Angel set off for home.

“Don’t you need to get home?” Con prompted.

“Sugar, Mum’ll go potty.”

“Catch ya later.”

“Yeah later, Con.”
 
 

You can’t really run in these sandals so I sort of walk – trotted home arriving slightly breathless. No sign of the Pinger’s Passat so hopefully I wont catch it from Mum.

“There you are, good day?” Mum enquired more calmly than I’d expected.

“Okay I guess.”

“Buy anything?”

“Just some tights for school.”

“Wow I’m impressed, advance planning.”

“I suppose.”

“Right then, the Pinger’s’ ll be here in a few minutes, shower and change - tidy please,” she ordered.

“What’s all the fuss anyhow?”

“Nothing, it’s just dinner, oh and George is coming too so nothing too um exposing?”

As if!

“Okay.”

 
 
I exited the shower feeling quite a bit fresher although my breasts felt a bit tender and down below was a bit sore too – oh the joys of womanhood, all of which I could do without. The sound of conversation down below indicated that at least some of the dinner guests had arrived so I needed to get a move on.
 
 

“Here she is,” Marie announced when I reached the lounge.

The look Mum gave me meant that my choice of clothing was acceptable at least, a denim skirt teamed with a striped top – nothing too revealing but comfortable enough for the still warm evening.

“Evening everyone,” everyone being the senior Pinger’s, George and of course my rents, bum, no Kat.

“She’s out with some friends,” Maria supplied seeing my face drop some.

“Everyone ready to eat?” Mum enquired.

“Ja, ja, I’ve looked forward to the rost biff!” George enthused.

“Dave, can you give me a hand, Gaby, drinks?”

“Yes, Mum.”

 
 
So as you’ve probably guessed we were treated to a roast dinner, beef, Yorkshire’s, the full works which despite the weather went down very nicely indeed thank you. I even scored a glass of wine, a nice fruity little number from the Sebenschuh cellars – I’ve mentioned we sneak the odd bottle when we meet at Pia’s haven’t I? We usually have a hot pudding but tonight it was ice cream, posh strawberry and lime before I got the job of serving coffee.

“You all right, kiddo, you’re looking a bit pale,” Mum enquired joining me in the kitchen.

“I guess, forgot my meds this morning.” I admitted.

“What are we gonna do with you?”

“I dunno, can I disappear now?”

“A few minutes, eh?”

“Yeah okay.”

“Everything alright?” Maria asked when she arrived bearing the dessert dishes.

“Maria, you’re a guest.”

“And you cooked us a delicious meal, time of the month eh, Gab?”

“Erm.”

“Gab?” Mum queried.

“I guess,” I allowed, not really wanting to admit that such a thing applied to me.

“That explains a lot, why didn’t you say, love?”

“I didn’t realise until this afternoon,” I allowed.

“What about your diary?”

“Um.”

“Kat was the same,” Maria noted, “It was like having a two year old again.”

Too much information.

“What are we gonna do with you?” Mum sighed.
 
 

“So, Gaby, how did you enjoy your first stage race?” George asked when we returned to the lounge.

“It was tiring but good fun.”

“The winner, they often think these things, the last place might not enjoy it so much, eh?”

“I guess not,” I agreed.

“So what was best?”

“Well winning the stage was cool but like all the tactics and stuff.”

“Not the scenery then?” Maria chuckled.

“Didn’t really get much chance to look at that.”

“You couldn’t even see the tops on the queen stage.” Dad observed.

“It’s all the travel that gets to me,” Mum put in.

“That wasn’t too bad, having to do the Kontrolle after every stage was a bummer though.”

“I suppose if you want to catch the cheats it’s a necessary evil.” Maria noted.

“There’s rumours about Lance again.” Dad offered.

“He wouldn’t be so daft, after everything he’s been through.” Mum suggested.

“You would think not,” George mused.

“Rumours?”

“When we bumped into the Gerolstein lads last week they said it’s doing the rounds in the peloton.” Maria advised me.

“He’s taking something?”

“It’s what they’re saying,” Mum added.

“But he wouldn’t, would he?” the guys a hero, he’s won the Tour and stuff.

“I’m sure not.” Maria agreed.

The silence on the part of George and Dad was however not reassuring.

“How did the photo’s come out, Hen?” Dad enquired changing the subject.

“Well I think, the publicity chaps seemed quite happy when I dropped them off.”

“Is anyone from BC coming for the presentation?” Mum asked.

“Dave’s hoping to come but otherwise it’ll probably be Chris Toynbee, the chap in charge of the juniors,” Dad supplied.

 
 
The conversation floated around various cycling related subjects, which, whilst I wanted to go hide upstairs, kept me interested enough to remain downstairs. It was quite late when our guests departed so any thoughts of ringing Con or mailing Bernie tonight were replaced by an overwhelming desire for sleep.
 
 

“You riding today?” Dad enquired from my doorway.

“Hmm?”

“Your mum and Maria are riding down the river if you fancy tagging along?”

“What time is it?”

“Half eight.”

“Do I have to?”

“You need to do something, you didn’t ride yesterday and they’re only gonna be riding steady, we’ll get lunch at Boppard or somewhere and drive back.”

“Alright then,” I sighed.

“I’ll get your bike ready then, *Mum’ll be back with breakfast shortly so shake a leg.”

 
 
We drove down to the Pinger’s where Maria and Kat were waiting for us; Henryck had stuff to do but promised us food on our return.

“Ready then, kiddo?” Mum asked.

“As much as I will be.”

“We’ll take the lane down to Singen, Dave.”

“Okay, we’ll pick you up down there then.”

“Tschuss!” Maria offered.

“Later guys,” Mum added.

I led off and groaned as my legs were forced into action.

“Okay, Gab?” Maria queried.

“Yeah, bit stiff.”

“You did take your meds this morning?” Mum enquired.

“Yes, Mum.”

 
 
We were ahead of most Sunday morning traffic, in fact the lane down to Singen had more activity than the main road, a group of ‘club’ riders, a tractor, three dog walkers and an old geezer with his bike loaded up with root vegetables. Dad and Kat were waiting at the bottom for us where we turned south along the road towards Koblenz. I’ve ridden down here so often that I know where all the potholes and drains are, this morning’s relaxed pace allowing me to look about a bit more than usual.

Mum and Maria led the way, chatting away all the time – what they find to talk about all the time I’ll never know.

 
 
Maddy Bell © 02.04.2014