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

 
I boosted myself into a slightly unsteady crouch atop the saddle, then eased into a stand, so far so good. The bike rolled along at what felt like ninety miles an hour but was of course not much above walking pace. Now for the part that I’d already failed at six times this morning, I calmed my breathing with a deep breath, one, two, three and…

My foot landed a bit more delicately this time, instead of sliding straight off requiring an undignified dismount, it ‘wedged’ into the back of the handlebar, my foot sort of wrapped over the stem. Yay, done it! The two of us, me and the bike that is, circled the yard, once, twice, it felt a long way up, I guess it is compared to when I usually ride a bike but in reality my head was barely level with the top of the garage door.

On the third lap the bike started to slow so I tried the next move. One, two – well it wasn’t pretty but I made it, both feet on the bars then gingerly I crouched balancing on just one foot, the other extended forward. Nearly there, the bike started a bit of a wobble, here goes, I lowered the extended foot to the tyre and gently pushed forward. She shoots, she scores, the first time I tried I put too much pressure on and stopped the wheel but this time a gentler ‘stroking’ action resulted in an increase in my speed.

Hmm, what now? This was new territory, I’ve mastered a few individual moves but I’ve never managed to stay upright this long before. Another couple of dabs at the tyre increased the speed enough that I’d get in a couple more laps before I carefully stood again. Should I, could I? Guess we’ll never know if I don’t try, a couple of calming breaths then I started the backwards handstand.

The dodgy bit is the leaning back but once I had a grip of the saddle getting to vertical was comparatively easy. I adjusted my grip before going into a scissor, I carefully lifted my right hand off the saddle and moved my arm to the side. Of course my luck couldn’t go on, the bike was slowing, wobbling a bit, the resulting dismount wasn’t exactly elegant but neither I nor the bike ended on the floor.

Much to my surprise there was some clapping.

“Well done kiddo!”
“Wow Gab’s.”
“Pwincess!”

I felt myself colouring up, I thought I was alone out here.

“Er what are you doing here?” I enquired of Bern, scooping up the towel I’d been circling for the last, what, hour maybe?
“Your mum called, said you might want some company.”
“I’ll leave you to it,” Dad put in.
“You could put the kettle on,” I suggested to his departing back. “so how did you get here and how long were you watching me?”
“Erika gave us a lift down to the station, you were just starting that last routine when we came through the garage, I’m well impressed Gaby Bond, I can’t imagine doing any of that, especially not on a bike.”
"yeah, well I’m hardly good at it.”
“I, we, beg to differ don’t we Drea?”
“Pwincess Gaby!”
“Isn’t she supposed to be in kindergarten?”
“Only until lunch on Fridays, I brought cake,” she hinted.
 

By now you’ve probably gathered that I’ve not gone to college today, I truly intended to but our late return from England combined with the emotional turmoil of not just the funeral but also the conversation with Gramps, well I was wiped out. On the plus side it did mean that I got to talk with Jules a bit before she and Boris went off to Bonn and similarly with Mum before she departed to re-join the team, they’re doing some big race in Tuscany on Sunday.

Gramps ‘revelations’ yesterday have been occupying the grey matter, how could they not? I’m both angry and sad that I missed having a better relationship with Nanna Bond but what’s done is done, it’s too late to change anything now. Then of course there’s the money.

Its frustrating not knowing how much it is, of course I want to know, on the other hand, before yesterday, barely twenty four hours ago, I didn’t even dream of such a windfall. I certainly wasn’t expecting anything, especially with the less than close relationship. And yeah, I have to wait nearly four years before the account pays out but it’d still be nice to know if its, I dunno, a thousand pounds, two?

I suppose in some families there might be expectations of inheritance and I know the trust fund isn’t really that but it never occurred to me that I would be on the receiving end of anything from Nanna’s estate. Let’s face it, neither the Bond’s nor the Peters are exactly rolling in it, comfortable I suppose but I’m pretty sure there isn’t any Fabergé or Titian lurking in the vaults.
 

And so I spent the afternoon with one of the few people, well really the only person in Germany outside of my family, who knew Drew, the boy I thought I was. Thinking about it, Bern is the only one of my circle of friends from Warsop that I really have a relationship with as Gaby. Maddy might be my cousin but we don’t really share much these days beyond that, heck, I can’t even remember the last time we talked, not properly. As for the rest of the gang, Ally did send me a card for my birthday and Rhod, I’ve no idea what’s going on with him or is it Mfanwy now?

The old gang has gone, even the Angels here in the Ahrtal are not the same as we were, our lives no longer as closely intertwined as they were just a year ago. I suppose relationships, whether family or friends, all rest on a knifes edge, how they turn out determined by how good you are at the Balancing Trick.

Maddy Bell © 12.01.2024