*Chapter 28*
Drea’s Party

Thursday arrived dry and bright, hopefully I won’t have a repeat of Tuesday’s wet ride. I’ve dropped off my bag of stuff for later at the bakery, Con’s gonna take that up for me, yep we’re all sorted, it’s gonna be so cool! Of course the nice weather brought people out so we were quite busy from mid morning onwards even having a queue a few times.

"Hi guys! Surprise!”
My head snapped round, “Bern? What are, how did you?”
"And it’s nice to see you too isn’t it Drea, say hello to auntie Gab and auntie Con,” she waggled her gurgling daughters puddy at us.
“Kris!” Con called out, "Can you look after the shop for a mo?”
"Er you want a drink or something?” I offered.
"Coke?”

I grabbed a bottle on my way out, by the time I joined B, C and D in the garden Con was well into entertaining the baby.

"So to what do we owe this visit?”
"Well, to be honest,” Bern told us, "I needed to get away from the farm for a bit, it’s not exactly action central and I really wanted to see this place, it looks well cool.”
"Warsop's hardly a happening place either,” I mentioned, "So how’d you get here? You can’t’ve walked.”
"Dur!”
"Don’t be daft, Gab,” Con added.
"Well I don’t know do I?”
"I caught the bus down to Ahrbrück then the Express, Mr P’s gonna pick me up from the station a bit later.”
"Didn’t know there was a bus,” I observed, "Never seen one.”
"It’s like a minibus? once a day each way,” Bern advised, "Goes round the villages from the station to Adenauer, it stops at the end of our lane.”
"Right.”
"Here,” Con suggested, "I'll take Drea for a bit.”

Geez, talk about clucky.

"Cheers, Con,” Bern allowed handing the baby off to ‘Tante’ Connie.
"So what’re you doing after here?”
"Dunno to be honest, look in the shops maybe?”
"Thought Mart would be with you,” Con suggested.
"Working,” she sighed, "Erika’s taking us to Koblenz tomorrow.”
"Something to look forward to,” I proposed.
"I guess,” she allowed, "I was hoping to do something with you guys though.”
I exchanged a glance with Con, "Er yeah, maybe Saturday?”

In the end Bern stayed for nearly two hours, Con and I taking turns with actually doing some work, even Max when he arrived getting dragged into baby care. It was good to see her of course, distracting and keeping the lid on the conversation was awkward at times. Despite the isolation of the Preiser’s place she actually seems quite happy despite what she said, Drea anchoring her more securely than any lack of mobility.

“Phew!” Con allowed after we’d waved the girls off.
"Yeah,” I agreed, "I think she smelt a rat.”
"Well we weren’t exactly encouraging were we?”
"It’ll be alright later.”
"I hope so,” Con opined.

 
"So I'll see you later,” I told Con as I pulled my mitts on.
“’Kay, safe ride.”
"Cheers.”

I engaged a pedal and after a glance behind for traffic, pushed off to start my Effelsberg circuit.

Some days it’s just good to be out riding, the conditions perfect, the bike 100%, you feel fit – you soon have a grin on your face. By the time I turned at Kreuzberg I was singing away to myself, Sheryl Crow today and memories of the Leeds festival when the American exchange guys were over. They were some great times and going to the States after, wonder what the guys are up to? Must admit I've sort of lost contact since I came to Germany, maybe I should look everyone up.

I made light work of the Binzenberg climb, over the top and … what the heck? Noo! I know the road had a few holes but really, tar and chips? Out of all road surfaces tar and chippings has to be my least favourite, it’s slow, loose, slippery and, well it’s just horrible.

My speed had to remain low, there is no way you can tell the embedded grit from the inevitable piles of loose stuff. Stones were pinging off my wheels in all sorts of directions, the one that hit my calf really stung and then for some reason my gears slipped a couple of times. I pushed through that and into the rise past the village, finally running out of chippings just before the roundabout.

At least I can get back some time down to Mahlberg, I cleared the island and rammed the gear paddle down, there was a grinding noise and I was suddenly spinning on the road to nowhere. I looked down, oh sugar! Bum, bum, bum!

Unclipping I coasted to the curb and stopped to survey the damage. there’s one certain thing with bikes, without a chain they take you nowhere and a walk back up the road revealed mine laid quite neatly in the road twenty or so metres back up the road. Ha, I hear you say, a simple job to fix – yeah if you know what to do and just as importantly have the right gear, I have neither tools nor the knowledge.

"Dad, I need rescuing,” I bleated when he finally picked up.
"It’s gonna be a while, kiddo, I'm at the house in Neuweid with Angela, what's up? you’ve not come off?”
"Nah, chains snapped.”
"Snapped? Look it’s going to be a good hour to get there, where are you?”
"Top of Effelsberg.”
"Can you start freewheeling down, I'll meet you as soon as I can.”
"If I do that I can probably get home before you get here,” I sighed, "Alright, I'll do that.”
"Can you bring the chain with you?”
"Really? What for? It’s all mucky.”
"Well I'd like to know why it broke.”
"Okay, see you later.”

I closed the call and stowed my Handy in a pocket, best laid plans and all that.

The chain ended up stuffed up the leg of my shorts and other than a scooting a bit to the top of the climb I managed to freewheel okay. In fact once on the steeper grades I got moving quite well although it got a bit sketchy once or twice – being able to pedal really does make a big difference. Once off the steep bit my progress stagnated a bit, in fact at times I was almost at a halt, when I rolled to a halt on a slight rise I checked the time, damn, the party!

“Max, help!”
"Wassup?”
"I kinda need a favour.”

And so I found myself forty minutes later riding side saddle behind Max on his Mofa up to Staffel. My saviour met me at the kiosk, I didn’t have my keys of course so Max lifted my broken bike into the bin shed and without further ado we mounted the scooter and set off.

"So this is what you were plotting yesterday?” he shouted above the whine of the motor.
"Yeah, the others are supposed to wait in the village for me so we can arrive together.”
"Guess you’re a bit late.”

My Handy buzzed with an incoming text, I slipped it out of my pocket to take a look,

‘?r u, c’
I quickly sent a reply, ‘On way, G’
"How long do you reckon?”
"Twenty minutes?”

Bum.

"Finally!” Bridg allowed when I reached the other Angels.
"Soz, I had a technical with the bike.”
"Come on then,” Ingrid suggested, "I need to get back, some of us are working tonight.”

And so we set off, a motley convoy of two cars and a Mofa along the lane out to the Preiser’s farm. It was horrible on a bike the other day, if anything it was worse today hanging onto Max for grim death as the bike bucked and bounced along. Mart was looking out for our arrival diving into the house as we decanted.

"You want me to hang on?” Max asked.
“Mart might want some company,” I suggested.
"Okay.”
We were cut off by Bern’s voice in the farmhouse, "Can’t it wait, I'm supposed to be helping your mum.”
"Come on Bern, she can cope for two minutes.”
"Oh alright, let’s get it over with.”
"SURPRISE!” we all shouted as she emerged.
She was stunned to silence for a moment but soon found her voice, "What are you all doing here?”
“Party?” Steff suggested.
"Well it is Drea’s birthday tomorrow,” I offered, "Thought we’d er kill two birds?”
"You know about this, Mart?”
"I er.”

He was cut off by a hug and lip lock.

The guest of honour made a short appearance for present and card giving, I think she was a bit overawed by the attention to be honest. We took some pictures then ‘Daddy’ was given responsibility for her welfare.

"He’s really good with her,” Nen mentioned as we watched the ‘men’ return to the house.
"Nice bum too,” Bridg opined.
"Hey, hands off, he’s taken!” Bern stated.
“Just saying.”
"I can’t believe you managed to keep it quiet earlier, Con.”
"I can keep secrets you know,” Con huffed.
"Sometimes,” P chortled.
"And the Preiser's too,” Bern continued, "I thought it weird when Mart vetoed going to the flicks tonight, his mum was going to babysit and everything,” she did a head slap, "And of course his parents knew about this too.”
"Yup,” I grinned.
"Come on, let’s party,” Steff suggested.

We’d brought food of course, there might have been a bottle or two of Châteaux Sebenschuh too but between seven of us it didn’t go far. We chatted, had a bit of a boogie, well you know, generally caught up with things, I've not seen Steff for weeks, or Bridg for that matter so it wasn’t all about Bern.

"Er, Gabs,” Max called from the barn doorway.
"Wassup?”
"I er really need to get off, I promised Dad I'd give him a hand in the restaurant later.”
"What time is it?”
"Coming up to nine.”
"Really?” We’ve been here almost three hours, where’s the time gone?
"We can give you a lift back,” Pia suggested.

Damn, I want to stay but I also want to go with Max.

"Thanks P, that’ll be cool.”
"I'll get off then, night girls!”
"Night, Maxxie!” they chorused back.
I followed Max outside and over to his Mofa, "Thanks for bringing me up.”
“’S okay, I've had a good time.”
"What have you two been up to?”
“Xbox, Mart’s got Bundesliga 06, well cool!”
I rolled my eyes, football. "See you for lunch tomorrow?”
“Maybe.”

Maddy Bell © 25.05.17