Gaby Book 12+1 Chapter *6* Reflections

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 get the complete book here! {Or here (US) -Erin}
 
 
*Chapter 6*

Reflections

 
 
“With us?” I exclaimed.

“You don’t have to shout Gab,” Mand admonished.

“When?”

“Probably around half term I guess.”

“Cool!”
 
 

The others were of course flying home Monday morning but the Bond contingent have got a long day on the road ahead of us. Whilst I would happily have spent the evening at the impromptu party Dad ‘suggested’ an early night so I bade my farewells as we’ll be leaving at silly o’clock in the morning. My head had barely hit the pillow before I was asleep, clearly the days exertions had taken more out of me than I thought.
 
 

“Come on kiddo, up and at ‘em. Cars packed, we just need you.” Dad advised gently shaking me into life.

“What time is it?”

“Five fifteen.”

“Too early.”

“Come on, we’re picking Ron up in half an hour.”

“Breakfast?”

“We’ll get it on the ferry, come on shake a leg.”

Why couldn’t we have flown? Dad left me to it, no time to shower so it was a quick wash, massy and a wipe of lippy, it looked cool outside, dry at least so I pulled my trackie top on over my t-shirt. I lobbed everything in my bag, checked the room for left over Bond, good job as my handy was still in the bathroom, then went in search of the ‘rents.

“Got everything?” Dad enquired when I reached the car.

“I did check, where’s Mum?”

“Just having a word with Caro.”

Just then they both emerged from the hotel foyer, I must’ve dashed straight past them.

“Well have a safe journey guys,” Caro offered.

“You too Caro, I’ll call you Wednesday,” Dad replied.

“And you take care Drew, it’s been quite a summer eh?”

“Yeah,” I agreed.

We had a round of hugs then it really was time to depart.
 
 

The German team have been staying in Roskilde itself so at least the diversion to pick up Roni was in the right direction. She was no more awake than me, we’d hardly got on the road south before she was asleep, Mum wasn’t far behind in the slumber stakes. I just about kept my peepers open until we joined the motorway at Køge barely thirty kilometres into our journey.
 
 

I’m not sure what woke me, a change in engine tone, a jolt as the car pulled to a stop maybe, whatever it was, I at least felt a bit more rested.

“Where are we?” I queried of the chauffeur.

“Ferry terminal kiddo, I need to go get us checked in, you coming?”

“Er sure,” I allowed, Mum and Ron were still out of it.

It was full daylight now; unlike the previous few days it was looking like we were in for a warm and bright ride south. I joined Dad and we walked across to the check in, according to the information screen the eight o’clock sailing was on time so another thirty minutes or so until breakfast.

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

“‘Bout what?” Dad queried.

“Manda coming to stay.”

“We only confirmed things on Saturday night and you were all a bit preoccupied yesterday if I recall.”

“I guess, so she gonna be going to Silverberg?”

“We haven’t sorted that out yet but most likely she’ll go to the English school in Bonn.”

“With Goth Girl? Why not my school?”

“She’s halfway through her GCSE’s, not only that, the only German she knows is what she’s picked up from you.”

“And?”

“And that means she’ll do better in Bonn, like I said it’s not all sorted out yet.”

 
 
We got checked in and returned to the Mercedes where the others were now awake and Mum was trying to tune the radio to something in German that was understandable.

“Where you two been?”

“Getting us checked in,” Dad supplied.

“We made good time,” Mum opined.

“Not too much traffic even through Nykøbing, we’ll have to fuel up in Rostock, we’re nearly on fumes.”

“Okay,” Mum agreed.

“Looks like we’re loading,” Ron noted.

Well not actually us yet, a couple of strange truck things were darting in and out of the ferry loading articulated trailers but no sooner had they come off for the third time were we called forward. My stomach was now rumbling, first stop upstairs will be the restaurant for breakfast – I need coffee!

“Come on, I’m starved.” I keenly shared.

“We’ll catch up kiddo, you both got money?”

Was it only five days ago that we were last here? We made a beeline for the restaurant, what I really fancied was a full English but we are not talking a Dover ferry here. No, instead there was a choice of a set plate of cheese and meat or you pay out for the full buffet.

“I’m not paying that for frühstuck,” Ron stated.

Indeed it was five euros for the plate but a hefty twelve for the buffet. My stomach rumbled again.

“It is inclusive, I’ll get it if you’re tight.”

“Its not that,”

“Madchen?” the woman at the counter enquired.

“Two buffets please.”

“Euro or Krone?”

“Euro.”

“Twenty four please.”

“Gab,” Ron complained.

“My treat,” I offered passing the woman the dosh.

“Danke, coffee and juice at the end.”

“Thanks, come on Ron.”

 
 
It was a bit of a weird set up, there was a bit of the restaurant roped off adjacent to the buffet to keep the riff raff out and a crewmember was in attendance to enforce things. I waved our tickets and he let us in where we claimed a table before collecting anything. The spread was equal to any hotel I’ve stayed in and we both set to plundering the supplies.

“Aah! That’s better,” I allowed after a long draft of coffee.

“Hmm,” Ron agreed.

“You know I told you about BC setting up a kind of apprentice thing?”

“Something about riders joining Apollinaris for the big races next year.”

“That too but they are placing riders with teams to get some better experience.”

“Just what we need, more competition.”

I wasn’t sure if she was being sarcastic or not with that.

“Well anyway, Manda’s got the first placement, she’s joining Apollinaris and staying at ours.”

“Racing with us?”

“Well duh, this scrambled egg is good.”

“She did well in Schweiz, it was lucky yesterday.”

I think Ron was a bit miffed at yesterdays result; she’d certainly been one of the favourites for a medal going into the race. That however had played against her in the final, she got boxed by the Dutch and Italian girls, Mand who had been shadowing her all day slipped the leash and although miles behind Vos and Bronzini was the best of the rest by a tyre. Lucky yes but we all rely on the goddess to get us to the finish.

“You were in the frame,” I pointed out.

“But no medals for seventh.” She stated flatly.

Not much I could say to that, I got two gongs this weekend, I am a World Champeen, I might not’ve got the one I really wanted but that was luck too. The bad luck that Cav was a teammate, bad luck that he was there at the finale. But that’s how luck goes, there’s no guarantee that without Mark there I’d have won, my shoulder could’ve been worse, the break could have been brought back – well the vagaries of luck are pretty much infinite.
 
 

“There you are,” Mum stated.

“What took you guys?”

“Bit of stuff to sort out,” Dad supplied.

“That looks good.” Mum opined reaching over and purloining a bit of the scrambled egg.

“It’s the buffet, Gab insisted on paying out, twelve euros!”

“Each?” Dad queried.

“Yeah, but it includes coffee and juice,” I promoted.

“Come on Dave, it’ll set us up for the drive.”

“Twelve euro!” he muttered as Mum headed for the servery.

 
 
The crossing takes just over an hour and a half, we were only twenty minutes from port when we emerged from breakfast, sated and sloshing with coffee! Remember the rule; always use any available facilities, so after a quick visit we went up on deck to watch arrival back into Germany. Rostock isn’t on the coast proper but at the head of a fjord so we had to pass through the narrow mouth and progress inland to the ferry terminal.

Of course, unlike crossing the Channel, Germany and Denmark are both in Schengen* so once off the boat we were straight out of the docks and in minutes pulling into a Tankstelle on the edge of Rostock.

“We won’t be stopping for a while so if you want water or anything best get it now.” Dad instructed.

“Ron?”

“Get me a bottle if you’re going,” she instructed.

Since when did I become the domestique?

 
 
I grabbed a six-pack of water in the shop and one of those kilo bags of gummi bears – its gonna be a long drive okay, 700km, maybe a bit more. Back outside Mum was just adjusting the driver’s seat.

“Dad not driving?”

“I’m taking us down to Bremen so your dad can get some shut eye – he did drive down to the ferry with us all asleep.”

Hope she drives better than she normally does, she can be a bit of a lead foot!

* Open border arrangement signed up to by most European countries but not isolationist Britain.

Maddy Bell © 17.08.2014

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Comments

Are you serious?

What happens when you feed a teenager two (2) pounds of gumi bears?

they

Maddy Bell's picture

won't all be eaten by Gaby!


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Madeline Anafrid Bell

Snacks

When I went through Basic Training (late 1981) at Ft Sill OK, I ate a full pound of M&M's in 30 minutes when we were given our first pass to go to the Shopette. The results were not very good. I got sick and was NOT able to eat M&M's for over 6 months after that. In fact, it took me over 2 years before I could eat them in sizable numbers again. :)

A kilo bag of gummi bears?

A kilo bag of gummi bears? Now there is a real sugar high just waiting to happen. Altho with her work out ethics, she will no doubt work it all off before they even get home.

its certainly

Maddy Bell's picture

A lot of bears - 1kg generally lasts me 4 sessions! I have to admit gummi bears are a bit of a vice for me - a visit to the Haribo shop when i'm in Germany is a rare treat or worse still one of the Gummi Bear shops!


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Madeline Anafrid Bell

My goto

Is black jelly beans. A local confection maker sells 2kg bags. Yum!!

Yum!!

Gummy Bears, more the merrier.

++++++++++++
Cartman: A fine day of plundering we had boys. What about yourselves? Here you are lads, plenty of booty to go around. A round of grog for me boys. A round of grog for everyone!

Just wondering

Did I miss somthing? What ever happened to Aiden? Did Gaby ever explain her presence in the race?

there

Maddy Bell's picture

Wasn't any opportunity after the race - i'm sure their paths will cross again in the future!


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Madeline Anafrid Bell

School will be interesting for Drew

Jamie Lee's picture

The rush is over for the time being, running all over the country to this and that race. Now it's back to school, and being embarrassed when the announcements include Drew's recent accomplishments. Hopefully those at school won't make it hard on Drew because of her recent wins, if they understand the significance of the World race.

There's something the Bonds have put off until after the Worlds, Drew's surgery. The surgery Drew needs to correct a problem that was discovered after a few tests. A problem that has upset Drew and confused her since the discovery. Will she go through with the surgery or make up some excuse to put it off again?

Mmm... gummi bears! Or Jelly Bellies, both are good! It's hard not to binge on either one because they taste so good. Stuffing oneself with either one can result in the ability to run a kilometer in a few seconds, or get a wish you hadn't done that stomach ache. They definitely should be kept out of the hands of little kids, if the parents want to get any sleep at night.

Others have feelings too.