Back at Castle Bond we got Mad inside before she was engulfed in a hug from Mum.
“Tea anyone?” Mand asked.

“Better?” Mum asked when my cousin sheepishly returned to the lounge.
“A bit,” she agreed.

She certainly looked – and smelt better than when we picked her up, her own clothes were already in the washer so I donated a pair of pyjamas for tonight, we’ll worry about tomorrow, well tomorrow. Whilst she was getting cleaned up we’d had a quick family conference, there was to be no inquisition, the fact she was safe being more important than how she got here.

“You want that cuppa now? Or anything to eat?” Mater offered.
“I could murder a sandwich or something, I’ve not eaten since lunchtime.”
“Something coming up,” I told her, “anyone else?”
“No thanks kiddo,” Dad replied.
“I should ring mum,” Mad suggested.
“When you’re ready, she knows you’re safe with us here.”

“Need a hand?” Mand asked joining me in the kitchen.
“You could slice some bread.”
“’kay, wonder where she’s been?”
“Looked like she’s been hiking or something,” I allowed cracking a couple of eggs into a bowl – I reckon bacon and eggs will work better than a plain old sandwich. “you want some of this?”
“Guess I could manage a bit. How do you suppose she got to Germany?”
“No idea.”

“You want some more of that?” I hadn’t really wanted anything to eat myself but it sort of felt less, I dunno, weird to join Mad and Mand in eating, maybe less awkward for my cousin too.
Mad looked at her plate, “there any more bacon?”
“I’ll fetch it,” Mand offered.
“Thanks,” my cousin allowed.

The inevitable phone call to England was made, I know its rude to eavesdrop but we were all in the living room. Not that it amounted to much more than more sniffling from Mad with the occasional ‘yes’ and ‘no’ to the unheard English side of the conversation.

“Yes mum, love you too,” she passed the handset to Mum who had a much shorter exchange before ending the call.
“Well I don’t know about you lot but I’m sure Maddy could do with a bed?” Dad suggested.
“And someone has an important meeting tomorrow,” Mum hinted at me.
“I know,” I sighed, I am so not looking forward to that.
“You alright on your own Maddy?”
“Think so.”
“In that case Juliette’s bed is made up, Gab’ll show you where everything is.”

“So you alright?” I asked after explaining the vagaries of my sisters coven.
“Better for seeing you guys.”
“Well I ought to go to bed too.”
“Your meeting?”
“Yeah, I’ve got to register for college,” I sighed, “look, if you want anything I’m just up the stairs right.”
“Okay, thanks Gab.”
“Sleep well, nite.”
“Nite.”

You think I could sleep? We might have ‘rescued’ my cousin but I couldn’t help still thinking about her. How did she come to be in Germany, what has she been doing, where has she been for the last three days. So far she’s not said anything and I know Mum doesn’t want to push her but enquiring minds and all that.

Of course the important thing is she’s safe now.

“Urgh,” I allowed with a stretch, “mornin’”
“I hope you’re putting something else on to go to Koblenz,” Mum opined.

Well I hadn’t planned on changing again, what's wrong with shorts and a vest top?

“Course, we’re not going yet.”
“Hmmm.”
“Mad still in bed?”
“Not everyone has to be up to be at work for eight,” Mum pointed out.
“Wish I didn’t have to,” I grumped.
“So what about having to get to college? Its what, an hour and a half on the train, you’ll need to be out of the house at seven.”
“I’m getting a lift with Max and Freddy.”
“Oh? When did this happen?”
“I did say last week, Freddy’s brother works for the regional government.”
“Fair enough, if the von Strechau’s are okay with it I guess I am.”

I poured myself a cup of coffee and dropped some bread in the toaster.

“So what's gonna happen with Mad?”
“You’re Aunt is coming over today, I guess they’ll go back to Warsop tomorrow.”
“Does Mad know? I mean, if she was running away she might not want to go back.”
“No one’s going to force her,” Mum told me, “if she doesn’t want to go straight back, she doesn’t have to okay. Hopefully we’ll get more of the story today.”
“I guess,” I allowed.
“Um, I’m not disturbing anything am I?”
The toast chose that moment to pop up, “er toast?”

I was not a happy bunny, number one I’m over dressed and number two Mum’s driving down the A61 like its the Hockenheim Ring! Its bad enough in the A Klasse but now she’s talking about getting a Porsche, I hope Dad manages to talk her out of that. As for how I’m dressed, ‘you need to make the right impression’, yeah, like the admin staff are gonna really be bothered how I’m dressed.

At least I managed to keep out of my ‘business’ suit, there is just no way I was wearing hose and heels today, I still look smart, just not like a banker.

“You got everything?”
“Yes Mum,” I sighed, “all in here,” I patted my new ‘gift from Gran’ briefcase cum satchel thing sat between my legs.
“You want me to come in with you?”

well it would be nice to have a hand to hold.

“No thanks, i’m a big girl now.”
“Hmm, you might be sixteen but that doesn’t mean you have to be too independent you know?”
“I know, but I’m gonna be on my own when I start so I might as well practice today.”
“Okay, well I’ll drop you at the college then, ring me when you’re done and I’ll come and pick you up.”
“I can come find you in town,” I offered as we changed motorways to drop into Koblenz, anyone else would slow down on the three sixty turn, I’d swear Mum was accelerating all the way!
“We can decide when you ring.”
“So what’re you doing,” I asked, curious but not really that interested.
“Boring meeting with the bank then I need some ‘personal’ stuff, you need anything?”

Really? talk about embarrassing, its bad enough I need the stuff, to have Mum asking about it is just so, well not right.

“I’m fine.”

We dropped off the autobahn onto Bonner Straße and less than five minutes later I was climbing out of the car outside of the Business Schools imposing main entrance.

“See you later kiddo, break a leg,” she called through the open window.

Hmm, wonder if that would get me out of coming?

“I’m only registering,” I pointed out.
“Ring when you’re done.”
“I will, tschuss.”
“Tschussie!”

With that she was gone leaving me wondering what the hell I was doing stood here. I straightened my skirt and adjusted my blouse and with a deep breath started up the steps to the entrance. There were a surprising number of people about considering term doesn’t start for nearly a fortnight – I guess there’s stuff to do before us students arrive en masse.

“Erm, hello?”

I stood nervously in front of the reception desk, currently devoid of any staff.

“Just a minute,” a voice sang out from the open doorway behind.

I checked my letter of acceptance again while I waited, Gabrielle Bond, Hospitality Management, tutor Fr. Olafsdottir – does that mean she’s foreign, doesn’t sound very German.

“Damned printer, you can guarantee it runs out of toner halfway through any run,” a middle aged woman advised as she appeared stripping a pair of those disposable gloves from her hands, “what can I help you with?”
“Erm, I’m here to register? I was supposed to come the other week but I was away and they said I could do it today,” I got out without drawing breath.
“Slow down, deep breath,” she suggested, “register you say, which course is it Fraulein?”
“Er Hospitality Management?” I offered my acceptance letter.
“Lets see,” she flicked a diary thing open and ran her finger down the page, pausing a couple of times to check my letter again. “okay Miss Bondt, I’ll just ring your tutor and we’ll soon have you sorted out, have a seat, it might take a few minutes to pin her down.”
“Um thanks.”

There were a few of those ‘designed to be uncomfortable’ modular seats across the atrium so I walked over and perched myself to wait. At least it was cool in here, the hum of the air conditioning a continuous drone in the otherwise quiet space. Hmmph, bit different to the clamour and heat of Silverberg Gymnasiums public areas – I guess when classes are in its different.

I think I’d been sat for about ten minutes before I saw a tall, dark women talking with the receptionist woman. Is that Frau Olafsdottir? They talked for a moment but the woman departed without as much as a glance in my direction, so I nearly jumped out of my skin when a voice addressed me.

“Gabrielle? Sorry I didn’t mean to make you jump, you are Gabrielle Bond?”
I took a breath to calm down, “yes that's me.”
“Lisbet Olafsdottir, pleased to meet you.”
I scrambled to my feet, “er how do you do?”
“I’m well but why so formal? Anyway, come on, I have coffee in my office, you take coffee?”
“Um yes Fraulein.”
“Lisbet please, there is a time for formality, today is not it, come.”

Well that's me told. If anyone had asked I would’ve guessed my tutor would’ve dressed more formally too, maybe a suit or something fairly neutral but this woman, Lisbet, was wearing a floaty, pastel yellow shapeless cotton sort of romper thing, bare legs and flat sandals. Certainly not what I would’ve expected.

“So you are looking forward to coming?” she asked leading the way through one of those card locked doors into a corridor heading back into the building.
“I’m not really sure, I’m not even sure why I’m doing this course,” I admitted trying to push the door shut.
“Oh leave that, they close eventually, well that's a refreshingly honest answer, we’ll stop at the office and get your passes sorted then we’ll get that coffee and have a chat okay?”
“Er yeah, I mean yes Frau, sorry, Lisbet.”
“Come then,” she pushed a door open and led me into a hive of activity.

Maddy Bell © 06.08.2018