E’volvo’lution Chapter 2

After we had eaten I thanked him for my lunch and he smiled, “It’s no bother, I hope that we can sit together many times in the future.”

We then had a quick look at the ‘Adrenaline Area’ where they do burn-outs and have motor-cycle stunt riders. We were not so interested in that so then went to look at the older trucks and the military display, finally getting up into ‘Answer’ to have a quiet rest.

“Greger, I hope you don’t mind me saying this but your artwork isn’t the same as all of the other trucks. They’re all macho and muscle while yours evoke history or, in the case of this one, love. I gather that you haven’t had much success with awards at this show.”

He laughed quietly, “You have the insight of your sister and mother. No, I haven’t had much success but I can’t make myself paint the other type of pictures on my own trucks. I’ve done many on customer orders and there are a few here today, but never on my own ones. I suppose that the heavy-metal macho thing does nothing for me. If I may be so bold, I think it does nothing for you as well.”

There was a knocking on my door so I put the window down and a guy said “Antonia, can I get a few pictures of you for the official record?”

I looked at Greger and he smiled, “This is the first time this has happened, if you do it I ‘ll give you a bonus.”

So I smiled sweetly while the guy took a few of me in the driving seat and then got out while he took some more with me in front of the picture. I did my best to look like a wild woman and it must have worked because he gave me a hug and thanked me before picking up his gear.

I got back into the cab and Greger was in the back, sitting on the bed and laughing fit to bust.

“What!!!”

“You’ve really done it now. When those pictures get posted on the official website tonight there’ll be guys coming to this show tomorrow just to see you. That’s priceless. There aren’t many girl drivers in this man’s world and you, young Antonia, have just set a very heavy wheel into motion. They all think that you are, indeed, a beautiful girl and tomorrow we should try to give them that, if you’re game.”

“How on earth are we going to do that, I’m really a guy, for pity’s sake. I’ve never borrowed my sisters’ things and ----- actually, I did borrow a few of her tee-shirts before she left home but they were just like guy ones.”

He pulled his phone out and rang someone.

When they answered he said, “Astrid, I need you to do a big favour for me tomorrow morning. I want you to help and make a guy look like a girl so she can flaunt herself in front of one of my trucks at the show.”

I heard Astrid tell him he was crazy, “I‘m sending you a picture, taken today. If you think it’s impossible don’t bother calling back.”

He picked out one of me in front of the painting and sent it to her.

We sat quietly for almost ten minutes and I thought I might be off the hook.

Then the phone rang and it was Astrid, “You don’t need any help, you buffoon, that was a girl in that picture. All I can do is a hair-do and make-over and she will be a real babe.”

“Believe me, dear sister, the girl is a guy and he is called Anton. Can you help?”

She told him that she would need to see me today to do the preliminary work which would make it easy tomorrow and they agreed to meet up for dinner in the city.

We spent the afternoon walking around some more and, this time, Greger pointed out the trucks with his artwork on them that were a world away from his own.

As the light faded we went back to his three and turned on the running lights and locked the cabs. In the dark the lights were something else again. The electric had LED bulbs inset into the van bodywork which changed colours in a swirl of light and movement.

The FH was more mundane as a flatbed but the Globetrotter was a riot of colour, reds, blues, pinks and yellows swirling around the painting and across the front of the cab. The lights were so tiny I had missed them during the day.

“I‘ll come back later and turn them off” said Greger, and we walked to the car park where he opened the passenger door of a Series Five for me to get in.

When I looked in the sunshade mirror I realised that I hadn’t put my hair back into a pony-tail since the first pictures.

At the restaurant we were shown to a table where another two couples were already seated.

“Anton” said Greger, “I would like to introduce you to my sister, Astrid, and her husband, Erik.”

Astrid looked at me and exclaimed, “No way!!!”

“These are my parents and the founders of the company. Mum and Dad, this is Anton Berg, son of Mats Berg, and he has agreed to work for us driving ‘Answer’ as well as working as a diesel mechanic in the firm. He has all of the paperwork as well as experience working in the Volvo factory in Sweden.”

There was a strange moment when a waiter pulled out a chair for me but we just carried on as if it was usual.

The father, Anders, asked what had been going on today and Greger gave him a quick run-down of the events while Astrid looked at me in a professional way.

When we got to the photo-shoot and centrefold his father grinned, “I always like those centrefolds, the girls all look hot,” and his wife gave him a punch on his arm.

Then we got to the bit where I would be up on the website and Astrid picked up her phone and looked it up.

She laughed, “You don’t need any help, young lady” and passed the phone around. It was a picture of me doing my Wild Woman impersonation and I blushed with embarrassment.

Anders said “As the patriarch of this family, I must say that today has been extraordinarily different. We have never been featured like this before and a centrefold article on the company would generate a bit of business. How are you taking it, Anton?”

I thought for a bit, “I’d been taken for a girl since school and it’s been a hard thing for me. Today I’ve been called Antonia a lot of times and it’s been with respect, rather than a put-down. I’m grateful to Greger with the work offer and I would love to drive ‘Answer’ for you.”

“If people want to see me as a woman, then, so be it. I’m not cutting my hair. It’s part of me. There’s no way I can change the looks my genes have given me so I suppose I had better take a deep breath and do the right thing tomorrow. I’m sure it will be a lot of fun and, if it turns bad we all suffer, so I‘ll do my best to help Greger and the company.”

“Well said, you’re a credit to your family. I’ve met your father a few times when he picked up loads at our depot and you have the same moral ethic. Astrid, I will fund whatever it takes to turn Anton into Antonia tomorrow. I must say that already I like him more than I did the original Antonia.”

His wife smiled and agreed, while Astrid just snarled, “That bitch was no good for you, Greger, she was only after your money but couldn’t leave her lust behind. She had no class.”

Greger looked a bit sad, “I believe you’re right. I never thought it before but I’ve just spent all day with Anton and feel easier with him than I ever did with her. I can officially announce that I’m over my sulk and I, for one, am looking forward to tomorrow.”

We had a pleasant meal and I chatted with Anders about my time in the Volvo factory and the reasons behind me not being fully accredited.

“Leave that with me,” he said, “I’ve some contacts and I’m sure we can get you through the final modules and you can get your papers.”

As we were about to leave he took me aside, “Anton, I guess you’ve realised that Greger isn’t the big macho man. Don’t be surprised if he takes a real shine to you, I can see it in the way you interact. This is an enlightened society in an enlightened age and I don’t think he would have been man enough for that Antonia had they married. His mother and I were very happy when they split up. It’s been hard to see him turn inward since then. Tonight he’s back to his old self and I have to thank you for that. I think that we’ll come along to the show ourselves to see the fun.”

Astrid told Greger to take Erik home for her as she would take me to the Hostel tonight when we had finished. She left her car where it was and we walked a block to her shop.

When she opened up and turned some lights on I saw that she had a multi-product shop. One side was a beauty salon and the other a ladies underwear outlet. She turned off the alarm and locked the door behind us and led me through to a room with a high bed.

“OK, Anton, no blushing, strip totally. You’ve nothing I haven’t seen before as we do quite a lot of these types of make-overs, especially around Halloween. I have to thank the Americans for spreading that around the world.”

Over the next couple of hours I had just about every hair on my body removed, my eyebrows plucked, a manicure, pedicure, hair wash and set. All the time she kept up small talk and I learned a lot about life here in Tallinn and the new vibrant place it had become.

I learned that I had been very lucky that Greger had spoken to me as the family was well connected. The country was extremely diverse, over a hundred different languages spoken and almost an equal number of ethnic groups.

The Lundin family were descended from pre-Russian settlers and there were a lot of ‘Coast Swedes’ along the north-west and the islands. It was only a few years ago that the ‘Rannarootslased’ had been formed, a committee of Swedish speakers who would have a say in the running of the country.

A lot of ethnic groups had a similar input to the parliament. I also found out that voting was entirely internet based.

The final indignity, or so I thought, was getting both ears pierced and studs put in. Astrid said that we would put better ones in tomorrow. When I complained she showed me the picture of the painting and there were ear-rings on the girl showing clearly.

She helped me slather my whole body in a soothing cream and then wiped my chest so that she could fit forms, as she called them. When I asked if I could just put them in tomorrow she told me that I would have to get used to the weight and movement and that this way was so much safer.

She laughed, “Just think of what you would say if you jump out of the cab and one of your tits fell out?”

Finally, and this time she said that it was finally, she measured me and went off to the underwear section and came back with some panties and bras, as well as an item that looked like a pair of heavy underpants.

These were put on first with a lot of extra effort which left my groin looking featureless. She glued these in place with the same sealant that she had used for the forms. I was then fitted into some panties and instructed how to put a bra on.

She put my own things in a bag, along with extra panties and bras and a nightie I was told to wear tonight. Then I was put into a towelling gown and slippers for the walk back to the car and the trip back to the Hostel.

She walked me up to my room and commented on how Spartan it was, to which I replied that I was on a tight budget. She said that she would pick me up early and not to have any breakfast but to make sure I had a good shower but not wet my hair.

She then did something so unexpected I just stood there and then watched her leave. She gave me a big hug, kissed my cheek and said, “Welcome to the real world, sister. I’ll support you as much as I can because you’ve made my brother happy. I think that there’s more happiness to come.”

I sat on my bed and considered the day. It had been very odd, to say the least. It ended with me sitting here in a bra and panties, smooth and hairless legs, arms and body, and a face and hair so much like my sister it was almost scary.

I took everything off and put the nightie on, feeling the difference in my body mass with every move I made. I had no conception of what tomorrow would bring, just knowing that I would be spending it as a girl was bad enough but I felt better when I realised how much it could advance my career.

Morning came far too quickly, especially after a night where I dreamed that I was back in school but now being called Antonia. I didn’t mind it because I was wearing a red dress and no-one can do anything bad to a girl in a red dress.

The other odd thing about the night was that every time I needed a pee I had to sit down. Mind you, it was a little painful when my body thought it was time for a morning glory and there was no room for it.

I had a shower, as ordered, and put on fresh panties and bra, in bright red, also as ordered. I wrapped the gown around me and it wasn’t long before Astrid knocked on my door.

This time I was to leave all of my stuff in the room. It had a keypad for entry so I didn’t need to carry a key. Once Astrid had checked me over she led me out to her car and we set off.

She had made an arrangement with a friend to open her shop for us this morning and had sent a picture of the painting to show what we needed to recreate. Of course, I had no idea of what it takes to choose just one dress.

We got to her friends shop and were let in, the door being locked behind us.

The two friends hugged and Astrid said, “Agnetha, I would like you to meet the new and improved model of Antonia.”

Agnetha gave me a hug, “So this is the girl that Greger really loves?”

I laughed, “I don’t think so, considering that we only met yesterday.”

She showed me her phone which was full of messages from various friends with pictures of the two of us at the truck show. She translated some of the messages for me, most of which were commenting on how happy Greger looked. We then had a girls breakfast which I thought would not last me an hour, let alone the morning.

After that the very first dress was, I thought, perfect. Not so, was the decision and I must have tried on another dozen before the first was reconsidered.

It was a short-sleeved dress with a full skirt, or so I was told. At least they had found some reasonable shoes to go with it that gave me some support at the ankles and had a block heel that gave me a firm platform.

I thought that this was it but I was ordered to take it off again and was offered several other dresses, some skirts and tops to try on. Before I had the red dress back on I was the proud owner of several outfits and shoes, as well as a few bags.

I queried the whole thing and Astrid said that her father had ordered that we should do everything needed and that he would fund it. I said that it was just for today and both of the others looked at me hard and ordered me to sit down while they gave me the facts of life.

Astrid said “There’s people who will be there today who are going to be there to see just you. There’s one photographer who wants you in a centrefold. There’s Greger and his new lease on life and also there’s a need not to let him down again until he is strong enough to withstand it if you fall out with him.”

“And finally; there’s you. You’ll spend your very first day as a girl who is in demand. If you come back to me tonight and say you want to go back I’ll remove everything but I’m betting that you’ll still be Antonia this time tomorrow. Now, let’s put these bags in the car and we will go to my shop to turn you into the wet dream of the day.”

She thanked Agnetha who thanked her for the business and said that she would see us at the show, later in the day. We went back to the salon where Astrid did her magic on my face, added some drop ear-rings and a necklace that she had brought from home and gave me a spray of perfume once I stood up.

I looked in the mirror and there stood my mother and my sister in full beauty queen mode. Astrid said that there wasn’t enough time for me to fully learn how to walk and talk right but we did spend five minutes on sweeping my skirt when I sat and she helped me with my voice as we drove to the truck show.

When we arrived at the exhibitors car park the attendant waved us through, “Enjoy you day Antonia, there’s already a few gathering by your truck.”

Astrid was laughing so hard she needed two goes to get us into a parking space. I swivelled to get out and smoothed my skirt as I stood and then remembered my bag which I had been told held all the items I may need during the day.

Astrid linked arms with me and we made our way into the showground, all the time she was saying “Head back, boobs out, lead with your groin and you can’t go wrong.”

Before long we were being welcomed with calls of, “Antonia, look this way” and I would give a little wave at first and then it became a genuine smile when Greger came and linked my other arm, after hugs and kisses on the cheek for both of us.

“Antonia” he said, “I can’t thank you enough for this. You look magnificent, well done Astrid. There’s a crowd around the trucks already; I’ve never seen anything like it with a truck of mine.”

When we got to the truck there was a clamour of guys busting for selfies with me and the painting. Astrid helped me organise a queue and we got it into some kind of order. Greger was busy talking about the truck itself and the morning flashed by.

It was only broken up when Astrid would say that we needed to use the ladies and pull me away for a break. After the first trip I had no fear of being in there with the other ladies, as many complimented me.

We found some time to have a spot of lunch with Erik, Agnetha and the parents joining us. The café allowed us to use a table in the back so we had some time without being bugged.

The whole family was amazed at the way things had gone today. In the afternoon the official photographer was back for some more shots and I found, for the first time, how hard it is to climb into the cab in a skirt, much to the enjoyment of the watching guys.

I was just happy that I had worn matching panties. Somebody called out something and Greger said that some joker wanted me to fire it up and threw up the keys.

I’m sure that most of the guys thought I wouldn’t be able to but there was silence as I primed the diesel and hit the starter, all thirteen litres letting out a roar.

I hit the horn, revved it a few times and then let it idle while I lifted the lazy axle at the back and then put it down again. When I shut it down there was a burst of applause.

Greger called out, “Antonia has a licence to drive this and has already taken a double trailer unit to Moscow and back.”

A bit of a white lie but there was a crowd ooooh!

I had to think about Astrids’ warning as I went to come back down. I tossed the keys back to Greger.

I used one hand to pull my skirt to my bum as I got onto the rungs and, when I got nearly down, I felt strong hands at my waist so I allowed myself to be lifted down to ground level.

Greger pulled me to him and whispered, “Well done, they’ll talk about that for weeks.”

As I turned I said, “What, a girl firing up a Globetrotter or the sight of her panties.”

He had to laugh, “Both, my sweet, both.”

Marianne Gregory © 2022

E’volvo’lution Chapter 3

He looked so radiant I gave him a peck on the cheek, much to my wonderment. Then we were back to photos and explanation but this time I was also being asked about the specifications and was able to hold my own.

I tried to get them interested in the electric just a couple of trucks away but most wanted to talk about lots of capacity and brute strength.

Eventually the crowd dissipated, and we were able to have some time to ourselves. I was glad that we’d looked at the rest of the display yesterday as I’d hardly moved a metre today.

The parents joined us, and the three of us were enveloped in hugs. I thanked Astrid for all her help but didn’t book a removal appointment just yet. We were told that there would be yet another family dinner but tonight it would be a little more upmarket.

As the afternoon drew to a close we gathered at the stage area to hear the awards. The winner of the artwork prize was one that Greger had done recently and the owner called for him to come on stage to get some acknowledgement for his great work.

There were lots of awards for small trucks, best restoration, and other things. Many of the awards were by public voting and we were all over the moon when ‘Answer’ was announced as the ‘Truck of the Show’

Greger took hold of my hand and pulled me up to the stage with him to a great applause and some wolf whistles.

He was asked to give a speech and he thanked the organisers for a great show.

“I know that we would never have won this if it hadn’t been for Antonia today. For those who just think that she’s eye candy, she does have a licence and experience on one of these trucks and is qualified to drive a double trailer. She’ll be driving Antonia’s Answer for us, starting Monday, so let that be something you girls should learn; with modern trucks you don’t have to be a macho guy to operate a big rig. I thank you all and goodnight.”

As we left the stage there was a bit of a hubbub and then the Emcee announced that the band would start playing in fifteen minutes. We got back to the truck and there were a couple of guys there who Greger introduced.

They were here to take the other two trucks back to the depot. I was given the keys and told to follow them back; he would go ahead in his car to open up. The guys went to the other two trucks and we got into the cabs and fired them up - or, in the case of the electric, the main switch flipped on. We warmed the two big ones up and I turned on my CB to hear one of the other drivers call for full running lights.

We weren’t the only ones leaving and it was a colourful convoy that we joined, the electric first with me following up at the rear.

We had to be really careful in the enclosed space as this was, by far, the longest rigid chassis I had ever driven. There was a big cheer as I eased out and I had the window down to give everyone a wave.

I felt uplifted, I felt strong and, most importantly, I felt needed. We kept the light show going all the way to the depot and, when we arrived, Astrid was there to film our bright entry.

I waited to see what the other guys did and they reversed into a shed each. The driver of the electric would have to put it on charge but the other guy just shut down in the usual way and then came out to me and climbed up on the steps to point out where this one lived.

I swung it around and reversed into its shed and shut it down, rolled up the window and waited for him to get clear of the shed before making my descent and locking the truck.

I went to give the keys to Greger but he told me to keep them in my bag as the truck would be my responsibility come the morning. He opened his passenger door for me and I got in to wait for him to close up the sheds.

The other two drivers had their cars parked outside and they both gave me a wave as they left. Greger got in and drove out of the gates, then stopped and closed them.

We drove back to the chosen restaurant in silence with the trophy on the back seat. He was driving with his right hand on the auto stick so I put my left over his.

“Don’t sweat it, Greger, we’ve both had strange feelings today and I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. I had a lot of fun and I don’t even feel strange here sitting next to you in a dress. Last night I had a dream where no-one could upset a girl in a red dress and today proved that it was actually true.”

That broke the ice, “All day I’ve never thought of you as anything but a girl; you really nailed it. Even yesterday when I first spoke to you I thought that you were a girl and finding out that you weren’t didn’t worry me in the slightest as, by then, I was feeling very easy chatting. You’re a very easy person to talk to.”

At the restaurant he parked outside and a doorman helped me out, and the car was driven away by a valet as we entered. Greger had the trophy in his hand and we joined quite a large table.

The parents were there as well as Astrid and Erik, Agnetha and her partner, and another couple who I found out were his older brother, Bjorn, and his wife Ezuli. The brother ran the crash repair side of the business, and was the creator of the great interiors.

It was a very merry meal, and I’m ashamed to say that I had a couple of glasses of champagne which went straight to my head.

I use this as an excuse in agreeing to dance when the band started playing. Greger held me close and we danced cheek to cheek.

I had the odd feeling of his manhood against my lower belly and it was a very odd thing that it made me empowered rather than upset. If this is the power that women have over men then I was warming to it.

Before we finished his father gave an impassioned speech about the day being one of the best in his life. He said that everyone had pulled out all the stops.

Greger gave him the trophy for his mantle. Astrid told me that I would be living with her and Erik for a while, and it was just a walk to the depot.

She added that the shopping from this morning was already at the house and that she had been to her shop and got me more things. We would go to the hostel after work on Monday for me to get the rest of my luggage as well as my motorbike.

That I didn’t complain or stamp my foot was a sure sign that I had gone over the top. Perhaps I could revert again once I had all my old clothes but, right at this moment, I was starting feel very tired.

It had been a long day and both Astrid and I were starting look wilted. She announced that we were heading home and there was a general round of hugs and kisses.

I got a hug and a kiss on the cheek from senior and one of the juniors. Greger walked me out to the pavement as we waited for the car to be brought out. He stood behind me and put his arms around my waist and I just leaned back in to his embrace.

When the car arrived he said, “See you tomorrow, beautiful,” so I turned and intended to give him a kiss on the cheek. Was it fate or just him being devious that resulted in me kissing him on his lips. It was something I pondered on all the way to the house and my new abode for a while.

At the house I was shown where everything was and when I saw the bedroom I was to use I was amazed. It was huge with an ensuite.

Astrid showed me where my new underwear and nightwear were placed. The earlier purchases were hanging in the wardrobe, along with more that I hadn’t seen before.

She explained that Agnetha had gone back to her shop this afternoon and picked out some things I would need for normal working so I now had two pairs of jeans and a pair of skinny leather jeans for when I was on my bike. She gave me a hug and told me to sleep well as I would be a working girl in the morning.

Before she left the room she pointed out a cosmetic case and some bottles on the vanity. She told me that there were wipes and remover in the bathroom and to make sure I cleaned thoroughly or else my first job would be washing the pillowcase.

So much for the welcome to the wonderful world of beauty, threatened with a cleaning job. As I cleansed I realised that I hadn’t had my phone with me so hadn’t sent any pictures to my family.

Never mind, there would be plenty out there and I’m sure that there would be a few in the family that they could send tomorrow. I put on a new nightdress and got into one of the softest beds I had ever slept in and, as they say, went out like a light.

Monday morning I was woken by a knock on the door and Astrid called for me to put the gown on and come down for breakfast. I went into the bathroom first and then pulled the gown on over my nightie and went downstairs.

Erik had already left so the two of us sat, ate, and chatted. Astrid said that she still had to pinch herself with our success and the way the day went. She had had a lot of fun but now, she said, it was the first day of the future.

She predicted that we would hear about the centrefold today as we were the Truck of the Show and located here in Tallinn. Usually the award trucks are on their way home to EU countries by now.

After I had helped tidy up I went up to the room, stripped off and showered. Today I dressed in a pair of jeans and a nice top and finished off with some black boots I found.

There was a shoulder bag and I transferred everything from the red bag to it. For make-up I just used a bit of mascara and lipstick as today I would be driving. It was the start of my new life and I really hoped that it continued to be as satisfying as the weekend.

The house was just over the main highway so it was an easy walk to the trucking yard. I found it odd to hear my heels on the pavement and did my best to follow yesterdays’ instruction to lead with the groin. I could feel my walk altering as I got closer to my first true day at work.

I found the main office and spoke to a young girl who manned the desk. She was called Berget and, of course, already knew who I was. She stood up to give me a hug, telling me that I was a heroine that she and her friends could look up to. I told her that I was just an ordinary person doing an ordinary job, and she told me that I was too humble.

Greger then came to see what the fuss was about and he took me to another office where he already had an employment form filled out under the name of Antonia Berg. I was given an inductee form with the safety instructions and issued with a company hi-vis shirt and a couple of spares.

I was also introduced to Ludvig who, I was told, had driven the route I was allocated so many times he could do it in his sleep. He would be with me today as my guide as well as my examiner. We went to the staff area where I was given a locker. I went into the ladies and changed my shirt.

He and I then walked out to the shed where I had parked ‘Answer’. He was a bit quiet so I let the silence drift on. In the shed I had a walk around the truck, looking at the tyres and checking the hydraulic lines for any signs of a leak.

This truck was so new and little used I didn’t expect anything. When I unlocked the cab I asked him if he’d been in this truck before, and he said he hadn’t.

“This was built as a show truck. The inside is all white so I’ll see if I can get a couple of sheets that we can sit on.”

He said he knew where they were and it only took a couple of minutes before he was back.

I took one from him and opened the door to climb in. When he got in on the other side he smiled, “I see what you mean. It would be a pity to mark this with oily overalls.”

I started the truck and checked all the readings before raising the lazy axle for our trip to the port. The fuel gauge was close to full so we didn’t need to stop for anything.

We left the depot at just before eight and went north to the port. I already had a good idea of where to go and his instructions were few before we got to the port gates.

We had a clipboard with our loading details, and I handed it to the guy on the gate. He checked it over and told us the loading bay we should go to.

As I went to leave I saw him nip into his office and pick up a phone. Ludvig directed me to the right bay, explaining where we would usually go. He said he would give me a map of the docks when we got back to the depot.

When we pulled up in the bay there were about a dozen guys standing around. I put the brakes on and left the engine running, and put the window down. Someone called out something.

Ludvig laughed, “You had better get out. You have a fan club waiting.”

I got out of the cab and we had a session of selfies for the guys. I got Ludvig down to take a picture of the whole group on his phone for me as I hadn’t retrieved mine yet.

It took about fifteen minutes before our container arrived and he gave me a quick lesson on the use of the locking pins when I told him I hadn’t used these before.

With the container in place and our new friends waving us off, I took us back out of the docks after being checked off by the guard. Then we were back on the road past the turn-off for the depot and heading south to Tartu.

Ludvig spent some time chuckling to himself. I asked what we carried and he told me that this was one of the oldest accounts that the company had. We carried rolls of paper, three in the container, and we would be delivering to Kroonpress, a little south of the city of Tartu.

Most days we would do just the one run as it was about two and a half hours each way, and there’s about an hour at each end with the loading and unloading. If we were given an empty container to bring back, we would deliver it to the docks before going to the depot. Sometimes we could pick up a full container and then the next day we would just head south from the depot.

For the next two hours I followed Highway E263, and then onto the Route 2 for Tartu. It was a good drive and fairly flat. Estonia is a flat country with most of it only varying by fifty metres.

We listened to the chatter on the CB, and had the radio playing on a local station. At the city we swung to the right onto the Ringtee and then it was a left turn or two and we were inside the Kroonprint property.

He directed me to where we would be unloaded, and I pulled us up where he said. We both got out and I went into the office with him to meet the worker there who checked our paperwork, and called up the lifter to take our container.

I was trying to follow all that was said in Estonian and Ludvig saw my concentration, “Don’t worry; I’ll give you a sheet of the usual instructions with Swedish translations so you can get by on your own.”

While we were there a guy wandered in and looked at me. “Antonia?” and I nodded. He pulled out his phone and had a yabber in Estonian. The only words I understood were “Antonia” a few times.

As our lifter had arrived I got back in the cab and unlocked the pins. Ludvig said we had one to take back and, while we waited, we had another group of guys wanting selfies with me and the truck. It turned out that this was where the magazine was published and there were a lot of truck fans in the plant.

I discovered that it was an extremely rare occasion to have the ‘Truck of the Show’ doing a delivery and, before we left, a chap from the main office came down with a photographer to record the event for their internal news.

As we left and I headed north again Ludvig gave a bellow of laughter.

“This is one of the strangest runs I’ve ever done. I’m so glad that Greger asked me to mentor you, my girl. You don’t need a mentor, you really need an agent. Ha! Wait until I tell the other guys that we were held up because the photographer wanted some more pictures! That’s been priceless.”

It was a bit quicker heading north as we were lighter and we stopped for a lunch before getting back to Tallinn where we went to the docks again. I showed our delivery sheet, and was directed to where I would be unloaded.

As we waited for the lifter he smiled, “Greger asked me to check your ability and I’m going to tell him it’s top rate. You’ve been careful and accurate in your placings and really do know your way around the truck. Even with all the oddness, it’s been a pleasant day.”

I thanked him for his kindness and help and, once we had been unloaded, went back to the depot, arriving just before five. He showed me where the truck wash and refuelling points were and I quickly cleaned the bugs off the front and then filled the tank. In the office he reported to Greger, and then asked me to wait while he got the maps.

When he gave them to me I gave him a hug and thanked him for a good introduction. Greger came out and said that I should go to his car as he would take me to the Hostel where I could check out.

He would take my luggage while I rode the bike to Astrids’ house.

In the car he smiled, “Ludvig is one of the hardest guys around to get on with and he told me about the day, and showed me some pictures on his phone. He says that you’re a top line driver and he enjoyed the day. I also got a call from one of the top guys at Kroonprint. He said that most companies only use show trucks for advertising so it was refreshing to see ‘Answer’ doing normal work the day after winning ‘Truck of the Show’. He said that they would talk to the person submitting pictures from the show about adding one of it in his plant.”

At the Hostel I spoke to the reception about leaving and settled up. We went to my room and I put all my Anton gear in the panniers and then we carried them and my backpack down to the car.

I had to go back and get my new Antonia stuff in the bags they came in and then checked that I had left nothing in the room. It was good to have my own phone with me and I would be talking to my mother tonight.

I put my helmet on and started the bike, following Greger to my new residence. There, he helped me take everything to my room and then sat with me and Erik having a chat until Astrid got home.

I walked with him to his car and he asked me to come in early next morning, around six, as he wanted me to help the mechanics pull a motor out of one of the electrics so it could be looked at.

It was the first one that needed this to be done. He said that if I finished helping I could then take another container to Tartu.

He gave me a hug and said ‘Well done, girl,” and then got into his car and left. I don’t know why I stood for a while as he went down the road but I eventually went back inside and helped Astrid with the evening meal.

That evening I went to my room and plugged the phone into a charger and then put away my clothes. I went through the back-pack and took out all of my paperwork to put in one of my new bags.

I would now carry it with me at all times. With the phone on charge I called home and spoke to my mother. I told her about the big day yesterday and gave her the website address so she could look up the photos and report.

I also told her to look for herself and Halina in a red dress and tell me what she thought. I had to hold the phone away from myself so she could see what I looked like now.

She chuckled and then told me that I was a credit to my Scandinavian heritage.

Marianne Gregory © 2022

E’volvo’lution Chapter 4

Tuesday, my second day of work, was a very early start. Now I had my phone I could set the alarm so was up and dressed and out of the house before six. I had got Astrid to unglue the special panties last night.

Although they had outlets that allowed me to do my business, I had started to itch underneath. It had been lovely having a shower this morning and the special panties were all right just pulled on, now that I was mainly wearing jeans.

At the depot there was the sound of a grinder coming from the garage so I went in to meet the mechanics. The reception was all right, if a little incredulous that a girl had been sent to help but we got the electric motor out of the truck. Then it was attached to a new engine stand, by eight. I was able to point out a few tricks that we used in the plant when putting these motors in.

It saved a lot of time when I stopped the lift to ask if they’d removed the earth strap under the unit. That caused a short embarrassed silence and then some laughter. The foreman treated me to a cup of coffee and a roll in the canteen, and then I went to get my clipboard for the day.

I had no trouble getting into the docks but another dozen guys wanting selfies could have slowed me down if the lifter had been on time. Back on the road south I put my phone in the holder, and turned the radio on.

Obviously word had got around as I was getting calls from other trucks on the road wanting a chat with Antonia. I was getting advice of any problems as I drove south. At the printers there was another group of guys waiting for me when I rolled in, no doubt tracking my progress on their own CB.

It was a really festive feel to my time there and everyone was very kind. While the truck was being unloaded I was taken into the main office to meet the big boss who wanted to see me. There was a photo session and then I was back in the truck and leaving the plant empty. I rang the depot and told them that I was in Tartu and coming back empty. They told me to pull over and wait for a while.

I pulled into the next service area. I got out and took my phone with me when I went into the café for lunch. About fifteen minutes later I had eaten a soggy sandwich and was carrying a lukewarm coffee out to the truck when the phone rang again.

Greger waited until I started the truck, and then helped me load the pick-up details into the GPS. He told me that it was a government job, and that I was not allowed to pick up hitch-hikers. As if I would sully the white interior with any Tom, Dick or Harry!

The load was urgently needed at a NATO depot in Germany, not a very long trip but certainly an overnighter. It was a lucky thing I had my paperwork, including my passport, with me now.

When I pulled up at the gates of the army camp just north of Tartu, there was a bit of a wait to get in. There was a crowd of people outside the exit gate with signs. I saw a couple of the old ‘Ban the Bomb’ ones being brandished.

I had no paperwork for the load but eventually was escorted to an area some way from other buildings. I was told to stay in the truck while they put an ordinary looking container on the back. They then passed me the paperwork and a couple of guys in a small truck led me back to the gates.

The sergeant of the guard gave me my destination and the co-ordinates which I loaded into the GPS. It was only just in Estonia and he told me that I could stay the night there. They would give me a meal and more information.

As I pulled out of the gate someone called out “Antonia,” and I let the window down and gave them a wave. The crowd parted for me to leave the base and I drove south until I reached the army camp near the border.

When I pulled up at the gate I was waved through, and a truck pulled out in front of me with a ‘Follow me’ sign in Swedish. It led me to an area surrounded by earth walls and I was signalled to stop there and shut down. Getting out of the truck I was greeted by a senior officer who spoke Swedish, welcoming me to the base. He told me to collect my stuff from the cab, lock the truck, and follow him.

I grabbed my bag and followed him past a squad of heavily armed soldiers. He took me to a bunkhouse, and showed me into a room. This was my lodging for the night.

I dropped my bag on the bed. I said that I had no other clothes and he told me not to worry, all will be supplied. I was really intrigued by this time. I needed the toilet and he waited patiently until I was ready. We then went to the mess hall where we got a good meal on trays, and sat at a secluded table to eat it.

As we ate he explained today. “I was at the truck show with the army display last weekend and saw how you managed to steal the limelight from just about everyone else. When this problem came up on Monday I immediately thought of you. I think that you realised that the crowd were waiting for a ‘sensitive’ load to come out of the base. They expected an armed escort and heavy trucks but we gave them you, on your own, and famous already in the trucking community.”

“I’ll escort you down to Germany; the destination is a base just out of Potsdam. We leave early so you’d better get a good sleep. Someone will wake you at four, and we expect to get going by five. It’s about sixteen hours to our destination, and I want to do it in one go. Are you all right with that?”

I said I was, as long as we got some comfort breaks along the way. After our meal he took me to the stores where they gave me a full kit – socks and underwear, a couple of pairs of military pants and boots, some tops, a full suite of cosmetics and cleansers and a couple of basic night-dresses.

On top of it all was a back-pack and a big camo jacket with a hood. My guide, who insisted I call ‘Q’, told me that he had signed them out, and that they would be considered ‘used in action’. Back in the bunk-house I stripped off and had a shower, put on the nightie and piled onto (rather than into) an army bunk; eventually dropping off to sleep.

I was woken by banging on the door which only stopped when I called out. I dressed in the camo pants with my hi-vis shirt and the jacket over the top, and then put everything else in the pack. I opened the door to find a smiling trooper with a side-arm waiting to escort me to the mess hall. I ate with Q and he told me that we would have two small trucks as escort and he would be in the lead one.

I was to have a radio that would plug into the auxiliary power which he could call me on. If I needed anything I should flash my headlights. When we got to the truck it had been washed and I unlocked it for a trooper to put the radio in.

I climbed in, took off the jacket and stowed it with the new pack and my bag before starting the engine, allowing it to warm up. I rolled the window down and told Q the approximate range that I had left in the tank. He gave me a fuel card, telling me to use it on the trip down and back. “Just get your office to post it to the army when you got back to Tallinn.”

We rolled out just before five, one very plain 4x4 in the lead and another behind. There had obviously been a lot of planning for this operation as we were just waved into Latvia and rolled south. The radio came alive with Q telling me we had a comfort stop in five kilometres, and to fill up there.

When I pulled up at the diesel pump, the two 4x4’s stopped at other pumps some way from me and Q and another couple of guys in civvies got out of the leader and went into the building. They came out just as I finished refilling the tanks and the three guys from the trail 4x4 followed me into the building where I paid, went to the toilet and bought some peppermints.

Once we were all back in the vehicles we were back on the road; south through Latvia and Lithuania and then into Poland with another stop in southern Poland for refuelling, and a quick meal. We sat at three separate tables, some distance from each other.

It was eleven when we pulled into the base at Potsdam and I was bushed. I was shown where to park, told to unlock the pins and wait while they took out the radio. Then to take what I needed, lock the truck and get some sleep.

Next morning I was up again but at a much better hour. When I had showered and dressed I put on some of the army make-up and packed up to leave for home. Outside my door there was another armed trooper who wished me ‘good morning’ in German and led me to the mess.

As I was finishing my breakfast, Q came in and told me the base commander wanted to see me at the truck. I picked up my stuff and he led me to where the truck was, now without the load and freshly washed. I put my stuff away and then a senior officer joined us while all around snapped to attention.

It turned out that he was a truck fanatic, and a friend had sent him pictures from the show. He wanted to have some pictures taken with me and the truck for his scrap-book.

Q made sure that he was always the one taking the pictures, never to appear in them, which made me wonder what branch of the military he served in. I was guided out of the base and joined the Berlinring, stopping at the first service I came across to call Greger.

When he came on the line he was very happy I’d completed the job so quickly because there was an urgent back-load waiting for me in Hamburg Docks.

It was a container of special paper for Kroonprint which had been offloaded from a ship with engine trouble and was urgently needed in Tartu.

I did some estimation and told him that I could be in Hamburg about twelve and, if the load went well, I would go via Rostock to try and overnight in Latvia. I estimated that I would be in Tartu late on Friday afternoon. He said that he would tell them to have someone wait for me and that if it was late I was to stay in a hotel in Tartu Friday night using my company card, and buy anything I need for Saturday.

I was sent the co-ordinates of the Hamburg docks which I plugged into the GPS and he then sent me a loading docket with one of those funny black and white squares.

Just after twelve I pulled into the Hamburg docks and the gate-keeper scanned the thing on my phone. The loading went very quickly and I was back on the road, heading for Rostock by one.

I refuelled while I was still in Germany and arrived in Kaliningrad, Latvia, around ten that night. I pulled into a truck service and refuelled both the truck and myself before bunking down in the cab.

I was woken by the hammering of rain on the roof about four so I decided that this was a good time to leave. I put the camo jacket on with the hood and ran into the building to have a pee and some breakfast. I was back on the road north before five.

It was a good drive back to Tartu and, by starting early, it meant that I arrived a little after two; something that made them very happy as the paper was needed for a print run starting Saturday.

I called the depot and told them that I had finished and would be there about five. I rolled into the depot and Greger was there to welcome me.

He gave me a hug and told me to leave the truck and just get my things and he would take me home. He said that someone else would clean ‘Answer’ and put it away and I told him that I had refuelled not far south on the army card which I gave him to return.

“You’ve done all that driving on government money?”

I nodded. Then I picked up all my stuff, including my new army jacket, and he took me to Astrid's.’ He had to wake me up when we arrived, even though it was only ten minutes away.

Astrid fussed over me and helped me disrobe, tut-tutting when she saw the army issue underwear, and tucked me in. I was out like a light; it had been a very different week for me.

I slept the clock around but, as I was asleep before seven, it was just after seven when I woke up in a desperate need for a pee.

After that I threw on a robe and slippers and wandered down to see if I could empty the pantry; I was ravenous! While I was having a drink and munching some toast, Astrid came in and fussed.

She cooked us both some sausages, eggs and bacon and I wolfed mine down. I laughed, “I can understand the old joke now.”

“What old joke?”

So I told her.

“A truck driver had just come back to work after having a month off and was sitting in the canteen when his mate asked him how the holiday was. He thought a bit and said, “We had a ball. I took the kids to the Paris Disney and then we went down to Madrid, looped up into Italy to see the sights of Rome, went down to swim at Naples and then went up to see Venice.” As he took a drink of tea his mate said that was a lot of driving, to which the guy said, “It wasn’t that much, you should have seen the places we went to in the second week.”

Astrid had to sit down as she laughed so much. I couldn’t believe that she’d never heard the joke or maybe she was just being kind.

Erik came in and asked me how my week was, and I just said, “Interesting”.

He laughed and opened up a newspaper to a page which showed me leaving the army camp at Tartu.

The caption was ‘Truck of the Show working hard. Antonia is getting around.’

I was surrounded by what looked like fans. He then went a few pages further and there was a photo of the same crowd from a different angle with all the placards showing.

The article was about the crowd trying to stop movement of nuclear weapons through Estonia and the army spokesman was quoted, “The protest has worked, the weapons are going no-where.”

A protest spokesman was jubilant, saying that it was a win, ‘For the People!’

Erik turned back to the page with me, “The weapons were already gone, weren’t they?”

I told him that I couldn’t possibly comment, and he could draw his own conclusions.

He laughed, and told me what he did for a living. I hadn’t asked but he worked long hours.

He turned out to be a secretary to one of the ministers in the government “Thanks to my father-in-law and his contacts,” and could read between the lines as well as the next man.

Astrid chuckled, “You should see the stuff they got her to wear; it shouldn’t be allowed."

He asked, “What stuff?” I said that I’d been issued with some kit that they didn’t want back.

He asked if I could bring the outer clothes down for him to look at so I went to my room, and came back with a pair of the trousers, a top and the big jacket. I told him that there was also underwear that Astrid disliked but was very comfortable, as well as a pack to store it all in.

He had a good look and feel of the pants and jacket, “Someone went to a lot of trouble for you. These are top-line military issue, very new and quite expensive. I would say that you were given close to a thousand Euros worth of kit.”

He then looked hard at the jacket and pointed out a tag on the front that just said Berg and put his hand into the top pocket, pulling out an ID on a lanyard.

“Very interesting, especially as they only had a few days,” he murmured. I took the ID and it had a photo-shopped picture of me, probably taken on Sunday and some lines in Estonian.

The only thing I understood was ‘Antonia Berg’ on one line.

He laughed, “If we were both in our uniforms I would have to salute you. They gave you a non-commissioned officer rank, something I never got close to in my four years of service. This was a well thought out cover if needed. I think that you may be asked to do some more driving that needs some sleight-of-hand as well as discretion. If anyone asks you about the week it was just a regular job.”

After our breakfast Astrid got me into my room and removed the forms so I could have a bath and look after all of my skin. She inspected me closely and said that I had come out of the week in good shape.

I would be allowed to leave them off until Sunday evening and she said I then had the choice of staying as Antonia or going back to Anton. I told her that Antonia was having far too much fun to stop yet.

I dressed in the army pants and one of the tops so I looked like a trooper on holiday. With my bike boots on we went to the salon and Astrid washed my hair and restyled it into a very youthful tumble of blondeness.

My nails were reworked and she did more with my face. We then went shopping for some skirt and top outfits that I could wear for most occasions.

In the afternoon, I rang home and had a chat with my mother. She had seen the pictures from last weekend on-line, and thought that I would make a lovely bride.

We both had a laugh but I then realised that she was more serious about that than I was. Greger rang late in the afternoon and told me that the whole company was gathering at the depot on Sunday afternoon for a photo session, followed by a barbeque.

I was expected to turn up in the red dress again and look ‘wonderful’. Astrid said that she would prepare me for my performance.

I argued that I would rather be there in normal work wear as I was just a working driver. This made Greger snort and tell me that I was the figurehead of a new movement. He had already received six applications from girls who wanted to drive big trucks.

He also told me that I would be in the depot for most of the next week as his father had arranged to get someone to come in and double check my mechanical knowledge. This would lead to arranging my extra tuition so that I could get my professional papers.

Saturday evening Astrid took me out to a club. It was not one of those highbrow social places or a grunge dance club but was somewhere in between. Once I saw the crowd inside I realised that it could be a ‘pink’ club.

It was a pleasant evening as we were asked to dance by both guys and girls and I realised that it had been chosen so that I could identify with my own gender zone.

It didn’t help. I was happy with both sexes and my tucked away appendage didn’t react to anyone I danced with.

On the way home I thanked Astrid for the evening and said that she looked quite comfortable in such a place. She told me that Greger had frequented that club as well when he was a bit younger. “It’s one of those places where your sex doesn’t matter.”

On Sunday I was prettied up in the red dress and we went to the depot. The whole crowd was there, and we lined up the trucks with the biggest in the middle with the electrics on the outside.

My truck and the one with the Pony Express rider were nose to nose in front of the lot. Greger had arranged for a cherry-picker so that the photographer could get a high vantage point.

It all worked out well, my only problem was that I was considered as eye candy by the photographer, and he insisted in telling me to pose more sexily and pout. I finally walked off in a huff, only being brought back after the photographer had been told that I was a working driver, not just a model.

When we put the trucks away again we had a company barbeque. I got to meet more of the staff as well as their partners who had come along for the afternoon. I eventually found myself sitting off to one side with a soft drink in my hand.

I was joined by Berget, the receptionist. We chatted a bit and I found her to be quite a nice person to speak to. She asked me if I intended to marry Greger and I told her that that would never happen as he was just a friend as well as my employer.

She seemed much more interested after that revelation and we ended up with her asking me if I wanted to join her that evening at the same nightclub I had been to the previous evening. I said I would love to. She thought that we would have to get a taxi as she only had a motor-bike. I laughed and told her I was staying with Astrid, and that my own bike was there so we could ride together.

Back home I stripped off and Astrid reglued the breasts, and I dressed to ride the bike. The club would be happy with me in my leather pants so that’s what I wore. With these and a blouse that seemed too revealing, the bike boots and my leather jacket I couldn’t be more different to the girl in the red dress but, for some reason. I felt that this was the more normal for me.

When Astrid saw me she just said, “Wow!!”

When Berget saw me she said the same and we both broke down laughing as we were so similarly dressed we could have been planning it this way. I put all of my stuff in a shoulder bag and went out to start my bike.

Berget said we could have a little ride first. I followed her out and around the town and along the most popular streets until we pulled up in a car-park by the club. We chained the bikes to a light pole and went in, putting out helmets into the cloakroom. We had a great evening and did most of our dancing together or with some other girls she knew.

In the end we got back on the bikes and she led us to a little park by the Marina where we sat and watched the boats with the moon behind them. I wondered about the choice as it was very romantic. I thought that Berget was a normal girl.

As if she was reading my thoughts she took a deep breath.

“Antonia, you’ve no idea how odd this is for me. I’m not a lesbian but I’ve admired you since the first day you walked into the office. Today, seeing you in your red dress was a revelation. You’re so feminine despite being a respected mechanic and driver.”

“What you did this last week would have flattened most of the drivers in the company. I don’t think any of them would have pulled it off and most of them would still be on the way back. I really can’t understand why I’m so attracted to you because I’ve never felt this way about another girl.”

“Maybe you feel this way because I’m not a girl at all.”

She looked at me, coldly, “Please don’t mess with me,” and stood up.

I reached into my bag and pulled out my passport and Swedish truck licence and gave them to her.

She looked at them and her eyes widened,, “Anton, you’re really Anton and a guy?”

I stood and took her hand, and got her to sit again while I related the whole saga. At the end of it she asked the big question, “So, are you going to transition?”

I told her that I didn’t want to be an actual woman and that I was happy to live as one while it remained fun. I then admitted that there was no way I could do anything about my looks as it was my heritage. Even if I was bald there would be people who would think I was a girl. It was my greatest asset as well as my greatest burden.

She thought for a few moments, then smiled and pulled me to her in a wonderful and never-ending kiss.

The interesting thing for me was that my manhood was straining against its restraints. It was a wonderful feeling, if a bit painful.

Marianne Gregory © 2022

E’volvo’lution Chapter 5

We kissed a bit more and then she said that we had to work again in the morning. We got back on the bikes and went to our respective homes. Astrid was still up when I got in and she took one look at my face, “A good night, I see.”

I suppose that I looked blank so she laughed, “You can always tell when a girl has had a good night, especially when she’s forgotten to redo her lipstick.”

I wished her goodnight and went up to my room to clean my face and think about the day. It had only been a week of being Antonia and I had already had feelings for a guy and now a girl. The more I thought about it, the more I realised that it would be nice being with Berget, and to forget any feelings I may have had for Greger. I was sure that he’d revised his own feelings already.

At work on Monday I was welcomed into the garage and was given the task to clean and reset some injectors, which was a pleasant job for me. I finished around lunch time.

We had a lunch room with vending machines so I got myself a sandwich and a hot drink. Berget came in and sat with me, telling me that I looked good in the overalls.

As we all went to go back she told me that the logistics manager wanted to speak to me and led me to his office. When I knocked I heard him call to come in. He stood and shook my hand and asked me to sit.

He told me his name was Gustav Karrlstrom and he said that he was sorry that he hadn’t been able to welcome me to the company last week. It seemed that I had been far too busy.

He chuckled, “Ludwig told me about his day with you. He hasn’t had so much fun for years.”

He then explained that, although Anders, Greger and Bjorn were the owners, he was the one who organised the runs, allocated loads and kept everything running smoothly.

“It was I who needed to get another truck going to Kroonprint while you were down south. We have another driver in ‘Answer’ today as well. The boys at Kroonprint were not happy Wednesday when you didn’t show up as usual but their boss told them that you were getting them out of a jam. For someone so new, you have a fan club already.”

I just sat there in amazement as he went on. “Anders has pulled some strings and tomorrow you‘ll be in the office with a gentleman from the Diesel Mechanics Accreditation Board who’ll test your knowledge and let us know what we have to do to complete the courses. We can let you finish it full time to get it out of the way.”

I thanked him for that and said that I thought it may only take a few weeks to finish the electric module. He then floored me by telling me that he had been contacted by the army who requested that I do the electronics and computer modules as well and that they would pay for my time.

I was confused and probably looked it. “The military was happy about your commitment last week. So happy, in fact, that it has been hinted that we may be doing similar things in the future, and we should be very discreet. They’ve told me that you’re on their books as a Non Commissioned Officer in the Transport Division and that I should help in any way I can. I don’t know what they’re thinking but there’s an appointment pencilled in at the Ministry of Defence next month so you’d better buckle down and finish the course.”

I left his office more confused than ever. Just over a week ago I was a jobless guy in Sweden and here I am in Estonia, a working driver, a girl and now in their army.

Could it get any crazier? And then it did.

I was walking away when his door opened and he called me back. “Antonia, I’ve just had a message on my computer. We need a load picked up at the docks urgently and taken to the Kalev factory. It’s a double trailer job and I’m told that you have that qualification. There’s a truck in the yard, a Globetrotter tractor, and I think we have a spare double trailer container unit out there. I’ll call the yard foreman to sort it out and Ludvig will come with you to tell you where to go. Good driving, girl.”

I went out, via the locker to take off the overalls and pick up my bag; finding Ludvig and another guy in deep conversation in the yard. I was pointed to a truck, given the keys, and the yard foreman told me where the trailers were kept.

I got into the truck and fired it up, checking all the gauges were good and that the tanks were full. I went and backed up to a set of trailers where Ludvig was waiting. We latched them on to the turntable, hooked up the cables and pulled up the jockey wheels.

Ludvig got up into the passenger side, “I hope you can drive these things, I was all right with a single trailer but these doubles are way too big for me in my old age.”

We pulled out of the yard and he directed me to a different gate at the port. He had the paperwork, and we were directed to a loading stand. He explained that the other gate we used was for single containers and the smaller ones that we carried on ‘Answer’.

Where we were now was for the really big containers and that we would really feel the load once we were back on the road. It was no worse than the load I’d taken to Moscow but I didn’t tell him that. I also didn’t tell him that this was the first time I’d driven a fully loaded double in city traffic.

We made it to the Kalev factory without knocking down any traffic lights so that was a good thing. I kept the speed down and got a few horns beeped but I didn’t let it worry me.

At the factory they had an unloading crane. I had to pull up at a mark while they took the front container and then move forward to another mark so that the back one came under the gantry. The paperwork was signed and we were on our way back to the yard.

There’s a trick to backing double trailers well, and that is to swing around so they are perfectly straight before you go for the reverse. I did it by more luck than judgement and was shaking a bit when I climbed out of the cab to disconnect, suddenly surprised by a burst of applause from about ten guys watching.

I gave a mock bow and then Ludvig and I put the jockey wheels down, unhooked the cables and lines and lifted the trailer off the turntable.

When I had returned the truck to its parking spot I gave the yard foremen the keys. He told me that Anders was in the office and wanted a word.

I went into the office and was pointed to Greger’s room where he and his father were sitting. They both got up and gave me a hug.

Anders smiled, “I watched you bring that unit back today. That was the neatest bit of parking I’ve seen in all my years. What on earth can we throw at you that you can’t manage?”

I laughed and said that if things kept escalating like they had in the last ten days I was sure they would find out before the week was out.

He then ordered me to be in bright and on time in the morning. His friend was anxious to meet me and get me onto his books as accredited.

He then made the day even crazier, “The army have requested that we get you an Estonian passport under the name of Antonia Berg so that you can be ready to help them in future. There’s a certain base commander in Germany who’s a big fan of yours and he’s certain that you’ll be visiting him some more in the future.”

“I think Gustav mentioned a meeting we’ve been invited to. Well, you and I have been asked to attend by name so it will be interesting to hear what they have to say. Now, run on home, you have done much today and, by the way, the garage foreman has told me that those injectors are back on the truck and it’s running as sweet as he’s ever heard it. Now go and get a rest, there will be much to do for you this week.”

I picked up my bag and left before anyone else wanted me to do something. I was a little early at the house so I spent my time putting a load in the washing machine.

When the office closed Berget came around and helped me. We did find a little time to look at how the washing was going. When Astrid got in we had everything prepared for dinner and a load of stuff going around in the dryer.

Thankfully Berget was able to stop me from putting everything in the dryer, or else I would have to shop for underwear again soon.

Of course, Berget and Astrid had known each other for some years so I was the newbie in the conversation. We had a good chat until Erik got in and we cooked the meal.

After Berget had gone home I told Erik about the odd events of the day. The fact that the army had me listed as enlisted in the Transport Division made him sit up, “It wasn’t just a short term cover, then.”

I retired early, still feeling the effects of last week but was kept awake with visions of seeing those two trailers behind me and idiots in cars trying nip in, not knowing that the back axle can take a route some five metres different from the front of the truck.

The next day and the rest of the week I was sitting in a room with the official who held my future in his hand. We went back over everything I’d done already before he got to the things I hadn’t done. He gave me a verbal exam on the electrics, and I found out that I actually knew most of it already. It’s almost a mechanical system compared with the computer driven systems with Wi-Fi.

On the Thursday afternoon he took me through the odd bits I didn’t know before and ticked me off for the electrical module. This meant that he could sign my papers.

I spent the following week in a classroom pulling apart computers and putting them together again. In the end it was the usual old saying, “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it,” I finished that week knowing what staple bits I needed to carry to swap when things went wrong and the Friday he gave me my full set of papers, just like that!

Before he finished with me he sat me in the office and made us both a coffee.

“Let me play a little game, Antonia. I’ll describe a person, and you can tell me if it fits the person who stopped you finishing the course”

I nodded and he went on. “This person is in his fifties and has been with the company for at least fifteen years.”

I nodded again. “This person is a pal of the boss, or even worse, the son of the boss.”

I smiled and nodded, now seeing where this was going.

“This person has not driven for years and hasn’t attended a course since you have known him, saying that there was nothing he didn’t know”.

At that I laughed out loud.

“That person was so afraid of being shown up by someone younger; and a girl no less, he was prepared to destroy the company rather than let you get certified. He knew that you could bring him down. You’re very lucky they let you go, because you would have been ground under had you stayed there.”

He shook my hand and told me that Anders was a very lucky boss to have me turn up on his doorstep.

Anders decided that my new status meant we could have another dinner; he did like to eat out! The party gained Berget as my partner, and we all had a good evening.

I pointed out that my papers were in the name of Antonia. Anders smiled, “That’s right, so is the new passport that turned up in the office mail today, I think Berget may have it in her bag.”

Berget grinned and pulled it out to give me. It was genuine and had a picture of the new me with all the rest of the details being correct from my old passport except for the F instead of M.

I just had to go and give him a hug, “Thank you, so much. I’m sure that it’s all correct and I may know more as I get better in Estonian.”

“Ahh!” he said, “The language barrier. For the next two weeks you’ll be going to the language college for a rush job on the usual Estonian words and phrases that will get you by. You’ll pick up the rest of it as you go. The army is paying for it and they want you to attend wearing your kit and lanyard as you’re enrolled as one of theirs.”

“You’re to wear your hair under a uniform cap which, I’m told, is in the back-pack you were given, along with an instruction sheet on how you should dress. This is all very odd but they are talking about something they want to suggest at the meeting they set up. It all sounds mysterious but could be good for the company so we’ll follow orders for now.”

Then he told me that I have a photo shoot in the morning with ‘Answer’ and he’d been told that all the outfits will be supplied. I just needed to be at an address which he gave me.

So Sunday morning I walked to the yard and the security guy helped me open up the shed. I warmed the truck up and input the address on the GPS and then drove out. The place I arrived at was in an industrial area and they had a door open for me to drive in and shut down.

For the next four hours I was poured into four different outfits, made up and posed with the truck that now had a green screen behind it. By the time I was back in my normal driving kit and heading back to the yard, I had a new respect for professional models.

Sunday afternoon I checked the back-pack more closely and did a test dress in the kit they had supplied. I was supposed to wear the big jacket. It would be good on the bike anyway.

Erik did an inspection and declared me acceptable. I set everything out for the morning as I needed to report early.

Monday morning, I got Astrid to take a couple of pictures of me to show my mother when I see her next. At the college I was expected and referred to as Trooper Berg the whole two weeks, during which time I was immersed in Estonian until I could follow conversation in the shops, in a café, on the road or just chatting with friends who were prepared to help out when something new was added. It was twelve hours each day, even on the weekend, and I was staggered at how well they managed to give me the knowledge.

Of course, the following Saturday evening was another meal out and this time it was a typical Estonian place where I was expected to be in charge of the ordering. I managed to get through. There were a few new dishes I needed help on but was declared to be now almost Estonian.

Anders told me to take Monday off and get myself some good clothes to meet a minister in. He gave Berget a company card and the order to make me look like I want to take over the army before taking over the country. Everyone else would be guys in very expensive suits.

We had a lovely day together on Monday. I ended up with three skirt suits, two pant suits and the underwear, shoes and accessories to match. I don’t know what the card limit was but if we didn’t reach it that was alright, wasn’t it?

Tuesday morning, Astrid made sure I looked totally powerful and had a proper bag that I could drop my notes into.

At nine I was picked up by Anders in a chauffeur driven limo and we went into the city to the administration buildings. We were dropped off at an imposing place and directed to an upper floor after being checked for machine guns or bombs.

Erik had suggested that I wore my lanyard and he was proven right as we were quickly checked off and I was sure the guard at the entrance wanted to salute me.

When the lift door opened we were greeted by Erik, who smiled and welcomed us to his workplace. He led us to a large meeting room where we joined the Minister for Defence, and a couple of aides who were there to look after us and also keep the notes.

Also, as we walked in, Q stood up and so did the base commander from Potsdam. Q took my hand and said, “Welcome to the upper reaches, Antonia” in Estonian.

I answered, “This is so high my eyes are watering,” in the same language.

He laughed, “I told you so, Felix, where’s my ten Euro.”

We all sat down and the Minister said, “We have to thank Lundin Transport for pulling our military out of a hole. The operation ran like clockwork and we are here today to put a new operation into motion. I have approved a budget that, I hope, would get things going but we have not yet been able to think of exactly how it should look. We want to be able to move things about without the protesters knowing that things are moving. Does anyone have any ideas?”

The guys all stayed quiet but I had been thinking about this since it looked like being the project.

“OK, why did it work the first time?”

Q said, “Well no-one expected that a girl in a famous truck, on her own, would be carrying a sensitive load.”

“What’s the most important part of that sentence, the secrecy, the truck or the girl?”

The Minister nodded, “Well, obviously it was all three. It was so over the top it just flowed.”

“Exactly, that’s what has to be replicated on a bigger scale, depending on how much you want to move and how often.”

Felix smiled, “A lot and almost every week, from any base to any other base.”

Anders, being a very canny businessman, said, “That means bigger trucks, perhaps trailer or even double trailers.”

The other guys nodded so I came in with what I had thought of. “If we put together a small fleet of tractors and enclosed double trailers, or even container carriers; we could drop them off one day and pick them up the next. As extra cover we could be given a contract to transport non-military supplies which would give us a solid reason to be going in and out.”

Q laughed, “I love it. How would we disguise the trucks so that they aren’t stopped by demonstrators?”

I sat back and smiled, “The same way we did it the first time. We get new Globetrotters and give them a good enough paint job to win ‘Truck of the Year’ at a truck show. We put them about so that they become as well known as ‘Answer’ is locally.”

The Minister was running it through his head and the others knew when to stay quiet. He asked, “What about the drivers?”

I chuckled, “That’s really the easiest part of it. I’m sure that there would be at least a half a dozen good looking girls already qualified in the Transport Division, who may even be thinking of getting out for a job in the industry. We’ve already had a number of enquiries from girls who want to drive. If we’re talking long distances with doubles you’re going to need a two person crew anyway.”

The Minister asked Anders and me to excuse them for a few minutes. We were taken by one of the aides to a side room where we were given a cup of coffee.

When he handed me my cup the aide smiled, “You’re the complete package, Antonia. I saw you at the truck show and I was totally surprised when you kicked that truck into life to drive it out. Now, you walk in here and lay the complete plan on the table from out of the blue. They won’t be talking about a yes or no in there at the moment. Felix is the big cheese from NATO, and I could see he’s on your side all the way.”

He looked at Anders, “When you’re asked to go back in I expect that they’ll offer you that contract and give you a timeline.”

That’s exactly what happened. The Minister said that a contract will be negotiated to provide civilian transport service to NATO. We were authorised to buy at least three trucks but the rider was that they had to comply with military standards in their build. We were given carte blanche with the fit-out and paint job; as long as it was so far out there it would be totally unbelievable that they could be carrying military hardware.

We would be involved in recruiting the drivers and they fully expected that there would be some in the army who would come over, especially as they would all have an NCO position like mine.

Q gave me a business card with the name of an officer in the Transport Division. “Any questions about drivers, give him a call. I’ll get him into the loop this afternoon.”

It was handshakes all round and kisses on cheeks from me. Then Anders and I were ushered back down the lift and into the limo heading back to the yard.

He kept chuckling until I asked, “What’s so funny?”

“Those poor guys just didn’t know who they were inviting into their web. This time it’s Flies three, Spider nil. How do we buy three army trucks?”

I laughed, “We’re a Volvo company so we get the ones they supply to the Swedish army, of course.”

Marianne Gregory © 2022

E’volvo’lution Chapter 6

We got back to the truck yard and Anders called for a meeting in the afternoon. I was told to just relax until then so I went and sat with Berget. She was very appreciative of my business look and sent me off to different places to get papers for her.

The ploy worked as I got a lot of ‘hubba hubba’ comments, and I really felt good when we went off for lunch.

The meeting that afternoon was convened in the lunch room after everyone else had left. Anders, his sons, Gustav, Ludvig, Berget and me were there and Anders made sure the door was closed before he sat us at a couple of tables pulled together.

He opened up with a statement.

“Antonia and I have been given an agreement that we would be soon signing a contract to supply transport services to the army and to NATO.”

There were gasps from those not already in the loop.

“Some of these services will include trips with what the army so quaintly calls ‘sensitive’ loads, similar to the one Antonia made. They want us to put together a fleet of trucks with paintwork so over the top that no-one will suspect that they’re carrying anything but ordinary cargo. They want the trucks to be military specs and Antonia suggested we get ones that follow our practice of only using Volvo.”

“In the last hour I have spoken to our agent here in Tallinn and he spoke to his contacts in Stockholm and they rang me back just thirty minutes ago. They do a ten by six Globetrotter on steroids for their own military and are happy to sell us a few. I told them we will take three now and three later. That’s the crux of this morning’s work, any questions?”

Gustav asked “Is it just Estonia, or do we go further?”

“As far as we understood it, considering that one of the people in the room is on the NATO High Command, we’ll be going anywhere where NATO is.”

That created a hubbub and Gustav gasped, “That would be worth millions of Euro, if not multi-millions.”

Anders nodded, “This is why we’re sitting here now. This could be the making of a huge project. I’ve already held on to a large parcel of land near the airport in case we grew enough to need it. I think that time has come, and we’ll build a modern drive-through transport hub that will be the best in the country, purely for shipments. This site can become the paint and repair facility and storage of trailers.”

Berget asked, “Sir, why am I here?”

Anders smiled, “Berget, the thing about this plan is that all the drivers will be good looking women. We’ll need a person to oversee the well-being of these crews, as well as being the face of our new business. Are you up for it?”

“If Antonia is there to hold me up, yes, I am.”

Ludvig then asked, “Why me, then?” and was told that the yard would need a new site manager because Gustav would be busy with the new one. He knew the business better than anyone else.

“So Bjorn and I would still be here, doing our thing?” Greger asked.

“Yes, pretty much,” Anders said, “There’ll be at least six new trucks to paint and rework, as well as up to twenty sets of double trailers to paint once we get up to speed. I think you’ll have more than enough to keep you busy.”

Greger then asked the question I’d been waiting for, “So these won’t be just plain trucks?”

Anders pointed to me, “Tell him, Antonia, it’s your show as much as mine.”

“The army believes that the previous plan worked because of the three elements – secrecy, girls and in-your-face obviousness,” I said. “We need to keep the side-trips under wraps, hell; I don’t even know what I was carrying. We’ll get some recruits from the Transport Division when they can check their women drivers; and we’ll supply trucks that are good enough to win Truck of the Show next year and even at other shows in Europe. We’re going to be so obviously civilian it’ll make your eyes water.”

Greger smiled, “I’m sure you already have an idea of the design?”

“Actually, I do have some thoughts,” I said, “A team of beautiful women needs to be fully promoted and should be with the trucks at shows. The prize was given to ‘Answer’ because it was a great paint job but also because there was someone who looked like the subject on hand that made all the guys want to take the pictures.”

“I’ve thought that we could do something along the lines of Thor and call the trucks ‘Thor’s Maidens.’ There should be enough room on a double trailer to get good paintings of up to twelve girls and it wouldn’t matter which ones are with the truck. There’ll be a picture for them to pose by. The other thing is that if all the trucks look the same we can be seen to be in a lot of places at the same time.”

“The cab would only have a picture of Thor or his hammer. I think there’ll be support from the army if they have the trucks with a picture of the Thunder God and it will go down well with the macho truck show people as well.”

Greger smiled then put his head down and was sketching furiously.

Ludvig then asked, “What are the specifications we have to abide by?”

Anders said that the Volvo trucks were similar to a Globetrotter but with a much stronger chassis and a bigger engine, the D16 with a lot more power.

“They’re powerful enough to haul a tank on a strong trailer and they’re rated to haul over a hundred and fifty tonnes. The army uses big diameter steel wheels but we can get the magnesium ones we already use. It lowers the clearance a bit but we don’t have to travel over a battlefield. They don’t have a lazy axle, so all three sets of rear wheels are powered. I’m sure that when we send them out they won’t look out of place but would allow us to operate over most of the winter period.”

Greger then showed us a sketch he had made for the trailers. It had Thor at the rear with his hammer pointed forward and lightning coming out of the head. Twelve streaks of lightning ended in twelve blank spots along the lower part of the trailer where the girl’s pictures would be.

Berget said, “That’s great. The uniforms could follow the same pattern with lightning flashes down the pants legs for driving in and on the shirt and skirts for shows.”

I said that at least one girl would have to wear leggings at shows if she was expected to get into the truck.”

Greger laughed, “You want to deny the adoring public the best bit?”

Everyone laughed when I put my tongue out at him.

Anders said, “Right, we need to get things moving. Berget, you put out a call for a new receptionist come office girl so you can train one up. Gustav, you and Ludvig get together and plan our move to the new place when it’s built as well as what changes we make here after that.”

“Greger, I want you and Antonia to talk to the guys at Volvo and arrange to go there after we get the contract signed. Antonia, I expect that the army will want you to be in with the picking of drivers but there’s no rush for that. I‘ll start putting out feelers among the building companies and concreters, if we do get the contract, to get moving on the new yard.”

“Can we have a drive-through truck wash, please?” I asked, “The factory has one that they use after road testing and before delivery. It’s very quick and easy.”

He was about to wind it up, and I had just one more question I wanted to ask.

“When Greger paints Thor, can we do a likeness of that Aussie actor because he’s so handsome.” Everyone laughed.

As you can guess, it was a very jubilant group who walked out of the lunch room. I was sure that the rumour mill would be buzzing until we could formally announce the signing of the contract.

I helped Berget get an advertisement together for the paper and Greger came by with a sheaf of applications from girls wanting to drive.

“Have a read of these,” he ordered, “I had a quick look through but there are so many we’ll need to weed them out, and then organise interviews. If they’re going to be driving high powered doubles they are going to have to be good.”

Berget gave me a briefcase to put the papers in. I suddenly realised that I had passed all of my trade qualifications but was no longer a working mechanic and, strangely, I was a driver of some note that wasn’t being pushed into a cab any more.

It was as strange as everything had been after Greger first asked me that question I couldn’t understand. I‘d been in the country now almost two months and was truly a different person with a project to work through.

As we were about to leave Anders came up to me, “Antonia, I can see by your face that it’s sinking in. There are times when you just need to go with the flow and you’ve done that magnificently. Here’s the business card of our Volvo agent, they also sell cars. I want you to go there and pick one out. I’ve told him you were coming. I can’t have an executive of this company going about on a motor-bike. Berget, you get one as well, you’re going to need it in the days to come.”

He strolled back into his office and I said, quietly, “Some of us would rather be on a motor-bike!” Berget had to sit down while she stifled her giggles.

She called a cab to pick us up and we did what the boss had ordered. The guy at the dealership was very helpful and we both had test drives of a few cars and we both chose a mid-size SUV with all-wheel drive.

I asked for a light blue one. We were told that they would be ready for delivery in a couple of days and we were loaned a sedan in the meantime. Berget drove us back to the yard and then I took it home while she rode her bike home. I said that I’d pick her up in the morning.

I parked the car outside the house and went in. Astrid came to me and gave me a great big hug.

“Greger called me and told me that you’ve been instrumental in the company getting a huge contract. Don’t get changed, Erik called and said that we’re invited to a little dinner tonight, with his minister and his wife. It’s informal in the administration dining room.”

She rushed off to spend at least an hour getting ‘informally’ dressed, and then we drove, in her car, into the city.

She’d been to the building many times, and had a parking permit for the underground car park. Erik met us at the dining room, and led us to the table we joined not just the Minister and his wife, but also Felix and his wife.

I was introduced to both ladies, and we were all seated. The Minister was very effusive but also very discreet. The wives would have known how high their husbands circled, and were not at all nosey about why I was there.

They went off to powder their noses after the main course. Felix held me back as I went to join them.

“I know that our friendly spook gave you a card for the Transport Division contact. I’m sure that you’ll hear from him soon. What I’m going to do is give you this bit of information.”

He passed me a card with a number on it.

“This is the CO of a test track we use to train our best drivers. He has a range of trucks, including the Volvo one you’ll be buying. When you get your team of drivers together and are certain that they can drive, give him a call and he’ll arrange a session at that track. It will test the best of them and, if they do get ticked off by him, they won’t be bothered by anything they encounter on the road.”

I thanked him for that and then he said, “Don’t be surprised by things as they happen, there are a lot of the top brass who are watching you, and wishing you all the success.”

I followed the other ladies to powder my nose and the rest of the evening was very friendly; Astrid getting me home so I could get out of this skirt which seemed to feel a little tighter after the meal.

The next morning I wore a pant suit and went to pick Berget up. She was very bubbly and when we got to the yard she told me to follow her.

Behind the garage area there was a group of offices, a couple of them unused. She told me that she had thought that I’d need one over the next few months. I chose the biggest, and she said she would organise some stationery supplies and a kettle. I went out to the car and grabbed the briefcase. I sat quietly that morning going through the applications.

I weeded out the obvious ones. The ones that were too young or too old for our purposes went first. I wrote a covering letter that thanked them for their input and put that pile aside to get Berget to find someone to type up the response and post them back.

The rest had a range of women, from the early twenties to the mid-thirties. That was within our age range. The final choice would be on face-to face interviews. I marked several that had enough driving experience to be good starters.

There was one way I could cull it further and that was easy. I just picked up the phone and called them, one by one, and chatted with them. Most knew of me or had seen me at the show. I gave each of them five minutes before asking the first question I wanted answering today.

“You know that we show trucks at various shows. Would you be happy to wear a very short skirt and pose for the cameras?” Those that said yes were given the second crucial question.

“We’re planning a fleet which will be travelling all over Europe. Are you able to spend up to a week away from home with just an hour notice?”

Those that said yes to both question got a tick on their application for an interview. Those that said no went with the earlier pile. I was left with just four girls who, I hoped, looked good as well.

I groaned a bit as I got up, I was going to need a better chair. I could drive for hours without a problem but they haven’t yet invented a comfortable office chair.

When I was heading back to the office with the sheaf of rejects the garage foreman asked if he could have a word. I went into the garage where all of the guys were working but I could detect a sense of worry in the air.

“Antonia” he said, “I really don’t know what to make of this. You come here as our best driver in years and also one of the best mechanics I have met and there you are, dressed to the nines and sitting in an office all morning poring over paperwork. The place is buzzing with speculation and it’s getting to us.”

“Don’t worry; something happened yesterday that will affect all of us, from Anders down. It’s going to be good, believe me,” I said, “I can’t tell you anything until the paperwork is signed, so tell everyone to be patient. What I’m doing now is sorting out applications from girls wanting to drive with us because our potential customer thinks that a girl is better for that than a guy. Not a big thing, but all part of what’s happening.”

“Ahh!” he nodded, “I was at the show when the boss made his speech about more girl drivers. If there are more out there as careful with the equipment as you are, it will be a lot easier for me.”

Before I left him I quietly said, “If what happened yesterday comes to pass, you’ll have to get up to speed on a Volvo which is nothing like any you have worked on before. It’s going to be a fun time for all of us.”

In the office I gave the papers to Berget and she gave them back to me. She told me to take them a couple of offices further down where the girls there would deal with them. I had to stand while what I wanted was explained, and my handwriting scrutinised.

The secretary then grinned, “Antonia, you’ve passed the test. We do this to find the anger point of new people and you’ve gone a lot longer than most. This will be worked on this afternoon and in the post tonight. Love the suit, by the way.”

We had lunch and then I told Greger that I was going to see Astrid. I wanted to talk about outfit designs for our prospective drivers. If this project wasn’t a success, I was surely learning a lot of new things.

I took the loan car into town and parked near the shop. When I went in Astrid said “Good afternoon, madam, how can I help” and then broke into giggles.

I asked her about getting bespoke outfits made for a group of women drivers and she told me that there was someone she knew. She called the person and then told me that I had an appointment as soon as I arrived. She wrote down an address with some notes on how to get there.

When I arrived at the place it was a company that made sportswear for celebrities and the woman there was very helpful. I told her that I didn’t yet have any sizes so she noted what size I was so that I could model her first output.

I explained that the outfits should be for drivers of big trucks so had to be sturdy pants and the shirt had to be hi-vis. Then I said that there would be a couple of outfits for the girls to wear at shows and that one should be adequate for a girl climbing into and out of a large truck.

I described the overall design as lightning flashes and a single use of the hammer of Thor and the name of Lundin Transport on one shoulder with space for a name on the other and ‘Thors Maidens’ somewhere.

She asked the colour and I realised that we hadn’t decided. I said to make them in a light blue with the lightning in gold, picked out in black and then I added that we would need a Volvo patch on each sleeve, I know I was being a bit forward but I was thinking that these could be a big seller at shows.

That all done I went back to the yard where Berget gave me another pack of applications to look at tomorrow. There was also a copy of the magazine that had the story and pictures from the show. Inside was the article about the company and, to my shock, a centrefold picture of ‘Answer’ with a stunning looking me in a red dress in front of it.

Berget was laughing as I gave her the car keys so she could get home and, when I left, I walked back to my lodgings. I had the thought on the way that I had better organise something for me in that regard.

I couldn’t keep house-sitting with Astrid and Erik. In my room I pulled out my phone and looked up my bank account. I had been very careful with it lately and a lot of things I now had were given, rather than bought. I had a shock when I looked, as I had quite a bit more than I expected.

When I looked at the statement I saw that I had been earning a good wage all the time I had been here, as well as getting the bonus that Greger had offered on that first day at the show.

There was also a good sum that had been deposited by a European Bank on behalf of NATO, I guess as a thank you for getting their load shifted. It really made me wonder if I could have destroyed half a country if I’d hit something along the way.

With this on top of what was left from my original three thousand, I certainly had enough to have a deposit on a rental. Now I knew we would be based near the airport, I knew where I should be looking.

I spoke to Astrid about it over our evening meal and she said that she loved me staying with them and to rethink the idea. I explained that I would need to be closer to the new yard when it was built and she argued that would be months away.

That evening I called my mother and told her that I may be home for a few days but didn’t have any dates yet. I said I may be looking for a place to live. She already knew that I was going out with Berget so suggested that we look for a new place together if we were serious.

I told her I had bought a car with company money and she was amazed. I wondered that maybe, one day, she would be able to come to Tallinn and see what we were doing. I told her that I was looking forward to seeing the family again.

I then found out that my father had returned home and immediately had a falling out with the transport company over the fact that they had let me go so suddenly. He was spending his time overhauling the truck.

That night I slept well for a while but was awake for a couple of hours before I was due to get up. I used that time to think through all of the balls I had up in the air. About the only thing I could do was to wait until people got back to us, except for my search for drivers. That was something I could get my teeth into.

Marianne Gregory © 2022

E’volvo’lution Chapter 7

There were four applications in the ones that Berget had given me so I looked through them while having a hot drink. The extra supplies, a kettle and a small fridge had been put into the office just after I arrived, and I was getting quite comfortable.

I would have to ask about a computer and then thought that, with the resources at my disposal, I didn’t need one yet.

All of the latest applications were in our age range and had some driving experience so I went about ringing them up, one by one. All were surprised that I had got back to them so quickly; all were happy to talk to me, and all answered yes to both questions.

I told each one to expect something in the post. With eight in the final mix I had enough to organise a day of interviews. I wrote out a letter telling them where to come and when to come and took the pile to our typing office.

While there I saw a pile of the magazines so grabbed a few for myself; I hadn’t had a good chance to look at it yet but knew that collectables should be acquired new and stored correctly so put these into a folder to take home.

The office girls told me that they would have the letters ready for me to sign after lunch and I could tell that they were getting very interested in what was going on. Back in my office I rang the number that Q had given me and spoke to a very nice officer from the Transport Division.

He told me that they had found eight drivers who fitted the details he had been given and that he would like me to set a day to come to the base and interview them. I said that I would see them next week. It would be the day before my interviews here. He would send the details about getting on the base by email to my office.

I had hardly put the details in the new diary that Berget had supplied, and made another drink, when my phone rang. As it was the first time since I had moved in it startled me.

When I answered, Berget said, “There is a call for you on line six, Miss Berg.” I pressed the button for line six and said, “Lundin Transport, Miss Berg here, can I help you?”

There was a laugh from the other end, “Q here Miss Berg. I’ve called about your visit to the base next week. I’ll be there to open up the interview session in proper army fashion. I want you to attend in full army kit. These girls are army so will appreciate the proper way we do things. It will be a big shift for them if everything works out.”

“Later in the year I’ll want you, and all the civilian girls you select there, to attend a one week course at a place I‘ll let you know about. One of the things that came up in discussion is that the top brass wants you all to have a rank in the army so that you can stay on bases and fit in. There’s nothing that upsets bases so much as having pretty civilians wandering about.”

“By the way,” he continued, “It was a bit cheeky going through the Oblast on the way home. You could have been searched and held for attempted spying if they’d found your kit. I didn’t want to say anything in front of Felix but don’t do it again, young lady!”

After a bit more chat I finished the call and sat back. I picked up my diary and added ‘kit’ to the entry for that day. I then decided that I needed a walk and went to Berget and picked up a radio, telling her that I was going to explore.

I went out to the yard and had a good look at what we had around the place. I knew that if I was going to make it all work I would have to know what was available and what we may need to buy.

In the yard I saw single articulated trailers, some with turntable rear wheels so they could turn into doubles and some with towing hitches so they could have a second ‘proper’ trailer behind them. There were a few that were just the framework type for container carrying. The yard foreman saw me and came over for a chat. He was, of course, interested in what was going on. I was able to calm him without divulging anything.

I then, for the first time, ventured into the realm of the brothers. Bjorn was welcoming and showed me around his workshop where he had an electric with front end damage after another truck had backed into it while it was at the airport waiting to unload.

The centrefold was pinned to the wall and he got me to sign it.

Greger welcomed me with open arms, and I mean that literally. He showed me some better drawings of the ‘Maidens’ concept and said that it would allow him to have a truck that the masses would like for the first time. He, too, had the centrefold on his wall. This was crazy.

We sat in his little office and he got serious. “Antonia. No, I’m now talking to Anton. I want you to know that I was very attracted to you at first but realised that I’m not gay. I have gay friends, true, but the thought of sex with another man isn’t one I want to embrace. I will now say that as Antonia, I love you to bits as you’re a very attractive woman and a strong one as well. I’m glad to see you get together with Berget. I guess that she knows your secret as she would never go with a girl.”

I admitted that I had already guessed his thoughts and that I had been very attracted to him at first. We agreed to be good friends.

“My father is absolutely certain that you’ll be the catalyst for this company’s success for the next few years. He has you pencilled in as an executive in the new premises. This will mean less driving and no time in the workshop except to supervise. You have the skills to be good doing that and I have no problems with it. I’m very happy doing what I do as I love painting.”

My radio crackled and Berget said “Antonia, our cars will be ready this afternoon.” I thanked her and said I was coming back for lunch. Greger and I walked back into the main building.

We were joined at our table by Anders who told us that he, Greger, Bjorn and I were invited to the ministry tomorrow to be shown the contract and to do the signing. He said that I was to be in my army kit as I would be signing on behalf of the military.

“I guess no-one else wants their name on it in case it goes bad,” he joked.

That afternoon I went to the typing office where I signed the letters over my new post of ‘Antonia Berg, Project Manager’. Berget then drove us to the Volvo yard where we were handed the keys to our new vehicles and shown all of the things we needed to know.

They both had up-to-date GPS systems, “The same as the trucks,” and CB radios to truck standards as well;, neither had been specified. Well, they were company cars so I guess that the company called the shots. It made the dashboard look like a set from ‘Star Wars’.

Before we were allowed to leave I had to sign the centrefold in their service department and pose with the guys for a picture.

On the way back to the office I turned on the CB and listened to the chatter, having a laugh when I heard a driver comment on the “Blonde babe in the blue Volvo’.

I picked up the mic, “I heard that, buster, thanks for the babe bit.”

Then another driver said, “That’ll teach you to be sexist, Sven, not all blondes have a CB. I bet that’s Antonia”

“Spot on, drive happy.”

“Sure will, I’ve a centrefold to look at.”

When we got back to the yard and parked, Berget got out with a smile on her face, “I had the CB on and heard that conversation; it’s a big world out there, isn’t it?”

We went back into the office and finished up with our jobs. I organised for Ludvig to give Berget a full run-down on CB and GPS use tomorrow while I was in the city.

“We’re that close to having a new life, Antonia,” he mused, “We need everyone at the pointy end to have everything at their fingertips. Being able to call either of you on CB will be a step forward.”

I drove home and suddenly thought that I had been multi-lingual since the language school. Felix had spoken to me in German, which I had studied in school, the CB chatter and other conversations I had had were in Estonian while a lot of the talk in the yard was in Swedish, seeing that this was one of their policies when hiring.

That evening I sat down and had a good look at the magazine. It was a revelation as I was featured on several pages.

There I was, on the front cover, with ‘Answer’ from the show on the Sunday, as well as there being other pictures of the crowds around the truck. There was a picture of the two of us on stage getting the trophy and I thought that I looked good enough to eat. They had added a picture of us at Kroonprint with the comment that even the ‘Truck of the Show” has to earn a living.

The article about the company gave a lot of history about Anders starting it with one truck. The overhead of the whole staff by the trucks was set vertical so you had to turn the magazine to look at it. The centrefold was something else again and one of the best I’ve ever seen.

I’m not saying that because I was in every shot. No, it was brilliant in its own right. The actual centrefold picture was me, in a short red dress, and the truck. I had wondered about it when it was taken as I had thought that it would be a bit plain. The final result had been heavily worked on and was stunning.

They had obviously taken a time-lapse picture of the truck with the running light show flashing while I was off changing. My dress had been covered in sparkly stones and my stockings had been shiny as well. The screen at the back, as well as the floor, was a bewildering array of stars and planets and the ‘simple’ shot had been taken through one of those lenses that make everything shiny look like stars.

The halo of gold around the head of the painting had been enhanced and there was another, photo shopped, around my head as I emulated the pose in the picture. The picture was titled “Antonia comes to earth with her Answer.”

The other side of the centrefold was a group of pictures that had been taken with me in the other costumes. I had wondered why there were so many as the big one would do.

They had got me to stand on a mark that they measured out on the tray as soon as I had arrived, in my driving gear and hi-vis. I was told to look stern and macho with my balled hand on my hips.

Then, when I had been given a pair of bright red skinny jeans and a hi-vis crop-top, I had done a couple of poses with the truck and more in the driving seat before standing on another spot with my hands still on my hips but flattened out and more forward.

The next outfit was a long red skirt and a silvery blouse. I had sat on the cab bed and in front of the truck before I went up on the truck bed to another spot and stood leaning towards the front of the truck with my arms half bent.

The next had been a red leather skirt and black bra under a red leather biker jacket. I had stood with my hands on my hips with a big smile in front of the truck. There had been another set of pictures taken with me in the driving seat again, followed by another shot on the truck bed with my arms more stretching forward and my head looking as if I was peering at something.

After the main centrefold shot I just had to get back up on the truck bed with the final dress on. It was a very short red one, similar to the one I had worn at the show. I had one hand on the back of the cab with the other as if I was making an offering, all the time leaning forward.

One side of the reverse had three pictures, the one with me sitting with the long skirt on the cab bed, one with me in the red leather jacket and black bra showing in front of the truck, and one with me in the red pants and crop top sitting in the driving seat.

The other page was again vertical and you had to turn the magazine sideways to properly look at it. It was a picture of the truck and five versions of me standing on the flat bed and it looked like those cartoons of ‘Evolution of Man,’ but the caption underneath read, in bold lettering ‘The E-Volvo-lution of Antonia” I loved it.

The following day I wore my full army kit with my lanyard and drove to the yard. When I parked and got out there were some odd looks as I went into the office, especially from Greger and Bjorn when they saw me in kit for the first time.

We got into a car that Anders had organised and the driver took us to the ministry again. This time the private on guard saluted me when he saw my lanyard and I gave him one back.

When we were shown into the meeting room I saw Felix rise so I stood to attention and saluted him. He gave me one back, “Stand easy, Antonia. This isn’t the time for ceremony. I do appreciate your correct response to a superior officer.”

The Minister welcomed us and introduced a couple of guys who were there to oversee the signing. Erik stayed behind as the Minister apologised for other commitments and left the room.

We were all given a drink and, surprisingly, a plate with a biscuit assortment. My father had always told me that when the administration wants your co-operation, they’ll offer you biscuits. He had said that it was some unwritten rule that diplomats are told about.

We had several copies of the contract, a set of Estonian, Swedish and German language ones but they all had the same eye-watering numbers in them.

I looked through the one I was given and said, quietly, “This is more than three, or even six trucks could manage”.

There was a list of supplier factories that we would be picking up from and another, very long, list of places we would be delivering to.

Felix nodded, “You’re correct, Antonia. When we actually sat down and thought through this plan, we discovered that it will be a lot bigger than we had anticipated. I think that you’ll need at least ten trucks to make this work and they’ll have constant business. You see that we get supplies, all non-military, from most of the EU countries. We also buy from the UK, Norway and Sweden so there’ll be trips to and from those as well.”

Anders noted, “I see that you’re willing to pay us ten million Euros up front to get this on the road and the rates you’ve put as payment by distance are well up to industry best. There’s a paragraph here, now let me find it, yes. There will be a bonus payment for non-standard loads. I gather that we’ll only know we’ve made one of those trips is when we get some extra payment.”

Felix smiled, “That line is ambiguous, I admit. There’ll be times when a non-standard load is not, shall we say, sensitive. You may be required to move heavy equipment around, such as our larger trucks, earthmoving equipment and the like. When it comes to the other loads, your army drivers will know exactly when they are carrying those because there will be a level of extra security around them that a soldier wouldn’t miss. Oh! If you look further down we will pay another ten million on the completion of the first month of operation.”

I looked over at the brothers as they read the contract.

Greger had such a look of wonder on his face I thought that he deserved a hug.

Bjorn saw me and gave me a wink. He was the more grounded of the two and I was certain that he had already considered the ramifications of what he was reading. I knew that we were getting into very serious business here, and was in wonder with my small part in it.

Once everyone was happy with it there was the signing to go through. The Lundin family went first, signing all three copies of all three contracts. Then it was the turn of the Estonian Government and Erik signed for them.

Then it was the turn of the military and I saw that I was listed as Captain Berg.

I looked at Felix and he nodded, “It’s purely ceremonial, my dear. We have your new uniform and ID waiting for you to take home with you.”

I signed for the Estonian Army and then Felix signed for NATO, putting the seal on the business.

There was a period of handshaking after that, and the aides went off with the paperwork to get the Ministers initials on them.

Erik laughed, “Now I’ll really have to salute you.”

Felix took me to one side, “Really, Q should have been here as it was his baby to start with but he was needed elsewhere.”

I chuckled, “But if he signed anything they would have to add ‘his mark’ to the line where he puts Q”.

Felix hooted, “I’ll tell him that when I see him next, although you might be seeing first at some interview session, I believe.” He then got me to sign his centrefold!

Before we left Anders was given one copy of the contract in Swedish and instructed to put it into safe deposit as soon as he could as the wording could be misconstrued by an unscrupulous enemy.

The list of suppliers and delivery points were OK, though. In the car it was very quiet as the family made notes from our copy and I was given the destinations list to hold on to.

This I put into the big camo bag that held my new kit. We stopped at the bank on the way back and Anders went in with the paperwork.

Bjorn turned to me when he had left, “I wondered when my father told me that this morning would be earth-shaking, but I think the earth truly shook.”

Greger nodded, “What they say about the butterfly in the jungle is right. If I hadn’t spoken to Antonia at the show this would never have happened. We have a lot of work ahead of us, my brother.”

When we got back Anders called a meeting of all of those in the yard and we gathered in one of the big truck sheds. There must have been fifty or more of us with all the mechanics and office workers. Anders got up unto the back of a truck and called for quiet.

He raised his voice, “I know that the rumour mill has been in full swing this week so I am going to now tell you what’s happening. This morning we met with the Government and NATO and signed a contract to supply non-military transport services to NATO. These will be within all EU countries as well as some trips into non-EU countries.”

There were whoops and applause at this.

“Because of this I am putting into motion a plan build another transport hub on a property we have near the airport. I originally thought that we would use this yard for storage and maintenance. The scope of the contract will mean that we will still operate our normal business from here and use the new facility for NATO work only.”

Again there was applause.

“NATO has requested that we have a team of female drivers at the start and Antonia is in the process of recruiting those. This is because they want to show that they are not all macho bully boys and now know, after a run that Antonia did to Germany a few weeks ago, that women can do it as well as the men and, usually, with less moaning.”

There was a moan from the guys and a cheer from the girls.

“This afternoon I want everyone to have some thoughts and to see me or my sons if you have any questions. Or else you can talk to Antonia; she’s the one trying hide behind that camo jacket.”

I quickly went off to my office but not before Berget gave me a big hug. That triggered a whole bunch of hugs, mainly from the office girls.

In my office I pulled out the new lanyard and ID and there it was, Captain Antonia Berg of the Estonian Army Transport Division. There was also another that had me as member of a NATO Logistics Group, they were covering every base but one.

How about the little boy, Anton Berg, who wants to run home to mother and jump up and down with excitement?

It looked as if my recruitment work would be taking a lot longer than I thought unless the army came up trumps next week. For the rest of the afternoon I had a small stream of guys at my office door, some just to congratulate me but others, who had suspected something was up, wanted to really tell me I was the best. The garage foreman asked me if I would go and talk to his team and answer any questions they had.

In the garage I got them around me, “Now, you all heard the boss today. We’re going to be doing something big. NATO has insisted on female drivers for the bulk of the work and we’ll be getting a fleet of new trucks. These will be Volvo heavy duty models, all ten by six with a D16 motor and up to double the pulling power of the Globetrotters we use now. I’m sure that some of you may be picked to go to the factory and learn some new skills but you’d better brush up on your technical Swedish if you want to get in on that. “

“Next week I’ll be interviewing some army drivers and other girls who want to be part of this so there should be a few good – looking babes around the place soon.”

Someone asked why I had an army uniform on and I explained,

“One of the riders on the contract is that, as we will be regular visitors to army bases, sometimes overnighting, all of our drivers will become members of the Estonian Army so that they’ll get issued with kit like mine. It’s just as upsetting in an army camp to see a civilian woman walking about as it would be here if a babe in a bikini walked in.”

After I had signed about twenty copies of the centrefold I left them smiling.

We worked the week out with a lot of smiling faces around the place. I had planned to take Berget to the pictures but Anders, being Anderly, decided it was time for a celebratory dinner on him; so Saturday night saw a big table with the usual suspects, plus Gustav and Ludvig and their partners, as well as Agnetha and her partner.

Agnetha got me to go off to the ladies to powder our noses and, when we were at the mirror freshening up, she asked, “We’ve just had Fashion Week. I’ve a friend who is a designer. She wants to put on a display of ‘Working Girls’ outfits and she asked me if I could talk you into walking the catwalk for us. I know it’s a bit much, seeing how busy you are, but think about it and tell Astrid your answer. She’ll get back to me. The final outfit will be a red dress like the one in the centrefold and there will be others that are more fun than working gear.”

When I told Berget after dessert she laughed, “Why don’t you, you can add it to your CV – Biker truck mechanic, Army Captain, truck driver, centrefold babe and fashion model is a heady mix.”

I told Agnetha to send me the details via Astrid and I’d put it in my diary.

I had spoken to Berget about a place together and, when we were outside, kissing goodnight off to one side, she said, “I’ve thought about a new place, and I’ve decided that I want to live with you so we can spend more time together.”

“I’ve been getting hints from my folks that I should be getting out so we can do a bit of house-hunting. I’ll get onto the computer during the week and see what’s available near the airport site.”

Marianne Gregory © 2022

E’volvo’lution Chapter 8

On the Monday, I took Anders and Bjorn out to the airport site in the SUV. It was huge and flat and had a good road running past it. Anders spread out a site map with the suggested buildings and we tweaked it a little with my driver’s eye regarding the entry and exit roads and the general movement of trucks.

He had decided that it would be a large span roof with access from both ends. You drove out and around to the back, through the truck wash that Anders had already pencilled in, or through the fuelling point where it was planned to have big overhead tanks, and into the building.

The exit was straight out and onto the road. It would have a service bay along one side and offices on the other, with windows to the outside. Operations would be on the ground level and administration on the upper. On one side of the site was room for a large drive-through warehouse.

There was a huge amount of concrete to be poured and Anders said that he would sign a contract for site work and concrete laying tomorrow.

Tomorrow would be fun for me as well. I had the army girls to talk to. I wondered what they would think about Captain Antonia when they met me.

On Tuesday, I wore my new uniform. The jacket had Captain Berg on the name tag and had Transport Division flashes on the arms. Unlike the NCO pants, this one had a straight skirt.

On the way I called in on the CB to tell Berget that I would be ‘off-the-air’ while on the base. I asked Berget to talk to the bosses to see if I could bring my interviewees around the site tomorrow, and into their workshops.

She got back to me ten minutes later and said that Bjorn would be there but Greger would be out talking to the Volvo agents. He had told her that he would leave a picture of the proposed truck on his workbench.

When I arrived at the base gates a trooper gave me a salute when I handed him my ID. As I was seated I didn’t have to give him one back.

He took my ID into the gatehouse and then came back with a base map with my route marked on it, made sure I had my CB and phone turned off and told me that General Quill will be waiting for me at the Admin building.

I followed the map and drove deep into a huge place, past rows of trucks, tractors, trailers and smaller vehicles.

As I pulled up by the destination Q was there and pointed me to a parking area. When I got out I gave him a salute which he returned.

“That’s enough of that, Captain Berg; we have some girls waiting for us inside.”

I followed him with my briefcase in hand and we went into the building to a large meeting room. As we walked in the chatter stopped and all the girls there snapped to attention.

Q told them to stand easy and then sit.

“Ladies, I thank you for being here today. You will all be wondering what this is about. The best thing I can tell you is that you will all be driving trucks all over Europe if you qualify.” There were a few smiles at that.

“I’m General Quill and beside me is Captain Berg. We are here to find some drivers for a very important operation which we hope will run for years.”

“You all have been asked if you’re happy to be in civvies and if you have ties that will keep you from travelling. Now, are there any questions or problems? I want to get those out of the way first because everything else that is said here today will be classified and I don’t want to have someone pulling out knowing too much.”

One girl asked if they would be still part of the Transport Division and there was a ripple of shock when Q told them that they would have their uniform with them, but they would only be putting it on if they are overnighting in a base.

He then told them that if they can keep the operation running they would only be back at this base if they were picking up or delivering. He continued that, if they came on board they would all be promoted to a Non-Commissioned Officer rank.

No-one wanted to leave when that one hit them.

“Right” he said, “From this moment you are all part of an operation that’s designed to let us move sensitive loads around the country in secret, as an everyday business. You’ll all be picking up and delivering non-military supplies as a normal job.”

“You will work for a transport company that has no links to the military and, effectively, be living as a civilian while still being paid by the army at your new rate. All of you have driven the heaviest equipment we have, and all of you qualify in one other aspect that Captain Berg will explain to you.”

“Thank you for your attention and for your willingness to help your country and the free world. I’ll leave you with Captain Berg.” At that he stood and we all stood as well and saluted him as he left us.

I told them to stand easy and went to sit with them. As they watched I pulled off my uniform cap and let my hair flow free.

“That’s better” I said. “Once you leave this room you will be referring to me as Antonia when we meet again.”

One of them asked, “That Antonia from the magazine last week?” I nodded.

Another said that my centrefold was in both the male and female mess halls. I pulled the magazine from my briefcase and opened it up at the report about the show.

“One thing that you may not have noticed is that you eight are all very good looking girls. Some of you will be expected to attend this kind of truck show. Possibly in cities across Europe, and the idea is that you’re noticeable as sexy babes. This is part of the operation that will allow you to appear totally civilian.”

I then pulled out the drawing that Greger had done and I told them “You will be known as Thor’s Maidens and will be in charge of a truck with a civilian co-driver, who will also have an army uniform and ID when you are on a base.”

I sat back and let them take it all in. One asked “We’re not expected to put it out to stay in the role, are we?”

I smiled, “Certainly not, you can do so if you feel like it but it will only be your decision as a civilian, I will make sure that we all have proper protection.”

I then went to the article about the company and opened it at the overhead picture. “This is the company you will be working with. That’s me.” I pointed out the speck of red among the crowd.

I carried on, “You’ll be driving Volvo D16 extra heavy duty trucks and I have a contact that will put you through a special test so that you will all be totally able to go anywhere.”

One of the girls said that she had heard of a special track on a base in Germany. No-one seemed to know very much about it but all the drivers wanted to try it out. I then picked up the first folder on the desk and did a quick interview with the girl named, followed by the others in turn.

They were all keen, and I told them that we would be getting back together in a few weeks as the project goes forward. I warned them about telling anyone else about this session but asked them to keep an eye out for any others who could be part of it in the future.

I finished by telling them that the future base of operations will be near the airport at Tallinn so it would be best if they were living close by, but to get back to me if they had any problems.

After they had left the room I put my hair back up under my cap, packed the files into my briefcase, left the room, and went back to my car to drive out of the base.

I got back on the CB and told Berget that I was back on air but would go home to change before I came in. She said that my sample outfits were ready so I went via that business and picked them up.

At home I stripped off the uniform and hung it away and then tried on the new outfits. I was happy with them and carried them into the office after I had dressed in a skirt and top.

Berget had a new bunch of applications for me to work through which was now a good thing. I reported to Greger that I had spoken to eight girls this morning and all looked good as long as they were good enough drivers.

As I left him Anders caught up with me and stayed with me to my office. We sat down and he smiled, “It’s all starting to come together, then?”

“We look like being oversubscribed for drivers, but this is a good thing if we got more trucks.”

“Yes, on that I’ve been back to the factory and upped the order to fifteen in lots of three at a time. I want you, Gustav and Greger to go to the factory next week to talk through the final specs. You’ll leave Sunday and come back Thursday, with three days in the factory.”

I asked, “Have you organised transport?” He shook his head.

“My father has a friend with a mini-bus and he’s well-known at the factory. How about getting him to drive us about, I know he’s home at the moment.”

He nodded, “OK, let’s give him a call.”

So we called my home and my mother answered. I said hello and told her that my employer wanted to know if my father could organise a mini-bus to transport three of us to and from the Volvo factory next week, from Monday to Wednesday. She said she would get him in from the garage.

While we waited Anders said, “What if we book rooms in the hotel for your folks as well, then you could all get together. I can tell Greger that all meals are on us.” Then he smiled, “No, on the government.”

I pointed out that my sister was home as well so he said, “She must join you as well; you have to be missing all of them.”

When my father came on the line they discussed the situation and came to an agreement where we would pay all fuel and accommodation if he drove for us. My father was told that the invitation was for my whole family so we could have a get-together.

Before we finished, I told my father that we would be flying in on Sunday afternoon.

His last comment to me was, “I’ve just seen the truck magazine. We’re all so proud of you, Antonia, I love you.”

“I love you too, thank you. I’ll see you soon.”

While we were still sitting there and as I had him all to myself, I said, “Anders, with the way this is going I think that we should do something more showbiz than trucking. The army wants us to be out there. I wondered if it would be the right thing to build one or two trailer units purely for shows.”

“It wouldn’t matter what tractor we use because they would all be the same but we don’t have to take working trailers out of circulation to be sat at shows. We could take the best six of the girls to be the ‘Show Team’ and have their pictures on the trailer unit.”

“They could fly in and fly out after the show. I got these uniforms today and I think we can sell them at shows as well. We can have a one trailer set out as a lounge come shop and the other can be a transport for a vehicle that we can use to get about in.”

I showed him the uniforms and then carried on, “You do realise that now that ‘Answer’ has been a Truck of the Show we’re expected to take it to other shows around Europe and if ‘Maidens’ becomes popular it would be the same expectation.”

“I never thought that far forward but you’re right, that way we can have a small group doing the show circuit while the rest are making money. We don’t even have to use the military spec. tractors; we could repaint one of the ones we have.”

He told me to bring along the samples and we picked Berget up on the way to Gregers’ office. There I showed them the samples, and Berget loved them.

Anders then asked Greger if he had any problem doing show perfection jobs on two double units that would be for shows only, doing a quicker job on the working units.

Greger thought that it would be a great help.

I said that I saw two trailers that have nothing to mar the driver side but with big doors in the other side which would allow people to walk in and buy at the shop we would build in or else have a rest in the lounge area. The second trailer could transport a people-mover, spares, wheels, bags and sale stock.

Berget was the same size as me so she took the dress sample and went off to change. We chatted about the factory trip until she came back.

Anders said “Let’s see what effect it has on normal guys,” and dragged her out to the garage where the reception was so good I thought we may have hit the button.

Going back Anders said,” It looks like you’re going to be our entertainment managers. It will give you an interesting life once you’ve put the teams together. It will actually be much easier for Gustav to organise the business side if you have the show stuff running separately.”

I sat my office for the next day and made sure I had all my files in order. I then finished the day by going through the new batch of applications. I would have to hold off until Thursday to follow these up and, you never know, there could be more by then.

It had been an odd, but mainly successful day. That evening I made sure that one of my business suits was all right to wear and then checked what I would need for four nights back in Sweden. That’s when I found that I didn’t have a case so went and asked Astrid and she sorted one out for me.

Wednesday, I was in my office and had asked Berget to call me so I could go out and greet our applicants. The first girl was a bit plain and dumpy but her CV of driving was first class.

We had a good talk and I told her that we would be in touch. I had the idea that she could be a good one to shuttle the show truck around.

The second and third girls were well within the looks department and had enough driving to be trained. I took them for a walk around the yard. When we got to Gregers’ paint shop I showed them the picture of the proposed truck scheme and spoke about show duties but didn’t say anything about the odder trips that may occur.

After the third girl had left the next one was a no-show. I went back to the paint shop and looked at a sketch book that I’d noticed. I leafed through it and near the front was a picture that made me gasp.

It was a preliminary drawing of ‘Answer’ and was different because it must have been a true picture of the original Antonia.

She was a lot plainer than the painting but the thing I noticed that she was wearing a high-necked dress that looked like it may have been a knit, and there was a scarf around her neck. It was like a light bulb went off in my mind so I pulled my phone out of my bag and rang my mother.

When she answered I said, “Mum, I think Dad has told you he’ll be driving us about next week. Can you please get Halina to wear a red jersey or knit dress with a scarf at her neck when you meet us at the airport?”

“Also, make sure you’re the one with the bubs so she’s walking solo. Trust me, I think just doing this will change her life if we’re lucky. Just suggest it and you’d better look nice as well; you’ll be meeting ‘the hunk’ in person.” We chatted some more and then I went to have lunch so I had the strength to get through the afternoon.

By early afternoon I had another three possibles so six for the day wasn’t bad.

Thursday I was in my office and going through the new letters. By the time I had finished I had another three possibles so I added them to the other pile left over from earlier in the week and then picked up the phone and started ringing around. I only ended up with two possibles and asked them to come in this afternoon.

At lunch I told Berget to expect them and, when they arrived, both were so close to what we wanted I took some extra time with them so that filled the day out.

I went to see Anders and asked him if I could take Friday off to look for a place to live and he told me it wasn’t a problem. He even gave me a business card for an agent that was part of the Swedish circle.

I rang the guy before I left for the night and made an appointment for the next morning. I dressed the next day in a pant suit and found the place. We had a discussion and I told him that I would be working out of the new facility that Anders will be building near the airport so would like to be within a reasonable range.

“Ahh, yes” he said, “Anders has the property in Soodevahe so you should be north or south of there to be away from the direct flights overhead. I have a few places on my books in Lagedi but they are all apartments in tower blocks. They would certainly be in your price range and some come with underground parking."

So we took my car and he directed me to the different properties. There was one which really attracted me. It was on an upper level with a good view to the south so was protected from the aircraft noise by the building itself. It had three bedrooms, an open plan kitchen/dining/lounge and a small utility room.

The best of all it had two car parks, as well as a fenced storage area where we could put the bikes. He gave me a brochure and I told him I would speak to my partner then let him know. I had the feeling that it wasn’t the most desirable location but we would be out and away a lot so it was more secure than a detached house in that regard.

Saturday I met up with Berget and we went out for dinner and took in a movie. I showed her the brochure and told her the price. She said that it looked good and we could look at it together in a couple of weeks.

That reminded me so Sunday morning I asked Astrid to tell Agnetha about my trip and that I would only be available on the Friday, as long as I can get a day off.

“Don’t you worry; you’ve been putting in so much time no-one will worry about you taking another day. I’ll let my father know next week while you’re away.”

She drove me to the airport so she could wave us off and we met up with Greger and Gustav to go through the sitting and waiting that’s the process of getting on a plane. On the way I was sitting next to Greger and, once we had levelled off and had our drinks served he turned to me.

“When you asked for that Aussie as Thor it made me think and I looked at the pictures of him from his films. I sent an email that I got one of our English speakers to translate for me. I asked if we could use his likeness and sent a copy of my latest drawing of the truck. I got an answer which said that they were interested as it may link in with a new film they have in the system. They will get back to me again in a week or two.” I was lady-like enough not to shriek.

He carried on after I had settled again. “I also had a call from Volvo Friday afternoon. They’ve become a little shy of us wandering around the factory because of the type of truck we’re after so have asked us to meet with their people at one of their big showrooms just on the outskirts of Stockholm. It will make things a bit quicker without the need to get to the factory so we may even have a day off for sightseeing.”

I frowned, “It’ll be a little difficult not seeing one but I hope their people have good pictures of the differences.” Whenever you think a plan is coming together the hand of fate can often deal you an unwanted card.

Marianne Gregory © 2022

E’volvo’lution Chapter 9

When we landed we had to go through customs after we had picked up our bags. I could have gone through the express gate if I’d been using my own passport but was testing the Estonian one which was a lot closer to how I now looked.

I deliberately dressed down as I didn’t want to overshadow my sister so just had a denim skirt and silk blouse with light tights and low boots for comfort. When we got out of the arrival hall I saw my parents waiting for us, my niece in a stroller.

My mother gave me a hug, “Welcome back, my wonderful daughter, all the guys in Uppsala have got the centrefold up on their garage walls, it’s such a hoot.”

My father hugged me and I introduced them both to my travelling companions. I asked, “Where’s Halina?” but then saw her coming out of the toilets so I said, brightly, “Oh, here she comes.”

As the guys’ heads turned to look I made sure I kept my eyes on Greger to see if my hunch was correct. The fact that his mouth dropped open and his eyes seemed to glaze over proved that I may have been right.

Gustav looked at me and winked; my mother looked at me and smiled. Actually we could have been playing trumpets and Greger wouldn’t have noticed.

His eyes were on Halina as she approached us, red dress, scarf, black stockings and heels will do that to a man, especially if you also looked like the girl of his dreams. That had been the only reason he had spoken to me and the original Antonia just didn’t live up to the standard required.

When she arrived there were more introductions, she gave me a hug, “Ant, sis, you look hot!” then we were heading to the mini-bus.

I sat with my mother and little Agnis and she wanted to pull my hair, saying “Pwetty mummy.”

“I see Agnis has added to her vocabulary,” and my mother laughed.

“I sent you off as bored, unhappy boy and now I see you as the happy and successful girl you would have been if it hadn’t been for that one damned chromasome. Tallinn has more than changed you. It’s made you start to think. Now, today is a case in point. I always thought that you took after my mother. She was known as the ‘Matchmaker of Malmo.’”

My father asked, “Where are we going?” Gustav told him the name of the hotel because Greger was on the back seat of the bus in a deep conversation with Halina.

When we arrived and checked in I saw that I had a room next to Greger so swapped my key card for Halinas’ one. We all went up to our rooms to freshen up and agreed to meet in the lounge for a drink.

It was amusing to watch Greger as he gave Halina hers, the way he held on to the glass a little too long.

Gustav sat next to me and said, quietly, “You know, I really do think you’ve gone and done it this time. In many years to come they’ll tell the saga of Antonia, the girl who could.”

I was talking to my father about the ‘Answer’ and what a sweet truck it was when one of the hotel staff came over and asked which one was Captain Berg.

I nodded, “I guess that’s me.”

“There’s a guy in reception who wants to talk to you,” and as he turned around, “That’s him, by the doorway.”

I got up and went over to the man who wanted to speak to me. When I got near him he beckoned for me to follow and led me to a quiet corner.

”Captain Berg, I’m sorry to break in on your homecoming but I’ve had a call from my commander who, I gather, had a call from his boss. It went up the chain to a very important person in Potsdam who, I believe, everyone listens to.”

“I’ve been ordered to arrange a visit to one of our facilities where someone will show you the sort of truck you’re looking for, and tell you what differences it has over a normal one. The factory, I’ve been told, aren’t playing ball and your friend thinks that you need to see what you’re getting.”

He gave me a note, “Get your father to take you to this place tomorrow, about nine, and transport will take you from there. You seem very young and very beautiful to have friends at such a high level. You’re all invited. It will be a very scenic trip.”

He smiled and gave me a mock salute and left the hotel. I went back to the group and clicked my fingers between Greger and Halina.

“Earth to Greger, wake up. We’ve been given a little side trip to see a truck tomorrow. I think you’d better call your Volvo contact and tell him that we’ll be unable to meet them. Tell them we’ll see them Tuesday.”

I give him his due, he didn’t ask any questions and pulled his phone out and walked away dialling a number.

Halina said, “He’s a hunk, isn’t he? Mum said she had seen him on your phone and I thought she may have been exaggerating. Did you and he…..?”

I laughed, “Nowhere close, sis, he knew what I am and he’s not gay, even if he’s one of the sweetest men you could ever meet and I’m proud to say that we’re friends.”

My father came up to me and took my arm to pull me away from the group and then said “Captain Berg?”

I laughed, “I‘ve been told that it’s purely ceremonial but I’m listed on the army records.” I pulled my lanyard out of my bag, the NATO one, and showed it to him.

I then gave him the note, “Our friend outside wants you to take us all to this place tomorrow morning, arriving about nine, and he will take us from there to see some big trucks.”

We had a good dinner in the hotel dining room that evening and then all retired early. When I followed my parents to my room my mother remarked, “I thought Halina would be with us.”

“I swapped key cards with her.”

“OK then, you can take Agnis as her cot’s here.”

I had a lovely time with Agnis, getting her undressed and changed as the bags were in the room. Once I had put her down I picked up Halina’s case and took it to what should have been my room and knocked on the door.

When she opened up I could see she had been having ‘a good evening’ and said, “Just give me my case, dear sister and you can have this one.”

When she gave me my case she smiled, “Thank you, Ant, I’ll see you in the morning.”

I needed to look after Agnis a few times during the night but it was a lovely experience. My mother was smiling when I joined them for breakfast. I had Agnis nestled in my arm and a baby bag over one shoulder.

“You look just right for the part, Antonia. It could be Halina standing there. Actually, here she comes now.”

I turned and saw Greger and Halina walking in, hand in hand and smiling. I didn’t have that much experience but I had seen that look on a girls’ face once before, and the look said everything.

We had our breakfast and then we all got into the bus once my father had brought it to the front door. The place we had to go turned out to be a police college where we were directed to go and park next to the sports ground.

We were getting out when I heard the sound of a helicopter coming our way. It was a bit more than a helicopter; it was one of those new vertical take-off planes and it levelled off over the sports ground and landed.

It was painted in Swedish army colours and when the door opened a set of steps came out and a uniformed officer beckoned for us to get on board. We lifted off and then went into level flight and headed north.

As we travelled we were given heavy parkas and there was a big blanket for Agnis. The scenery was, indeed, beautiful as we went north and then we circled what was obviously an army base and landed.

When we got out it was cold and I was glad I had jeans on this morning. My mother and Halina were taken off to a warm place with Agnis and the rest of us were taken into a big garage where we saw our first sight of what we were to be buying.

It was huge and very white but I then imagined it with standard wheels and realised it wouldn’t stand out too much. The officer ran through the specifications and we all made sure we made mental notes.

He then said, “Who wants a go, then?”

Greger was not a driver, as such, but Gustav, me and my father were all for it. We were taken to one each and got into the cabs. Greger got in with Gustav. We each had an army driver with us and took us through the starting, military style. Someone opened the garage door and we were off.

I followed the other two and we were taken over a track that had just about everything you could come across on a battlefield. It was glorious to drive, if a bit hard on the suspension, and I was having a ball.

There was a hill which I wouldn’t think a truck would climb and the army guy showed me the way to get it into a lower range than standard, and lock the three axles at the back. It went up that hill as if it was flat and I whooped.

My co-driver chuckled, “I had the same feeling the first time I drove one of these.”

We then pulled up at a space where there were three trailers with white armoured personnel carriers strapped on. I was directed to back on to a trailer and a couple of well bundled up troopers guided me under the pin and then lowered the trailer onto the turntable. I was the first to pull away as the others were hooking up and I then did the complete circuit again with about fifty tonnes or more on the back.

I took the trailer back and the long-suffering troopers lifted it off the turntable once I had backed it in. My co-driver then told me to go around again but this time to use the highest gear I could so that I was using the torque, rather than the horse-power.

On the hill I thought that I had it stalled but we got up in the end. Back at the garage I backed it in and shut down.

My co-driver turned to me, “We got our copies of the trucking magazine and all the guys here said ‘eye candy’ but put it up on the wall anyway. Today you’ve driven this truck better than most of the troopers I’ve taken around here. I’m one of the instructors and you just took this around that course quicker than I’ve been before. You’re a natural and have a feel for the equipment that’s second to none. Most would have either stalled on the hill or just sat there spinning the wheels on the high gear pass.”

I thanked him for his kind words and he told me I deserved every one. While we waited for the others to get back an officer came into the garage and I was told to sit there as my new friend got out and went over, saluted and then got into a big conversation.

The officer sent him off and then climbed up beside me and strapped himself in.

“I‘ve just been told, young lady; that you’re close to being the best driver that’s been around this track. I want you to prove it to me as I’m very interested.”

He instructed me to start the truck and we left the garage as the others were coming back.

We did the whole thing again, all three circuits and I had a better idea of where I was going now so was a little more fluid. The different part was with the circuit with the trailer and he got me to stop on the hill and then get going again.

I was in a sweat when I backed it in again and shut down and I could feel the muscles in my arms protesting. He said nothing and just got out and walked out of the garage, having a few words with my original companion as he left. I got down from the cab and was taken into a nice warm building where the others were sitting with hot drinks and chatting.

I got a hot drink and joined them. A little later we were given a nice late lunch and flown back to Stockholm. On the way both my father and Gustav were talking about the fun they had and Greger was busy making notes with Halina sitting next to him.

I sat with my mother and Agnis and asked “Were you bored while we were playing with the trucks”

She laughed, “No, they had three big TV’s set up; each one with split screen. One side was the view from behind you facing forward and the other was obviously somewhere around the sunshade and showed your head and a view out of the back window. I was trembling when you were going around with that trailer. You should have seen your fathers face when he saw the hill for the first time. There was no sound but I could lip-read what he said and it wasn’t very nice at all.”

She then asked, “Why did you go around again? They switched our screens off when you left.”

I told her that an officer didn’t believe the instructor that was with me the first time and wanted to see my driving first-hand.

Back in Stockholm we went back to the hotel and sat in the lounge to discuss what we had seen and experienced. My father was encouraged to contribute to the discussion and we ended up with a list of the features we wanted, as well as some we didn’t want.

The first thing on the list was that we wanted them to have a softer suspension and civilian trim on the outside as the military ones were very plain. Another thing was sprung seating if we were going off-road, maybe seats where we could change the settings.

We had a nice dinner and sat in the hotel bar for a while before going to bed. Once again I looked after Agnis and was really bonding with her. I had bought a picture book at the hotel shop and we had a lovely time talking about the animals in it.

Tuesday, we hit the Volvo guys hard, knowing what we wanted and didn’t want. It took all day but at the end of it we had the specification down on paper, a price worked out and a delivery date for the first three.

They were told that we would have drivers flown to Sweden to drive them home after we had checked them over. We also made arrangements for three of our mechanics to spend two weeks in the factory learning about the engine and transmission. When it came to colour Greger was insistent on the same light blue I had on my car, with a neutral interior as we would be fixing them ourselves.

That all sorted out so quickly we had a day to spare so my father took us around to some of the tourist sights. Greger treated us all to a good lunch and dinner and then took Halina out to a show.

She was able to wear the red dress and heels again. I spent my evening sitting with everyone else just chatting about the trip and other things in general. During the course of the conversation Gustav asked my father what he was doing now. He was told that the trucking company he drove for had stopped giving him work.

Gustav asked if he would like to work for Lundin and to pick up from Swedish and Norwegian factories and deliver them to our yard, and taking back empty containers on a regular basis. My mother said, “Do it” so they shook on it.

Gustav then said, “We’ll get you bringing things in fairly quickly and start storing for our customer.”

Thursday morning, my father drove us all to the airport. He dropped the three of us off at the doors and we put our luggage on a trolley.

My father hugged me, thanked me for an interesting experience and told me I was one hell of a driver. My mother and I hugged and kissed cheeks and she told me that if I didn’t come back soon she would come and see me.

Halina, after she had tried to suck Gregers’ face off, hugged me, “Thank you sis, you are pencilled in as maid-of-honour. He’s gorgeous and we’ve hit it off from the moment we met. My husband has been shown the photos we have and has caved in. I should be able to marry again in three months so will be seeing a lot of you next year.”

“They’re a lovely family, sis, you’ll be happy there.” I smiled.

We waved them off and I saw Agnis at the back window with Halina and she was waving and smiling. The three of us went into the terminal and checked our luggage in and then went through emigration to the departure lounge where we had about an hour to wait.

Greger asked if we were happy with the trip and Gustav said “Not half as happy as you are, my friend.”

We talked about driving the trucks and the two of us agreed that they were awesome and so forgiving.

Greger was quiet for a while, “I don’t care how you found out, Antonia, but what you did for me this week has been far and away the most wonderful thing anyone has done for me. Halina is everything I dreamed of, and more because you share personalities. I asked her to marry me already and she said yes.”

I said that I was very happy for him and he stood, pulled me to my feet and gave me our first, and last, genuine kiss, hugged me and said, “Thank you so much, Antonia, you really are a genuine friend as well as a conniving minx.”

Back on the ground in Tallinn Greger told both me and Gustav that he didn’t want to see us in the office until Monday.

He left in the first taxi and Gustav commented, “I’ve stopped being surprised with things that happen when you’re around. That session with the Swedish army will stay with me the rest of my life. In one morning I did about twenty things with a truck that I thought would be impossible. I think I may have to roster myself on a few trips now and then.”

His taxi arrived and we hugged before he got in. I took the next taxi home and unpacked, taking the case back to Astrid’s other spare room. I put my laundry in the machine and hung away what I hadn’t worn.

I called Astrid and told her I was back and unpacked. She told me to wait for a call from her friend as she was going to have a fitting session this afternoon.

Her friend rang and gave me the address so I got into the car and went there. I was shown the outfits I would wear and also told what underwear I should bring tomorrow.

I then tried them all on. There was the red dress but, this time was shimmery with fringes rather than glass sparkles. There was a workday dress in Volvo colours and the Lundin name on it with “The Answer’ across the back.

Both were shorter than I would like. There was a bikini which I said I couldn’t wear so she got me a one-piece that was all right.

We then did a mock showing at a slow pace and I was shown a few tips from the more experienced models. I was told that I should turn up at the venue about five on Friday, and there would be a light buffet before with a party after.

As I was leaving I had a call from Berget who said that Greger had been into the office and was beaming. She wanted to know what had happened so I told her we had driven some trucks, over-powered the Volvo guys and found him a wife, nothing too drastic.

She then said, “He gave me tomorrow off and told me to go looking for somewhere to live for the two of us so I already rang the agent. He’ll meet us at the place you like at ten, can you pick me up?”

Next morning, about nine, I pulled up at her home, having already undergone a grilling from Astrid, who had heard that Greger was engaged.

Bergets’ mother was there and wasn’t happy that her daughter was going off to live with another woman. She was also unhappy that there wouldn’t be any grandchildren for her to spoil. We tried to placate her by saying we would arrange for grand-children if we could. We went off to the place in Lagedi which Berget declared perfect, for the next few years at least.

We went back to the agency and signed the paperwork, paying the deposit with two payments, one from me and the other from Berget as it would be in joint names. We would be able to pick up the keys in about a week after the owners had co-signed. We then went to the bank and organised the regular payments, the Lundin name clearing all obstacles.

That done, we found the best way to get to the new work-site where there was a hive of activity. There were earth levelling machines running up and down the site and surveyors pegging out the different buildings and the trench that would feed all the services in (and out) from the road.

Even though we would have a longer trip into the current yard we would be able to monitor this site fairly regularly. We went and had lunch where I had to take Berget through my last few days. She laughed when I described Halina’s entrance.

I told her that I thought that the two of them probably went to bed that first night as I knew that both were probably very ready.

We then spent some of the afternoon sitting by the Marina and chatting about our future. I knew that we were both also ready but it had to be a natural occurrence.

Later we went to the fashion show venue and I was sucked into the vortex of being turned into a model again. When I came out for my first walk on the catwalk I saw that Berget had been joined by the Lundin tribe as well as a few others from the office. It all went well and the Volvo work-dress was a hit.

The last one of mine was the fringed red mini and I was made up to look like the centrefold. This one I wore to the after-show party and was able to take home with me. Anders had a chat with the designer and left with a bag with the work-dress in.

I dropped Berget at her house with a kiss and said that she had better start softening up her mother. We would probably move into our home in a couple of weeks. All in all, it had been a big day that followed a very big week.

Marianne Gregory © 2022

E’volvo’lution Chapter 10

The weekend was glorious and Berget and I went out in my car to find as many scenic spots, cafes and bakeries as we could. After the stress of the week it was good to wind down.

On the Monday Anders came to my office as I was looking through the applications that had come in during the week. He told me that Greger had been absolutely full of it when he’d got home and wanted to know if I thought that Halina was serious.

I told him that it was as serious as it could get and for him not to worry. He said that when I had the time I should drop into his son’s workshops to see how they were getting on as I may be surprised.

I stopped sorting out those applications and then went for a walk with my two-way. It had become a constant companion now.

In his workshop, Greger had the tractor I had used for the double trailer job and had painted it light blue. He showed me his design for the cab and I thought it looked good. The front-on view was very simple, just the company name across the grill and ‘Thor’s Maidens’ over the windscreen. The door would be just an arm holding the hammer with a halo of lightning and Lundin Transport written in the hammer head.

He then showed me a picture that he had received from Australia. It was basically the original design but with a landscape of rocks and volcanos and the twelve girls were standing in the landscape rather than in separate circles.

I could see how it would work. “If you make the volcanos reach the top of the trailer, we could put in some pyrotechnics and speakers and have them rumble every half an hour and there could be fire shooting out of some nozzles.”

He picked up the drawing, grabbed my hand and we went to see Bjorn who was excited by the concept.

Before he left us, Greger laughed, “Oh! The reply said that if we could arrange a show during June, it would fit in with their actor being in Europe.”

He then rushed out, laughing whole-heartedly.

I turned to Bjorn, who was smiling broadly, “He’s been like this since he got back, he is so focussed it’s not funny. Anyway, here’s what I wanted to show you.”

It was a framework of a lightweight container sized box. It had a couple of doors in one side and was partitioned inside into two halves. “This is what we thought you could have on ‘Answer’ for the shows. It’s cheap to make and easy to lift on and off. My brother has decided that the sides will be that E-Volvo-lution page of the centrefold and is looking forward to painting it. I rather think that the final Antonia may look more like your sister than you.”

I told him it didn’t matter and then went to find Gustav, who was poring over a mass of paperwork, all relating to the extra work.

We didn’t have to start right away but the family had decided that if we had a couple of trucks running locally it would add to the build-up and also make them fit into the landscape.

As such, he was planning pick-ups from the list of factories and had spoken to the NATO contact about what things we should start warehousing. It was all starting to roll along so I had better get my team into place.

On Wednesday, a package arrived in the office addressed to me. It was pretty big so I lugged it into my office to open.

It had come from Sweden and, when I opened it there was something wrapped with a note attached. I had to sit down when I read the note, which was from my friendly driving instructor.

It said that his CO had got everyone into the mess hall and shown them the video that had been recorded with him in the cab. I had just beaten my own time for the three circuits, mainly because I was accurate with my movements to hook on and drop off the trailer.

It went on that the drivers had all been told that if, in the future, they were told that they drove like a girl they should take it as a compliment. It then said that the guys had all donated some kit and the parcel contained a uniform of a captain in the Swedish Army, Arctic Transport Division and that I was welcome back any time.

There was a second note, on army letterhead, which told me to call a number given if I was coming back to Sweden with any of my drivers, and they would all get a couple of days instruction on the circuit.

That was something else again and I was determined then to take at least six with me when we picked up the new trucks. When I opened the package it was a pair of white cold-weather pants, white boots and a big parka similar to the ones we were given last week but this one had a Captains insignia on the shoulders and the badge of the Arctic Transport Division.

The name tag said Captain Berg and there was yet another lanyard in the top pocket that looked real and was ID for Captain Antonia Berg of the Swedish Army. There was another note in the pocket that read, “This is purely ceremonial, don’t expect to get paid.”

I packed it all away again and took it out to my car. This was getting crazy, what next?

That out of sight I got stuck into the applications, and this lot were pretty easy in the end. Most were too old, too young or too inexperienced and the three I rang up answered no with my first question.

After lunch Anders caught up with me and asked if I would do a job over the weekend. We were contracted to take a tractor to a place on Saturday morning where it would hook onto a special unit. The trailer was a purpose-built stage, complete with PA.

I was to take it to a big arena just a little south and park up for the rest of Saturday and Sunday up to around midnight. He said that I would have to overnight both nights in the cab as the trailer could not be returned until Monday morning.

He suggested that Berget could go with me to keep me company as she had almost finished training her successor. We would bring the tractor back, and then get time off until Wednesday morning.

That sounded good to me so I said I would do it and went to tell Berget what she should expect for the weekend. She got excited because the show we would be at was a mix of folk-rock and pop groups, including a few she really liked but that I had never heard of.

On Thursday, another pallet load arrived addressed to me and Bjorn. A fork-lift put it into his workshop and we un-wrapped it to find twenty boxes.

We opened one and found a military radio for the trucks. There was a note with the manifest that said the radios should be hidden until the driver was told it was needed. Bjorn said that he would make a cradle that fitted under the CB that would look like a lockable storage box.

He showed me a pile of other boxes that were state-of-the-art CB radios that were tiny compared with any that I had used before. The ones in the new trucks would be used to replace older units in our fleet.

He had made some drawings of the interiors but would not be able to start building until the first trucks had arrived. It was a lucky thing that with them all being identical, we hoped, he could mass produce from then on. The trim would be less fussy than ‘Answer’ as these would be on the road for long periods.

Thursday evening, Astrid removed my stuck-on bits and she said that I would need to leave them off for a few days. They had been attached to me for a week or more too long.

I told her about my weekend job and she advised that if I wore slacks I could get through. She told me that the show we were going to was a very popular one and that there would be plenty of food and drink outlets so we wouldn’t have to worry about taking any.

Friday, I organised letters to all of our chosen girls, giving them a starting date with four each week to stagger the load. We hoped to have them all out on the road with our normal drivers to get hands-on experience. It was a bit odd with my breasts loose in the bra but no-one noticed.

Saturday morning, I left the car at home and walked to the yard with a bag that contained essential supplies for two nights away. A nightie, washing and cleansing supplies, make-up, spare slacks, underwear, tops and a jacket if it got cool.

Berget had come in with her car and it was parked inside one of the sheds. The truck I was to drive was only a six by four but an XL cab with decent room. We took it out of the yard and went to pick up our trailer.

It certainly was a bit different as it just looked like a black container so we would have to wait until we got there to see it in action At the arena we were very carefully placed and inbuilt jacks in the rear bogie lifted the back of the container until it was level.

When the guys opened the container it was amazing. There were doors at each end that had a mass of speakers and the middle part swung up and was locked in place. When it was plugged in to a power supply I saw that there were spotlights built in that shone on the stage area and there was a mixing board next to a back door that had steps up.

The place was a hive of activity which only slackened off when it was time to open the gates. We tested the food stalls and then found a seat. The first band got up on the stage where some amplifiers had been added, along with a drum kit and a bank of microphones.

We had a lovely time listening to the bands as they played. The first few hours were more soft-rock and pop but the last band of the night was pretty loud. The big crowd lapped it up and we decided that it was time to settle for the night.

We made our way around to the back of the trailer and got in the cab. Behind the speakers it was quieter and I had put the curtains up that you can use when you overnight in a public place.

Berget kissed me, “Thank you for this. I’ve always wanted to come to this show but being here for the whole event is really great. Tomorrow will be fantastic.”

We undressed and she gasped when I took off my bra and the boobs came with it. I told her that I had to keep them off for a few days to let my skin breathe and she asked, “Everywhere?”

I nodded and she kissed me in a way she hadn’t before. I didn’t even have time to put on my nightie before we were on the bunk and kissing. Our lovemaking was long and sensuous and the final minutes were in time with the band playing just a few feet from our sweating bodies.

I’m not sure what came first – me, her or the final chord. What I did know was that we collapsed afterward to the sound of several thousand music fans cheering and the singer calling out “Thank you, you were fantastic.” That’s when we both started laughing.

When everyone had left we could use the toilets and then went back to bed to sleep, our first night together. Of course, it wasn’t all about sleeping and it wasn’t all about sex, but we did get some sleep and we did have sex, a few more times.

Around four in the morning she whispered, “I love you, Anton,” for the first time.

There was a cleaning crew in before daylight so we could use the toilets and showers and waited for the food vans to open up. We sat up in the cab and cuddled as the sun rose.

I commented that it was a good job we were getting the keys next week and now we could go and buy a bed. That led to a discussion about other things we would need and it was quite a list. We agreed that it may take a few weeks before we had the place ready for us as we could do things a room at a time. We were really only starting out with the clothes on our backs.

The Sunday was great, several bands we both liked. We pigged out on food we would never eat normally, and just enjoyed being together. I had my hair in a pony-tail, not used any make-up and had left my bra off so we walked about, hand in hand, like an ordinary couple.

This was the first time since my first weekend in the country that I was not presenting as Antonia. The crowd were pretty much all young and not into trucks so I had very little chance of being identified. It was a lovely day, followed by another equally lovely night.

We were woken early Monday morning by shouts and some banging about. The organisers were back to unload the extra equipment from the trailer and to close it up so we could leave. They had a breakfast going so we tucked in before we pulled out.

I had to be back into Antonia mode again but now it felt different, more like a part I was playing. Berget was different to me as well, more loving. I told her that we needed to be back at our usual relationship for work.

I vowed not to use attached panties again and we dropped into an underwear shop on our way home and purchased a number of shape-wear panties for me to use. I would go back to having the breasts stuck on and Berget could supervise that once we were in our home.

We parked the tractor in the yard and put our bags in Berget’s car before dropping into the office to let the boss know we were back. The new receptionist was happy to see Berget as she had a few questions that were quickly cleared up.

Greger came out of his office, “You two, when are you moving into your new home?”

I told him we would get the keys at the end of the week and had planned to take a few weeks organising furniture and all the other stuff we needed.

“Too long,” he said, “I need you to be out of Astrid’s home in three weeks so that Halina can stay there for a while. I tell you what, how about the two of you take the week off next week, get the keys and spend all week getting your stuff. You can use one of the electrics to move furniture and then you won’t be slowed down waiting for deliveries. Let me know the days you need help and I’ll send a couple of the lads to shift the heavy things for you. If you do that I’ll personally add a thousand Euros to your wages this week so that you can get everything you need.”

We didn’t even have to think before we both said thank you and gave him a kiss on the cheek. We said we would see him Wednesday morning and went off in Bergets’ car.

She took me home and we agreed that I would pick her up before lunch so we could get into the city and have a look in the shops. At Astrid’s I stripped off and had a long shower before redressing in a good dress, hose and boots, making sure that Antonia was back in the house.

When I picked her up, Berget was looking almost good enough to ravage. We went and had lunch and then hit the furniture and electrical shops in the big complex east of the city, and near to where we’ll be living.

I rang the agent and asked if we could borrow the keys tomorrow so we could measure up and he told us that the paperwork had all gone through, and we could pick them up as soon as we liked.

Needless to say, we were there in less than an hour and had the keys to the apartment in our hands. We went there and let ourselves in, stood in the main room and kissed passionately. We had a tape measure so sketched out the layout and measured it up. Of course, one of the traps in buying electrical goods is getting things that look good but are too big for their space so we took extra care in the kitchen.

The main bedroom was big enough for a big bed and the second was all right for a double. Berget raised her eyebrow when I suggested a double bed there. I said, “What if my mother and father want to come over for the wedding, they have to stay somewhere.”

There was a small room which I had thought could be a study but Berget had other ideas. “We have space here for it to be a nursery.” That prompted me to kiss her again.

We let ourselves out with a list of sizes and another list of cleaning and kitchen supplies. These would be purchased tomorrow and we would spend the day cleaning the place so it would be good when we got the furniture.

I dropped her off at her house and then went back to see what Astrid had to think about her new lodger. She had already spoken with Greger and was only worried that I felt as if I was being kicked out. I told her that we had the keys and would be cleaning the place tomorrow so it would all be good.

That evening she reattached my breasts and Antonia was back again, in the flesh. I showed Erik my new Polar Parka and he had to sit down as he was laughing so much.

“That’s priceless,” he said, when he could get his breath. “There you are; a guy who’s officially a girl according to your passport but also a member of two Armies; at a Captain rank no less.”

I agreed that it was, on the face of it, crazy. I argued that it was all ceremonial but would help me keep in with the military as we move forward. I asked him to keep it to himself as I was unsure what the Minister would think of it. Erik chuckled as he told me that I had both a Swedish and Estonian passport so was entitled to be in both armies.

Tuesday, I picked Berget up and we went first to a hardware store and bought brooms, sponges, cleansers, dusters and all those things one needs to keep your home tidy. Then it was a stop at an electrical store for a vacuum, microwave, toaster and kettle just for starters.

At the apartment we vacuumed and swept, dusted and wiped until we were happy with the result. Although we had the kettle, we hadn’t remembered any tea or coffee and there was no fridge yet to keep milk in. In the underground car park we swept out the storage enclosure and both car parks and then went off for lunch and an afternoon ordering furniture.

With us able to pick up from the warehouses we had no problems ordering a fridge, washer/drier, bed for us, bed for guests, wardrobes, kitchen table and chairs, lounge suite, TV and all the other bits and bobs you need.

My bank account was pretty low by the time we finished but we knew that Greger would be good with his offer. We had arranged pick-up of all the purchases for the following Tuesday and it would all fit into an electric.

That evening we hosted Astrid and Erik for a meal at a good restaurant as thank you for putting up with me. Astrid said that she wouldn’t have missed it for the world and they both agreed that it had been a lot of fun.

I asked about Agnis and her accommodation and ended up promising to help Astrid in the evenings to set up the second spare room as a nursery. Berget offered to help getting the cot and other things. She said she may need the experience for later.

Wednesday and the rest of the week I worked on various bits of the project, looking at more applications, making lists of those drivers we had committed to taking on and seeing where I could pair the army girls with the civilians from the applications and notes I had made.

I also worked with Gustav to feed them into our system for hands-on experience with our whole range of activities. The other thing was to research other shows other than the local one and to see if I could book a space for a double trailer and the flatbed.

I came up with five shows that looked suitable, starting in June with the big truck event in Austria then on to Tallinn in August with both trucks, as well as a second ‘Maidens’ if we had one, for the Master Truck Show in Poland if the dates clashed.

There was a big show in the UK, in Peterborough, in late August and one in Croatia in September. I called our friendly Volvo agent to see if we could get an invite to grace their stands at the Commercial Vehicle shows and he said he would get back to me. I didn’t expect too much from that.

I organised an electric with a couple of guys on Tuesday so made sure I had everything up to date by the time we finished Friday. Berget said that her weekend would be taken up with sorting out all of her things that she wanted to keep and I thought I had better do the same.

I went and bought a bag of big garbage bags to put my clothes in so I didn’t have to borrow a case from Astrid. A lot of things could just go on hangers draped over the back seat. I went to the hardware store again and got a small toolbox with a range of tools for around the house; you never know when you need a screwdriver.

When I took them up to the apartment and put them away under the sink I was starting to consider the place as home.

Marianne Gregory © 2022

E’volvo’lution Chapter 11

On the way back I checked out the work-site and was amazed at how much had been done. Anders must have tied up every cement truck in Tallinn as the hard stand had been laid in a big ‘U’ shape. The space where the building would be was left with a path from it to the gate also not poured yet.

This would allow the erectors to put the structures up but still allow the already poured concrete to properly cure. The bases of the verticals were already set in place. I noted that, off to one side of the site, there were footings and a steel frame being built that I hadn’t seen on the plans.

I called my mother and she told me that Halina was being hopeless, mooning about and impatient to come to Tallinn.

I told her that I had been kicked out of yet another bed to let her stay, and we had a laugh. I related about my time at the music show and said that Berget and I may be getting married.

She asked if it would be as Anton or Antonia so I told her that same-sex marriages were OK in Estonia so I could do it under my Estonian passport. We would know who I am but, with all the interest after the show, it wouldn’t be a good idea to out my-self if it could be avoided. I told her that we were getting a double bed in so that she and Dad could stay with us.

Monday I met up with Berget at a drapers store and we wandered the aisles picking sheets, pillowcases, blankets, towels and all the other essentials. We asked for them to be available Tuesday.

We had, we thought, bought everything we needed. If we got everything into place Tuesday, we could set it all up, pack it away, make the beds up and stay the night if we had time to get all of our clothes there as well.

Otherwise our first night together there would be Wednesday. I sometimes stopped what I was doing, and thought about the steps I was taking. This was serious, this was life-changing, and this was what I wanted.

Tuesday, I went to the yard and met up with the two guys and the electric Volvo. I directed them to the first place, the electrical store warehouse, where Berget was waiting for us.

We loaded up the fridge, TV, sound system, washer / dryer and a couple of heaters. We then followed Berget to the furniture warehouse where we loaded the rest of the big stuff. The last port of call was the bedding store and then it was off to the apartment.

The bedding was put into the small spare room and then the guys carried up the beds, wardrobes, chairs and table. It was lunch time by then so we locked up, locked the truck and Berget drove us all to a café where we treated the guys to lunch.

We learned, over lunch, that the two of us we well respected at the yard as we generally made things better. Neither of the guys, or the rest of the drivers, had any idea just how much more business would be coming their way.

On the way back to the apartment Berget took a detour past the new site where cranes were starting to erect the big building framework. The guys were amazed at the size of the place. In the afternoon they carried up the electrical goods and helped us remove everything from the cartons and put the furniture together.

They took all the rubbish to drop in the big bin at the yard and we rewarded them with a kiss on the cheek and some Euros in their pocket.

We made up the main bed and plugged in the electrical goods. We then felt that we had done enough for the day and Berget took me back to Astrids’ house. I helped get the evening meal together and we then attacked the spare room, moving things about to provide space for a bed for Agnis.

Astrid remarked that it wouldn’t be a long stay as Greger was keen to tie the knot and take Halina home. I suggested that she was only staying here for respectability, rather than anything else, and we had a laugh.

That night I slept in the very soft bed for the last time but was not unhappy as I knew I had another very soft bed tomorrow night with my love beside me.

The Wednesday morning saw me up and ready to roll pretty early. I loaded up the car with as much as I could carry and took it to the apartment.

I had a wardrobe and set of drawers for myself so started to hang and store everything. I then went back and loaded up what was left and then stripped the bed and put the sheets into the wash and then vacuumed the room, and made sure I had taken everything.

I took my remaining things back to the apartment and parked next to Berget’s car. Up in the apartment she was putting her own things away and I helped out by going out again and went to a supermarket to get enough supplies to keep us fed for the next few days.

That day we sat at our own table, eating a meal we had cooked in our own kitchen and, after we had tidied up, Berget got a gleam in her eye and pulled me into the bedroom and we ended up, both naked, holding each other close before christening our new bed.

Berget was committed to cleaning her old room out so I went back with her and helped. Her mother had always been a bit stand-offish with me but she had realised just how much we loved each other so had softened a bit. She gave Berget a present of a very nice pair of pillow cases and we both gave her a kiss before we left.

That night we held each other for a long time and just fell asleep together. In the morning I woke with one arm quite dead but said “Good morning, my love” as she opened her eyes.

There was so much love in her look that I started crying out of sheer joy. She kissed my tears away and one thing led to another but, by the time we were side by side again, I had got the feeling in my arm back.

There was just the one bathroom so I went first while Berget put the kettle on. I carried on, in my gown, while she showered and we ate our breakfast before getting dressed.

As it was getting cooler by the day we were both in boots, jeans, a shirt and jumper and we took our leather jackets and helmets with us to get our bikes.

We went to Astrid’s house first and I got mine going and Berget drove my car to the tower block. I parked the bike in the cage and locked the gate with a new padlock. We then went to Bergets’ house where she got her bike and we parked it next to mine in the cage.

We then went into work to tell Greger that we were now settled in and thanked him for his patience. He told us that nothing was too much for us, especially as I was destined to be family after his wedding. Now that was something I hadn’t considered.

He told us that as far as he was concerned the original plan was still in place but we could start thinking seriously about the shop we would have at the shows.

The two of us spent the rest of Thursday and all of Friday working out what we wanted to sell, visiting the publisher of the magazine and getting permission to reproduce some of their pictures as posters.

We picked the centrefold, the E-Volvo-lution picture and looked at some of the ones that didn’t make it into the magazine. We chose another five that I thought were a bit more sophisticated than the cheese-cake pictures they chose for the magazine and they put all the pictures on a USB stick for us.

We also arranged for a photo-shoot when we had the new show-stopper ready which they could also use for the magazine sometime next year. We would then also have some pictures for a new set of posters.

The next stop was a print shop to order two hundred and fifty of each and set up a way I could order more by phone to have them shipped to wherever we would be at the time.

We negotiated a good deal and they gave us a figure we would pay when we picked them up which included writing added to each picture naming it and having the ‘Lundin Transport’ name on the bottom. I told them that we would have a number of other pictures of our new truck when it was finished. It was all a step further forward.

Next week I would be greeting our first four army drivers, the second week would see the other four and then we would be adding the civilian girls with four a week for three weeks; ending up with, hopefully, twenty drivers to take out ten trucks.

If we were getting another five trucks we will have to have another recruitment drive. I hoped that there would be some more girls in the army that we could take.

That weekend, we spent our time settling in at the apartment. We moved things around until we were happy, ate when we felt like it and loved each other, often. It was if a dam had burst for both of us and I hoped that the feelings would not dry up, even though I knew it would slow down a bit.

Monday was our first four girls from the army. Berget and I met with Helena, Katrina, Liisa and Kristina, the four with the most driving experience. We took them through the induction and walked them around the yard, chatting all the way to get them used to us.

We then took them to our stores and issued them with their hi-vis shirts and allowed them to change in the locker room while standing guard for them. I told them that we would be getting a room to ourselves when we moved to the new headquarters but this was what we would have to put up with for the moment.

Helena had been the highest ranked in the army before they all went to the NCO ranks so I said that she should be the leader and their spokeswoman if there was anything that had to be discussed.

We then went to my office where we had a little privacy and talked about what they would be doing. I said, “We are going to have fifteen trucks to work with, all of a new design with extra power. You’ll undergo a week with me and as you get used to driving in traffic, we will put you with our regular drivers doing standard runs.”

“As we get our specially painted trucks you will start to get pick-up and delivery trips that will be your usual work until we are at full speed. Some of you may be picked to be one of the ‘Thor’s Maidens’ show team. This will mean that you may be driving a double trailer to a show, look good and sell posters. I’m sure that those chosen will pick it up as they go.”

“Now, we’re going for another walk. Our first stop will be Bjorn Lundin, who handles the repairs and special interiors; the second will be Greger Lundin who does the painting. I believe he has a truck nearly ready for us to use. Lastly I will introduce you to Gustav, our logistic manager who you will get to know very well as he will be giving you the work-sheets.”

“Once we’ve done that I’ll take two of you on a trip while the other two will start studying the list we have of pick-up and delivery points so you can get an idea of the distances you’ll be travelling. We use GPS a lot in this business and the only thing you’ll need to learn is where to go at the destinations. You’ll be running as two-person teams and you’ll each have a civilian co-driver. When they arrive it will be your job then to get them out on the road and to also gauge their driving skills.”

We took them around to the places I had said and they were all smitten by Bjorn who showed them the initial design of the show trailers.

Greger was a hit and he had the first painted tractor ready for Bjorn to make some interior changes to. He told us that he now had stencils so each one would be quicker, especially the new ones that would already be the light blue.

He said that my father would be coming in tomorrow to pick up a single trailer to take to the Volvo factory. I left Berget and two of the girls with Gustav and then Helena and Katrina followed me to ‘Answer’. It would have to be an untroubled load if we were to complete it in the day.

I drove us to the docks where we loaded up a container of newsprint and Helena then took the wheel with me directing. We drove down to Tartu in good time and delivered to Kroonprint. It was much easier than the first time I had done it as I now could understand the conversation.

We were given an empty container and Katrina took us back to the docks, via a short stop for a late lunch. We were unloaded and given another full container for the trip tomorrow and went back to the yard to knock off after cleaning the truck and putting it away. I was happy that both these girls will be all right.

Tuesday, I did the run with Liisa and Kristina and they too were good drivers. I was unhappy that I had missed seeing my father, but I had work to do.

Wednesday and Thursday we did the same and they were all getting used to being civilian again. Between them and Berget they had put together a list of the most likely pick-ups closer to Tallinn.

Friday all four of them were sent out in to do as many as they could using the GPS while Berget and I prepared for the following week. I had told Marlen, the plainer girl I first interviewed, to come in the Monday as well as I wanted to get her used to driving the Globetrotter.

Bjorn had finished the few things he had needed to do on the tractor we already had; fitting the new CB and the new hidden military radio as well as giving the interior a light blue paint job.

Monday I put ‘Answer’ and the new drivers in the hands of the first four and told Helena to do the Tartu run for the four days so that everyone got at least two trips in.

Berget did the induction for the new four in double quick time and then they were off. I took Marlen under my wing and explained to her that she would be part of the core group who would take the show rigs around Europe and we went out in the repainted tractor to pick up a trailer and make a delivery.

She was a good driver so the next day we did a run to the docks with a double container trailer, picked up two containers and delivered to a factory out by the airport.

The new four army girls were Anna, Leena, Marika and Karmen and, by the end of the week, were filling in with our other drivers, either as a co-driver on longer trips, or else taking trucks out themselves.

It was going to hurt our casuals in the short term but there would be plenty of work once the rest of the fleet was delivered. Friday of that second week we got the word that our new purchases were ready to be picked up. I rang the number I had been given and told them I had nine other girls plus Ludvig – who had been told by Gustav how much fun could be had.

They told me to fly in to Stockholm on Sunday and that we would be picked up. They said to make sure the new girls that were already military had their casual uniform. I made the flight arrangements and told the others that they needed to be at the airport Sunday morning with their kit and a few casual clothes and to bring something warm to put on.

The Swedish contact had said that we would be two days playing in the slush and that we would be delivered to the factory on Wednesday so I booked three truck spaces on the ferry to arrive back in Tallinn on Friday morning.

It was slowly coming together. Berget would be getting the first of the civilian drivers up to speed while we were away. Greger had allocated us one of the best guys to take them out, one at a time, and evaluate them before we sent them out as a co-driver.

By the end of next week we should have four ‘Maidens’ to work with, no, make that three as one would be undergoing transformation in the workshops.

That Sunday morning Berget took me to the airport and kissed me before I went into the terminal. I met up with the others and we flew to Stockholm.

Marlen was wide-eyed when we were met by a uniformed Swedish Army officer who led us out to a plain bus and we were driven to an army camp outside the city. We were sent to a change room where the army girls changed into the Estonian army kit and I put on my white Swedish outfit.

Helena looked me up and down, “Last time I saw you in uniform you were an officer in the Estonian army, what the hell is going on?”

I told her, that unlike her true membership of the army, my own service was purely ceremonial to look like I fitted. Marlen and Ludvig were given camo pants, boots and jackets.

We were given a good lunch and then the VTOL landed and we were taken out and loaded up, along with our luggage.

Ludvig was sitting next to me, “When Gustav said that the army flew you lot around I found it hard to believe, but now I’m just going to go with the flow. This is fun!”

When we landed again it was a lot cooler and a bit whiter than the last time. We were taken to the main building where we were given our rooms. Marlen and Ludvig were given a set of fatigues each in white that looked good on her but not so hot on him.

In the late afternoon we were taken to a room with simulators in and the others were all put through laps of the circuit until they could do it without rolling over or getting bogged. It made me realise just how much trust they had put in the three of us last time.

By dinner time it was Marlen and Helena on the best times and after dinner we spent the evening in the mess with the other troopers. Next morning the first three went out to meet the real thing and the rest of us followed their progress on the screens.

By the end of the day all ten drivers had done three sets of the three circuits; some of which were, to me, flawless. The CO sat beside me and commented on how well the Estonian army trained their drivers.

That evening, at dinner he stood up, “When Antonia was here last, she set a record for completing the three circuits. As an appreciation of her skill we presented her with the uniform she has been wearing today, and, I must say, makes it look good. I had a bet with my chief instructor who said that she would bring a very competent group with her and I told him that if anyone got inside a hundred and twenty percent of her time I would donate a uniform in recognition of their skill.”

“I can now tell you that you all have truly earned the uniform, even if you didn’t beat her time. To show you what you were up against, I’ll show you the video taken on that day.”

The big screen on the wall came to life and we sat and watched while I did my three laps with him. When I saw where I was going with that truck I was shocked. It hadn’t sunk in on the day as I‘d been too busy.

The others were taken to the store where they were issued with the uniform and, when they came back everyone had big grins on their faces, especially Marlen. The army girls all had their rank designation on the shoulder, over the Arctic Transport patch while Marlen and Ludvig only had the patch.

The whole mess applauded as they came in and then we had a few drinks. The following morning we were all given a ride in a tracked snow vehicle and the better drivers of us took the controls for short sections. It was very different driving and a lot of fun as well.

After lunch we were all changed back into our civilian clothing and the VTOL picked us up and flew us to Gothenburg where a plain bus took us to the hotel we would be staying overnight.

Next morning we took taxis to the factory where we were treated like the VIP’s we are and shown our new blue babies. With mag wheels, driving lights and a very comfortable driving seat they were a bit different to the ones we had played with earlier in the week.

The inside was plain with two other seats across the front but nothing in the rear of the cab as Bjorn would be doing that part. There was a standard CB and the latest GPS / management screen.

One of them had the trailer hooked on that my father had delivered. It contained spare engines and gearboxes, suspension components and transfer boxes. Anders was not messing about!

It was about four and a half hours drive to Stockholm so the nine drivers split into three groups and took a truck each. The luggage was put into the back of the trailer. I had given them fuel cards and told them how to get to the ferry berth.

They loaded up the destination on the GPS and then they were off. Ludvig and I took a taxi to the airport where we were booked on a flight directly back to Tallinn where Berget would be waiting to pick us up. I was eating a nice meal that evening and hoped the girls were enjoying their voyage.

Friday, when the ferry arrived, I was standing with Berget and Anders waiting for the unloading.

With him there the customs went smoothly and we followed the three trucks back to the yard. Helena told me that the drive to the ferry had been very good, the softer ride was appreciated, they had all had a turn driving and most of them had driven with the trailer.

They were all sent home for the weekend and then the other drivers all had an inspection before one of the trucks went into Bjorns’ workshop for its transformation.

Marianne Gregory © 2022

E’volvo’lution Chapter 12

The first truck was going to get the internal changes and the paintwork only so we could get it out on the road. The next two would be worked on together with Bjorn doing the interior and the LED lighting. The tractors would only have LED’s in the lightning from the hammer, meeting in the middle of the grill.

Now, with my new electronics knowledge, I had an idea of just what it would take to make our ideas work. We would have a computer in the cab to drive the light show, another in each of the trailers to handle their lights, and a fourth in the front trailer to manage the other three and the pyrotechnics when we fitted it.

Greger had a friend in the fireworks business who had designed a simple unit which carried four pairs of canisters on a rack driven by a stepping motor. One canister had the flash and the other did smoke. When it was set in motion it would move the rack forward after the show and bring the next pair into place. It had an electric ignition and I was looking forward to seeing it work.

We were now well into October and Anders decided that we had to start our official runs on the first of November, or as close to it as we could, so that we got our second payment before Christmas.

The new main building was coming along well, including the interior framework of the offices and all the other rooms. I asked Anders about the extra building to one side and was told that it would be a motel-like building for drivers to stay in rather than sending them to hotels.

He said he had a friend that ran nursing homes who would set it up so that it could be serviced by his staff as needed.

When Halina flew in I was there with Berget to greet her. I could have stayed home for all the good it was.

“Hi, Ant, here, take her,” was all the greeting I had as she thrust Agnis my way.

The lovers only had eyes for each other and it was down to me and Berget to organise the luggage. Before we knew it, they were off. Luckily, I put Agnis in the booster seat for them or else I may well have been left ‘holding the baby’.

Berget looked at me and we both cracked up laughing and then went home. Anders had organised a dinner for her arrival but when the couple arrived late we may as well be sitting at another table. Astrid had stayed at home looking after Agnis.

Anders took so much and then instructed Greger to pay attention to everyone else and I looked at Halina and gave her a wink. She decided that ‘us girls’ needed to powder our noses so we went to the toilets where she hugged me for the first time since she had arrived, hugged Berget and told her that I was difficult to get on with but was a push-over, really.

After that she was much more attentive and, by the end of the evening was on good terms with her future in-laws.

Greger became more focussed than before on his painting and the first ‘Maiden’ was ready to work by the end of the following week; which was good as we needed as many trucks as we could muster.

Late in that week the factory told us we had six to pick up so we needed to organise a trip back to Sweden. I got a call from Q next day to tell me that we had a pick-up from the Bofors factory in Karlskoga, just a bit of a detour between the factory and Stockholm and to send all of our Army drivers only. He sent through the paperwork for the pick-up and delivery.

I told Anders and Gustav who said, “I guess we’re officially starting next week then.” I was, by that time, wondering just how Q knew everything that was going on but, I suppose, that was his job.

I joined the eight drivers and we carried small two-way radios as well so we could talk on a separate channel even though we had CB.

We flew directly to Gothenburg and picked up the six tractors, driving to Karlskoga where we picked up three double and three single trailers, as well as a bunch of paperwork that would get it all through customs without being opened. We overnighted at an army base not far from there, wearing our Swedish army kit, and then drove to Stockholm and the ferry.

I was driving a double that was bound for the army base at Tartu. Helena had a single that was heading for the base on the border with Latvia.

There were two person teams with the other two doubles which were destined for bases in Germany and the other three girls had the remaining two singles that needed to get to two bases not far apart near Paris. They would drive in convoy, swapping the drive between the three of them.

All of the ones leaving Estonia were instructed not to stop if possible but overnight in motels on the way back, using the company card.

It taught us something very quickly and that was to expect anything. All of the girls were much more committed when they all came back.

Of course, by that time we were sending crews out with more deliveries, mainly from the stores we had warehoused. I had two days at home, getting fussed over by Berget, and then a week later I took another six drivers to Gothenburg again to pick up the last six trucks.

The factory had been pushed to look after us so the manufacture was prioritised. With an output of over a hundred trucks a day, a couple wouldn’t be a big thing except the need for a lot of non-standard components.

By the end of November we had our full set of big trucks, as well as three normal ones that had been resprayed and refitted. Greger and Bjorn had employed extra staff to work on the new trucks with Bjorn being the one to fit the military radios and upgraded CB’s after the others had gone home.

They all had beds and storage, as well as a chemical toilet behind a screen with a small wash basin, as well as a few other additions.

We had decided that we only needed six girls on the picture as six was a manageable number at the shows as well. We had also decided that they should all be Nordic blondes in stature and we had a number among our drivers.

From the army group we had Katrina, Marika and Karmen; while the civilian group gave us Eliise, Elizabeth, Joanna and Catlin. The other good thing which I thought may come in handy was that Elizabeth had grown up in the UK and spoke the language, while Kristina had good French.

The others spoke Estonian with a bit of Swedish while I also had basic German. At the various shows we would need to be able to connect with the organisers.

We had sent two lots of our mechanics to the factory for a one week course during the month and they were all very happy with the bigger engines. We also sent our civilian girls off to the place that Q had organised and they came back with their army kit and a whole new experience in living on a military base, including early morning PE.

Greger had organised his crew to work on the tractors using the stencils he had made and concentrated on the show trailers that had been delivered from a specialised trailer manufacturer with just undercoat on.

He painted the six blondes into the landscape walking in front of Thor. In early December I was given a private demonstration of the lights and pyrotechnics and it was awesome.

After I had taken one of the show rigs to the photo-shoot we put the doubles away in one of the sheds that was kept locked until our launch, which Anders had decided would take place in mid-January. Berget had spent a lot of time at the new yard and took me out there to show me where we now stood.

The buildings and concrete had been finished and it was only the drive-through and exit roads that were still curing. The main building was huge with big powered doors at both ends. The new warehouse was enormous.

Berget led me in through a side door of the main building and I stood, in awe, at the amount of space. She had been hard at work getting our part of the office space ready to be used.

We had a ‘show team’ office and a women only toilet and locker room area, plus a sort of a lounge which she called the ‘Ready Room’.

There was a store room for our stock and the two of us had our own, large offices, already equipped with the phones, computers and internet access. We only needed seats and kitchen appliances to complete the scene.

The rest of the business was being put into place and Berget said that Anders would be moving everything in over the Christmas break so I said that it looked as if we wouldn’t get much time off during that period.

Berget looked sheepish, “Yes, about periods. I’ve missed mine twice now and have seen a doctor while you were away in Sweden the last time. I think we are going to have a daughter.”

I kissed her and we stood together for some time while I cried in joy. I may only look like a girl but I must have more than my proper amount of the hormones.

“We’d better get married, then.”

She told me that it was quite a complicated process and that we should wait until I had been a householder for a year or more.

“How about we have a commitment ceremony with our parents and friends then? That should be easy enough to set up and we will have shown everyone we’re serious. We’ll have to decide on a name for the baby,”

She laughed, “The doctor worked out the likely date of conception and I think it may have been during that music weekend.” We thought about it and decided she would be called Melody.

We walked over to the other building which had been finished. Looking through the windows we saw that it was ten self-contained, two bedroom apartments which would be ideal for even long-term stays.

I asked what was left to be done outside and she said that the truck wash needed to be finalised and tested. Also a row of covers for parked cars needed to be put up on one side and a big covered area for truck parking next to the warehouse. She expected that it would only be a couple of weeks. Back inside we looked at the service side of the main shed which had two new truck-lifts and looking up I saw a big overhead crane that would reach every square metre of the building.

I turned to her, “It’s amazing, it’s impressive and it must have been expensive.” She told me that the cost would be a drop in the ocean if the work we had continued. She had done a projection and said that the whole site would be paid for inside five years.

Just before Christmas we had our commitment ceremony in front of our parents and friends and Berget announced her little surprise, after which we were inundated with hugs and kisses.

Bergets mother was hugging me and asked, “Who’s the father?”

Berget laughed, “You’re hugging him but keep that to yourself.”

It was a day of announcements as Anders announced that both Berget and I would be on the board of the new company, which was now to be called “Maidens Transport Services” an arm of Lundin Transport.

Greger had an announcement himself. He told us that he and Halina would be marrying in February. All in all it was a big day.

We moved the office structure into the new offices over the period between Christmas and New Year and, while there weren’t too many people around, moved all of our blue trucks and the two show rigs as well as three trailers Greger had painted as well.

We had quite a fleet in there once we had done that but Anders reminded me that ‘Answer’ needed a new home as well so we shifted that as well. We didn’t ease up with our travelling as we had about twenty five drivers now. We’d added another five from the army and the turn-over was increasing nicely.

Over the few weeks up to the grand opening we made sure that the building was spotless. With over twenty girls to help we washed and wiped every surface to remove the signs of the building dust and grime. The two trucks were parked with ‘Answer’ in front and the monster that was ‘Maidens’ behind. All the other trucks not on the road were in the covered area.

We had come up with a number of gimmicks that were designed to impress. The first was a set of thick plastic sheets that we put in front of each set of wheels and then the truck was driven slowly on to them. We had canvas sheets that were then laid between the plastic sections.

All had been painted to look like a rough ground and projected a metre or more away from the wheels so the whole rig then looked like it was parked outside. The piece of plastic under the middle bogey on the display side had a depression set in it which we put a huge fibre-glass Thor hammer.

The hammer had a steel strip in it that matched an electro-magnetic strip in the depression which was linked to our power supply through a hidden cable into the trailer.

When the power was on, the hammer was impossible to move but, with the power off it was quite easy for any of us to lift it. This would be used only twice as planned so far; here and the big reveal in Austria.

We had the switch linked to a simple garage lifter unit with two buttons, one turned it on and off and the other controlled the light show. The light show was out of this world.

It started with streaks of light in the lightning flashes emanating from the painted hammer, moving into swirls of light over the whole trailer unit and finally there was a line of lights that converged on the painted volcano. All the while we had sounds of thunder coming from hidden speakers. It all culminated in a burst of sparkling flame and smoke from the nozzles that made it look like the volcano had erupted. The first time I had seen it in action I had been impressed, and I knew what was going to happen.

The biggest difference between our original thoughts and this truck were that the second trailer was merely the painting and lights, without the pyrotechnics, and that we had just the six girls in the picture instead of the original twelve.

That made it easier to roster our ‘show girls,’ and to fly them in for shows, picking them up in the people mover that was carried in the rear trailer along with a set of sturdy ramps for it. The people mover was also light blue with just the hammer on both sides.

The second show rig was parked on the other side of the drive-through with the doors open and the steps down so that everyone could see how we had kitted the units out as a rest area and shop with storage for stock.

We had the ‘Answer’ posters now and, after the photo-shoot for the ‘Maidens,’ we had some posters for that as well. Both units carried a big battery bank in the rear trailer so we could be independent if there was no ready power supply on hand.

The rear trailer was completed with a chemical toilet for the ‘show girls’ and storage for tools, wheels and tyres.

The opening ceremony was a complete success. We had a number of civic dignitaries on hand as well as the local press and the trucking magazines. All of the press were instructed to keep the ‘Maidens’ light show under wraps until after the first public outing.

Felix and Q attended in civvies, as did our friendly Swedish CO and chief instructor. It was good to catch up with them and they were very interested on what we had done with a very plain truck.

There were also a couple of representatives from Volvo who I hoped to impress enough to let us appear on their stands at more serious shows. We also had a couple of guys who were in the local film industry who were here to see if we had come up with enough to attract the Aussies.

All of the Lundin Transport staff not out on the road attended and Halina was resplendent in a designer truckers dress with dangling mag wheel earrings.

My drivers were all in a version of the dress I had modelled, in a darker blue with the Volvo badge on the back with ‘Maidens’ above it and a name tag on one side and ‘Lundin Transport – Thors’ Maidens’ on the other. It ended up as a long tunic which could double as a short dress and they all had matching leggings and boots. We would be using this for all of the non-showgirl drivers, especially at the serious shows if we were invited.

My mother had been flown in (for about her third visit) and my father was already in town with his latest load. They were staying with us in the apartment.

Erik, Astrid and the Minister were there along with his aides so there was also a security group. Anders had arranged a couple of food trucks to come in and it was a very old-fashioned standing feast before they were ushered out and the doors closed.

We had a small stage between the two trucks and the opening was not a very long affair. Anders gave a speech about a new era in commercial transport and mentioned ‘the lovely Antonia, without whom none of this would have happened’.

I was standing next to ‘Answer’ in my red dress and I wondered if my face was as red as the dress. ‘Answer’ now had its container on the flat bed with the ‘E-Volvo-lution’ painting on the side. The final figure did look a lot more like Halina than me but nothing that the general public would pick out.

He then said, “My friends, a speech will often start with the line, ‘it gives me great pleasure,’ and this one in no exception. I’ve never had so much pleasure than the last six months seeing my company grow into a big operation. Everyone has seen the ‘Maidens’ trucks getting about with their girl crews and it’s attracted a lot of discussion.”

“Today, you see before you the show trailers that will be attending a number of shows this year, along with last years ‘Truck of the Show’. Here today are the two ‘Thors’ Maidens’ show trucks along with their crews.”

At this the six ‘show girls’ came out from behind the trailers and walked to their places under the painting. There was a lot of applause and some whistles from the men as the girls had their show costume on with the light blue background, hi-vis bands, lightning flashes; the lot on not very much material. The light blue sparkly tights and boots finished the outfit and after sessions with Astrid they all looked gorgeous.

He introduced the Minister who gave a short speech about being happy to attend this illustrious affair. He then declared the new headquarters of Lundin Transport open and unveiled a plaque that would be put on the office wall. Everyone applauded and cheered.

During the course of the event, just about every man in the crowd had tried to move the hammer without success so when Anders left the stage and walked to it there were a few titters.

I pressed the button on my door opener that was in a pocket of my dress and he bent down, took a strong stance and there was a gasp from the crowd as he picked it up. He held it high with one hand as I pressed the second button to start the light show. There were ooohs and aaarhs as the lights progressed and cheers when the volcano went off.

At the end, Anders was laughing so much he could hardly hold the hammer up. He put it back in the depression and I switched the magnet back on as well as stopping the light show from cycling again.

Now the party really began, and the drinks flowed. Anders was almost in tears of happiness and the brothers were warmly congratulated on their work.

My parents were all over me and Berget, who was now showing a baby bump hidden under a flowing dress. All of the army types gathered together and discussed the changes we had made to what was a military vehicle.

I took them to a truck that was parked outside and showed them the hidden radio unit and another little extra that Bjorn had added; the hidden gun compartment which would hold two short rifles and two pistols, if they were ever needed.

They all gave me hugs and left from there to their cars. I went back inside to warm up again. The photographer from the Truck World wanted pictures of the ‘Show Maidens’ as we didn’t have them at the photo-shoot for the rig. He also needed ones of the company principals for the article that would be added to the pictures taken today of the light show. I was already thinking of some changes I wanted to make and made a note to discuss them with Bjorn.

That day marked a turning point for a lot of people. Berget and I were directors of this arm of the business, effectively running the ‘Maidens’ business with Gustav organising the logistics, now with three helpers.

To see him in action was very educational. He had oversized computer screens running spreadsheets and maps of Europe with our trucks marked with moving red dots, each with the names of the crew and the time they had been on the road.

If they got near seventy-two hours we organised a swap at the nearest airport. It all ran very slickly, Anders was in a new office in the building with a secretary and was working to build the rest of the business.

He had ordered another four standard Globetrotters as the work was building. These came as light blue as well and just had the company name in the hammer head as they had male crews.

Ludvig had been put in charge of the original yard and we had upgraded his office as well, with similar screens as Gustav, linked by the internet.

The two guys became adept in using the closest truck when requests came in and sometimes the army got its non-military products delivered by guys who were only in the camps long enough to unload or load up empty containers.

It was the light blue trucks that stood out so no-one took any notice of them by the time we had been running three months, the plan was working.

Marianne Gregory © 2022

E’volvo’lution Chapter 13

February was the big wedding. I had backed away from being the Maid of Honour. I pointed out to Halina that we both looked so alike. With me already well known to a lot of people, I could end up stealing the show.

She saw the problem almost as the words ‘stealing the show’ came out of my mouth so organised a couple of her friends who had been at her first wedding to come over and take the bridesmaids parts.

Her divorce had come through in double-quick time, mainly because it was uncontested and also because the other woman was already pregnant and putting her foot down.

Greger would have Bjorn as his Best Man. My parents came to town in the truck as my father had a load to deliver to the warehouse. They stayed with us at the apartment.

The ceremony itself was a glittering affair, and I do say that literally. There were more diamonds on the guests than was decent, what with at least three ministers and their wives, most of the Swedish community and a lot of transport company owners. The Lundin family had a very good name in Tallinn and everyone wanted to be seen with them.

Berget and I stood with Astrid and Erik and looked after Agnis, who was, by this time, becoming a squirming bundle of arms and legs that continually asked questions.

Erik volunteered, in the end, to take her out of the church so we had a little peace and quiet. Actually, although Agnis had none of the Lundin looks it didn’t matter; she was following the path of her mother and grandmother and would be growing up as a likely beauty queen.

The reception was a very happy show, everyone commented on how much the two were in love. I danced with Bjorn and asked him if we could have a chat, in his workshop, the following week so that I could run a few things past him.

Over the course of that week my mother was shown the whole scope of our operation and declared that if she had been proud of me before, she was doubly proud now. She went back home with Mats in the truck and an empty double container.

It was now getting into show season and our friends at Volvo had been so impressed with the ‘Maidens’ at the opening, they wanted us to be on their stand at a few of the more serious shows, starting with the Commercial Vehicle Show in Birmingham, UK, in April.

There was another show in Paris a week later and then one in Poland in May. We wouldn’t be using the big trucks for any of these, nor would we utilise the light show but would have the hammer in its depression to tease the guys.

Berget and I went by air into Manchester after Elizabeth and Marlen had taken the truck to the National Exhibition Centre. They picked us up in the people mover and the four of us stayed in a hotel then rotated during the show with our ‘driving costumes’ on. Three of us were there to look good and Elizabeth would be talking to the customers while Berget held sway in the shop selling posters.

After that show I flew home for a few days while Berget joined the other two on the trip to Paris to be part of ‘Interlogistics’. This was another very serious show and Volvo was getting a lot of questions about having an arty truck at these events but they held firm, saying that it was to show just what could be done with a standard truck.

The fact that Maidens Transport was starting to be noticed helped as well. I was dropped off at the show by another crew on a delivery run, complete with more posters as we had sold a lot in the UK, especially ‘Answer’ ones.

It seemed that my picture was on almost every garage wall in Europe and, I suspected, some bedroom walls as well.

In May we did the Autostrada-Rotra in Poland and the Logistics Finland with other crews and then June came around and it was show time with a capital ‘S’.

One rig with a crew and a poster seller went to the serious Truck Expo in Bulgaria. The other was going to the Truck Event in Austria with one of the big tractors; Elizabeth and Marlen in the cab. This was the one that Bjorn and I had worked on some extra effects which we had tried out one evening in the new building.

The film star was in Europe and would join us at the truck towards dusk on the Saturday night. He had seen a video of Anders at the opening and we had been told that he knew roughly what to do.

I, for one, was looking forward to it and we had all seven of our Maidens ready to do their thing. All of our girls looked good as we had set up regular visits to Astrid for all our girls, even me. Marlen had taken on a lot of advice from the army girls about exercise and proper eating so was becoming quite a stunner.

Elizabeth would not be doing the show part as I wanted her to act as an interpreter for me when I explained to the star what changes I had made.

I drove ‘Answer’ behind the other rig with a now very evidently pregnant Berget in the cab with me. In all the time she had worked for the company she had done more distance in the last month than the previous five years.

We got there on the Friday and parked the two trucks, being met by the representative of the movie star who wanted to see for himself. We set the ‘Maidens’ on its special boards, connected up the rest of the setting and I pulled the hammer out from its storage and dragged it around to the side of the trailer as if it was a tonne weight. I put it into its depression and Berget, who had the control, turned on the electricity.

He, of course, wanted to lift it but couldn’t even make it budge. When he turned to me I just said, “I have had more practice at this than you,” which Elizabeth interpreted for him.

We then added a new feature which was a long strip of light canvas which was attached to the bottom edge of the trailers and went the full length, so hiding the middle bogey.

It was painted to link the picture on the side with the ground sheets below. I then got up onto the top of the front trailer and opened a long, low box we had added. Inside was a series of LED light-bars which I turned out so that they pointed down towards any crowd who was watching the display.

I then had a box of flash-bangs which were designed to be pushed onto spikes behind the lights that would set them off with an electrical charge. We had also altered the painted hammer on the front trailer so that it would look like it was glowing.

It took a couple of extra hard drives to control what we had planned but I thought it would be worth it, even if only used once. I also took the covers off the outlet for the volcanic eruption. Marlen had unloaded the people mover so we put the hammer away again with much theatrics, locked both vehicles and she took us all, with our luggage, to the hotel we were booked into. She then went off to the airport to pick up the other six girls.

That evening we were joined by most of the Lundin clan. Greger, Halina, Bjorn and Ezuli, Anders and Victoria were a happy, but unsure group.

Only Bjorn knew what we had changed, other than the show girls. Greger was worried that we wouldn’t win any awards and Anders said that it didn’t matter. We were here and would put on a bit of a show.

He told us that we were already guaranteed space in the magazines with pictures taken here being the only bits to be added to the article.

We all had an early night and in the morning after breakfast, Marlen took Berget, Elizabeth and me back to the show site, dropping us off and going back to the hotel for the others.

Anders had hired a people mover for the family so would be getting there whenever they decided. We unlocked the trucks and I went up onto the trailer roof again to check that no birds had roosted on our equipment.

We let down the steps for the store and switched on all of the lights, point of sale and the water urn. Berget and I went into the rear trailer via a smaller set of steps into a side door. We erected a framework with curtains which would be used for both the girls changing as well as our Thor.

It seemed that the star was keen to see what lay in store and turned up mid-morning in a big coat and sunglasses. There was a short conversation with Elizabeth who then told me that one of the guys with him was a camera-man who would be filming the short show and who wanted to know the timing.

Through Elizabeth I described exactly what was planned and what to listen for to give them pointers. At the end of the discussion the star came over and gave me a hug, laughing loudly. He then gave Elizabeth one as well and the group went off to whatever they had planned the rest of the day.

The three of us then went into the rear trailer and changed, the two into tunics and me into the red dress, ready for when the doors opened, also putting the hammer in place.

All through the day there was a good crowd, many interested in last years ‘Truck of the Show’ from Tallinn and also wanting selfies with me next to the painting.

Marlen had arrived with the other six girls, all in their own tunics and they rotated in front of the ‘Maidens’ picture and also talked with the crowd. We had taken two hundred tunics for sale during the show and we sold quite a few by the time we shut the shop at six. An awful lot of guys, and a few girls, had tried to move the hammer.

The Lundins had come around a few times and seen how busy we were. Anders had commented on the draped side-panel. I told him that it wasn’t just for show and that he would have to wait until the performance to see why it was there.

We’d all rotated during the day so were still fresh enough for the evening event. I closed up ‘Answer’ and went to join the others. The six girls to do the show went to the rear trailer and changed into their costumes and then sat in the easy chairs we had in the front trailer. The rest of us placed tall cones around the display side, linking them with bunting to keep people from getting too close.

Then our Thor turned up and the camera-man found a good position while the star went into the rear trailer with a guy who had a big bag. The crowd was starting to build as social media kicked in, no doubt fed initially by the film agents.

At about half-past seven the light was dim enough for the thing to work and there must have been a good thousand on-lookers in the crowd, which now included Felix, Q, and a few other well-built guys in civvies.

The chap that had gone in with the case came out from behind the truck and joined us so I took out my two-way and asked Katrina if everyone was ready. She said she was so I gave the cameraman the nod to start filming and pressed the button that kicked the sound and light show into action.

It started with the speakers giving out a very realistic thunder rumble and the hammer on the painting started to glow. Some seconds later there was another, longer rumble and a voice growled “Thor!!!”

The crowd was now absolutely silent when the light-bars rippled with a white light like sheet lightning and then there was a long rumble of thunder and the voice growled “Thor” again as our six show girls walked out from behind the trailer heading to take up places under their pictures; followed by Thor himself in costume.

He was really in the act and walked as if he owned the world. There was an immediate reaction from the crowd and a flicker of flashes from hundreds of phones which added to the aura of the scene, something I hadn’t factored in.

When he reached the hammer there was another rumble of thunder and the word “Thor” was now very loud as the area around the hammer glowed and the hammer on the painting started pulsing.

I switched the magnet off and it was all down to timing now as he grasped the hammer and waited for the next peal of thunder, lifting the hammer easily. As the thunder rolled he raised the hammer above his head and knocked on the side of the trailer at exactly the right time. The hammer in the painting flashed with intensity and the light show started, the lightning flashes first and then the swirls.

As it worked its way towards the volcano I saw that he was moving so he was in the middle of the girls and had brought the hammer down again.

The next bit would take immaculate execution if it was going to work and my hand was tight on Berget's arm. As the lights reached the volcano the smoke and sparkles shot out from above it and the speakers shook with a never-ending rumble.

But end they did as the sparkles faded and our flash-bangs all went off at once and the light bars shot white and yellow light into the eyes of the crowd. When silenced reigned, at last, and they all got their vision back, Thor and the girls had disappeared.

Well, actually they had all dropped to the ground and rolled under the trailer and were now hidden by the draped canvas. I knew that Marlen was on the other side to help them scramble out and into the rear trailer to change back into normal clothes again.

The silence lasted for at least fifteen seconds before the whoops, shouts and applause started. I heard the camera-man say something in English that even I could understand. The Lundins came over and we were enveloped in hugs; Anders saying that he thought the first showing was good but that they were going to talk about this one for years to come.

The agent and the camera-man both gave me and Elizabeth hugs, the camera-man was smiling broadly. The dresser went off to help the star and they all were going to steal away if they could, and then Elizabeth told me that they would be waiting for us at the hotel when we had finished tonight.

Before we shut down, an hour and two normal light shows later, we had so many that wanted posters of ‘Maidens’ we opened up the shop again and it took eight of us to handle the demand. There were a lot of girls who wanted to buy one of the show costumes but had to leave with the tunic instead.

Everyone wanted to get the star's autograph, but we just said that he had returned to Valhalla.

The “Maidens’ had stolen the show; so much that I didn’t even bother turning on the lights on ‘Answer’.

Marlen took the six girls back to the hotel while Berget, Elizabeth and I locked up the rigs, me getting up on the roof to fold away the light-bars, clean off any residue of flash-bangs and close up the volcano vents.

When I got back down Berget held me close and said, “I really do think you’ve gone and done it, this time, my love.”

Back at the hotel there was a small party going in one of the private rooms. The four of us were ushered in and there were cheers and a bit of clapping. As well as the Lundin clan, all of us drivers and the film people there was our friendly army types and a couple of guys I recognised as Volvo executives.

I really needed to get to bed so tried to keep conversations brief. Felix gave me a hug and told me that anybody who thought our trucks were anything other than civilian had rocks in their head. Q added that I could have a commission in his propaganda section, but with a smile on his face.

The star was so friendly I could hardly believe it. A guy with them was from the Tallinn film scene and he told me that was one of the best bits of two minute action he had seen and he said all of the Aussies were very happy.

I could see Berget visibly wilting so made our apologies so she could go and lie down.

Next morning, at breakfast, it was the two of us that looked the freshest. Bjorn told me it had gone on into the early hours and that Anders was genuinely grateful to me for pulling it off.

I told him that it was his skills, Gregers’ skills, a lot of input from other people that made it possible and he said, “But it is you who had the ideas and visualised the concept.”

I told Berget to stay at the hotel until later and Marlen dropped me, Elizabeth and Katrina off at the showground.

We found a group of guys waiting for us by the trucks. They were part of the organisation and they wanted us to do the show again. I said that I doubted if Thor was available but I would find out.

One of the guys said, “We’re prepared to put ten thousand Euros on the table if you can do it. Last night has created a firestorm of publicity for the show and I expect we’ll make a lot more than that in extra entry fees today.”

I pulled out my phone and called Anders, this would take some higher power than me.

When he answered I told him what I had been asked and said that it depended on whether the star would do it again. He said “Hold on a minute, I’ll ask him”.

There was an agonising few seconds while I listened to a muffled conversation and then he came back, “Yes, he’ll do it. He had a lot of fun. It will also give his guys another chance to film it and his camera-man is on his phone now organising more cameras to get multiple angles.”

I told the organisers that it was on and they said that I would need to move ‘Maidens’ so it could be watched by a bigger crowd. I told Anders that he would need to find us when he came as we would be in another place, and we finished the conversation.

So, instead of getting ready for the day we needed to take down our current set-up. Elizabeth got up in the cab after we had unhooked the draped canvas and pulled out all of the mock painted dirt and unplugged the magnet cable. She backed the rig off of the sheets and we put everything in the rear trailer.

Before we went anywhere we had to make sure everything in the shop was secure and then she guided the rig from our spot in the lowest gear at walking pace, following the organisers to another place with a large open area in front of us. We then had to set it all up again.

Once we had put the sheets out and Elizabeth had driven up onto them, I looked around and saw that, just fifteen or twenty metres in front of the truck a group of guys were messing about in a roped-off area.

I asked the organiser. He told me that they were setting up the fireworks, and the end of our show would be the start of theirs. I called Anders again and asked him if the film guys were still around.

He said they were and I asked if the camera-man was there and when he came on the phone I got Elizabeth to explain to him where we were, what the organisers had planned and a few things we could do to jazz our bit up a bit more.

We also told him that our show would probably start a bit later, even after sunset, so he would need to organise some lighting.

When Elizabeth handed me my phone back she grinned, “He sounded excited and you, dear boss, are wicked.”

Because of where we had been put we couldn’t allow the public behind the rig to get to the shop so I asked the organiser if he could rustle up a couple of tables. We had chairs already.

I went up onto the trailer roof again and reset the light-bars, put out more flash-bangs and opened the volcano vents again. In the trailer I got up on a ladder and opened up the cabinet which housed the volcano effects, removing the three sets of used canisters, putting in three new pairs and rewinding the track back to the start point. I expected that we would only need the one set tonight.

Outside, the other girls had set up the ground-sheets and the draped canvas. We had come in from an angle so the trailers now presented as a slight arc which would be helpful. There was space behind us with a gate which I figured would be handy later as well.

We set two tables in front of the rear trailer and pulled our stock of posters to lay them out on the sheets, adding a few chairs. We had been advised to put an extension line on the point-of-sale so this was run out to the tables.

The three of us were standing and talking about what we had done and if there was anything we had forgotten when the Lundin clan turned up. Halina had a red dress on and Anders told me that she and Greger were going to man the ‘Answer’ for the day with Joanna helping so I gave Greger the keys.

He then told me that Elizabeth and I were going to be in the show tonight as he thought that I should experience it from the other side. Marlen then took the three of us back to the hotel to change as Anders wanted the six of us to be in our show outfits all day.

I wasn’t happy at being eye-candy for the day but once I had been dressed and made beautiful by the hotel salon I was ready for anything.

Marianne Gregory © 2022

E’volvo’lution Chapter 14

The six show girls for Sunday were me, Elizabeth, Katrina, Eliise, Catlin and Karmen. Joanna was helping Halina by selling posters at ‘Answer’ and Marlen was with Ezuli selling posters and tunics beside ‘Maidens’.

Berget was told to just take it easy today; we didn’t want her being taken off to give birth just yet.

When we got back to the show-ground, Marlen parked the people mover behind the rear trailer so we could get out and move privately behind the rig. I found Bjorn in the front trailer with the master computer pulled out of the rack running through some changes he had made.

He told me that he had added a few extra thunder rolls and he had loved the sheet-lightning effect so much there were a few more of those as well.

He said, “I could hear you explaining to Elizabeth when you were on the phone earlier and it made me think about some little wrinkles that I ran past the film guys. I think you’re going to love this evening when you get to see the film because most of the changes are after you roll out of sight.”

The organisers had put out droppers with bunting, running from the back of our people mover to link up with the bunting in front of the fireworks.

The camera-man turned up with a few other guys carrying boxes and they proceeded to put out a few small cameras. One would have a close-up view of Thor when he raised the hammer and another, on the edge of our area, which, he said was a wide-angle view of the show.

He would be back in the crowd with his own camera, filming different bits as it went on. As he was telling us this, the other guys were pushing spiked canisters into the ground in a line between the rig and the bunting, all the way to the fireworks.

I pointed to them, raised an eyebrow and he laughed and said “Smoke” which Elizabeth interpreted.

They then set out a number of floodlights, one of which I wondered about as it was nearer the fireworks and pointed towards the crowd. I supposed that they knew what they were doing.

When they finished they all came over to me in my skimpy outfit, gave me a hug and said ‘Thank You’ or ‘Danke’. The camera-man had a long conversation with Elizabeth. After he had left, she told me that he had said that last night was all over the social media, as there must have been a few hundred filming it on their phones. She said that he had estimated it to have had over a million hits by now.

The crowd was now coming in and we were inundated with guys and girls. A lot of girls were wearing tunics that they had bought on Saturday and we had sold out by mid-afternoon.

We rotated our breaks and were looked after by Berget inside the trailer with hot drinks and cakes that she had organised from one of the food trucks.

I took a wander over to where Greger and Halina held sway and stood off at a distance watching Halina ham it up with the punters in front of the painting. It struck me that Greger was now living his dream, in front of his truck alongside the wife who matched his vision.

Mid-afternoon Thor arrived with his retinue. The dresser took the big bag into the rear trailer and the man himself started signing posters, a move that accelerated our sales to the point where Bjorn and I had to help out with the rush of paying customers.

We ran out of all our stock by five so packed up the chairs and put the tables to one side to be picked up later. All six of us showgirls joined our star in the main eating hall where we were able to have a decent meal, surrounded by adoring fans snapping away on their phones.

I had been the centre of some attention before but this was so much again. We were joined by Greger, Halina and Joanna who had also run out of stock so had locked up the truck for the day.

When we got back to ‘Maidens’ there were already people sitting on blankets in front of the trailers and I saw several cameras on tripods. The star wandered among them signing madly for a while and then made his escape to go to the trailer dressing room.

The rest of us mingled and chatted. One particularly keen Volvo fan collared me and pointed to the tractor, saying “Not standard?”

He was speaking German so I answered, “No, it’s a D16 on a modified chassis with two speed gearbox and six driven wheels.” He seemed amazed that I could tell him that and said so.

I told him that me, and every girl in our group, drove these for a living. At that he said “Like Antonia?” So I told him I was Antonia and he hugged me and pulled out about twenty posters from his pack for me to sign. I had to laugh when I saw that Halina had already signed one as herself.

As the light dimmed I went and rounded up our show group to go and freshen up in the back trailer. Berget had closed up the store and had the controller and told me that Bjorn had told her to stand next to him to start the show.

She said it was like being a celebrity launching a ship. We all got ourselves ready, checked our make-up and waited for the call once the light was right. I could hear the hubbub of the crowd growing and someone saying stuff in German.

The crowd roared like a giant beast and I started to get butterflies. Kristina, who had done it last night, saw me wilting and told me to take big breaths. The other girls said it was a breeze.

Finally, the radio crackled and Bjorn asked if we were ready and when we said yes he said “OK, this is it.”

I heard the first peal of thunder and we got down from the trailer and lined up with me being pushed to the front. As I saw the people mover light up from the sheet lightning effect the radio said “Go now” and I led our group out from behind the truck to see a sea of faces looking at us.

The flashing of camera lights was almost bewildering as we walked to our spots in front of the pictures with the floodlights now lighting us up. All the while there were flashes and thunder rolls, Bjorn had really gone over the top.

As the voice called “Thor” the star went to the hammer and waited until the next thunderous call before picking it up and hitting the side of the trailer, so starting the light show.

I was concentrating so hard I hardly noticed the crowd now, the feeling of performance was intoxicating. As the light show progressed and the rumble get louder I felt the others sidle closer to me and felt Thors’ hand on my shoulder as he stood behind us.

Elizabeth counted down from five and at ”go” the sudden darkness from the lights going out coincided with the crash of the flash-bangs and the flash of the bright lights. This was the signal for us to drop and roll under the canvas.

When we got back to our feet Thor was heading towards the front of the rig with the hammer so we rushed to the back and crept out to see the rest of the changes Bjorn had made.

The smoke canisters had all been set off and there was now a curtain of smoke hiding the truck and the fireworks. All of a sudden there was a light as the floodlight pointing at the crowd switched on with Thor standing in silhouette among the smoke with the hammer raised.

The crowd, who had been cheering the end of the show, gasped as our light-bar rippled with the sheet lightning effect again and, after the rumble of thunder the voice called “Thor’ again and the hammer was brought down hard enough to split it.

As it hit the ground there was a thunder of projectile launchers, the floodlight went out, the blast of thunderclap fireworks and the display was off and running. Marlen called us back to the people mover and we piled in along with a Thor who was smiling fit to bust and still carrying a now split hammer.

She drove us back to the hotel and it was funny to see the looks on the faces of the staff as Thor and his Maidens walked in. He was taken over by one of his people and the rest of us went to our rooms to change.

I was surprised to see an evening gown laid out on the bed with the underwear and a note saying “Wear this” signed by Anders. I had a long hot shower and dressed.

I was finishing my make-up when there was a knock on the door. I called to come in and saw, in the mirror, Halina in a long dress as well, followed by Berget who came in and started to take off her maternity dress to put on another long gown that had also been on the bed.

Halina was full of her day in the spotlight and I could tell that she was now embracing the Lundin motto “Deliver intact and on time” When we had finished she fell silent and then gave us both hugs and air-kisses, “Thank you Antonia, you’re the best sister I could have had and you’re also brilliant at what you do.”

“Today I realised what it is to be part of this wonderful family; a family which I will be adding to in about seven months. I hope I can live up to the motto.” We congratulated her and it was hugs all round before we went down to a large private room to join the others.

The one thing I had missed while getting ready for the show was the major awards. They had given out a lot the night before but the last three were given out tonight; this being the bit of German I had vaguely heard.

I found out that there was ‘Best Big Rig of the show’, ‘Best Artwork’ and the ‘Most Popular Exhibit.’ All three trophies were sitting on the table that was surrounded by smiling Lundins, their employees, as well as the whole film group, including the couple that had come down from Tallinn.

I went over to Bjorn and gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek, “Thank you, Bjorn, those extra bits just made tonight fabulous.”

Anders said, loudly, “Today, my friends, you were all fabulous. I said during the opening ceremony that every speech starts with, ‘It gives me great pleasure,’ and I must say that just those words tonight are all I need to say.”

Our star stood up and said something and smiled a lot and the only word I caught was cobbers. The only similar phrase I had heard before in English contained ‘bunch of old cobblers’ which had been translated as a lot of rubbish. I asked Bjorn how we were all rubbish, and he laughed and told me that cobber was an Australian way of saying friend.

We were all now considered to be friends who would be welcome at his home if we ever went to Australia. That was nice, maybe NATO could organise a delivery there.

The camera-man came over to me and said something which Bjorn translated. He was complimenting me in my vision so I told him that it was his skills that made it work and, after Bjorn had relayed that the guy gave me a hug and a big kiss; then stepping back and announcing loudly that I was “Bonza”.

Bjorn laughed, “Wonderful, beautiful, and everything a man could want”. Now that was a fair bit of information carried in one word. The Germans could do it but they usually used about twenty or thirty letters to say something complicated and here was this guy saying all of that in just five letters.

Needless to say there were toasts and much merriment but I could see Berget wilting again so I went over to Anders and told him that I was taking Berget up to our room as it was a long drive tomorrow.

He said, “Not for four of you, I’ve booked you on a direct flight out of Linz late morning. Four of the drivers that flew in for the show will be taking the two trucks home for us. No, you and the others have put too much into this weekend to be back on the road. Goodnight to you both and I thank you and the whole team from the bottom of my heart.”

I gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek and pulled Berget out of the chair she was slowly sinking into, waved at the crowd and we went to bed.

Next morning we took it easy and had long showers before I dressed in jeans, boots and colourful top, Berget in the now familiar maternity dress. We did our faces and went down for breakfast.

We were, of course, the first ones there and the others started wandering in as we were eating; most just opting for toast and coffee. Eventually, Marlen took the crew out to the showground to prepare both trucks for the drive home and then Catlin came back with Marlen and Elizabeth, dropping them off at the hotel before returning to ‘Maidens’ to load up the people mover and start the run back to Tallinn.

I was thinking through all the things we needed to do before our next show in August. Actually, I realised, make that two shows as we had applied for places in the Truckfest UK in Peterborough and there was Tallinn coming around just a week later.

That made me stop and think; Tallinn Truck Show and my first outing as Antonia. How much could one year give you? Before then we had a month off and I needed to just get on with my work.

Now, we had been sending our new civilian girls off to the Transport Division base in groups of four, to be given the basics of army life and issued with their uniforms and had put everyone through that.

The one thing we hadn’t done was organise time in the special NATO base that taught advanced driving. While I was thinking of it I pulled out the card Felix had given me and rang the number.

When I was put through to the man I wanted to speak to he chuckled and told me he had just viewed a clip on you-tube and no longer wondered why I hadn’t rung him before.

I told him that we had been busy and he then told me that he wanted to fit in my drivers for five-day courses, five a week until we were completed and that I was certainly included in that number as he was keen to see Sweden’s best army driver in the flesh, so to speak. He wanted to start in a week and gave me a number to ring to arrange pick-up.

While I sat I pulled out a note-book and listed all of the drivers in the order I wanted them to go, Helena and our first army girls in the first lots. I put myself into the final group, which would be the week after the Tallinn show.

That done I rang Gustav and told him that we needed to make sure the girls would be available in the weeks needed and he told me it would be done.

“Anything for a miracle maker” he said.

I queried that and he told me that he had watched the local news last night. They had a clip that someone had sent in of our Saturday show. I told him if he thought that was good, to wait until he saw the Sunday one. Then we were packed and crammed into the Lundin people mover and on our way to Linz airport.

The trip home was certainly shorter than the trip down. I sat between Berget and Halina and they both held my hands as we chatted. Halina was now much easier to get on with.

I thought that her sudden divorce may have affected her and it was now lifting from her shoulders. Maybe this was the reason she had been separated from Agnis since she had been here, too many memories of her first husband.

I told her that I had watched her by the ‘Answer’ on Sunday for a while and that she was a natural.

“Actually Greger said that Tallinn will be the last time it will be shown. I think he’s a little afraid to tell you, seeing your connection with it.”

I laughed and told her that I had the same idea as it had now had the showing it was intended for originally.

At Tallinn we all said cheerio and I grabbed a taxi to take us home. My car was at the yard, left under cover when we picked up ‘Answer’.

We unpacked and had a long shower and went to bed until the following morning when we woke refreshed and ready. I rang the office and Helena answered so I asked what was happening.

“Nothing this week for you two. The boss wants you both to take a week off and recover. Thank you, by the way, for setting up the trips to the training track.”

I told her that they needed names and would give her a pick-up point when she rang and gave her the number to ring. I wished her a good trip and turned to Berget as she stood beside me with fluid running down her legs.

I gave her a towel to wipe herself, went into the bedroom for the grab and go bag and we were downstairs and into her car. It was a long day for both of us but eventually Melody Elspeth Berg was born, about two weeks early.

Maybe it was the ride to Austria in a bouncy seat that did it. I rang my mother with the news and then Berget’s mother, who was in the hospital within the hour, fussing over her grandchild.

I rang the office again and Helena congratulated us and told me she would get my car delivered to the block on Wednesday. We always left the keys with any vehicle parked in the yard in case they needed to be moved.

That evening Berget was in a ward with tiny Melody in a special crib beside her. I could hardly stop crying with joy.

There was a TV running on the wall opposite the bed, and suddenly Berget said “Look, at the TV, turn it up, quick!”

The picture was taken from a helicopter flying alongside the main road from Tartu and, there on the screen, our two trucks were coming home. When I turned it up the announcer was raving on about the award-winning trucks from the local Lundin Transport coming home in triumph.

The camera zoomed to the driver window of ‘Answer’ and there, waving and smiling, was a Norwegian blonde Marika. They moved to ‘Maidens’ and there was Karmen at the wheel.

The announcer then said, “Sunday we showed you a clip sent to us from a viewer. It was from the Saturday evening show and was very spectacular. Today we received a film clip from one of our friends in the local film industry. This is the sound and vision from Sunday night, taken by professional camera-men and is a lot longer as it also shows the fireworks display. We are shifting the next show so you can see just what the Maidens achieved that gave them every big award that night. Sit back, turn the sound up and enjoy.”

At that we had a couple of nurses watching with us and one turned the sound up a bit. I sat next to Berget holding her hand and watched the whole thing, filmed as good as a full length movie, with sound.

They had edited it magnificently and when we walked out from behind the trailer one of the nurses gasped, “Is that you in front?” and I nodded, unable to speak.

The show went through to the end of the firework display that ran for around thirty minutes. At the end of it word had spread through the hospital that Antonia, the leader of Thor’s Maidens, was in the building and had – only two days previously – been in Austria with the wonderful Thor himself.

Berget was not short of visitors during the whole time she was there and came home a few days later, after being thoroughly checked over. I had prepared the nursery with a fresh paint job that I hadn’t been able to fit in before.

Halina and Greger had visited me and then took me out for a meal with Erik, Astrid and Agnis, who was now being cared for and cuddled by Halina. Anders rang and told me that I had all the time in the world to be sure that I came back to work happy.

I had been working for the company now for just on a year so I had holidays owed. My team had everything running smoothly and Bjorn was busy preparing the two rigs for the shows in August.

We would only be running the standard light show in the UK but a local star had asked if he could play Thor in Tallinn. He was a big enough name here to make it work so the original show would be used, with, of course, a new hammer.

The old one was put into a case in Anders’ office, alongside a signed Thor picture.

My office ended up with a poster of ‘Maidens’ signed by the star and all the girls that were there. Next to it was the centrefold poster, signed by both Halina and me. Whoever sat in this chair in the future would be able to see how we started.

Marianne Gregory © 2022

E’volvo’lution Chapter 15

When Berget went to work with Melody in a pram she found out that working in a team of women is a different thing altogether. There is a feeling that the baby belongs to everyone and everyone wanted to look after her.

She would gurgle happily as she moved between offices and the ‘Ready Room’ and it allowed Berget to get into the swing of things.

I had gone back to work some two weeks previously and there had already been one group that completed the course in Germany and Helena showed me the patch they had been given which showed a driver sitting on a tank and climbing a wall.

It was, she said, a very desirable one to have and, added to her Polar patch, marked her out as very special. There was a second group there so we were working through the whole team. I had put myself in the last group, along with Elizabeth and Marlen and a couple of new girls who were off doing their stint in basic training.

By this time, we were getting close to the Truckfest in the UK, happening earlier than usual this year. It was to be three days and Bjorn, who had surprised me with his knowledge of English, surprised me again by saying he would drive ‘Maidens’ there and back.

He told me that he had driven a lot for his father in his earlier days and had a lot of trips to the UK before Brexit. He said that he would take Ezuli with him for a few days away together.

It wasn’t a big drive, just down to Holland and across the ferry to Harwich and then an easy trip to Peterborough. We didn’t even feel the need to send any of the showgirls as these would be putting the time in at the Tallinn show.

The ‘Maidens’ rig had been thoroughly cleaned and Bjorn had tweaked the light show a little to extend the time. This one just had the volcano and, before it left, was stocked up with plenty of posters and some of our tunics.

We would still have lots of posters and tunics for our home appearance and expected to sell plenty. As I had predicted, Greger had told me that after Tallinn, ‘Answer’ would be repainted to join our ‘Maidens’ fleet with the interior refitted with something a bit more durable.

It had been a year since I first saw it and it had featured in Gregers’ development, from hope to disappointment, reawakening to a new life with a new wife. It was time it was retired and I mentioned to him that there would need to be something new thought about for next years’ shows, if he wanted to carry on with them.

The Tallinn show was our big event, our last hurrah, so to speak. None of us felt that we could outdo the show in Austria; that had been a singular event that had come together like magic. It had cemented our place in the trucking world but, what was really intended, it had put the ‘Maidens’ concept out there as totally un-military.

We prepared ‘Answer’ for her last showing with great care and organised a photographer to come in and do a shoot with both me and Halina dressed to suit. The Austrian rig was carefully prepared as well and we had a run-through with the local film star who really wasn’t too bad. That is, if you hadn’t experienced the real thing.

My parents came to visit us and they would be staying with us for a couple of weeks. My father had been asked to stay a while and was wondering what that could mean. I did know that my mother was thinking very hard about moving to Tallinn to be near her children and grandchildren so that may well be what lay in the future.

Bjorn came back on the Thursday before our show and there seemed to be some very intense discussions going on between him and Anders but I knew that, if it concerned the rest of us, Anders would have a meeting.

My job at the Tallinn Truck show was very simple – make sure it went smoothly. We had been given a space that was slightly removed from the other exhibits so there was room for a crowd and the stage was set up next to us.

The timetable was for the awards to be made on Sunday evening before our show which would lead into the first band. It was a duplicate of the first evening except for the awards ceremony. It meant that we couldn’t take the rig away until Monday morning. “Answer’ was set out on her own with a banner over it proclaiming that it was the reigning champion truck.

We had all of our show girls ready to go and had even groomed a few more of the new girls who fitted the look. There would be two separate teams so everyone could spend time looking around.

Of course, any of our drivers who went to the show were instructed to wear the tunic and we had plenty on hand to sell. The weather forecast was good and Helena drove the rig in on the Friday so the organisers could set up the stage in the correct location. I drove ‘Answer’ in for the last time and gave the dashboard a bit of a tap before I got out.

Saturday we drove in with my father beside me and Berget with Melody and my mother in the back. They went off to have a look around while I double-checked our displays.

Greger and Halina were with ‘Answer’, Halina looking exceedingly beautiful and already getting asked for selfies, unfortunately often being called Antonia. Greger had a big grin on his face.

‘Maidens’ was open for business, Joanne and Marlen selling posters at a good rate. Our Saturday girls were there, making sure that their costume was correct and checking out the surroundings to make sure they would be able to ‘disappear’ successfully. Katrina assured me that the flash-bangs, lights and nozzles were all ready to go.

I caught up with my family and spent a lot of time with my father discussing different trucks. All the time I was being stopped and asked to sign posters. Even though I was wearing the company tunic, I suppose that a lot of fans could recognise me in a snowstorm at midnight.

My father though it was hilarious and told me I should see about a career in politics. We met up with Anders, and he asked me to go out to the carpark with him where he told me what had happened last week.

“Antonia,” he said, when we were sitting in his car, “This is a very early heads-up for you. In Peterborough, Bjorn was approached by a member of the British Army; a very high ranking member. They want to talk to us about setting up a similar contract to supply their bases in England as there is a very strong anti-militant group there, especially in Scotland with the Nationalists. They think it will take a while to set up but start next year with the first Truckfest show in England. They’ve been monitoring our operation here and are impressed.”

I just sat there in shock. “That’s wonderful,” I said, “But surely we can’t add that much more to our current operation?”

He smiled, “You’re perfectly right. It would mean, if we get it, that we would have to set up a new yard there or else buy an existing company quietly and rebrand it. It would be better if it’s an already British or, preferably, Scottish business. There are a lot of people still hurting after Brexit and Covid so we may be able to get something cheap if we promise to keep the workforce. It’s a lot to think about but first we have to win the contract. They’re only talking to us because we are doing the business now and doing it successfully.”

I asked, “What’s my place in this?” He said that he wanted me to spend time researching suitable companies there and give him a short list by the end of September.

Once this weekend was over, Berget would run the ‘Maidens’ and I would move into another office with all the equipment and funds to do my job. I told him that I was due to be at the test track in Germany the next week.

He said, “Good, both you and Berget will be coming back the following week into your new positions. You can talk it over with her but that’s as far as it goes. If we get it you both will be silent directors of the new business, whatever it may be called, with Bjorn as the managing director. You’re good with languages so we’ll send you back to the language school to learn enough English to get by. I heard what that camera-man called you and I think that anyone who’s ‘Bonza’ will do well.”

“Now, on a different matter altogether. I would like you to sound Mats out about perhaps selling his truck to us and coming on board as a team organiser, looking after the male drivers. I’ve seen how your girls work together and help everyone out. For too long this game has been a bunch of tough guys trying hard not to show any weakness. The drivers that have been doing the blue truck runs have changed, I’ve seen it.”

“They’re more committed but also more open among themselves because they’ve interacted with your team. He’ll work between both groups and will be on the executive with a company car. We’ll help in his relocation and you can tell your lovely mother to start looking for a house. They are Gregers’ in-laws and so are family now, as are you; and we Lundins look after our family.”

That was a lot to take in and, after we went back to the showground, I sat with a soft drink and thought about all that had been said. Exactly a year ago I had sat on this very seat before I went looking for Volvos to admire.

That was where my family found me and joined me with drinks in their hands. Melody had been changed, so I was told, and Berget asked me to run her home so she could look after the baby in the quiet.

She had seen the evening show already so I arranged to meet my parents near Halina in about an hour. I took Berget home and told her about her new job, just saying that Anders had given me a special project. She was, at first, frightened by it and then excited as she already had a few ideas of her own.

Back at the showground I found my folks with Halina, having a short break. I took them to the food stands and bought them lunch and we sat at the table I had sat with Greger.

“Mum, do you remember when I rang you and told you that a guy wanted me to drive for him?” She nodded so I carried on, “Well, I was sitting at this table at the time and you told me to go for it. I am going to hit you with something that you may have already spoken about. Anders wants Dad on the executive to act as a go-between, creating links with our girl teams and the men drivers. He is prepared to help you move here and will buy the Globetrotter off of you. He says we’re family now and he’s very well connected so it would only be good. What do you say?”

My father looked stunned but my mother burst out laughing. “Talk about it, I’ve been on his back for weeks now to get him to move but he’s always said that we had too much tied up in the business for him to go looking for a job. I’m all for it.”

My father stood and came around to my side of the table and I stood up. He hugged me tight and said, “Thank you; it’s through what you did a year ago that has brought all this about. Where is he, I’ll go and speak to him?”

I said that I thought Anders may be near ‘Maidens,’ and he picked up his hot dog and strode off. My mother sat there with a silly grin on her face. “I’ll be here with two, and soon to be three, grandchildren. It’s not a lot warmer here than Uppsala but it’s pleasant and, best of all, I can go looking for a house with a carport attached, rather than living in a garage with a shack attached.”

“I love you, my Anton, as a mother loves her son; but I love and admire you as Antonia. You’re so much more alive and involved and always thinking of making things better for others. Greger told me that someone called you ‘Bonza’ and explained what it meant. The person who called you that was so right.”

That evening my parents saw the light show for the first time, along with a few thousand Tallinn residents and quite a few from other countries if the conversations I heard during the afternoon was anything to go by.

I just left my team to do their thing and watched the show with my folks. When the light flare happened and the girls and Thor disappeared, the band hit the intro to their first number and my mother hugged me. She had tears in her eyes and I knew it wasn’t because of any smoke as we didn’t have it tonight.

We then went over and I helped put everything away. It had been quite a first anniversary. I drove my folks home and got into bed next to Berget, who just murmured “I love you, Anton,” and went back to sleep, she was still weak from the birth so I kissed her hair and drifted off myself, trying hard not to think about anything.

Sunday morning, we sat at the kitchen table and ate our breakfast without much being said, I think we were all contemplating our futures.

My father broke the ice. “I spoke to Anders yesterday and he explained his thinking and his offer. I said “yes.””

Berget was not aware of the subject matter so it was all explained to her and she immediately started organising a few trips that she and my mother could take to look at districts where there were nice houses to be looked at. That would keep her busy while I was away during the week.

At the showground I just stayed in the background while my team set the rig up for our second; and likely last, big show. Today I had my tunic on as the day before, but today I wore it as a short dress over black tights and the light blue boots.

Greger and Halina were still getting a lot of business. He told me that they were likely to run out of stock by mid-afternoon, something that made us all happy as we weren’t going to order any more. I didn’t mind as I had a full set rolled up at home, next to my set of ‘Maidens’ posters.

At the ‘Maidens’ site they were on their last few already and Marlen told me she had heard that posters of ours were already on the social media for up to a hundred times the purchase price.

I laughed and said that we could register them as an alternative currency. The day was perfect, made even more perfect when ‘Thor’s Maidens’ took the ‘Truck of the Show’ as well as the ‘Most Popular’.

‘Antonia’s Answer’ was given the ‘Best Artwork’ for the ‘E-Volvo-lution’ picture. Our final light show went well and when the band started I was crying with my head buried in Bergets’ shoulder.

The release of all the tension took its toll and I was wiped out. My folks said that they would get a taxi home so we left everyone to lock up and then to party and this time Berget took me home and looked after me along with the baby.

I went to sleep on our settee with Melody on my shoulder. When I woke again on Monday morning I was still on the settee but laid flat with a blanket over me.

My mother and Berget wanted me to stay home but today I was due to go to the test track in Germany. After breakfast, I went and had a long shower, packed my army back-pack with all the things I would need and dressed in my Estonian army Captain uniform. I kissed everyone and called for a taxi. Dad would be using my car while I was away.

The pick-up point was at the Transport Division and the taxi dropped me off at the gate. I was told to wait until everyone had arrived and, when we were complete, Q arrived in a small truck and we were told to get in the back.

He drove us to a military airfield where a German air force plane took us all to a place that I thought may be deep in the Black Forest. When we got out there was a bus that took us to our quarters. Q said that there would be a talk before the evening meal and our first lesson would begin tonight with some light vehicle driving at night. Lovely way to get our heads around what we were in for!

The talk was led by Q, who told us that we would be moving from light vehicles to medium and then heavy trucks in a range of terrains. He said that if we were good enough we would then have time in true military vehicles, multi-wheeled APC’s and some of us may even get to drive a tank.

He then dropped a bombshell by saying that the instructors had been told to give us our directions in English to make it a true test of our driving and reaction skills. Elizabeth would be good but the other four of us were immediately worried.

He then went through the words we would need to know and I found out the English words for ‘stop, go, slow down, left, right and reverse.’ We sat and he told us to put our arms out to denote what we were supposed to do with us drooping our heads when it came to ‘slow down’.

It was a very funny half an hour as we were taken through the instructions to much waving of arms until he was happy. We then went for a meal and were then taken out to where five 4x4’s waited for us with our instructors.

It was still light so the first lap of the course they had chosen went well and the directions were given well in advance. I led off with the others at one minute intervals.

When I pulled up after the first lap my companion murmured, ‘Sehr gut,’ which made me feel better. The second lap was in the falling dusk and was done with headlights on. I was trying to remember where we had turned the last time when he waited until we were nearly at a junction and told me to go the other way.

It was touch and go but I made it. When we got back to the start point he was smiling and listening to the bud in his ear which, I understood, was plugged into a small radio.

This time we had to wait a good five minutes before Marlen pulled up and the two new girls had arrived before Elizabeth, the front of her vehicle festooned with branches.

For the last lap, the instructor leaned over and turned the lights off and then flicked a switch which gave me ‘blackout lighting,’ a sort of red glow that only went about three metres in front.

He smiled and said “go” and I was off again. That lap was, I think, one of the best drives of my life. I had some idea of the roads and he gave me a decent lead to any turn so I was able to keep the speed up. We arrived back, parked the vehicle and I was sitting in the mess with a hot drink before Marlen walked in with a big grin on her face.

Elizabeth wasn’t far behind this time and the other girls got in as well. I asked Elizabeth what went wrong and she told me that she had got cocky so the instructor held off until the last moment to give her a new direction and they had done some ‘gardening’ before she was able to get back on the track.

We all slept well and were roused at five by some bully banging on our doors. We had a breakfast and went back out into the big parking area where we found our instructors standing beside smallish trucks which we thrashed around the track again and then did another route which was a lot more up and down.

We then did the same tracks with a field gun hooked on the back. After lunch and a toilet break we spent the afternoon in six by fours with some tonnage on board followed by another session with a trailer attached. I was having fun but finding some of the tracks a bit tight to navigate. One of our new girls took out a tree but managed to keep going.

The following morning we were driving something we all knew, a ten by six similar to our own trucks. For me it was good because I had done the laps in Sweden and had experience with the low speed box.

On Thursday we all had a completely different experience. We did laps of a course that, thankfully, was a bit wider than the ones we had been on before. That helped as we were in charge of a monster of a truck with a tank on the huge trailer.

We did the lap one at a time as there wasn’t enough room at the start for more than one of these beasts. For some reason they held me back to go last and it was worth waiting for. I don’t think there was much else in the world that compared, maybe those hundred tonners that they use in mine pits.

Our last morning was really different as we walked out to see five eight-wheeled armoured personnel carriers and we went to a very different part of the complex where we attacked deep mud, trenches and small parapets.

Marlen wondered why they had full harness seat belts for the driver and instructor and found out why when she over-revved trying to climb a small wall, and ended up with the vehicle on its back.

They got a recovery truck in and put it back on its wheels and she made it over the top on the next try. After that we had a lot of fun playing with a light tank each and learning how to skid-steer a tracked vehicle. Every day we were given our instructions in English and I found that I was following it easily by the end of our stay.

Before we left we were given an early dinner and our patches were handed out. We all got them so we must have been good enough, even after gardening.

We then packed our stuff and Q joined us in the bus back to the airfield and a plane to take us home. I was glad that it had been after the stress of the show as it had allowed me to get my equilibrium back. On the way back, I was already starting to think about my project.

Marianne Gregory © 2022

E’volvo’lution Chapter 16

It was late in the evening when we landed and found that Q had arranged transport to take the other girls home. He drove me himself in a rental car and asked me if I had any questions.

“The other military guys in Austria were British Army, weren’t they?”

He agreed they were, “They were very impressed with the show, one of them managed to get a signed poster with all of you there to take home to his teenage daughter.”

“Are we a certainty to get a contract if we can come up with a suitable base, then?”

He told me that I was probably correct.

Back home I found that my folks had gone home to see what they would keep and what they would dispose of. Anders had given them a container that they could park and fill up.

Berget and I went off to bed and cuddled up while I told her of the things I had driven and showed her the patches which were now on the side cupboard by my side of the bed.

She laughed when she saw the man on the tank climbing the wall and I told her that it was very close to our final session. She told me that they had seen a house my mother liked which had a shed, rather than a carport, but the house was the biggest part of the property.

I was just getting amorous when Melody decided she needed attention and I was volunteered to look after her, being told “I’ve been doing this all week and I deserve a rest.”

We had a quiet weekend talking about the next week and just trying to find the odd half hour where we could share our love between feeds and nappies. By the time we got up on Monday morning we were settled with what we were about to start.

As I’ve said before, the baby was front and centre which allowed me to settle into my new office and make a start at my quest. I started with logging on to ‘Businesses for Sale’ looking for transport companies.

There weren’t many listed and what I saw wasn’t helpful. I wasn’t unhappy because I knew it wouldn’t be a quick result. I then looked up the industry listings of transport companies and made notes of those I could see were about the right size.

I had immediately decided that there was to be no link with Lundins so that also ruled out using Volvo exclusively. I then thought along those lines to see if there were trucks made in the UK that were not just bodies built onto supplied chassis frames.

There were, from first look, only two; Dennis and Scammell. Both, I knew, had been around a long time and both had built huge trucks, Scammell, in particular, supplying tank transporters in the war.

I was faced with a dilemma. I needed to get more information but I couldn’t do it from my office, even with false names on emails. What I needed was a base in England so that any search into a future company would come back to there.

I had a quick meeting with Anders and then called Elizabeth on her phone, asking her to come into my office when she had finished the delivery she was on. I spent my time looking up various sites and saw that I had to rule Dennis out as the company, one of the biggest suppliers of fire engines and rubbish trucks; after a lot of moves and name changes, was no more.

Further investigation revealed that Scammell, the builder of the most brutal looking trucks ever, had also disappeared. One brand that stood out with a tenuous British history was DAF.

The company that owned them had acquired Foden and Leyland trucks in the recent past and were quite well-known on British roads. The cab was a front control with sleeper; very similar to our Volvo Globetrotter and they did a 6x4 and 8x4.

Now all we had to do was find an ailing company that used them or else start a new one. I looked at the on-line specification sheets and the CF480 or CF530 took my fancy for the heavy work. At thirteen litres, it’s similar to the Volvo. The general usage truck could be the CF370, only eleven litres.

When Elizabeth came in I asked her if there were any other English speakers among our girls. She told me that Laura, one of our earlier civilian employees, and Emma, one of the later ones from the army, were both good speakers, having spent some time in the UK as children. I thanked her for the information and then went to see Anders again.

In his office I laid out what I had discovered on my first day and told him that I thought that the only way we could separate Lundin from the new business is to open up a new office in England with English speaking principals.

I suggested that Elizabeth could lead the group and she could register a business name with her, Emma and Laura as partners. If it didn’t pan out they could come back. Before I went home we arranged a meeting with the three girls and Bjorn for the next afternoon. I dropped in to Bergets office and took Melody with me as Berget was deep into organising the next truck shows to round out the season.

The following day Anders, Bjorn and me sat and worked out a budget based on what we could afford if we didn’t get the contract and I found that we had quite a bit that I could spend.

That afternoon the six of us sat in the board-room and the three girls were asked if they would like to start a new company, in England, as a holding company. They had to look for a transport business we could buy.

They were amazed but enthusiastic. It was decided that they would have be ex- Lundin employees, supposedly living off their holiday and retirement pay while they were there, until they were making enough money to be independent. They were instructed to open a bank account into which we would deposit enough funds to keep them going. This would be from my own I had set up in Uppsala as a young lad – Anton Berg not being an employee of Lundin.

Over the following week they said their farewells to their families and friends, saying that they had clubbed together to go to the UK. We were to keep in touch with Elizabeth emailing my own laptop which stayed at the apartment so that it was not linked to the Lundin Wi-Fi server.

In the week after, they had opened an account and registered a business name. ‘TEG - Trucking Essex Girls (Holdings)’ was formed. They rented a house in Romford and we took their belongings over with a load in one of our deliveries for NATO.

The location was perfect, being close to London and the Tilbury docks, as well as also very close to Dagenham and Ilford, both having a big industrial base.

Elizabeth kept me abreast of their activities as they looked for failing businesses as well as good locations for starting one up from scratch. In the meantime I spent three solid weeks in the language school again, this time learning enough English to get by.

In the end they found an example of both requirements. The site was quite near them in a village called White Notley, just south of the Braintree Ring Road. It was a cluster of five big sheds alongside the Witham Road, a pretty good carriageway for that part of the country. It was in very close proximity to the big army camp at Colchester.

The other was a Welsh trucking firm called Red Dragon Trucking which had operated out of the Bromfield Industrial Estate in a lovely little place called Mold. It was close to a lot of good roads into the Midlands and also very close to Liverpool.

The owners had concentrated on taking goods from Spain and Italy to the UK and delivering to big stores from Manchester to Birmingham. The advent of Brexit and Covid, and the difficulty with getting over to Europe and back with big trucks had almost destroyed them. They had six DAF trucks and trailers sitting in a yard covered in tarpaulins and it was a bargain when we bought the company and the yard with contents.

With the infrastructure in place we signed the contract with the Ministry of Defence, once again everything being deliberately vague. Over the rest of the year we took on ten drivers supplied by the British Army and another ten civilians.

The civilians worked out of Wales and consisted of six drivers and four mechanics with Laura moving into a house in Mold to take charge. The army girls worked out of Essex with six new DAF trucks and trailers.

We also put on four mechanics there and Emma was in charge, having been in our army driver group. We didn’t operate doubles as most of the roads, other than the motorways, were not too friendly for these.

The Welsh trucks were freshly painted in green with a Red Dragon on the sides of the cabs, while the Essex ones had a much different look. They were a pinkish, lilac colour with ‘Essex Girls’ over the front of the cab with an extremely well-endowed lady on either side.

We built a lighter trailer in our workshop and painted it up as a show exhibit with Greger unleashing his inner perv on the picture on the side. It was ordered and paid for as a straight business transaction by TEG.

Bjorn took it to the UK with a load of new computer tracking equipment that matched our system in Tallinn, and was destined to be set up in Essex to handle the management of both businesses.

Elizabeth had found a large house with several sheds near Royston and had set up a room in the house as a control room and the army supplied three logistics officers who worked three shifts. The British were being very much more ‘hands-on’ with this operation.

We also built and painted a ‘Red Dragon’ show trailer with a full light show that had the scales of the dragon changing colour over a period of time and then the eyes starting to glow. The cycle ended with the eyes flaring red and a blast of flame coming from a vent in the roof that was in line with the upturned head.

This was repeated on the other side as well. Again, it was on an order and paid for by TEG which now, due to the big contract, was doing very nicely. The two trailers were destined to be shown at the UK shows only, during the summer season.

After Tallinn we had appeared at a show in Croatia with ‘Maidens’ as well as two on the Volvo stands in Hannover and the final one of the year in Berne, Switzerland.

By now, Helena was very involved with our management and resigned from the Estonian army in December to be our second-in-command in the Maidens operation. At the same time we lost Anna and Karmen. Both offered an officer commission if they went back to the Transport Division as instructors, something they couldn’t refuse.

On top of that, being an all-girl operation, we started to get other drivers having babies so converted one of the rooms in the complex into a crèche and employed a full-time nurse to look after it.

These additions, and our live-in units on site, were marking us out as leaders in the transport world when it came to employing women. The published figures showed that a happy band of women were far more cost-effective, even with the added outlays.

When we came to the first anniversary of the opening of the new yard we had taken delivery of another six big trucks and employed another ten civilian drivers. There were applications coming in from all over the country and, we noted, a lot were from the daughters of trucking families.

By my second anniversary of being in Tallinn I was very busy with my work with Elizabeth. I still had a small part in our show trucks. We were not part of the Volvo commercial shows this year as they thought that they had made their mark there so just concentrated on the Artistic ones.

We had been asked by the organisers of the Peterborough Truckfest if we could take a ‘Maidens’ light-show rig but have a rear trailer set up as a stage so we built one similar to the one Berget and I had hauled.

As that show coincided with Tallinn this year we had Helena in charge here while Berget, Melody and I took the other rig to the UK, this one having the full show capability.

When we arrived at the showground on the Wednesday I was shown where to park and set up the lighting. This show was a bit different to our previous ones because the person playing Thor was the guitarist in the band for the evening performance. The difference was that, instead of disappearing with the light flare, when the audience got their vision back he would be holding a guitar shaped like the Thor hammer and would start with the riff of one of their hits.

Elizabeth turned up with both of their show trucks and she took us all back to the hotel we were all staying at, driving an ‘Essex Girls’ people mover which was certainly an eye-opener on the road.

Emma and Laura joined us and, after the two other drivers had gone to bed, we had a chat about how things had gone. All three girls were grateful for the opportunity and backing and now had a solid future as directors of a successful concern. Elizabeth told me that they were planning another three trucks for each part of the company.

She also said that they would repay the loans from Lundin over the following year or so. It wasn’t all that much of a separation of the two companies because we were taking trailers to them in England to deliver with their trucks and bringing back loads for Europe that they had picked up. It certainly kept their logistics guys busy keeping track.

I was supposed to be one of the ‘showgirls’ and Thursday we flew another five in for the duration, Elizabeth doing the pick-up honours as we couldn’t bring our own vehicle.

Thursday I also met with the guitarist and showed him what we had for him to work with. His band set up their equipment on our stage trailer and there was also extra speaker stacks at each end of the rig.

Friday was show day and Berget had the store open with our posters and tunics. The five other girls and I rotated with our tunics on, answering questions and posing for selfies. The other two trucks also had good crowds, the Red Dragon spewing fire on the hour and the Essex Girls truck had three very comely girls who were getting a lot of attention.

In the evening we did our introduction to the band with our usual sound and light show, the guitarist making a pretty good job of being Thor.

The flare happened and we girls did the disappearing act with his hammer being replaced with his guitar. We were heading for the steps of the front trailer as his opening riff rang out. We all changed into normal clothes, shut down the lighting, locked the truck and trailer and left in the people mover with Elizabeth.

She had already taken her crew to the hotel. The band could close up the stage when they finished playing. It had, I thought, been an interesting and different use of ‘Maidens’. Just two more shows to go.

On the Saturday I saw Q in the crowd, walking with Felix and a few other military looking types. Sunday he came up to me and told me that everyone was very happy and he had even been promoted, not telling me his rank, though.

I spent my second anniversary of being Antonia by letting the others run the show while I had a nice lunch with Berget and Melody. That evening the sound and light show was again the hit of the event and the band turned up the volume to close the night.

We stayed until the early hours while the band took down their equipment and loaded it into their own truck. The guitarist gave me the Fender Hammer guitar as a keepsake and we locked everything away, ready to leave the next day. We left the stage trailer with Elizabeth to hire out to other shows.

For the rest of the year I kept in touch with Elizabeth, helped Berget and Helena with the shows and just made sure everything ran smoothly.

I spent a lot of time with Halina, now the proud mother of young Greger, sometimes taking Melody with me so she could play with him. The older he got, the more he looked like Melody, his mother, his aunt and his grandmother.

The lad was destined to be the butt of jokes but he would have me and a loving father to show him just what can be achieved.

In Tallinn we approached Christmas with a feeling that we couldn’t do much more. Our own operation was running smoothly and there were only connections with the military when it was needed and then at a much higher level than the British.

My parents were truly settled in and my mother was in heaven with three grandchildren to cuddle. Actually, it was soon to be four as Berget was pregnant again. I was approaching thirty and it seemed that my puberty was finally happening. My doctor, though, informed me it was just the aging process.

As the months passed I had become less Antonia and more like the old Anton. My fourth anniversary in Tallinn was the turning point. Berget and I made a decision that I should go back to being Anton, full-time.

Antonia had not appeared at a show for a couple of years so she was being slowly consigned to history. I had never taken hormones or had any permanent changes made so it was a matter of taking a long holiday, cutting my hair and buying a new wardrobe of male clothes that, I must admit, were a bit more ‘metrosexual’. The main thing I missed was the jewellery and the softer clothing but certainly didn’t miss the long times getting dressed and the need to wear heels.

After the holiday I spent most of my time flying around Europe, sorting out supply lines, talking to suppliers, fuel companies, hotel chains, and all the other little things we needed to do to keep the operation going. As far as Tallinn was concerned, Antonia had left the company.

The UK operation came to an end, of sorts, around that time. There were a number of small leaks and a few of the ‘Essex Girls’ trucks had been stopped at the gates of army bases.

This only affected the ‘Essex Girls’ operation and there was enough general work that the ‘Girls’ carried on as a general carrier and some customers approved of what they had been doing.

The contract, however, was with TEG (Holdings) so we were still committed to our supply of special transport. ‘Essex Girls’ delivered non-military supplies for a while but the drivers all resigned from the army to keep working as civilians.

Elizabeth just went out and ordered eight Isuzu trucks and trailers, had them painted black and the ‘sensitive’ business carried on with ‘Tik-Tok Transport’ taking over the loads, now using back gates and operating at night using her pool of now-civilian drivers.

The motto was ‘Regular as Clockwork, any Hour - any Place’ and the vehicles looked so overtly covert that no-one took them seriously. Now they operated out of the sheds in Royston and the contract stayed with her.

The ex-army drivers took turns operating the computer system and managing the logistics. The Essex Girls trucks and trailers were systematically repainted as Red Dragon units and so life there carried on.

Berget and I finally married and Anders appointed me as the person in charge of a whole new yard, this time in the Balkans. I was to set it up from scratch to handle the massive amount of work we were doing in the eastern side of Europe, especially along the edge of the Russian holdings.

It took a month in the language school before I could understand even half of a conversation in Bulgarian but I had full backing to employ interpreters as well as drivers, mechanics and other office staff.

We found a site for our yard near Sofia and bought a house big enough for the four of us and any visiting family or friends. It took nearly two years to build our new complex and get up to speed with a new fleet and new staff but we achieved it in the end.

We followed the lead of other transport companies in the area and equipped our fleet with Iveco units. Of course, our general contract with NATO gave us enough work from the get-go. By the time we had spent another eight years there, Melody had grown up, able to speak Bulgarian like a native as well as the Estonian and Swedish we spoke at home.

Little Halina was just about to finish primary school and was also partially bi-lingual. We hadn’t missed our family and friends, many visiting several times to take advantage of the warmer climate, especially in the spring and autumn.

We had also been to the UK, Tallinn and other European cities often to put supply chains into place.

The one thing I didn’t expect, was to be recalled to Tallinn and told that Greger and Bjorn had decided that they wanted me to take over the company. Anders was well beyond his retirement age now and wanted to go off and spend his time travelling.

I went back to Sofia and talked it over with my family. Berget was happy with it and it wouldn’t worry Halina very much but Melody was upset that she would leave her friends.

It took a lot of discussion and the promise that she could attend a prestigious University that decided her. She was a very bright child and would go far in the world; perhaps further than her father.

After that it was just a matter of promoting our best person to carry on and then we sold the house and packed up to head north again. Our belongings were put into a trailer and shuttled through various yards to Tallinn

Both sets of parents were happy to see us come back and we bought a very nice house in an up-market area. Berget was now a full-time house-wife and was committed to giving our two the best upbringing she could.

My father had retired and was now only working with the company as a consultant. Both of my parents were happy, even happier once we had brought back two of their grand-children. My sister had given birth to a set of twins who were now seven; young Greger was about to finish high school and Agnis was at University. Surrounded by them all I felt old.

I felt even older the day I sat in the big office for the first time. There, on the walls, were signs of my past.

The signed posters of ‘Antonia’s Answer’ and ‘Thor’s Maidens’ were flanked with the broken fibreglass hammer and the hammer guitar. There were also posters of ‘Essex Girls’ and ‘Red Dragon’ as well as an enlarged photo of one of the ‘Tik-Tok’ fleet and a line-up of fifty Iveco’s that were in Sofia.

Along a shelf was an impressing array of show awards, with the one for “Truck of the Show’ that ‘Answer’ had won in front and centre. That day was the starting point of a massive business.

Greger was now a respected teacher of art in the local University and Halina was very much a ‘society leader.’ Bjorn had gone into politics with Erik’s help and was likely to become a minister at the next election. Helena ran the every-day trucking business with such expertise it made it easier for me. Strangely, many of our initial twenty odd drivers were still with us but now in senior positions. Most of the others that had appeared in the original group photo were retired or had moved on.

Alongside the main building were the show trailers for ‘Maidens.’ They had been stripped of their wheels and sat on the ground. Sitting beside them was the lightweight container from the back of ‘Answer’ with the painting still as vivid as the day I first saw it.

They were under a big roof. The ‘Maidens’ trailers were used for office storage and spare parts. The container was next to the side door and connected to the power supply. It was our overflow cloakroom which was very handy in winter.

The original yard had been almost completely rebuilt with modern facilities to match the headquarters and most of the fleet had been replaced over the intervening years.

I made waves no longer but now became the sea wall that other waves crashed into and slowly came to understand just how good Anders had been at his job.

I just hoped that whoever took over from me would think that I had done well enough.

We didn’t go into truck shows any more as we were all far too busy making money for the company. One of the first things I did as the overall boss was to go to the UK and meet with Elizabeth to negotiate her total independence from the Lundin group.

She was, by now, running fifty or so trucks and was in a good position. She, and her husband, took me out for dinner and I had a lovely time.

Even though her husband had never met Antonia he asked me if I knew her and I said that I did, very well, but that she had left the business to take up event organising.

Elizabeth could hardly keep a straight face. Even she had been surprised some years before when I turned up in a suit and tie instead of a dress and it had taken a little bit of explaining before she was comfortable with the whole thing.

On the day of my twentieth anniversary of becoming Antonia I took my family to the Tallinn Truck show to gaze at the artistic details and take in the atmosphere. Berget, Halina and her boyfriend stayed close but Melody dashed off to meet up with her steady guy who worked in the security business and was on duty today.

Several heads of other companies greeted me during the day and we were enchanted by the light shows as the darkness fell, now following the trends that we had set all of those years ago.

Of course, a lot had changed in the past years and most of the newer exhibits were hydrogen powered or electrics with solar panels. Greger had looked into the future when he had painted the original Pony Express rider. We now had staging yards with big charging stations between three and five hundred kilometres apart. We worked goods across Europe in Pony Express style, a truck only going back and forth between two posts while the trailer was taken further on.

I stood at the spot where I first saw ‘Antonia’s Answer’ and there was a rig that was all pop-art and strange pictures, a bit like a Picasso. The lights on it were almost hypnotic as they swirled and danced.

The name on the side of the cab was - ‘Akki?’ - ‘Maybe?’

Marianne Gregory © 2022