I finished the food and sat back at least temporarily sated. I sipped at my glass of water, when it struck me, talk about a ditz, my phone might not have a connection but I could use a landline. Not that there’s a public phone here but there must be one somewhere on my way right?
I fished out my mobile and switched it on, relieved to find it still had two bars showing – not great but enough. It was the job of moments to bring up my contacts and transcribe Gab’s number onto the useless train ticket. If I had thought of doing that yesterday or even better Saturday I’d be out of this mess already, doh!

The waiter came out, I guess he’d seen I was done eating.

“Enden?”
I smiled back, “um yar?”

He gathered the crockery then returned with the bill. I turned it over, it really did say three fifty, I quickly fumbled out the coins from my purse and passed them over. After a quick count he allowed a slight smile, “Gut danke, Guten reise!”
“Um danke.”

I quickly made good my escape and for some reason didn’t go back towards the road. Damn, now I’ll have to go back past, they’ll spot me and demand the extra I owe them. It was only as I debated my options for dodging past the Café Bühlerlochsmühle that I spotted the finger post pointing into the woods not twenty metres away.

Apparently some place called Kirchsahr Binzenbach was only two point three kilometres away – maybe there’s a phone box? I was a bit turned about but it seemed to be generally the right direction so I started in. it was uphill away from the mill place, not steep enough to get you properly out of breath but I was soon perspiring which led to a stop to readjust my clothing a bit.

The path levelled off a bit not much further on and I could hear what sounded like traffic not too far ahead. Surely I’ve not done two kilometres already? When I emerged from the trees I was a bit disappointed to find myself on a path next to a wide road with a regular stream of traffic – not heavy but busy enough.

There was another post, Kirchsahr Binzenbach is still one point nine kilometres one and some place called Altenahr twelve one way, Effelsburg at one point two and Bad Münstereifel seventeen and a half the other. Well at least I’d made the right call after lunch, I readjusted my clothing again and set off along the hot tarmac. The path crossed a lane a short way on and at the point where the road started to dip away it angled away through more trees.

However, compared to the previous woodland escapades this remained a reasonably well surfaced footpath cum cycle track. Like the road it was heading downhill steep enough that I was glad I was going down not up, it wasn’t going straight though, several times it made quite sharp changes in direction in a sort of switchback way. Some maniac whizzed past me on a race bike – that’d be Gab on here I bet!

By the time I reached the village my calves were killing and my feet were quite sore too – I just hope I am actually going the right direction. The bad news was that I couldn’t see a phone box, maybe the next place? I checked the time, heading towards three, well there’s plenty of daylight, maybe I’ll have more luck at this Altenahr place.

I set off again at a steady pace, not too fast, after all I’m bang out of local dosh now so I need to nurture my energy. My mind started to wander, re-living how I got to be here, my whole relationship with James, hmmph, who’d’ve thought that me and Gab, well it was Drew back then I guess, going to get chips or pizza or something would bring me to this, tramping through Germany on my own. And why have I continued to go it alone, I could easily, even now turn myself in and it would all be over.

What am I afraid of? Its not like I intended stowing away is it? So okay maybe getting in the camper wasn’t exactly my best idea – I could’ve found another toilet, yeah I’d have missed the bus, but I could have caught a later one. I missed it anyhow so fat lot of good it did me.

I’d walked past a bunch of plum trees, the ground below splattered with fallen fruit, before it occurred to me that here was some free food. Well it looks free, I mean, if anyone really wants the fruit why’d they let it drop on the path? Still, no point in taking a chance, I slipped through the fence and into the field behind.

I hadn’t seen them before but there were about a dozen sheep lying in the shade, I’m not sure who was most surprised, them or me. Almost as one they got to their feet and bleating angrily they headed across the field, presumably to some alternative shade from the afternoon heat. Looking at the plum trees it was clear the idea of eating the fruit wasn’t mine alone, the locals had cleared everything pretty much up to my chest height.

However there was still plenty higher up where my arms but not sheepsies could reach. I found a carrier bag in my pack – well you never know when you’ll need this stuff do you, and started to pluck fruit. Well of course I had to sample a few, the firm flesh a delightful bitter sweet hit on the taste buds.

It didn’t take long to pretty much fill the bag – well what I don’t eat I can give to the Bonds. A quick clamber back through the fence and with a slightly guilty feeling I set off once again. You know when you have a bag of your favourite sweets and you can’t help but keep reaching for another one? Well I found myself pretty much chain eating the plums.

I’m not sure why but I started to feel a bit iffy maybe an hour later, no sooner than that. Maybe its the heat or perhaps over indulging on plums but whatever, my stomach wasn’t rumbling in hunger but in discomfort, I need a loo! isn’t this where all this started?

My speed dropped and I took on a bit of a waddle, you’ve been there right? Just my luck, free food then I’m ill from it. There didn’t appear to be anywhere to relieve the plum’s side effects so I shuffled along slowly, I’ll even take an open gate – there's no way I could climb anything in this state.

Any hope of nipping into a field was dashed soon after as a high hedge replaced open grass and through it I could see what looked like caravans. Damn and double damn! Just my luck, when I need a field I get a campsite.

I was almost at the entrance when it struck me, this could work out to my advantage. Campsites have toilets right, so all I have to do is go in, sort myself out and slip out – what could be simpler? As luck would have it, when I reached the gate a group of kids on bikes were just going in, I put on a smile and confidently followed them in.

A quick look on the site plan identified where the ablutions were sighted, I took a slightly roundabout route so I didn’t look too obvious. I wanted, no needed to hurry, but I walked as casually as I could to the block, pushed the door and noooo, its locked! Why me? What now?
My key was at the lock when the door swung open to let a rather sunburnt and buxom woman out. I chuckled and waved my key as I stepped back to let her pass before I caught the door and slipped inside. It had been an agonising few minutes having just missed tagging behind her going in but at least she hadn’t been showering. It was cooler inside which was a relief, I found a cubicle, job done as they say.

Talk about embarrassing, I’ve no idea how long I was in there, too long that's for sure, each time I thought I was done there was another grumble, in the end I just sat it out. Of course there was a stream of other visitors and by the conversations tome I guess I or rather my stomach wasn’t making any friends. Eventually though things settled down and I escaped the confines of the cubicle.

It was tempting to utilise the showers but without a towel that was a no no and when I looked, you needed a fifty cent coin anyhow. Instead I had a bit of a wash, using my fleece to dry off in lieu of an alternative. Which is how I found myself two euro coins better off, they’d been on the shelf above the mirrors where I’d plonked my top while I washed.

I slipped back outside and once again took a round about route to the entrance, slipping out and turning onto the path, walking maybe a little quicker than strictly necessary until I turned the first bend. It was only then that I realised I hadn’t picked up the bag of fruit – well given the last hour or so maybe that's just as well! And then it was another doh moment, there’d been a telephone kiosk by the campsite entrance, grr!

Oh well, I’m not going back now. There was a bit more traffic about, even on the cycle track, I nearly jumped out of my skin when a lad on one of those scooter things swept past before putt, putting down the roadway ahead of me. One of them things would be great right now, my feet are sore and I really don’t want to walk any more.

The road wound downhill even further before coming into a bit of a village, not the Altenahr place but somewhere called Kreuzburg according to the yellow board. It wasn’t much of a place, no phone again so after a short stop where the road crossed a river I pushed on. There was some sort of main road to cross, it took me a few minutes to work out which way actually went into this Altenahr place, the road sign suggested it was just a kilometre away, must be the place where I can see a church steeple I guess.

A kilometre, even at my reduced speed it only took fifteen minutes before I crossed a level crossing and found myself in the town, village, whatever. A couple of minutes later I spotted a ‘DB’ symbol on a sign, that's the railway, hang on, level crossing, station, phone box! Yes, I hurried along and quickly spotted the station building.

Its not much of a station but it did have a public phone, I quickly claimed it and dug out my recently found coins and Gab’s phone number. Okay, coin in slot ready, four, nine, two…. I tried it three times but it wouldn’t connect, maybe I got a number wrong. I slipped outside and found a bench so I could check I’d got it right, the mobile restarted and now only showed one bar, dang! Quickly I checked Gab’s number, yep, everything's right, maybe I put it in wrong or missed something. Back in the station building I had to wait for the phone to become free as I’d been gazzumped while I checked Bond’s number.

Not that it made any difference, I carefully pressed each button and still I got a dead tone, she can’t have changed her number can she? What if she has, surely she would’ve told me right? Now what, no money, no food (again), don’t know where I’m going or really where I am.
Perhaps she’s out training or something and her phone’s turned off, yeah that’ll be it, she’s bound to turn it back on when she gets in. I checked my watch, how did it get to that time? So if its ten past six now, I’ll give it till seven and try again, can’t imagine she’ll be out after that.

Given I had some time to kill it seemed reasonable to explore this place for a bit, maybe there’s somewhere nice to sit up in the town. I crossed the sort of car park bit to where I could see a bridge decorated with loads of flower boxes and beyond that what looked like the shopping area. The shops seemed a weird collection for such a small place, electrical stuff, a florist, the usual bakery and so on but I counted three, yep three banks but no supermarket – maybe its on a different road.

There wasn’t really anywhere to sit that I could see, maybe there is but I didn’t really want to go too far from the phone booth. I headed back towards the river, pausing to look at the restaurant menu – I might be skint but I can look. The Anker looked to have what I recognised as the usual German fare, schnitzel and stuff, it looked fairly busy too.

I sighed to myself, oh well, hopefully when I find the Bond’s they’ll feed me, what am I thinking, of course they will, that's one thing you can always be sure of with my cousins lot, they always feed you. There were some ducks on the river, I watched them for a bit but I really needed to get off my feet. Well there’s that bench outside the station I suppose.

The kiosk place by the bridge looked a bit twee, I mean Connie’s Kiosk, what sort of name is that, I bet its run by some old maid. Seriously, look at all the flowers and those old fashioned tables and chairs, you can see all the old granny’s sat drinking tea. Or maybe coffee, Gab is always complaining about the Germans and tea.

Must be the heat and hunger slowing the old grey matter but something clicked. Oh my god, this is where Gab works, Connie is her friend she runs it with, that means I can’t be far from the Bond’s place. I guess its further down the river, she always says she’s been up to the kiosk which makes sense.

I was nearly bouncing in excitement, I’ve made it and all on less than five Altarian dollars a day! A couple of minutes later I was perched on the station bench again and despite my earlier episode, I would’ve happily eaten more of those plums. To distract me as I waited to try Gab’s phone again I tried to make sense of the adverts rolling over in one of those multi sheet things.

I’d watched the sequence three times before it hit me, the telephone number on what looked like an ad for an optician started with a zero. I got out the ticket and checked the number, duh, you idiot Peters, you don’t need the international code, you’re in Germany! So that means I’ve been wasting time waiting to call her again.

The phone connected and I waited for it to be picked up, one ring, two, three, come on Gab, where are you, four, five. There was a click and I pushed my coin home.

“Abent, wie sind Sie?”
“Gab?”
“Ja, wo ist das?”
“Gab, its me, Mad,” I almost cried into the handset.
“Mad, thank Gott, where the hell are you, have you rung home?”
“Germany,” I allowed.
“Germany?”
“Well some place called Altenahr to be precise,” I told her.
“How, no don’t bother, stay there, we’ll come and get you, where exactly are you?”
“At the station.”
“Stay put, we’ll be there in like fifteen minutes.”
“Thanks Gab,” I managed with a bit of a snuffle.
“Just stay there,” Gab ordered, my coin dropping and ending the call before I could reply.

I went back out to the bench, pulled my knees up and started crying which is how Uncle Dave and Gab found me a few minutes later.

Maddy Bell © 30.07.2018