“You got a race this week Gab’s?” Con asked as I loaded yet more Pommes into the fryer baskets – we’ve been surprisingly busy this morning, a bunch of Dutch trekkers early doors then this lot, a coach load of retirees from Frankfurt way out for the day.
“Er yeah, Sunday,” I confirmed before lowering the Frites into the hot oil.
“Cool, so you can work tomorrow?”
Well I wasn’t planning on it but I do owe her, “guess so, take it you have something to do?”
“Its the induction for my course.”
“On a Saturday?”
“There were like three days, I thought tomorrow would be easiest to get cover for.”
“So you have to get to Mayen?”

Con’s doing some sort of child care / teaching thing at the college in Mayen – three trains or a train and bus ride each way. I guess that’s what we get for living in the middle of nowhere, if you want to specialise at all you have to travel. The rest of the Angels are going to the college in Bad Neuenahr to do more general courses, why I allowed myself to be conned into the course in Koblenz.

“Uh huh, Mum’s gonna drive me over, we’ll drop the bread off then go over the Ring.“
“Which reminds me, I wonder if Max has asked about me getting a lift to Koblenz?”
“Lift?”
“Well you know he’s going to the technical college with Freddy?”
“It has been mentioned,” Con agreed.
“Well Freddy’s brother works at the Landesrat down by the river so he’s gonna take them down each day, there might be a seat for me.”
“That’d be handy, what about getting back?”
“Not got that far, train I guess.”
“You could use your Rad,” she suggested with a chuckle.
“Its fifty kilometres,” I pointed out.
“I bet you rode that far yesterday,” she pointed out.
“That’s different, that was on a race bike.”
“And?”

hmm, maybe she has something there, I could go down on the train and ride back for training.

“Might work I suppose.”
“Looking forward to it?”
“Like a visit to the dentist!”
“I know what you mean, I guess I’ll at least meet some people tomorrow, do you have induction for your course?”
“I missed it while I was in Spain last week, I’ve got to go next week to pick up my ID and stuff – bum, I’ve got that show thing next week too, sorry Con, I’ll make it up.”
“Don’t sweat it Gab, you’ll be here next weekend right?”
“Yeah,” I agreed, a weekend off before we go to Canada – something else I need to sort at college next week.
“So what day you going to Koblenz?”
“Monday?”
“Reckon me and Kris can cope, the show is Wednesday?”
“Uh huh, I think Gloria wants to make a day of it, go for lunch or something.”
“How the other half live,” Con observed, “I’ll get Nen to come in to cover.”
“Those Pommes ready yet?” Kris enquired poking her head through the window, not literally, its the serving hatch!
“Two minutes,” I suggested after a look into the oil.

We had a bit of a lull after the Oma and Opa group departed, a chance to get everything cleared up before the lunch crowd arrive at least. Our empire isn’t huge but even so clearing tables, tidying stuff up and so on quickly slips when we’re busy so it was all hands to the pumps to catch up. You wouldn’t believe how mucky people can be, or perhaps you can, spilling drinks, dropping food, leaving litter, well somebody has to sort it and that's us.

We were still straightening things up when my favourite stable boy put putted up to Connie’s Kabin.

“You guys look busy.”
“Coachload of oldies,” I supplied, “can you move that table back pretty please?”

Well cast iron tables are heavy and we’re only weak girlies.

“I’ll have Jägerschnitzel please.”
“Whatever,” I sighed – well its a small price to pay and I made a batch of sauce on Wednesday anyhow.

A few minutes later I sat down opposite Max.

“Ish good,” he advised around a mouthful of his lunch, “’ll miss this.”
“You don’t need to spray it!” I suggested before wiping a glob of newly arrived sauce off my arm.
He wiped his own mouth, “soz Gab.”
“Hmm.”
“Oh I spoke to Olaf last night, he’s okay you riding down with us.”
“Really? that’s so cool!”

I jumped up and went round to envelope him in a hug.

“its not me you need to thank, its Olaf,” he pointed, “not that I’m complaining.”
I released my grip, “well you can pass it on for me, well maybe not the hug, so does he want money for petrol or something?” When I mentioned it to Dad last night he suggested I should at least offer if he agreed to taking me.
“Nope, its all sorted, it might not be every day but he’ll tell us in advance if he can’t take us, we might have to train it home though.”
“I’ve got my BahnCard.”
“Might have to get one I suppose.”
I stole a Frite as I returned to my seat, “your Mum said anything about next week?”
“Next week?”
“We’re going to some fashion show thing?” I hinted.
“Not said anything, I’ll tell her you asked.”
“’kay.”
“You doing anything later?”
“Only Garde, wotcha got in mind?”

I know what I’ve got in mind.

“Could pick you up, go up the hill?”
“Have to be quite quick, I’m making tea tonight, oh I know, if you can take me to Garde you could stay for tea?”
“What’s for tea?”
“Not decided yet.”
“Hmm, I dunno Gab, all the way back up here and what about your Dad? You know what he’s like with the Mofa.”
“Leave him to me, he’ll be happy to not have to go out himself.”
“I suppose I could, five?” he proposed.
“Done!”

“You’re looking pleased with yourself,” Con opined when I returned to the kiosk, “what’re you plotting now?”
“Nothing.”
“Like I believe that.”
“Just organising some Max time.”
“Might’ve guessed, so you getting that lift?”
“Looks like it.”
“He doesn’t want to go via Mayen does he?”
“Somehow I don’t think that's gonna happen Con.”
“Yeah I know,” she sighed.
“Maybe there’ll be someone else from the valley you can go with?” I suggested.
“Yeah, maybe.”
“It’ll be alright Con, its gonna be well weird not being with the others but its not like we’re moving away, we’ll still see them and do stuff.”
“You sound like Papa.”

I rolled my eyes.

“No, you’re right, if I want to go into teaching I need to do this, get my certifiicates.”
“More bits of paper,” I lamented.
“Says the star student of the Rheinland.”
“Dunno how that happened, I reckon they mixed me up with someone else.”
“I suppose so, no way could a blonde get those scores.”
“Huh! I’ll have you know not all blondes are stupid!”

Her face cracked and she started a bout of hysterics.

“Why you!”
“Your face Gab.”
“What’s so funny?” Kris asked coming in to the middle of the exchange.
“Just winding Gabs up a bit,” Con managed as she got her giggling under control.

“Ready?” Max asked over his shoulder.
"Just a sec,” I fiddled with the helmet buckle, “okay.”
“Hang on tight!”

I grabbed him around the waist just in time for the jolt into forward movement. Well okay a Mofa isn’t exactly powerful, about twenty K top speed, somewhat less with a passenger, even if she does only weigh forty eight kilos wet through. So whilst I ride a bike quicker a lot of the time, it just feels so much faster when you are perched sideways hanging onto your boyfriend with the little motor whining away below the seat.
Kris was already nearly at her place down near the tunnel when we caught up to her.

Beep, beep!

“See you tomorrow!” I called across to her with a wave.
“Don’t fall off,” she called back as we putted towards the dark maw of the tunnel.

In reality I could’ve ridden down quicker if I’d got a bike at the Kabin but I didn’t and I’ll take a ride over the train if there's that option. And one big advantage over the public transport is that we ‘whizzed’ straight around to the fitness track, getting there about twenty minutes after leaving Altenahr. I really should take the rents up on getting my own motorised wheels, or maybe sort out something with Jules to use hers when she’s not at home.

“Come on,” I chivvied, “we’ve only got half an hour.”
“In that case shorty.”

I squealed in surprise as I suddenly found myself launched into the air to land over someones shoulder.

“Max! Put me down!”
“Not yet slow poke,” he replied loping up the trail, “and stop waving your legs about.”
“When you put me down.”
“Not happening!”

Sometimes I hate being so small, well okay, a lot of the time but especially when stuff like this happens.

“Give over,” Max complained again, “oh hi Frau Holdorf.”
‘Wroof!’
“Nice day Frau Holdorf, hi Fritzy!” I added as we passed the busybody and her hound.
‘Strechau, Bond!”
‘Wroof!’

Oh well, I guess our latest indiscretion will be around Dernau before the sun has set on the day. I couldn’t stop the giggle such a thought set off.
 

Maddy Bell © 16.07.2018