“We’ll see you at the kiosk then,” Mad stated as I slung by rucksack onto my back.
“Okay,” I agreed, “see you later.”

I pushed off and dropped into the lane to start my morning commute. With everything that’s been going on this week my mind was everywhere, I almost rode straight past Kris when she hailed me.

“What’s up?”
“You didn’t need to stop boss lady, I’m gonna be a couple of minutes late, I need to go to the bank on the way in.”
“Er sure, see you in a few.”
“Should only be about five minutes.”
“Bring some for me eh?” I playfully suggested as I resumed my ride.
 

In fact I was still changing when the ‘help’ turned up although I had got everything turned on and the bread inside.

“Everything okay?” I enquired slipping my apron on.
“Yeah, just getting the money out for my holiday.”
“Holiday?”
“Next week?” she prompted.
“Oh yeah,” I could hardly deny knowledge, “so where you going again?”
“Alicante, seven days of sun, sea and boys!” she enthused.
“You got your towel packed?”
She looked at me strangely, “they have towels at the hotel.”
“I meant for the sunbeds,” the look of incomprehension deterred me from pressing things, “yeah you’re probably right."
“You having a holiday this year?”

Good question.

“Nothing that exciting,” well I can sit around a pool in Remagen, “some of us are supposed to be going camping for a week.”
“Nice.”
 

We already had customers when Con arrived for the ‘late’ shift, well I get off early to go training so she comes in late to balance stuff.

I managed to corner my BFF out of earshot of Kris, “whats happening next week?”
“About what?”
“Cover for Kris,” I hinted.
“All in hand,” she smirked.
“What are you up to Thesing?"
"Nothing.”
“So?”
“You’re no fun.”
“I know so spill.”
“Steff’s gonna cover for us.”
“As in Steff ‘can’t boil water’ Oldberg.”
“She can boil water and we’ll still be doing the cooking anyhow.”

I wasn’t convinced, we usually end up doing our own catering when we go up to hers.

“And mum’ll come up at the weekend to help out,” she concluded.
“Pommes Gab!” Kris called out effectively ending our conversation.
 

“Everyone seems up for the dress,” I mentioned a bit later.
“Where’re we gonna get it?” Con asked.
“Dunno,” I admitted, “Tally?”
“Mum suggested we get her a gift voucher.”
“Looks a bit like we couldn’t be bothered.”
“What if we pick something she doesn’t like?”
“She can take it back and change it I suppose.”
“I guess, it won’t be very special though will it?”

It was a lightbulb moment, a flash of inspiration.

“How much we got in the kitty?”
“We agreed ten each, what’re you thinking?”
“What if we got her something made special?”
“Make it ourselves?”
“Duh, course not.”
“Well what then?”
“Eloise?”
“Geroff! They’ll charge way more than fifty for starters, I mean Nen ’ud love it but seriously Gab.”
“Leave it with me, bum is that the time?”
 

“Still got the flechten then,” Max observed as we settled at ‘our’ table, the sun through the fruit trees dappling his face.
“Its convenient for riding,” I allowed with a shrug.
“Vineyard tonight?” he suggested with more than a hint of hope in his voice.
“Soz, training, don’t know what time we’ll be back.”

He was clearly a bit deflated by my reply.

“Its been a busy week,” I told him.
“We’ve not had a decent snog since last week.”
“What about last night?”
“Hardly romantic was it what with that pair giggling at us.”

I have to admit Con and Mand didn’t exactly help the mood. I’m not desperate or anything, as if, but I really want to suck his face off!

“I’ll call you when I get back,” I proposed.
 

Despite the sun there was enough breeze to keep things a bit more temperate than some days of late, still short sleeves and sunnies but I reckon we might need arms of some sort if we’re out late. The rest of Team Apollinaris juniors, including Darren of course had caught the train up to Remagen where Mand met them for the ride up to Altenahr. They were well early and my stomach was rumbling, I only managed to snag one chunk of Max’s currywurst earlier, so I put a new load of frites on.

“Your dad’ll go loopy,” Gret suggested in English, although it didn’t stop her attacking her plate of würst and frites.
“Who’s telling him?” I queried.
“Ah reckon we stopped fer coffee like,” Josh proposed.
“Will he buy that?” Daz asked.
“I doubt it,” I admitted, ”but if we don’t tell him he won’t say anything directly.”
“You are a sly one Bond,” Con stated.
“Moi?”
 

After our impromptu late lunch, the six of us set off to start our ride, a long loop through the hills in preparation for this weekends return to ‘normal’ racing. I reckon we looked quite smart all in our team strip, Dad having found enough spare kit for Darren to match the rest of us. It didn’t take long for us to form up in pairs and start a through and off chain, not fast but talking pace steady.

“What are the others doing?” I enquired getting a spot next to Josh.
“Cav an’ that?”
“Who else?”
He shrugged, “think Caro was taking them up the valley again.”
“They’ll know that road like the back of their hands.”
“Pity we aren’t racing there,” he noted.
“Yeah,” I agreed, “links!” we negotiated around the pot hole before I continued, “so what do you reckon to this BC business?”
“Ahm not sure man, I’ve not been as involved as yous lot.”
“But you’ve been on the team.”
“Aye,” he allowed, “a bit like.”
“You must have an opinion Josh,” I suggested.
“It’ll be they’re loss,”
“It already is, apparently I’ll be riding for Germany in future.”
“I guess it was on the cards like, Caro says there’ll be a presence at the big events still and we’ll all be up for selection whether we’re on the programme or not.”
“You believe that?”
“Ah canna say it won’t happen.”
“What about Switzerland?”
“Woulda been nice to go back,” he admitted.
“Yeah,” I have to admit to having mixed thoughts about that but I certainly had hoped to defend my title, still Dad’s got us Spain instead, at least it shouldn’t rain there.
 

We turned at Dumpelfeld to follow the Ahr, our bit of river following taking us up to Blankenheim where we’ll start a somewhat bumpy route back towards the Rhein. Eventually we’ll end up at Chez Bond for dinner before Dad runs taxi back to Niederbieber. Anyhow it was nice to be in a group of friends with nothing at stake, oh we were sprinting for signs and that sort of thing but generally just enjoying riding.

Altogether its about a hundred kilometres, pretty much the same as Saturdays race although I don’t think its as lumpy down at Mainz.

“So you gonna have a new jersey for Saturday?” Daz asked as we enjoyed the descent from Effelsburg.
“I guess so,” I allowed.
“Don’t think I’ve ever seen you race in Apollinaris colours.”
“What about Yorkshire?”
“Nope, you had the rainbow stripes for the TT and the leaders jersey the other days.”
“Oh yeah,” I agreed, “and the other one was a league race wasn’t it, I’m in team strip now though.”
“Stop boasting Bond,” Tal suggested from my wheel.
“I wasn’t,” I told her before sticking my tongue out at her.
“Very adult Bond,” Mand suggested.
 

We’d left the kiosk just after four thirty in the end, it was now close on eight as we made our final approach to Dernau, all happily tired and ready for a sit down, food and a shower, not neccesarily in that order. Well I could hardly resist taking a flier on the drop from Anna’s at Esch, I can get a bit competitive okay? I already had my shoes off when the rest finally arrived with a clatter of cleats and exhausted sighs.

“Good ride?” Dad queried.
“Not bad Mr B,” Josh advised.
“Food’s nearly ready, showers first,” Mum instructed.

Well we don’t have six showers so the lads got the basement, Mand shared my en suit and Gret and Tal used the main bathroom below us. Dad had fetched Angela and their civvies up and so at last, a little after eight thirty the nine of us sat down to one of Mum’s excellent lasagne’s, a solid five layer affair accompanied by a salad and garlic bread. Our earlier peccadilo at the kiosk was long ago digested and forgotten, revived by the showers it was soon a table of banter and happy faces.
 

“Any of that left?”

All heads swung to the doorway.

“Juliette, we weren’t expecting you love,” Mum mentioned, “ no Boris?”
“We had an argument,” Jules sniffed.
“Come here, Gab, get your sister a plate.”

My sisters arrival certainly quieted the conversation but by the time I returned with another plate and eating irons my team mates were holding a more hushed discussion, well until Josh cracked a joke which even brought the semblance of a grin to Jules flushed face.

Discussion returned to more normal levels, the elephant in the room being ignored, Jules picked at her pasta with Mum holding her close. I wonder what’s gone off, enough to make my sister catch two trains to get back to the family home. Life in this house is never simple is it, at least this time its not me disrupting things.
 

Maddy Bell © 13.10.2017