*Chapter 3*
And History
“And you, Missy need to get ready for school,” Dad mentioned.
“Do I have to?”
Well it was worth a try. There was of course no getting away from today’s ‘excitement’, I might now be sixteen but that doesn’t get you out of today’s history exam, the first of many coming up in the next few weeks. It’s not like it’s unexpected, we’ve been revising for weeks but now it’s here, well I’ve got the jitters worse than before a race.
“What’s with all the makeup?” Stef asked thirty minutes later.
“Nothing,” I stated.
“You never wear more than massy to school.”
“I fancied a change.”
Perhaps I had gone a bit overboard, foundation, powder, eyeliner, shadow, lippy well you get the idea. By the time I realised what I was doing it was quicker to finish and go with it than clean it off. It was a bit at odds with how I was dressed, my usual school outfit of jeans, ankle boots and jumper, some variation of which most girls wear at Silverberg this time of year.
Yeah bit over the top, maybe I was nervous, yeah that must be it, nervous.
“So ready for this History exam?” Bridg enquired of the table.
I’m sure it’s all part of some master plan the whole exam thing, put you in unfamiliar surroundings; make it as stressful as possible. If we did them in our normal classrooms I’m sure we’d do better but here we are in the sports hall, a place I’ve visited so rarely since starting here. Herr Ansbacher told us what to expect last week but of course he’s not in the hall this morning, in fact I don’t know either of the adjudicators.
“Okay people, you have three hours for the paper, you can turn it over now, good luck.”
History part one, good luck, sheesh, I’ll need more than luck!
I checked the time, twelve thirty, half an hour left, geez I’m starving. Only two questions left though, so, ‘Explain the purpose and relevance of the Deutches Limes’, hmm, I think I’ve got that one, cheers Dad.
“Boy, I’m glad that’s over,” Con allowed.
“Anyone do question four?” Nena asked taking her usual seat.
We’d missed lunch but the canteen was open for us to eat our sandwiches.
“The one about prehistoric periods?” Pia suggested.
I burst into giggles, Steff and Brid had to stifle their own responses.
“What?” Pia queried.
“I’m sure they had them then,” I opined.
“Ga-ab!” Nena groaned.
Okay, so they’re schoolgirls humour but hey, I’m a schoolgirl, worst luck.
Around us conversation was mostly on similar lines, no not female reproductive issues, dissecting the exam of course. Well apart from Marty and his mates who were loudly discussing Bundesliga results – apparently football results are more important than exams. On the other hand, dissecting the exam paper now isn’t going to alter how we answered or the result so maybe they have the right attitude.
“So how’d it go?” Mum asked when I emerged into the house.
“Okay I guess.”
“Answer all the questions?”
“Uh huh, any tea in the pot?”
“You might squeeze a cup, you been to school like that?”
“Like what?”
“The war paint.”
“Uh huh,” I allowed as I drained the teapot into a mug.
“It’s a wonder you didn’t get sent home.”
“We are allowed.”
“So why today? You don’t usually wear makeup to school.”
“I do, just not as much.”
“So?”
“I got a bit carried away this morning.”
Jen couldn’t really believe she was having this discussion, it was only a couple of months ago her child was declaring herself male and now she’s defending her use of makeup. Given Gaby’s history it was even stranger, in the past she might don some lippy etc for some gain but this, this is pure teen girl. Does this mean she’s accepted her reality, that she’s female inside and out?
“Oh there’s a message for you on the pad.”
“Who from?”
“Eva? Can you give her a call.”
Eva? Who’s Eva?
“She leave her number?”
“On the pad, you got washing?”
My brain made the connection when the phone was answered a few minutes later.
“Der Mühle.”
That Eva! “Er Eva?”
“Speaking, Gaby?”
“Um yeah, Mum said you called?”
“Thanks for calling back, so are you still interested in working the trailer?”
“Er sure.”
“Excellent, can you pop in one afternoon and we can go through the diary.”
“Um okay, tomorrow? I can come straight from school,” I offered.
“Fine, I’ll see you tomorrow, tschuss.”
“Tschuss.”
I ended the call and sat back against the wall, I know she asked yesterday but I wasn’t expecting to hear from her this soon – if at all. Hmm, I’ll need to take my race schedule, don’t want to double book. My musing was broken by a yell up to the eyrie.
“You training today or not, Bond!”
Love you too, Mand.
It was full dress rehearsal at cheer, our first competition is on Saturday whether the girls are ready or not. In the end I resorted to bribery to get Mand to ‘officially’ join the squad, everyone else thought she was in anyway. Of course, I’m not taking part, it was never my intention to be on the squad even if a tiny part of me would really like to be – no I’m the coach, I get the plaudits or not without the sweat!
“Usual pick ups, ladies, eight here, ten past at Dernau,” Hannah concluded.
The session had been pretty good, even our less capable members had improved since Fran’s visit. Han suggested and I agreed, that we wouldn’t name the squad until we got to the venue on Saturday – we had our preferred list of course but we wanted everyone involved.
“So what do you think?” my coaching colleague asked as we collected our gear up.
“Well we might not win any prizes but there’s plenty of enthusiasm at least.”
“Maybe the other teams are no better,” Han suggested.
I hadn’t even considered that. My appraisal was based on what I’d experienced with the Foresters in England and in the States but here in Germany, well I’m not really sure where cheering is at.
Dad had our race programme on a spreadsheet, separate for each of us, I ‘borrowed’ mine and transferred it all to my own diary. The racing season seems so far away but my first event is just a fortnight away and then there’s something most weekends through to the end of May. It’s not all big races, there are some chippers, local fairs and stuff like Brohl but of course at the other end of the scale are the step up events, full international stuff.
“Help yourself to coffee, Gaby,” Eva told me when I arrived at the Der Mühle behind Christine, “we’ll sit in the bar as it’s quiet.”
“Er okay.”
I helped myself to a cup and filled it from the jug warming on the filter machine before going to join my potential employer.
“Thanks again for helping on Sunday, we used to sub let the trailer but this year we thought we’d do it ourselves, it was our first event at Honnef.”
“Glad I could help.”
“Well even Jurgen agreed that we underestimated staffing, we ideally need three to run it properly, you have your diary?”
“Er yeah, it’s pretty full with racing at weekends so I might not be that much help,” I explained opening my organiser.
Eva deflated a little, “Well let’s take a look anyhow.”
We spent about an hour comparing dates and so on, the good news was that most of the Der Mühle Crêpes trailer bookings were quite local and even mid week. I had a few definite dates I can do and a few more where it depends on race travel arrangements.
“So if you can find out about those dates and let me know as soon as.”
“I’ll try to let you know by the weekend.”
“And your friend?”
“That too,” I agreed.
“So?” Mand asked as we sorted the washing after dinner.
“It’s a flat fifty per day.”
“Is that good?”
“Not brilliant but there’ll probably be some sort of bonus on top.”
“And?”
“You’re in if you want, I said I’d let her know by Friday.”
That was my bribe for the All Stars, get Mand some part time work, it might not be as lucrative as the bakery but it’s a start. It’s not that she’s jealous of my working, well not exactly, but her allowance isn’t huge and it’s not like she knows loads of people to hang with. I know she has us, the Bond’s that is but it must be pretty lonely at times, I’ve seen her crying a time or two for no apparent reason.
“Bring it on!”
“I take it that’s a yes then?”
“When do we start?”
“Three weeks time, we’ve got a crit on Sunday but the event is all weekend so we can work Saturday at least.”
“Brill, what about the bakery? Aren’t you supposed to do Saturday afternoons?”
Bum, I knew there was something I forgot.
“I’ll see if I can swap with someone, do the early shift maybe.”
Of course it’s all very well for me to get employment, the fly in the ointment is getting parental agreement.
“Dad?”
“Yes kiddo,” he glanced up and spotting Mand went on, “ot oh, a delegation, I’m not gonna like this am I?”
“Well you know Frau Foch sort of offered me a job on Sunday?”
“I didn’t but go on, I’m listening.”
“So I went to see her this afternoon, after school that is and we sorted out some dates I can work for her.”
“Doing?”
“Making the crêpes in their trailer, it doesn’t interfere with racing, I checked my programme,” I added.
“And what is Amanda’s part in this enterprise pray?”
“She’s part of the deal.”
“I did ask,” Mand put in.
“It looks like you’ve covered all the angles,” Dad noted.
“So like can we?”
“I don’t want people thinking we make you go out to work.”
“We want to don’t we, Mand?”
“It’ll help with my German too, Mr Bond.”
At least they had asked, not that there was a great deal he could reasonably do anyway, they didn’t need parental consent and as long as it didn’t interfere with their racing…
Maddy Bell 23.07.16
