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*Chapter 30*
Pretty Maids in a Row

 
 
The staff at the children’s home were, of course, expecting us. There was of course another photo opportunity for which I made sure that I wasn’t hanging onto von Strechau! The kids in the home* are all under twelve and here for many different reasons, they were assembled in the TV room where, much like last year we did a short round of carols with the kinder. Then it was present time, everyone got gifts – excess stuff would be held in reserve or put into the house supply.
It was late afternoon before we returned to the asthmatic Sebenschuh minibus for the journey back up the valley.

Christmas Eve, Weihnachts, is of course the main day, the important day of the holiday here in Germany. Shops and markets close early, families travel to relations, cooks cook, the TV schedule actually improves – not difficult there – yeah, a family day. With decorations up, the dark one helping Mum with the dinner preparations and Dad getting ready to visit the airport for a third day in a row, this time to collect Gran, I was at a loose end.
I sort of suggested I’d go to Con’s for a bit so I dressed in jeans and a chunky jumper, snow is forecast but not until Sunday.
“What you up to, Gab?”

“Just popping round to Con’s for a bit.”

“Back for six, your Gran’ll be here,” Mum mentioned.

“Okay.”

Why walk when you can ride? I chucked my bag in the Schauff’s basket before re-adjusting my headgear and setting off for the bakery.
“Brrrr!” I allowed once inside the Thesing’s place

“Shoulda put your ski jacket on,” Con suggested leading the way up to the apartment.

“Didn’t look too bad.” I opined.

“Yeah, chocolate?”
“You bet!” I agreed.
What did we do? What do teenage girls do at any time? Gossip, sip at our drinks, gossip, play with our phones and as it’s Weihnachts, eat some Christmas biscuits and maybe some Stollen. I’d been there about an hour when the phone rang.
Brrrrng, Brrrrng! Brrrrng, Brrrrng!
“Can you get that, Connie luv,” Therese called through.
“Sure,” Con replied picking it up as the next ring started, “abend Thesing…oh hi Pia…nothing much, Gab’s here stuffing Stollen…yeah…Monday? I’ll ask her,” she covered the mouthpiece, “P want’s to know if you want to go to Bonn Monday, her dad’s volunteered to drive.”

“I think so, have to check though with my Oma here.”

“She says yes,” Con told our friend, “yeah okay, Fröhes Weihnacht.”

Well that’s something to do at any rate, something other than training and cheer practice.

“Fröhes Weihnacht!” I called out.

“Who was it?” Frau Thesing enquired from the kitchen.

“Only Pia.”

“Can you take your dad a coffee, he’s been cleaning those machines for hours.”

Of course for the bakery Christmas is an opportunity for jobs to get done that often get left, Thesing’s is usually open every day, they are closed for a whole day and a half over the holiday! Which reminds me, I can start doing some shifts again in the New Year – that is if they want me. To be honest it’s not just the money, that’s useful of course, no I actually enjoy the work, it’s not school, it’s not bikes but it is fun.

“You girls fancy earning a few euros?” Herr Thesing queried from the door, his Handy gripped in one hand.

“Always,” Con replied.

“Sure,” I agreed.

Tomas spoke into his phone, “Helm? Got two volunteers here…okay, see you later, tschuss.”

“What’s up, love?” Therese asked from the kitchen where the smell of the Thesing’s Weihnachts dinner was setting my taste buds alight.

“That was Helmut,” Tomas told the assembled females.

“I got that, what have the girls volunteered for?” Con’s Mum opined.

“If you’d let me finish, apparently a Reisebusse has broken down in Ahrweiler, they are stranded for a couple of days and need feeding. Helmut has food but needs extra hands.”

“Waitressing?” Con suggested.

“That sort of thing,” Tomas agreed, “he’ll pick you up at five to take you down.”

Sugar! I’m supposed to be home to meet Gran at six!

“What’ll we wear?” I asked my bestie.

“Dunno? Our bakery stuff?”

“Not very Christmassy,” I mentioned, “and before you suggest it, I’m not wearing the Mittelalter.”

“I bet Pia’s doing it too, let’s see what she’s wearing.”

“Yeah,” Con confirmed, “Gab thinks we should make some effort………could do, hang on,” she covered the mouthpiece, “Pia suggested Trachten?”

“Dirndl?” I suggested.

“Uh huh, we have got the Weinkönigin things,” Con noted.

“Okay,” I agreed – well it was me that suggested we make the stranded tourists feel a bit better.

“She says okay…yeah five o’clock, see you then, tschussie!”

“You’re back early, spud,” Dad mentioned when I rushed indoors ten minutes later.

“Er yeah, where’s Mum?”

“Gone to fetch your gran with your sister.”

“Bum! I thought you were going?”

“What’s up, kiddo?”

“Erm, I’ve got a job.”

“Oh?”

“This evening, Pia’s dad needs some bodies for a couple of hours.”

“And you volunteered I’m guessing, what about dinner?”

“I should be back before then.”

“I was meaning cooking it? You’re mother has put the meat on, you were supposed to do the roasts and veg.” He pointed out.

Shitza!

“If you can get them out while I change I’ll do them before I go,” I volunteered.

“What time does Helmut want you?”

“He’s picking us up at five.”

Dave looked at the clock, “Get on with you, I’ll do them or you’ll never get there.”

“Thanks, Dad,” Gaby enthused before bussing him on the cheek and scrambling upstairs.

There is some order to my wardrobe space so finding the red dirndl wasn’t too difficult – it was of course behind the one i was given in Switzerland. But of course there’s more to the outfit than just the dirndl, there’s the blouse, slip, apron and even the right bra. You’d think I could find those rarely used items easily wouldn’t you, they’ll be in a draw neatly folded, waiting to spring into action!

Think again, it took me ten minutes to locate everything and another ten to get dressed. I did a quick job on my hair; Con can put it up when I get back to the bakery.

“I’m off then, Dad, I shouldn’t be late.”

“Ring if you are, I hope you’re wearing a coat?”

“Duh!” I brandished my ski jacket, “See you later.”

Outside there was certainly a chill to the air; if the snow holds off until Monday it’ll be a miracle.

“You look nice, Gaby,” Frau Thesing noted.

“Thanks, I always feel a bit of a fraud wearing one of these,” I admitted.

“Why?”

“Well I’m not even German for starters,” I offered.

“Could’ve fooled me,” Tomas supplied joining us from the bakery ‘kitchen’ with a tray of comestibles. “You speak Deutsche better than the locals, you are part of local ‘society’, you do German exceedingly well for someone who claims not to be German.”

Part of local Society, not sure that’s a positive. Just because I’ve been to a couple of fancy weddings, am friends with Max and spent a year as Weinkönigin doesn’t make me a toff. Let’s face it, the Bond family is pretty ordinary, two working parents, we didn’t even have a family holiday this year.

“Connie!” her dad yelled upstairs, “Get yourself down here.”

Right on cue the rattly roar of the Sebenschuh Weinstube minibus reached our ears as Helmut and Pia arrived.

“Tomas.”

“Helmut,” the two men shook hands.

“Thanks for joining me in this.”

“What are friends for eh? If you tell them I’ll be down with this pair and frühstuck at eight in the morning.”

“Will do, what have you there?”

“Thought some strudel would go down well eh?”

“Spot on I think.”

It didn’t take long to drive down to Bad Neunahr and through to the Hotel Grüner Jäger just outside Ahrweiler’s town wall. Helmut got out and went inside.

“Let’s sort the stuff out,” Pia suggested.

“Only if you tell us how you got that rack, Miss Sebenschuh,” Con stated.

“What this?” Pia indicated her impressive looking chest.

“You know damned well that’s what I mean.”

“Oh alright, I borrowed my sister’s Büstenheber.”

“Büstenheber?” I queried, “That some sort of falsies?”

“Hey, these puppies are all mine!”

“I think I saw one of those at the Trachten shop in Mayen, is it like a BH without cups?” Con asked.

“Uh huh, you put it on over your BH to enhance your assets.”

“Well it certainly does that!” I allowed.

Helmut came out as we started unloading boxes to take inside followed by a young woman with almost white blonde hair in a cute pixie cut.

“Girls, this is Nena the Reisemeisterin.”

“Hi!” we chorused.

“The one in the bus ist mein Töchter Pia und dieser ist ihr freund Connie und Gaby,” Helmut indicated each of us in turn.

“Nice to meet you all, thanks so much for helping,” the Nena woman told us in only very slightly accented German.

“Thank us afterwards,” I suggested.

Maddy Bell 05.03.16