“So?” I enquired of Mater when I got down to the kitchen Thursday morning.
“Morning to you too Squib,” she retorted.
“Er soz, morning, so?”
“What did I say last night about being patient?”
“Yeah I know but you must know something,” I pressed.
“Me and your Dad went up after I made a pot of coffee for them.”
“You’re no fun,” I huffed as I assembled a meat and cheese sandwich from the spread Mum had put out for Frühstück.
“Are you okay to cook tonight?”
“Its not my turn,” I whined.
“We’ve got guests, I’ve got to go out later, do you really want to expose them to your Dad’s cooking?”
“We could eat out again?” I hopefully suggested.
“Are you paying?”

I guess my face answered that one.

“Guess not then, so cooking?”
“Yes Mum,” I sighed, “what’re we having?”
“Good, I’ll get Manda to fetch some escalopes, we can have homemade Schnitzel, there’s some Spargel and new taters in the larder.”
“Right,” I allowed – at least its fairly straightforward, “guess I can make a crumble for pud.”
“You could use up that rhubarb Hen gave me last week.”
“’kay,” I agreed, bit of a weird combo but quite simple to do.
“You going up on your bike?”
“Yeah, we can go straight up around the ring, if the veg is ready to go on, dinner should be ready for seven?”
“Make it half past kiddo, this meeting might go on a bit.”
“Right,” I glanced at the clock, “shitza, I need to make tracks.”
“You want me to take you up?” she offered.

It was, on the face of it, tempting. On the other hand by the time we’ve got the bike stowed and driven up, its almost as quick to ride up, best to save my taxi points until I really need them.

“Nah, its not like I can’t get a cuppa at the kiosk is it?”

In the end I had plenty of time, I was changed and already had a cup of coffee in my hand when Kris arrived.

“Morning Gab, you look serious?”
“Eh? Oh just sorting out Saturday,” I advised closing my phone, “coffee?”
“Er sure, Saturday?”

I started her coffee going, it might not be a Gaggia but there’s no cleaning every night and all the faff grinding beans and stuff, nope, cup, button, coffee.

“Yeah, my Aunt’s taking Mad home and Bernie’s coming.”
“Both on Saturday? I thought your cousin would be already home?”
“Flights apparently,”
“You haven’t forgotten about Saturday have you, me and Con are both off.”
“Er course not,” I hedged, “just organising stuff, so what’re you guys doing?”
“Shopping for college,” she allowed, “as we’re doing the same course we’re gonna share the expensive text books, we still need to buy them though.”
“You have to buy them?”
“Course, there’s some we can get used from the college but the main ones we need to get ourselves, what about you, all set for Monday?”
Sugar, i’d best check that stuff Frau Olafsdottir gave me, “er yeah sure, all set and raring to go.”

“you know Saturday,” I started as Con sorted herself out, “its not just me working is it?”
“Duh,” Con replied with an eye roll, “Nen’s in and Mum’s here with the weekday minions.”
“She is?”
“I did tell you on Tuesday.”

Did she? I know I was a bit distracted but you’d think i’d remember that.

“You did?”

Instead of an immediate confirmation, Con went a bit pale, “shitza, I forgot, sorry Gabs, I meant to but what with all that stuff with your cousin and then you weren’t here yesterday, it is alright isn’t it?”
What can I say? I mean, how many times have I had days off, weeks off even and the others have just filled for me, “no its fine, so what are the new girls like?”

Putt, putt, putt. Yep the unmistakable sound of Max’s mofa echoed along the street.

“Lover boy’s here,” Kris called over from her table clearing.

Advertise it why don’t you, and we are not lovers, we might do a bit of heavy snogging but that's it.

“You getting your lunch then Gab?” Con suggested.
“Guess so, looks quiet enough.”

Indeed this week has been much quieter than recent weeks across the summer, I guess the holiday season is pretty much over. I’m sure there will still be plenty of weekend trippers for another few weeks but it won’t need three staff all day during the week. I sorted out a plate of Pommes and selected a ‘pie of the week’, chicken if i’m not mistaken, grabbed eating irons and a couple of bottles and headed the long way around to where Max was still de-helmeting.

“That was quick.”
“Well I have had some practice, corner table’s free.”
“Be right there.”
“You survived mum yesterday then?”
“Just about,” I confirmed, “not really my thing.”
“Mum says you looked amazing, pity there’s no pictures.”
“Perv!” I accused.
“Am not,” he defended, “i just have a healthy libido.”
“Thats what you call it is it?”
“Ah, ah.”
“Anyway there probably will be pictures, there were loads of photographers there.”

“So your cousin gone home then, you find out how she got here?”
“Nope and nope, Tante Carol couldn’t get them flights back until Saturday, hopefully i’ll find the rest out later.”
“Your family really is full of mystery.”
“Its why you love me.”

I halted, Frite halfway to my mouth, did I really just say that, the L word that is?

Max seemed not to have noticed as he countered immediately, “well the kissing might have something to do with the attraction.”
“You only want me for my lips?”
“Well the body’s not too shabby I guess.”
“Not too shabby, why you!” I flicked a frite at him.
“Hey don’t waste them!”

“Vineyard later?” Max proposed as I collected the remnants of our lunch.
“I wish, Mum conned me into cooking tonight.”
“Bum,” he sighed.
“You could come to dinner?” I suggested on a whim.
“You sure?”
“Course, its only Schnitzel with Spargel but i’m doing crumble and custard for dessert.”
“There gonna be enough?”
“Course, I wouldn’t have suggested it otherwise.”
“Done then! What time?”
“Seven? You can help Dad with the table.”

“Oh, before I forget,” Mand offered as we waited for the level crossing to open, “there’s extras for dinner tonight.”
“There is?” I asked as I concentrated on my track stand.
“Your sister and Boris are coming down.”

The barrier finally lifted and we bumped over the rails and out of Altenahr.

“Where’re they gonna stay?”
“You’re dad was mumbling something about the camper.”
“Guess that makes sense, Max is coming too.”
“Good job I got a pack of ten escalopes then,” Mand opined.
“Yeah,” I agreed automatically, “erm, you fancy working at the Kabin Saturday?”
“Can’t, Eva’s got the trailer at some Bierfest thing down in Koblenz, you double booked or something?”
“Or something,” I sighed as we swung up onto the Adenau road.

If Tuesday was supposed to mimic next week’s course in Canada, this afternoon is more of a steady workout, shorter but quite a good workout. Of course the ride up to the ring and back is something of a staple in our programme, today its the long loop through Adenau and around the F1 circuit before the fast return via Kempenich and Ahrweiler. Its actually one of my favourite circuits, it might not drop as steeply as going down to Ahrbrück but its longer so you keep the speed better and well, the road is better too.

I wasn’t really listening to Mand’s babble as we rode piano up the valley and somewhere along the way she shut up, pushing the kph up a touch instead. Where was I, well i’m not really sure, certainly I was riding on auto pilot, that state where you can’t remember how you got to where you are. It was Mand suddenly launching into a sprint that broke me from my reverie, I quickly gathered my wits and took chase.

“So you are awake,” de Vreen got out betwwen breaths a few moments later.
“Course,” I told her, grabbing my bidon from the cage.

It had been close, she just got the drop on me in the end.

“I was beginning to wonder.”
“Just thinking.”
“Maddy?”
“Amongst other things.”
“Take it you’ve got staff problems Saturday?”
“Sort of.”
“I could dip out from the crêpe stall if you’re desperate,” she offered.
“No, we’ll be okay,” I sighed, “come on, last one to the Ring peels the spuds.”

It was a slightly hollow threat, we’re having new potatoes so they just want a quick scrub. Anyhow, we turned to the job in hand, dodging the traffic through Adenau and into a half wheeling bonanza up through the wide Quiddelbach hairpins. The oppresive heat of recent weeks has dialled itself back to a more comfortable lower twenties, in large part the result of more cloud decorating the blue above us.

It was close on six when we rolled, exhausted up the drive to the open garage, having to squeeze between the Hymer and Boris’s elderly Polo. Bikes hung, Mand took the garage shower while I pounded up to my en suite, seven o’clock would’ve been tight but even with the extra thirty minutes getting everything ready will be an intense job. De-sweated, I quickly chucked some clothes on and pounded back downstairs in a record breaking ten minutes.

“That you Gab?” Dad called out.
“Yes Dad,” I replied backing up to poke my head through the living room door.
“Extra’s for dinner,” he advised.
“Hi sis,” Jules offered.
“Yeah I know, Mand said, i’ve invited Max too.”
“We’ll need the table out then,” Dad sighed.
“I’ll give you a hand Herr Bond,” Boris offered, “heya Gab, looking good.”
“Hi Bo.”

Looks like its gonna be an ‘interesting’ evening.

“I’d best get on, food to cook and all that.”
 

Maddy Bell © 27.08.2018