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*Chapter 35*

What Friends Are For

 
 
“Better?” Max enquired when I eventually released my grip.

“A bit thanks.”

“My pleasure.”

I bet it was!

“This doesn’t mean anything right, we’re just friends.”

“Just friends,” he agreed with that little smile he does.

“How are you getting to Mart’s party?”

“Dunno, probably get mums taxi.”

“Any chance me and Mand can grab a lift? My Dad’ll bring us back.”

“Who’s ‘Mand’?”

“The English girl who’s come to join our Rennrad team.”

“Sure, don’t see why not, that’s what friends are for,” he grinned.

Was that a twinkle in his eye? Have I just changed our relationship?
 
 

Herr Sebenschuh was waiting for us when we finished school, his minibus towing a trailer for our bikes. You didn’t think we were leaving them here did you?

“Come on ladies, don’t want to be late eh.”

“Thanks for taking us,” Brid offered.

“Its no problem, I want to see Joachim and Rosina myself.”

“We need to stop at the bakery dad, Gab ordered some flowers to take up,” Pia advised her parent.

“Okay,” he agreed.

Ingrid, Pia’s sister was already sat inside.

“Hiya girls.”

“Hi Ingrid,” I replied as I tried to work out how to get into the bus wearing heels and a tight skirt.

“Dad, can you lift Gab up?” Pia called out much to my embarrassment.

“That’s the problem with tight skirts,” Ingrid offered by way of wisdom.

Tell me about it, I wasn’t really thinking this morning was I?

The others all clambered inside before Herr Sebenschuh lifted me inside before climbing on board himself.

“Everyone okay?”

He took the various mumblings for confirmation and pointed the ageing 307 towards the valley road.

 
 
Given the situation, we were hardly a bundle of laughs and the big basket of flowers that I’d ordered made things even more sombre despite the colourful display. Dunno about you but I’ve never done this wake business before, no one I know has ever died so its completely new territory. The bus covered the distance up to Mayschoß in minutes flat and we were soon parked on Sonnscheidestrasse, a few houses down from the Fischer’s place.

“You alright getting down Gaby?” Mr S asked when he pulled the door open.

“Well, if you wouldn’t mind?"

“No problem.”

Once I was on terra firma he reached in for the flowers then his jacket as the others joined me at the roadside. Ingrid I noticed, whilst not heeled and suited had put on a smart ensemble of black trousers and blazer over a white blouse – not too formal but respectful. Her dad meanwhile had put on a jacket, one of those Länder things with no collar that well to do Germans seem to favour.

He grabbed the flower basket and led the way up to the house, I had to grab hold of Steff, heels really don’t work on uneven pavements! Moritz barked excitedly from the garden on our approach, however he quieted when he got a look at us. Dunno if he recognized us or reacted to our demeanour but whichever, the door opened before we got there.

“Helmut.” Nena’s dad greeted.

“I’ve brought the girls.”

“Of course, Nen said they were coming, come on in.”

“How’s Rosie Jo?”

“As you might expect, she’s lying down for a bit, girls, go on through.” He indicated a doorway that I’m guessing led to the lounge.

“We brought flowers?” I mentioned indicating our driver’s burden.

“You didn’t need to.”

“We just thought.”

“Gaby, don’t apologise, I’m glad she had friends like you and the others, she was always talking about the Weihnachten you guys organised for her.”

My face didn’t know what to do, blush or cry so settled on a bit of each.

“Thank you for the flowers, now go on through, I’ll sort you out some drinks.”

“I’ll give you a hand Jo,” Mr S stated.

 
 
“Where’d you go?” Steff asked.

“Talking to Herr Fischer.”

Any further inquisition was aborted when Nena spotted me.

“You’ve grown Gab.”

“Heels,” I suggested.

I’m not sure what I’d expected of Nena, a sobbing mess maybe, what we got was a tired looking girl with dark rings suggesting sleep had been short this last week.

She chuckled a little at my observance, “so what’s everyone been up to?”

By mutual agreement we avoided the elephant unless Nena mentioned it, her dad brought a tray of cups and coffee through and we got on with the business of catching up. Of course Claudia did eventually become the subject of conversation that was hard for all of us. I don’t mind admitting to more than a few tears as tales old and new were exchanged.

 
 
“I thought I heard voices, hello girls, thanks for coming.” Frau Fischer offered coming into the room.

“Er no problem,” Steff replied for all of us.

“She didn’t have many friends but I know you girls meant a lot to her.”

More tears were soon on their way.

“And Gaby.”

“Hmmm?”

“She made me promise to thank you especially.”

“Me? Why?” my cheeks reddened further.

“Because, how did she put it now, you were a real sport about the hair and because you came up with the Weihnachten idea. That made her so happy, she kept on about it right up to the last.”

“It wasn’t just me,” I dissembled.

“Oh I know that young lady but you were instrumental in getting it off the ground, I know you and your boyfriend worked hard to make it happen.”

I didn’t have anything to say, no witty comeback, nothing but more tears. Somehow I ended up being hugged for the second time today, this time by Rosina Fischer who I was supposed to be supporting. Tables turned I sniffed and snuffled for several minutes before we were disturbed by the men.

 
 
“We should go,” Herr Sebenschuh suggested.

I had to agree; I don’t think I could do much more crying today.

“See you Wednesday then?” Con quizzed Nena a few minutes later.

“Yeah, thanks for coming guys.”

“Its what friends do,” Steff supplied.

“If you need anything Jo you know where to find me.”

“Thanks Helmut.”

Mr S hugged and shook with the Fischer’s as appropriate and we departed – not before I’d made a fuss of Moritz who sat patiently in the garden. No point in passing up a chance of banking some doggy points, never know when you might need to cash them in.

 
 
“Gab?” Con started.

“Glad I had waterproof mascara, I’d be a right panda by now.”

“Gab, look I’m sorry about last night.”

“Why? What happened?”

“You know darned well, look I was a bit upset, okay a lot upset and you were so, so casual about it all. It was like you didn’t care, it didn’t matter to you.”

“Well duh! Course it matters!”

“I know it does, I do, I was just … emotional. Friends?”

I guess that’s as much apology as I’ll get.

“Friends,” I agreed.
 
 

“I’ve got us a lift to the party,” I advised Manda when I returned to the living room after losing the skirt and heels.

“Party?”

“Mart’s party? I told you about it.”

“That party.”

“Yeah well I spoke to Max earlier (okay so we got a bit closer than talking), we’ll get a lift up with Gloria.”

“So who’s Max and who is Gloria?”

“Max von Strechau, Gloria’s his mum.”

“Max is her boyfriend,” Jules stated.

“Is not!” I denied.

“Don’t listen to her Mand, they are definitely a couple.”

“Jules, stop teasing your sister,” Mum instructed from the doorway.

You tell her Mum.

“And you young lady, ask before you borrow stuff in future.”

“But you weren’t here.”

Her look brooked no argument.

“Yes Mum.”

“And Gaby.”

“Yeah?”

“If you are going out with Max just say so, you’re certainly old enough and you could do a lot worse, just don’t give me grandchildren anytime soon eh?”

“Mu-um!”

Talk about embarrassing.

 
 
“Ooh do tell!” Mand requested after Mum had departed.

“I borrowed her skirt.”

“That’s not what I meant and you know it. I want all the details about you and Max.”

What’s to tell? There is no Max and Gaby… is there?

Maddy Bell © 26.12.2014