Gaby Book 28  Balancing Trick by Maddy Bell Copyright© 2023 Madeline Bell

 
"So clever clogs, how are we doing this?” Pia asked as the door closed behind the departing cellar tour.

Okay, I’d made my suggestion but I hadn’t exactly worked out the mechanics.

"Erm, well if Mand does the first two windows and the loose one in the corner, Con, you do the other windows, P can do the three in the middle and I’ll do the others and the crew?”

At a stretch the restaurant can seat well over a hundred, the window booths for example can seat eight but tonight they are set for half that, the loose tables are quite adaptable of course, Helmut had moved a few sets out into the small dining room to make a bit more space.

"Before you get too carried away,” Ingrid called from the bar, "Can you round up the rest of the glasses?”
 

Thirty minutes later Mand hurried back into the restaurant, she’d been on watch for the returning cellar tour.

"They’re coming!”
"I’ll tell mama,” Ingrid mentioned.

Eva, Frau Sebenschuh, apart from being the girls mother, is responsible for the food, depending on need, P or Ingrid will help, mostly with the dishing up. Of course, cooking is one thing, getting everything ready at the right time another and Eva is expert at that.

The tourists, guests is the preferred term, arrived in dribs and drabs, a few snagging tables straight away but most waiting uncertainly near the bar. We waited by the servery, poised to start service, Helmut finally arrived which signalled that everyone was back from the cellars.

"Okay everyone,” a female voice rang out, "If you can all find seats we can start the delicious meal Herr Sebenschuh’s staff have prepared for us. They’ll be around to take drinks orders at the tables, enjoy!”

I couldn’t see the speaker but I guess it was Global’s courier, tour manager or whatever they call it. Whoever it was, there was a general movement towards the tables, Ingrid barely letting bums reach seats before starting to get in the drinks orders. Thankfully its a set menu, soup, main, dessert and tea or coffee, we just had to identify the two vegetarians and the gluten free diner.

By the time everyone was seated, well apart from one smoker I could see outside and a biddy who I’d seen heading for the ladies, the first drinks were ready. It might be a Weinstube but the majority of diners have bier, Helmut had started filling glasses before the first orders reached him. As Ing hadn’t respected our table division in taking the beverage orders, each of us just took a tray in turn.

It was sort of organised chaos for a few minutes, well I’m sure you know what its like, Eva rang the service bell and it was show time. I picked up my stack of soup bowls and made short work of the distribution right up until I reached the bus crew, sat in peaceful solitude in the reception area.

"Well hello again,” the young woman greeted, "I hoped to see you.”

I knew the face, it was just the name that escaped me.

"Welcome back to the Ahrtal,” I filled as I distributed the crockery, "Everything okay?”
"Just the usual, there’s always a few niggles at the start of the season, oh sorry, you’ve not met Steve, its his first trip across the Channel, Steve, this is the one I was telling you about, Gaby.”

Steve was by my experience, quite young for a coach driver, he looked to be maybe late twenties and quite fit, no not in that way, I mean physically, the drivers are generally a bit, er, well built and he was pretty slim. Okay, I’ll admit he wasn’t ugly, a boyish Bruce Willis but with a mop of dirty blonde hair.

"Nice to meet you Gaby, Nena’s told me all about you,” Steve offered.
"Not everything I hope.”
"Steve’s taking over from Den on the brochure tours,” Nena told me, "So you’ll no doubt see a fair bit of him over the summer.”
"Is er Den okay?”
"Yeah, fine, he just wants to see a bit more of his family so he’s mostly doing private hires.”
"You okay for drinks and stuff?”
"Helmut’s looking after us,” Nena advised.
"I’d best get on, you both want soup? Its Spargel this week.”
"Oh excellent, yes please,” Nena enthused, "You’ll love this Steve.”
 
"Where’ve you been?” Pia hissed when I reached the servery, "We were just going to serve your tables, everyone else is done.”
"Sorry, I got caught with the bus crew.”
"Come on then miss popularity,” she plonked the tray she was holding in my hands, "You do this end, I’ll do the other.”
 

The rest of the meal went smoothly enough, the main was beef roulade served with red cabbage and spätzle which seemed to go down okay judging by the cleared plates. Dessert was a typical German excuse, red berries with ice cream, not my favourite but it’s supposed to be a traditional German meal. Apart from my delay with the soup, the new serving plan worked pretty well, not perfect but less chaotic than the usual freestyle affair.

In my head I considered how it could be further streamlined, hmm, maybe let this settle before suggesting anything else.

"Phew, you forget how intense it can get,” Con opined as the sound of the coach’s engine receded into the distance.
"Anyone want roulade?” Eva queried through the hatch, "I did extra in case it was a full bus.”

My stomach rumbled, what with one thing and another I’ve only had a banana since lunchtime and lunch was only a tomato and mozzarella sandwich.

"Yes please.”
"Count me in,” Mand added.
"Finish clearing the tables, we can all eat together,” Frau Sebenschuh suggested.

Given we’d been clearing up as we went, it was only a few errant coffee cups, some dropped cutlery and napkins. Mand followed the pickers with a cloth, giving everything a quick wipe down, the Sebenschuh’s, well Ingrid most likely will be doing a more thorough clean in the morning. By the time we were done Eva had our food on the table that Helmut had quickly assembled and Ing laid.

"Sugar,” I announced glancing at the clock which sounded the hour, "I said we’d be home by half past.”
"I’ll ring home,” Mand sighed.
"I’ll give you a lift down,” Ingrid told us, "Seeing as someone is drinking.”

Her father looked up from the tall glass of Weissbier he’d pulled for himself.

"Thanks Ing.”
"Well dig in,” Eva encouraged, "It won’t eat itself.”
 

"That driver’s a bit of a hunk,” Con stated as we squeezed into Ingrid’s Corsa, I say Ingrid’s but its a sort of pool car for the business, Ing just has dibs out of work hours.
"Hey, keep your hands off Thesing, I saw him first,” our driver stated.
"Spoilsport, anyway I think Gab beat us both so come on Bond, spill.”

Talk about raging hormones!

"She certainly spent enough time out there earlier,” Mand put in, "Maybe Max needs to buck his ideas up.”
"I’m not interested in some random bus fahrer or anyone else for that matter.”

There were snorts of derision from the other occupants of the car.

"Well maybe Max,” I conceded, "But certainly not Steve.”
"She knows his name,” Mand crowed.
"We were introduced.”
"Hmm.” Con hmm’d.
"All I know is that he’s taking over from the old guy on the German tours do he’ll probably be back a few times over the summer, that’s it.”
 
Of course, from Rech to Dernau might be a fifteen minute walk, in a car its like two minutes, maybe five if you include going the long way to the Thesing’s, watching Con in then driving around to Chez Bond.

"See you next week,” Ing suggested.
"We’ll be there.” Mand replied as she climbed out of the car.
"Thanks for the lift,” I offered.
"No problem, you never know who’s out there.”
"Yeah,” I agreed, "Tschuss!”
"Bye!”

She waited until she saw the door open then took off like Michael Schumacher back towards the stube.
 

The Rents were watching some sort of inane makeover show when we got in a little after eleven, you know the sort of thing, a team give someone's, car / house / garden a makeover usually because of some perceived hardship or illness means they can’t do it themselves. They can be entertaining but I sometimes wonder whether its worthwhile, get a new car or move to a bigger house. Tonight’s episode appeared to be pretty much rebuilding some old farmhouse in the wilds of Mecklenburg near Güstrow.

"Good evening?” Mum asked looking up from where she was snuggled up to Dad.
"Busy, it was almost a full bus.”
"Well I’m done in,” Mand stated around a yawn, "See you tomorrow.”
"Nite.”
"G’nite.”

Mand departed for her bed, I slumped into my usual chair.

"Any news on the new DS?” I enquired.
"Maybe,” Dad allowed, "Seriously, they’re using one and a half ply for that, it should be at least three.”

You recall Dad used to work in a timber yard? Well we get this every time there’s one of these shows on the box, they should’ve used x, it’d be better with y, size z would do.

"Maybe?”
"It’s early days, these things take time Gab,” Mum opined.
"I know but you must have a clue,” I pressed.
"Not there you idiot,” Dad told the unhearing presenter, "I can’t say much in case it falls through,” he went on, "We’ve got a front runner, they’re coming over to meet us next week.”
"Dave,” Mum admonished.
"Coming over?”
"Well they don’t exactly live locally, I said you should've used the hundred mill laminate, didn’t I say Jen?”
"So anyone we know?” I asked.
"Depends who you know,” Dad replied nonchalantly.

Guess I’m not gonna learn anything new on that front tonight.

"I spoke to Caroline earlier,” Mum advised, "She was asking after you.”
"How is she?”

Caroline, Aunt Caro is of course my Godmother, back in the day she was a top mountain biker, more recently, as you might remember, she’s been a coach for the BC juniors.

"Not happy, since they scaled back the junior road programme she’s been sidelined somewhat. There’s some talk of a proper elite women’s team starting up but that won’t be happening until next year at the soonest.”
"Must be frustrating for her.”
"She’s doing a bit of coaching with the endurance women down at Newport but I don’t think her heart’s in it.”
"She was quite passionate with the juniors.”
"And starting to see results,” Dad put in.
"She was talking about coming over for a visit,” Mum added.
"Cool,” I enthused, Caro has been, after Mum, possibly the biggest influence on my cycling career.
"I said she could bunk in your sisters room,” Mum stated.
"Not that way you idiot,” Dad told the TV.
"Good luck with that, you seen it lately?”
"Should I?”
"Well it’ll need more than a change of bed linen, there’s stuff everywhere.”
"For heavens sake,” Mum sighed, "That girl, she can cause chaos even when she’s not living here!”

I kept my own counsel to that statement. In truth, out of the two of us Jules is the neat freak, well neater at least, you know, makes her bed every day, puts washing away, even runs the hoover round occasionally. I’m the opposite as you know, everything has a place in my eyrie – its just rarely in it! Anyway, the reason Jules room is a bit of a tip at the moment is mostly down to me, after the BlauHase trip I sort of ‘dumped’ a load of stuff in there, I meant to put it away, I did, honest, I’ve just not hot around to it.

"So when’s Caro coming?”
"Possibly next week, we haven’t confirmed dates yet. Now I’m gonna have to sort out Jules mess.”
"I could do it.”
"I have seen your room kiddo,” Mum scoffed, "I don’t think you’re qualified for the job.”
"Well I do know where stuff belongs, I have borrowed some of her stuff from time to time.”

And of course there might be some stuff that is definitely not for parental eyes.

"Does she know?”
"Er, mostly.”

That’s code for ‘you have to be kidding!’.

"Hmm, well alright then, just so long as you do.”
"I will, it shouldn’t take long.”
"Don’t know where they get these idiots from?” Dad mumbled.
"Probably some couch in the Ahrtal,” Mater suggested.
"Eh?”
"I said, do you want hot chocolate?”
"Er sure, we could have a slice of that chocolate cake I picked up yesterday.”

Oops.
 

Taking the dirndl off is easier than putting it on, given it got a few splashes while I was working earlier I just stuffed it all into the laundry basket, note to self, remember to do the washing. From arrival to light out took less than ten minutes, not that I was particularly sleepy. Nope, I ended up laid there staring out of the rooflight, it’s a clear night and the moon shone brightly, eclipsing the other heavenly bodies from view.

I wonder who this mystery potential DS is? The Rents were both being a bit cagey so maybe they’re on another team at the moment, or someone famous perhaps. I guess they need to sort it out fairly quickly, no disrespect to Maria but I think she’s too close to the girls on the team to make the hard choices and of course Kat probably works better away from her mother! Of course, it could be someone from the men’s peloton although given the fall out from what’s going on with Lance, that could be a poison chalice.

To think he was my hero, winning all those Tours, seems that he was a cheat all along, I bet he was even cheating at that event in Atlanta when I rode with him. Okay, he probably hasn’t been the only one cheating but given his history you’d think he’d be the last to dope. Or maybe that’s why, no one would believe that a cancer survivor would do it, he even decried anyone else who was even whispered to be breaking the rules.

And Caro’s coming to visit. I wonder what she’ll do with the whole BC thing getting a bit astringent? Of course I’m a bit biased, I’ve known her all my life and she me of course, I reckon she’s the equal if not better than pretty much any other coach out there, Brailsford is really missing a trick effectively putting her out to grass.

Jules room, well obviously I can quickly move my stuff, Mand can give me a hand with the bed linen, she’ll be chuffed to see Caro too. No, the big issue is the stuff Jules has that she probably doesn’t want Mum or especially Dad to know about. Its not that there’s anything, well, too interesting but it could get a bit embarrassing.

Of course it does give me a bona fide excuse to have a bit of a rummage, she showed me some ‘interesting’ stuff a while ago but what else might there be? Hey, we’re sisters and she did offer to let me borrow some ‘stuff’, you know, for Max? I’ll have to give her a call see what she wants me to do with it, another job for tomorrow.

The light from my bedside clock darkened as double o fifty nine changed to o one double o, I really should get some sleep, I have to get up in five hours!
 
Maddy Bell © 15.06.2023