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*Chapter 21*

Bond Bonn

 
 
“Made it!” I gasped as I hobbled along to where the others were sat.

“That was so funny,” Steff grinned.

“Wish I had a camera.” Brid added.

“What?” Con enquired.

“How could you miss that?” Pia chortled.

“Miss what?” I asked.

“You running for the train,” Steff informed us.

“What’s so funny about that?” I queried indignantly.

“You looked like you had a wooden leg.” Pia cackled.

“Like a marionette,” Brid opined.

“Geez, you know who your friends are!” I pretty much spat.

“Calm down, Gab,” Con suggested, “seeing you run anytime is quite funny.”

I can’t help it if I don’t do running well.

“Hmmph!”

“So where’s Nen? She was all up for it when I rang earlier,” Con asked of the others.

“She just sent a text,” Pia advised, “here.”

She passed over her handy so we could see the message,

‘dnt w8t, sthng came up, N’

“Must be important to keep her from the shops.” I observed as I furtled about in my bag, “aha! Gotcha!”

“Got what?” Steff probed.

“Hose,” I announced.
 
 

Ever tried putting tights on whilst holding a conversation on a rattly train? Didn’t think so, ‘snot easy I can tell you!

“Gab!” Con complained, “Sit down, you’re showing your knickers.”

“In a minute.”

Where my friends request was basically ignored the wolf whistles and ribald comments from along the carriage did get a reaction. I was sat and turning a bit er russet in less than a second.

“You coulda said,” I whined to Con.

“She did.” Steff noted in Con’s defence.

The group of lads making all the fuss suddenly quieted.

“Myleen,” Con sighed looking down the train.

No one argues with our friendly train conductor, the last person to rub her up the wrong way had a long walk home!

 
 
I squirmed and tugged my tights into place, not very ladylike (duh!) but at least I felt dressed now although the contortions aggravated my sore thigh somewhat.

“Hi, girls.”

“Afternoon, Myleen.”

“Abend.”

“Hi, Myleen,” I added.

“Can we have less shows for the boys, eh girls?”

“It was Gabs,” Brid supplied.

Thanks, Bridget!

“I was just putting some hose on.”

“Hmm, passes?”

I know, seems a bit daft, we travel on here all the time and she wants to see our passes. We all fished our travel cards out for inspection.

“Off shopping?” Myleen proposed taking a vacant seat.

“Bonn.” Pia supplied.

“No rush at Remagen today girls, all the northbound services are delayed today.”

“By much?” Steff asked.

“‘Bout ten minutes, they are doing some work down at Andernach.” Myleen told us.

“Not too bad I guess.” I allowed.

“So what are you shopping for?”

“You know, My, this and that,” Pia offered.

“Or nothing,” Brid concluded.

“Well have a good time, girls, I’d best do some work.”

 
 
The northbound Rhein Express instead of being stood waiting rolled into the station a couple of minutes after we reached the platform. We found seats as the train departed our boarding point, five’s an awkward number for seating but given it’s under twenty minutes to Bonn, being sat in different places wasn’t an issue. It was not quite one fifteen when we joined the throng making its way into the maze that makes up Bonn’s shopping district.

“So where first?” Pia queried.

“Schuhstraße.” Steff suggested.

Of course that’s not really its name, it’s Sternstraße but there are loads of shoe shops and other places that are of interest to teenage girls along its length.

“We can go via the püppen shop Gabs.” Con put in.

Well I hadn’t been planning on model buying but if the opportunity is there…

 
 
“Which way then clever clogs?” Brid asked.

Steff was on the wrong end of her tongue having taken the lead after we departed the toy store. (I only spent forty euro honest!) I’m pretty sure we’re near the target but I’m not sure I’ve even been here before, a square containing the Alte Rathaus and a few stores that held little interest to our party.

“Let’s try that one,” Con suggested pointing to the opposite corner of the square, “’s got to go somewhere.”

No one having a better idea we made our way past some bell thing in the middle of the square and to where a couple of streets joined the plaza.

“I can see Deichmann’s along there.” Pia announced.

“It’s Schuhstraße,” Con announced.

“We must be at the other end to usual,” I observed.

“Lucky guess,” Brid moped

She’s being a right cow today.
 
 

“Straighten it out then,” I suggested.

“Hang on, your hair’s caught in it,” Steff mentioned.

“Ouch!”

“Sorree, there we go.”

Using a shop window as a mirror I admired the delicate choker that clumsy fingers had put on for me, I’m sure you’ve seen similar things, it looks almost like a tribal tattoo, I reckon it looks well cool.

“Stop admiring yourself, Princess, I’m starving let’s eat,” Con suggested.

“Dinea?” I promoted.

“Wherever, as long as I can get coffee,” Pia noted.
 
 

I’ve told you about Dinea before, the self-service restaurants? Well anyway we headed up to the top floor of the Karstadt and although it was heading towards three there was still plenty of food on offer.

“You’re not eating all that, Gab?” Steff queried looking at my tray.

“I’m riding tomorrow, I need my carbs.”

I suppose it does look quite a bit, braised beef, spätzle and veggies, a bowl of salad, lemon torte with cream and a large diet coke. I hope Mum hasn’t done a big dinner when I get home.

“You should be the size of a house,” Pia chuckled.

“I would be eating like that,” Con stated.

“You not eating, Brid?”

“Not hungry, I get fat just watching you eat.”

“Whatever.”
 
 

“I’m stuffed,” Con allowed sitting back from the table.

“You only had a bowl of soup,” I noted.

“And a slice of Pflaumkuchen.”

“Not like hollow legs over there,” Steff mentioned.

“Thought it was boys who had hollow legs,” Brid suggested.

I wanted to shout I am a boy! Was, I suppose now. I can hardly claim that title anymore, sat here with boobs, in a skirt with my girl friends.

“I don’t think Gab eats it at all, she’s got like a bag it goes in, you know like that fairy tale. When she gets home she empties it to start again.” Pia proposed.

“Ew, gross!” Steff squealed.

“Guys, me, Gaby, here?”

I finished my food; it was the cola I failed on, Steff emptied the cup for me.
 
 

Time was getting on now so we started making our way back towards the Bahnhof. That’s not to say we didn’t make a few stops on the way, Con bought a skirt in H&M, but otherwise we just did what girls do in shops – look! It was somehow almost five when we got back to the station, just in time to join the crowds waiting for the seventeen o five that terminates down in Koblenz.

It was already packed when it pulled in but enough travellers from Köln got off to free sufficient seating for most of the new passengers. Well okay, Brid did end up sat several rows from the table the rest of us commandeered but I’m sure she’ll survive twenty minutes. Jules does this journey several times a week; don’t think I could stand doing that.

Myleen and the Ahrtal Express were waiting when we got off at Remagen, fully two thirds of those who left the train from Bonn heading over to platform four.

“Good time, girls?” Myleen queried as we stepped onboard.

“Okay,” I allowed.

“Gab spent more on food than the rest of us spent altogether.” Steff told her.

“Hey!”

“No strip shows this time eh, Gaby?” Myleen suggested with a wink.

“I, er.”

“Come on, Gab, she’s only joking,” Con told me with a push towards our usual seats.
 
 

The ride up the valley was uneventful, the light starting to go a bit by the time my and Cons stop was reached.

“See you Monday.”

“Bye guys!”

I left Miss Thesing at the bakery and ten minutes later pushed the kitchen door of Schloss Bond open to be assailed with the unmistakeable smell of onion gravy.
Maddy Bell © 10.11.2014