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

There might not be a race this week but that doesn’t mean I, we, escape riding and with me doing a shift at the Kabin that meant an early start. It doesn’t have to be a big ride but just riding up to Altenahr doesn’t really crack it so on these occasions I usually do some variance of my ‘Staffel’ loop. Mand decided to join me this morning, in her words ‘to get it out of the way’ so she can go shopping with dad later, so the pair of us set off down the valley at far too early o’clock.

If I was on my own I’d usually take the road directly up to Ramersbach and go straight around to Staffel and back down to Ahrbrück but with Mand along we’ll be riding a bit quicker. We still took the lane around the edge of Ahrweiler to the fire station and over the river but instead of going straight up the hill, we went left to pick up St. Pius Straße to get to the Konigsfeld road. It was early enough that the traffic was light, we could’ve gone through the town centre but out of habit, I always go the same way.

The one advantage to coming this way is that the climb out of the Ahrtal, once you’ve gone through the pair of lazy hairpins, is less severe, taking longer to gain the height. That in turn meant that, apart from a few grunts at junctions, we’d been riding for thirty minutes before we settled into what Dad calls Zone three riding, a steady pace where talking is possible but only in short sentences.

Mand opened the conversation, "You decided what to wear?”
"Hmm?”
"Hello, you awake yet? What’re you gonna wear?”
"For what?”

It was, I thought a reasonable question given I’ve got a band gig, funeral and birthday party all coming up in the next couple of weeks.

"Soph’s party.”
"Thats weeks away.”
"Only two,” she pointed out.
"Dunno, not given it any thought,” I admitted.

Going on past experience something sparkly from Pimkie probably wouldn’t cut the mustard but there again my experience of Taxis family parties has been towards the more formal end of the spectrum, weddings specifically. I’m sure Soph wouldn’t bat an eye whatever we wear but others in attendance will be less forgiving and I guess I do worry about what people think of me. Plus Mum would go barmy if I turned up in a bin liner!

"Well your no help,” my companion complained.
"Soz, I’ve had other stuff on my mind, smart but not formal? Oh and definitely not trousers.”
"Bum,” she allowed, "I was thinking a top and jeans.”
"I suppose some more dressy trousers would be okay.”
"So what will you wear?”

I mentally flicked through my wardrobe, the formal and designer stuff immediately dismissed. I do have some ‘party’ frocks but I’m not sure that an Angels disco outfit is entirely suitable! Maybe I need to go shopping.

"I think I’ve got something you could use.”
"Really?”
"Yep,” I confirmed.
"We aren’t exactly the same size Gab,” she pointed out.
"I know.”

Of course everyone is taller than me but with all the riding Mand isn’t much bigger, well about a dress size I guess and the same cup size up top.

"So what is this wonder garment? I’m not wearing some stretchy bandage dress.”
"Its nothing like that,” I assured her, "Remember I went to the big wedding in Munich?”
"Yeah, word did get out.”
"And you know that’s where I met Soph?”
"Get on with it Bond,” she chivvied.
"Well there was a dinner dance thing the night before, I didn’t have a dress so Soph leant me one.”
"Nice story but not a lot of help.”
"Let me finish.”
"Go on then.”
"Well anyway, afterwards she said I should keep it, you could wear that,” I suggested.
"She must’ve grown since if it fitted you.”
"Not really, it was hardly a good fit, ‘bout knee length on birthday girl, nearer my ankles, I’ve not worn it since.”
"What about, you know, boobage?”
"Plenty of room, i think Soph’s about the same as you.”
"Guess its worth a try,” de Vreen allowed.

By now we were almost in Königsfeld, the sun doing a fair job of warming the day up despite the clouds scudding across the heavens. Its not a big place and we were soon heading out towards Ramersbach keeping up a steady thirty K pace on the easy, slightly rolling climb. There was a bit of traffic along here, we singled out which effectively stopped further chit chat.
 

My mind however was still attuned to wardrobe choices for the upcoming events, Nanna’s funeral of course but more pressing, tonight's gig at the Kurhaus in Bad Neunahr. Various options went through my head, what was it Stefan said? ‘I’d pass on anything too ornate, the lads won’t be dressing up’ , no surprise there but not a lot of help for me. Its okay for lads, jeans and a T are fine but us more delicate types, well I do have standards.

"Long way?” Mand asked over her shoulder.
"Sure,” I absently replied as we freewheeled to the junction.

I assumed she meant going down to Spessart and round to Staffel from the south rather than going down towards the Ring. I took over the pacing once we were through the turn, subconsciously upping the pace a little, pushing us into Zone four, hard effort, no talking. Which is when I had the lightbulb moment.

What if I wear that and those, I can wear those, do my hair like that, yeah, that’ll work.

"Gab,” Mand huffed, "Slow down a bit.”
"Hmm?” I checked my comp, we were touching thirty five, oops, "Er soz, got carried away.”

I eased off some, back to gentler pace we’d previously been at.

"Which way we going from here?” Mand asked riding up alongside again.
I checked the time, "I need to get to the Kabin by nine.”
"We can cut across through Spessart to the other road.”
"You sure?”
"Yeah I’ve done it a few times,” she confirmed.

Well I couldn’t place the road or the place, I’m sure Spessart is down past Frankfurt somewhere, guess I’ll take her word for it.
 

We took an unsigned lane across the fields towards the buildings that occupied a bit of a rise, if I’ve been through its not been on this road. Mand however confidently navigated us into the village, well past it really as we avoided the centre. Then out through a big farm complex onto another small lane which rapidly deteriorated to a dirt surface.

"You sure this is the right way?”
"Yep, ‘bout half a k of this and we’re on the Staffel road.”
"Good job its dry,” I noted skirting a bit of a muddy puddle.
"Wouldn’t have come this way if it was,” she told me.
"So how come you know this?”
"I was exploring one day, think you were in Canada.”
"You got lost.”
"I knew where I was.”
"You got lost,” I repeated.
"All the best explorers get lost.”

By now we were riding through woodland on a reasonable surface, better than some of the lanes used on Paris Roubaix anyhow. We soon joined a more used track and as promised quickly returned to tarmac on a road I recognised quite readily, the climb up to Staffel. Yep its pretty much climbing all the way up to the Preiser’s village, climbing but not lung bursting steep, just a steady meander at about six, seven percent.

Not only that but I hadn’t really noticed that our outward, southbound route had been into a bit of a headwind that was now helping push us up Eifelstraße. Okay, it wasn’t entirely helpful, climbing up through Cassel was a bit like hard work but we were soon bumbling along at a very comfortable thirty odd again. At Niederreckenbach we joined the road from Ramersbach. From there to the top is about two and a half kilometres of good road, all the way into Staffel and it turned into something of a race between us.

I’ll not say who ‘won’ but I was polishing my nails when a yell had me reaching for the brakes.

"Bond!”

Eeerrrrrk was followed by uerckkk as Mand hauled on her anchors too. A quick check for traffic, a smart u turn and we rolled back to where Frau Preiser junior, AKA Bernie was stood with Drea by the bus stop at the bottom of the village.

"Didn’t expect to see you this morning,” Bern told us.
"Likewise, hi Drea.”

Instead of the usual effusive greeting I usually get Bernie’s daughter hid behind her mothers leg.

"She’s going through a shy patch, come on Drea, its only Aunty Gab and Amanda.”

But there was no movement from the youngster.

"So where are you two off to this time of the morning?”
"Shoe shopping, someone’s grown out of their best shoes and she’s got a birthday party tomorrow.”
"Couldn’t Mart take you in the car?”
"Bit of a sore point.”
"You two alright?”
"Yeah, yeah, its a long story not worth repeating.”
"Well you know where we are if you need to talk or anything, so where are you going shopping for these shoes?”
"Ahrweiler is the plan. Bus to the railway then the train, if the bus turns up, Margrit said its not turned up twice this week.”

No idea who Margrit is but the local buses are a bit erratic at times, not that there is much of a service if it is running.

"Well we need to get on, I’m at the Kabin today, joy of joys, good luck with the shoe hunt, bye Drea.”

I got a tiny hand wave in reply.

"See you Gab, Mand,” my friend offered.
"Tschuss!” I called back as I followed Mand back out onto the road.
 

We were nearly down to Kesseling when we crossed the outbound bus, well it might be a bit late but it is running. I still can’t believe that Bern moved out here to live, not just Staffel but Germany full stop, and with Drea too but I guess Drea is a big part of the why. I’m probably not the best friend I should be, I really should make more effort to visit and stuff, its just too easy to find excuses not to come out.
 
Of course, its pretty much all downhill from here all the way past home to the Rhein and once you get to Ahrbrück its a good wide road too. I must’ve ridden it hundreds of times since we moved here and told you about it more than a few times but I haven’t told you about the new tunnel. Okay its not much of a tunnel but it opened a few weeks ago, all two hundred metres of it which means that the Two Five Seven no longer has the horrible junction at Kreuzberg level crossing.

I’m sure its better for motorised traffic as they go straight onto the Altenahr bypass now but whilst its lit, its not exactly bike friendly and there’s no alternative to using it. This morning we zipped through and took the newly opened slip road down towards Altenburg before bumping over the level crossing into Altenahr.

"You stopping for coffee?” I enquired only now patting my pocket to make sure I had the kiosk’s keys.
"Best not, your dad’ll be itching to get out, anything you need me to pick up?”
"I made a list.”
"And?”
"Well actually I can’t remember if I put pop on the list.”
"I’ll try to remember, see you later.”
"Yeah laters,” I offered to her back as I swung across into the little kingdom that is Connie’s Kabin.
 

“’bout time,” Kristin opined.
"Sorry,” I told her as I dismounted, "Went a bit further than expected and then we saw Bernie.”
"Huh, enough of your excuses woman, I suppose you want coffee too?”
"Er please,” I agreed pushing the door open for her.

I’m never sure how seriously to take Kris, she’s got a weird sense of humour, deadpan I think you call it, she’ll say something that sounds dead serious then start grinning or something – just not every time so you are never sure if she means it.

I locked my steed in the bin shed then went inside to get changed and start setting up for the day. By the time I was washed, redressed and front & center, Kris had the coffee machine cycling through its start up and was getting the till ready. I was a bit irked by the latter but of course someone has to do it and she’s here more than anyone else so everyone has come to rely on her taking over some managerial tasks.

"Coffee won’t be long.”
“’kay, what do you want me to do?”
"You’re the boss.”
"But you keep the place running, so what do you want me to do?”

She didn’t get to answer as the dulcet tones of Tomas, Connies dad, called from the back door.

"Delivery!”
"Coming Herr T.”
"Gaby,” he greeted, "Not seen you for a while.”
"Sorry about that, its been hectic the last few weeks.”
"So my daughter has been telling me, we’ve been missing your touch here, eh Kristen?”
"We have Herr T, we have.”

Was she being serious?

"Well lets get this delivery in, I’ve got to go to the wholesalers this morning.”
 

It didn’t take long to move the two plastic sacks of brötchen and two trays of savouries and cakes inside, I’d just about got everything stowed when Kris advised that the coffee was ready.

"You haven’t really missed me being here have you? I mean Connie’s here quite a bit and Therese.”
"Neither of them are as good as you on the hotplate, not killed any customers yet, Therese is a bit slow and Con can burn cold drinks.”
"She’s not that bad,” I offered in my BFF’s defence.
"I swear, one Saturday she incinerated more sausages than we actually sold.”
"But its going okay otherwise?”
"I think so, what’s todays Pastete1 offering?”
I retrieved the delivery note from the notice board, "Lets see, Hühnchen und Spargel2, sounds okay.“
"Better than last weeks curry pork.“
"That sounds okay.“
"Think he got carried away with the paprika.“

Yeah, i’ve been caught out by German ’curry‘ a few times, any resemblance to spicy food from Asia ends with the name. Nope, in Germany a hefty dose of paprika either on top or mixed into tomato ketchup makes it curry. I’m as big a fan of currywürst as anyone but if you use the same technique on anything else, well it often doesn’t end well.

A train whistle sounded from the far end of town, announcing the imminent arrival of the Ahrtal Express.

"I’ll put the shutters up,“ Kris announced, "Lets hope the weathers brought some walkers out.“
 

And so started what turned out to be a good day at Connie’s Kabin, its funny how you forget the buzz of a busy session. Pretty much from that first train until midday we had a stream of customers, walkers, a few cyclists topping up their caffeine levels, bikers out terrorising the Eifel and a bonus of some sort of car club from Belgium doing a road run, a bunch of older model cars, not ancient but pre dating me by a decade or two. The time had flown by, it was only the unexpected arrival of two of my favourite girls that broke the moment.

"Gaby!“

 
Maddy Bell © 15.06.2023