*Chapter 26*
Kaffee und Kuchen

"We should all get together before she goes back,” Nena opined as I sorted myself out.
"It would be good,” I agreed, "I'll float the idea to Bern, I don’t know what they’ve got planned.
"Er Gab?” Con waved something in the air, "Lost something?”
I tried to focus on what she had in her hand, "Where’d you get those?”
"You dropped them,” I was informed as she waved my clean knickers about.
"Oh come on Con, I need to get off.”
"You’re no fun Bond, what do you need them for, I know you don’t wear any when you ride.”
"I can’t have tea at the Preiser’s in smelly bike kit, Bern’s lending me something to wear but I still need undies.”
"Not sure they qualify,” Nena chortled, "I have dolls with bigger pants!”
"Huh! We got a placky bag anywhere?” I asked snatching my admittedly tiny underwear from Con’s grip.

 
I finally left the kiosk, spare underwear stowed in a jersey pocket and headed up the valley towards Adenau. The bad news however was drifting over from the west, grey clouds looking to deposit their contents, just hope I can get around to Staffel before then. I started humming to myself, it helps me get in the zone and it doesn’t seem to make much difference what it is, this afternoon its The Chain, pretty much guaranteed to get the tempo up.

Other than the threat from the skies, the afternoon was pretty good for riding, mid twenties, light wind and not too much traffic. I tapped along at a reasonable pace and easily reached the circuit a bit shy of four, not a lot of leeway if I go up to the GP circuit mind. Instead I took the Hohe Acht turn and started the five kilometre plus climb up the mountain.

I was probably a couple of kilometres in when the first spots of rain darkened the asphalt, the precursors to a determined cloudburst, shitza! I stopped and quickly extracted and donned my race cape. I was barely moving again before the torrent went up a notch, the drains already overflowing now spewed floods of wet across the road every few metres.

The problem with race capes is that they stop the wet getting in and out, its often not worth putting them on if its warmer. So of course I ended up unzipping my jacket to vent some of the heat, its not like I could get much wetter than soaked to the skin. I didn’t like the look of the Kaltenborn road – or the thought of dropping to Kesseling in the wet to then climb up to my destination.

Fortunately there is an alternative so I continued out to the ‘Ring road and sloshed onto the four one two. I got into a crouch and splashed along to the Cassel road, okay its not the best and there’s still some climbing but the downhill is minimal and the forest sort of offers a bit of protection over the top. From Niederheckenbach its only a couple of kilometres to the Preiser’s farm, I've never come by bike before so the lane from the village came as a bit of a surprise.

It was like riding ‘cross, the dips full of wet, the surface a bit loose for comfort in places. Once at the farmhouse I parked my bike and knocked on the door almost at the moment the rain ceased. Wunderbar.

 
"Geez Gab, what happened?” Mart queried as he allowed me inside.
"Rain?” I suggested.
"Its rained?” he asked peering outside at the now blue sky.
"Just a bit.”
“Mum!” he called out, "Take your stuff off here.”
"What do you...oh my,” Erika Preiser got out.
"Er hi Mrs P.”
"Up to the bathroom with you, get a shower, leave your clothes outside, we’ll sort you something to wear.”
"Thanks, sorry about your floor.”
"Pish, it’ll mop, now go before you catch your death.”

I dripped up to the bathroom and quickly divested myself of my sodden kit, so wet I rang it out before opening the door a crack and dropping it outside. It hadn’t been my intention to shower here but girl, I'm almost glad its rained, I smell pretty rank. The bathroom door opened letting a cool breeze into the shower cubicle.

"Gab,” Bern’s voice got my attention, "I've put you some dry stuff on the sink.”
"Cheers B.”
"I was going to do tea but you can have coffee if you like.”
"Tea’s fine, there any shampoo I can use?”
A hand snaked around the partition with a bottle of hair soap.
"Cheers.”
"Ten minutes?”
"Yeah, be right there.”

 
You might recall that Bern is, how can I put it politely, well she’s bigger than me in every measurement so anything I borrow from her is gonna be voluminous. Well the frock is probably just below the knee on its owner, on me its ankle length – just as well given I ended up going commando, Bern’s grandma pants having no chance at hanging on my slimmer hips. At least her sandals are only a little big so I made my way down to the kitchen at least semi decent.

"Tea’s just mashin’,” Bern advised.
"Cheers.”
"I've put your cycling clothes in the washer,” Erika told me.
"Thanks, sorry to be so much trouble.”
"It was going on later anyway, I'd forgotten how much washing babies generate.”
"Well thanks anyway, er did you find my wallet and Handy?”
"They’re on the dresser, bit soggy I'm afraid.”
"So erm, Mart and his dad not joining us?”
"And ruin a good gossip, the boy has taken the Kinder for a walk.”

It felt a little bit awkward, my friends mother and my friend, her almost daughter in law waiting for the tea to brew.

 
"So how is your kiosk?”
"Doing okay I guess, things have settled down a bit now but we’ve got some regulars.”
"That’s good, I'll have to stop some time.”
"Sure,” I agreed, "How’re the stables doing?”
"It won’t make us rich but its okay.”
"Tea’s brewed,” Bern enthused.
"I'll leave you to it then, I've got a client due in ten minutes.”

 
"I thought she was staying,” I allowed.
"Just us for a bit,” Bern filled in.
"Doesn’t this feel a bit strange, you know, in someone else’s house like this?”
"A bit I guess.”
"Drea okay?”
"Course, why wouldn’t she be?”
"Dunno, I guess you get fed up of people asking.”
"It does get a bit tired, its like I don’t exist, all everyone wants to talk about is Drea’s health.”
"Well I don’t.”
"So what is happening in Gaby land?”

 
We caught up on the stuff we couldn’t on Sunday, news from Warsop primarily.

"Nen suggested we have a girls night,” I mentioned.
"That sounds cool, I might be able to get Mart to babysit.”
"I'll ring round when I get home, see what we can set up.”
"Remember I'm stuck up here.”
"No problemo, that cake going free?”
"Some things never change Bond.”
"I'm a growing girl,” I defended as she slid the slice of chocolate torte onto my plate.
"Stefan’ll take you home Gaby,” Erika advised returning to her kitchen at that moment.
"Er sure,” I allowed.
"I'll get your clothes.”

Well I guess that’s a fairly strong hint that our time is up.

 
"I'll get your dress back to you,” I advised, "And I'll let you know about the other thing.”
"Okay, I'll have to get a phone for over here.”
"Yeah,” I agreed as Drea tried to grab my finger, yeah Con, babies are great as long as they’re someone else’s.
"Ready Gab?” Mart queried.
"I guess, night guys,” I allowed rescuing my finger and giving Drea a peck on her forehead.

 
Stefan Preiser is a friendly enough chap, he’s rescued me and my bike more than once but we rode in silence almost to Ahrbrück.

"What do you think of all this Gaby?”
"Sorry?”
“Marty, the baby, Bernie,” he supplied.
"Dunno really,” I admitted, its not really something I've given a lot of thought to, "I'm pretty sure they love each other.”
"Love? Strong word.”
"They’re different to like me and Max, they’re not all over each other, they really care about the other and Mart’s really good with Drea.”
"So you think they’ll stick together?”
"As much as anyone could say, Bern’s different when she’s with Mart.”
"So you and the von Strechau lad?”
"Lust, pure and unadulterated lust.”

We both chuckled and had a more normal conversation for the rest of the journey.

 
Dad raised an inquisitive eyebrow when I got to the lounge.

"Long story.”
"You break anything?”
"I've not been off, I just got drowned on the way, think the bike might need some oil.”
"And a clean I'm guessing?”
"Probably,” I allowed.
"So how’s the munchkin?”
"Still chuckling.”
"I spoke to Wilhelm earlier.”
"Oh?”
"Don’t look so worried kiddo, you can go Friday, Gloria will take you up to Boris’ place after you finish at work.”
"Er okay, you eaten?”
"Just a sandwich.”
"You fancy some Leberknödelsuppe?”
"Go on then, I'd best take a squint at the bike I suppose.”
“’bout fifteen minutes?”

 
My mind was determined to not shut down, I lay in the dark for a good thirty minutes not really having much connected thought but still wide awake. I say not connected but I guess it is sort of, the strongest thread being Bern and Mart’s relationship. Not for them dubious gigs in dingy venues, more like watching the telly with the parents over a cup of coffee.

Other questions interwove with that scene, will they get married, move away, have more kids, indeed, will they stay together? I eventually fell asleep dreaming of a wedding, not even sure who’s but I was a bridesmaid in a rather awful bright pink meringue, now even Bern has more taste than that – I think.

 
Maddy Bell © 23.05.17