Gaby Book 18 - Summery

 The unmistakeable odour of the wood fired pizza oven in the Sebenschuh wine cellar Stube was as much encouragement as I needed. I tried tugging at my dress’ hem again but no sooner was it let go and it was sliding back up my thighs, maybe it hadn’t been such a good choice. We followed the enticing aroma into the wine cellars, strangely silent and empty of the sounds that fill the place during the day.
Instead the sound of pop music and the tinkle of girls voices drifted through the voids, guiding us as surely as the wood smoke towards our destination.

“I hope the heaters are on,” Steff mentioned, rubbing her exposed arms for warmth.

It wasn’t my arms that were feeling chill but somewhere further south, not helped by my migrating hemline! Let’s just say that using any form of friction for warmth wasn’t on the cards.

“Yeah,” I agreed, “it’s always so cold in here.”

I'd barely finished speaking before a solid mass impacted me and sent me sprawling sideways landing on top of me. Instinctively I'd closed my eyes, it was only when I opened them again from my recumbent position on the cold ground I discovered a startled face millimetres from my own.

“Gab?”
“Max?”
“What the...?” I managed to get out.

We were soon surrounded by other party goers, Max dragged off of me, assisted me to my feet.

“You all right?” Con asked.
I rubbed a now sore elbow, “Think I'll live, what the heck was that about, Max?”
“It wasn’t my fault, someone pushed me,” he looked hard at the Strech’s.
“Sorry, Gab,” Freddy offered, “we were just mucking.”

Someone swatted him around the head.

“Ow!”
“Come on, girl, you need pizza,” Pia suggested.
A pair of arms guided me into the Stube, arms connected to von Strechau.

“You okay now?” Mand enquired a short while and two slices of pizza later.
“Yeah, sides a bit sore still.”
“You need some of this,” Con plonked a paper cup with some suspiciously coloured liquid inside on the table.

I know I promised Dad but this is medicinal right?

“Hmm,” I allowed smacking my lips after taking a mouthful,” Châteaux Rech 1976.”
“Don’t be daft, it’s the 2004,” Pia advised.
“Damn, I ordered the good stuff.” I opined with an affected note to my voice.
“Er, you fancy a boogie, Gab?” Max asked joining the hen party.

Do I? Well I suppose I can’t sit here all night can I?

“Nothing too energetic, I'm still sore.”

“Whatever,” I told anyone listening.
“She always like this?” Ingrid’s voice asked.
“Every time she has more than one glass,” another voice stated
“Gab, Gab, can you sit up?”
“Don’ wanna dance.”
“No we’re not dancing,” Ingrid stated, “you got that coffee, P?”
“She alright?” Max enquired.
“Just how much has she drunk?”
“Not sure, two or three cups?”
“Lolly Lightweight alright,” Mand’s voice added.
“Not Lol, Lo, thingy, Gabs,” I offered, pushing myself into a slightly more upright position.
“Come on, Gab, get this inside of you,” Ingrid persisted pressing a cup to my lips.
“Her dad’s gonna go ballistic,” Steff stated.

In the end it was the shower that brought me to something like sobriety, my hair was still damp when I was escorted out to Dad’s taxi. he’s not daft though, it’s not the first time I've got, er, a little squiffy after all – well maybe my wet hair and lack of makeup were clues too.

“How much,” Dave Bond enquired.
“Not sure,” Con admitted as she pulled her seatbelt into place.
“Only a couple,” I suggested, not that I could say with any honesty if that was cups or bottles.
“Sorry, Herr Bond, one minute she was dancing away, next she was flaked out in a corner,” Steff added.
“Just try not to be sick in the car, eh?”

Dave passed his daughter the pot of Aspirin, “I really should be grounding you, what were you thinking?”
“I didn’t have much,” I offered in defence before slipping a couple of the pills into my mouth, my head felt like it was full of expanding foam.
“Look, kiddo, I know it’s difficult when all your friends are drinking or whatever not to join in but we’ve been here before, you and alcohol just don’t mix. This time you were with friends but what if you were in say, Bonn? You’re a young woman, Gabrielle, an attractive one, you need to be more careful – you don’t have to have alcohol or drugs to have a good time.”
“No, Dad, can I go to bed now?”
“Go on.”

The house was silent when my brain finally engaged Wednesday morning – oh I could hear a tractor up in the vineyards behind the house and the toot of the Express’ horn as it descended the valley but inside Schloss Bond, silence. My head was still doing its House of Pain impersonation but at least the room wasn’t spinning. Checking the time, the reason for the silence was clear, everyone was out, either at school or in Dad’s case taking the car to the dealers in Sinzig for a service.

I dragged myself from my pit and headed for the shower. By the time I got down to the kitchen my head was more settled although the thought of eating still made me a tad nauseous. Wednesday, washing and I really should go see the Thesing’s, bet the others aren’t hung over, lucky sods. I finished my coffee, rinsed my cup then rushed to the lav where I lost the contents of my stomach – oh joy.

“You coming to the Schwimmbad this afternoon?” Con asked after checking on my health.
“In Remagen?”
“Where else? ‘course Remagen.”
“Could do, I need to talk to your mum anyhow.”
“Come for lunch, we’re getting the two o’clock Express.”
Well it’ll kill two birds at least, “Okay.”
“See you in a few.”
“Yeah,” I agreed, “Tschussie.”
“And don’t forget your bikini, laters.”

Well you didn’t think we would be going to actually swim did you?

“Connie says you wanted to talk,” Therese prompted as I helped myself to salad.
“Um yeah,” I agreed.
“The kiosk?”
“Uh huh, I've talked with Dad and I'm in.”
“Knew you would,” Con gleefully announced.
“Well in that case we’d best get things moving, if we are going to be ready for the summer season.”
“I've got some ideas.”
“All in good time, Gaby, first we need to sign the lease and get the building fixed.”
“Don’t the Council do that?”
“Normally yes but we’re getting it for nominal rent on condition we do the repairs.”
“That’s sneaky,” Con stated.
“Maybe,” Therese conceded, “but it lowers our start up costs.”
“So when do we start?”
“Whoa, slow down, girls, we’ll try to get Con’s uncle Josef to do a quick survey for us then we need to find a builder.”
“So we can’t do anything yet?” I queried.
“Well we need to check the dimensions of the kiosk so we can plan what goes where and of course get everything ordered, how about we go up and measure tomorrow morning and we can go to the shopfitters Friday.”

I mentally checked my diary, yeah that doesn’t conflict with anything.

“Sounds like a plan.”
“This is so exciting,” Con added.
“It’s going to be hard work young lady, you both need to be committed to it.”
“We will,” my friend stated.
“So what are you pair up to this afternoon?” Therese deftly changed the subject.
“Schwimmbad apparently,” I told her before starting on my schnitzel.
“Make sure you put on sun block, especially you, Gaby, don’t want to get burnt.”
“Mu-um,” Con groaned.
“Don’t you mum me, young lady, remember your dad in Tenerife.”
“He looked like a tomato!” Con chuckled.
“It wasn’t funny,” Therese stated.
“I s’pose not,” my friend agreed.

“We need to get some sun screen,” Con advised the others as we settled into seats for the journey down to the Rhein.
“There’s that place on the main street, you know, opposite the shoe shop,” Brid suggested.
“So you recovered from last night?” Nena directed at me.
“Pretty much.”
“Max was clucking about like an old hen,” Steff mentioned.
“To be honest I don’t remember much.”
“Well the striptease was getting a bit saucy,” Pia advised.
“Striptease? I didn’t did I?”
“She’s winding you up,” Nen put in.
“Had you going though,” P smirked.
“It’s not funny,” I stated.
“You’re right, Gab, not funny,” Con noted, “hilarious!”
“Con!”

I plucked at my swimsuit through my t-shirt, let’s be right, a bikini top is no substitute for a proper bra and the bottoms, well less said the better.

“What’s she doing in there?” I grumped.
“Buying the place up I reckon,” Steff suggested.

It was another couple of minutes before Con emerged from the Drogerie.

“’Bout time.”
“There was a queue.”
“Come on you two, there’ll be nowhere left that’s half decent,” Pia advised.

Half decent, that’s a laugh. Me, I'd happily find a spot in the shade, maybe not too near the pool but oh no, this lot aren’t happy unless we’re in full sun, close to the pool or at worst the beach volleyball court. Remember last year? Okay it turned out a good day but that doesn’t mean I want to have a repeat today.

Of course being a nice day the pool was quite busy, not just with teens but quite a few mothers with pre preschoolers and even a few oldies. Well at least I wouldn’t need to change in the draughty cabins and I'd taken the precaution of bringing a bottle of water – what can go wrong?

“Gabs!”

Maddy Bell © 05.12.16