Of course there’s no rest for the wicked and so I clambered reluctantly from my nest at silly o’clock to start a new day of catering and cycling. Its the penultimate week of the BC / Apollinaris training camp, of course the original plans went out the window with BC’s change in emphasis, Dad and Caro somehow finding funding to honour the commitment made to all the guys.

So today they’ll come up to Altenahr, pick up me and Mand then we’ll do a biggish ride out through the Eifel. It seems like there’s a lot of endings in my life just now, last night it was the stuff at the Stube, next up the training camp but I guess stuff like college and Bern coming back will fill the gaps. Yeah I suppose there’s plenty of stuff coming along to fill the voids, lets face it, life would be boring if I had any spare time.

“What’s the occasion?” Con queried when she arrived with the bread order.
“Occasion?” I repeated as I fiddled with the till tray, I couldn’t get it to go back in the drawer.
“Gis it here,” she suggested, “your hair, you don’t usually do anything with it for work.”
I surrendered the tray to her and moved out of the way, “dunno, just thought I’d experiment a bit.”

To be honest it was Mand’s idea, its not that I’m against doing this stuff I’m just not very good at it. So anyway its in a pair of tightish braids across my head from front to back tied off with a couple of bobbles.

“Looks good, not sure I could pull it off, there, if you don’t get it quite straight it won’t go in,” she advised pushing the drawer closed.
“Thought it was something like that.”
“I’ll bring the Brotchen in, coffee?” she hinted.

This week’s pie is a fairly boring chicken and mushroom, simple but popular, thankfully Herr T has let up on some of his weirder pastry encased offerings. Some things should never be inside a pie, I mean, Bauernfrühstück? Really? Anyhow I plated up an example of piedom with a good helping of Pommes, I’d barely finished when the familiar putt, putt of a certain Mofa announced the recipients imminent arrival.

A couple of minutes later Max arrived at the window.

“Heya guys.”
“What do you want to drink?”
“Hi Max,” Con sniggered.
“Coffee?”
I presented him with his lunch, “go sit, I’ll be out in a mo.”
“Here,” Con handed him some cutlery, “you might need these.”
“Thanks Connie, guess I’ll go find a table then.”

“Gab, what are you doing?”
“Eh? Making Max’s coffee, why?”
“You were a bit off hand with him.”
“Was I?”

The coffee machine gurgled in punctuation.

“Yes you were, what's up girl, he said something?”
“Eh?”
“Here,” she placed the coffee on a tray with the neccessaries, “go eat.”

“Not so busy today,” Max opined waving his fork towards the vacant tables, “nice pie.”
“End of the holidays,” I suggested as I contemplated which Frite to steal.
“Don’t remind me, talking of which, how are you gonna get to college?”
I dived in for the chosen deep fried potato stick, “train I guess, why?”
“There’s a spare seat with us if you want.”
“Spare seat?”
“In Olaf’s car.”
“Olaf?”
“I did tell you, Freddies brother, he works in Koblenz, at the regional government, he’s taking me and Fred, there's a spare seat if you want it.”
“But I’m going to the business college not the humanities.”
“Dur, they’re nearly next to each other.”
“They are?”
“Well not next exactly but only a short way apart. So?”
“Eh?”
“Do you want to car share?”

Do I?

“erm, what does this Olaf think of the idea?”
“Well I’ve not actually asked him yet,” Max admitted, “but he’s taking me an’ Fred, he’s got a Polo, there’s room.”
“Maybe you should ask him?” I suggested.
“Yeah, I guess, but in theory are you up for it?”

Well, it would be quicker than two trains each way.

“In theory.”
“Cool, I’ll ask him later and let you know.”
“Okay.”
“So what's the occasion? You don’t normally do your hair that fancy for work.”
“Not you too, can’t a girl do anything round here?”
“Just saying,” Max suggested.
“Look, I just fancied doing something different alright.”
“Okay, okay, keep your hair on Gabs.”
“Not funny.”
He glanced at his wrist, “damn, look have to go, places to be.”
“Pooh to shovel,” I mentioned.
“She is paying me,” he pointed out.
“Think I’ll stick to the catering industry.”
He stuck the last of the Frites into his mouth, “’et oo ow ‘out ar ‘ater. ‘iss?”

If he thinks I’m doing tongues with a mouthful of chips he’s got another thing coming, I leaned over and pecked his cheek.

“’ater!”
“Yeah,” I agreed.

Von Strechau was off like a shot, his Mofa was whining up the street before I got back to the cabin with the dirties.

“That looked a bit intense,” Lisse suggested.
“Didn’t know we were the entertainment, hi Lisse.”
“Well there’s not much else happening,” Kris opined.
“Whatever, so how come you’re here?”
“Mum wanted some stuff from Weissmann’s, thought I’d come and bother you guys for a bit.”
“’kay.”

Not being particularly busy – well not at all, having Lisse about at least opened up the conversation bit, conversation can get a bit flat when its just Con, Kris and me. And as she lives up in Ahrbrück there’s different gossip – not that we gossip of course but its useful to know what's going on, who’s doing what, with whom, if you know what I mean. We’re a bit like hairdressers in that aspect, people like to talk and its our ‘duty’ to contribute to the conversation – well that's my excuse and I’m sticking to it.

“Now I know somethings going on,” Con announced when I emerged from getting changed.
“Hmm?”
“Don’t you hmm me Bond, what’s his name?”
“Who’s name?”
“Whoever it is you’re trying to impress.”
“I’m not trying to impress anyone.”
“So the hair and now the makeup is just cos you fancy it, pull the other one Gab.”
“Its not what it looks like.”
“Oh? Do tell.”
“Well, the guys from Großbritannien go home after the weekend so we’re eating out after training, just thought I’d make a bit of effort.”
“Won’t you get all sweaty riding, you’ll look like a five year old in mums makeup.”
“Its the stuff we use for cheer, its all waterproof.”
“If you say so.”

I pushed her to one side so I could fill my bidon.

“Its a wonder you don’t wee for Germany the amount you drink.”
“Don’t want to get dehydrated.”
“Nothing worse,” Kris put in with a smirk.
“You can mock,” I huffed as the bottle filled.”
“Mock, mock!” my ‘friends’ chorused.

Usually Mand rides up and we both join the others in Altenahr so I was a bit surprised when a couple of minutes later she arrived along with the rest of the crew.

“Come on Gab,” Geth called over as they rolled past.
“Coming,” I jammed my helmet on and adjusted the fit.
“Be careful with all that slap on,” Kris chortled.
“Ha de har,” I replied before giving her a raspberry, “see you tomorrow.”
“Tschuss,” Con offered.
“Laters!” I replied as I clipped in and set off in pursuit of the others.

“So where’re we headed?” I enquired once i’d caught up.
“Gerolstein,” Josh told me.
“Gerolstein? That's like in the middle of nowhere.”
“Your point,” Gret queried, “everywhere round here is the middle of nowhere.”
She’s right of course, “just saying.”

Its a ride I’ve done a few times, about eighty K from the kiosk, its not particularly testing as you follow the Ahr most of the way before dropping down into the Kyllltal for the last bit. Of course at that distance its a one way ride, the others have ridden up from the yard at the bottling plant so they have an extra dozen or so kilometres already on the clock. We were quickly in a fairly close two abreast peloton riding steady piano, a comfortable thirtyish kph.

“Anyone heard about Canada?” I queried as we headed around Hönningen.
It was Tal who answered, “bit of a taboo subject girl.”
“That doesn’t sound good.”
“Its not,” Jamie advised.
“Well?” I pushed. “who is going?”
“None of us lot,” Lor almost spat.
“None? How come?”
“We didn’t sign up for their ‘academy’ thing,” Daz supplied.
“So because you aren’t in their club you didn’t get picked, like no one?”
“Just about says it like,” Josh agreed.

None of the girls and not even Josh for the lads, talk about nose cutting off.

“Are they actually sending anyone?”
“Cav,” Geth told me, “that Bradley kid and some other lad I’ve never heard of.”
“Not heard of any of the girls,” Sal noted.
“You wouldn’t even have got in Gab,” Claire added.
“They’ve dropped Mum too,” I told them.
“Mand said,” Daz noted.
“After all that effort in Spain,” Mand moaned.
“Well there’s only one way to sort this.”
“And what's that hen?” Josh queried.
“Make them see the error of their ways,” I stated forcefully.

Maddy Bell © 13.07.2018