Gaby Book 14 ~ The Girl ~ Chapter *1* Haneda

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*Chapter 1*

Haneda

 
 
The water sloshed over his head as he sank back in sheer bliss, the steam swirling around like a soft blanket. When he surfaced he could hear his friends splashing about on the other side of the hot pool, later, for now he just wanted to relax after the bruising race. He smirked to himself, yeah the locals might have been a bit physical but Super Bond slipped their net, oh yeah!
"Gab!"
Wrapping the towel around himself he finally prepared to leave the steaming waters. The others had already left - bum he'd be last to dinner!
"Gab, wake up"
The pool floor was a bit slippery and Drew being Drew he managed to find a particularly slick foothold.
"Yea-aaargh!"
Splooosh! Backwards like a cartoon banana sketch, the water parting before rushing in to the void. As the liquid engulfed him everything went black.
 
 
Mand shook her friends arm to add emphasis, "Come on, Gab, we're landing."
"Ger off!" Drew's arm flailed wildly almost connecting with Amanda's face.
"You asked for it, Gaby Bond!"
"Ouch!" suddenly fully awake the Wunderkind glared at the girl sat next to him, "Wotcha do that for?"
"I've been trying to wake you for like ten minutes."
"What for?"
"What for? We're just coming in to land dozy knickers."
"But we only just took off."
"Yeah like ten hours ago, you've been asleep with a big grin on your face all the way."
 
 
I wasn’t the only one who’d been sleeping; Anja was stretching and yawning big style at the end of the row.
“So I suppose you’ve been awake all the way?” I suggested.
“Never said that but I didn’t miss lunch or tea.” She smirked back.
“Why didn’t you wake me?”
“We did try but you were well out of it.”
‘Ladies and gentlemen we are just starting our final approach, please ensure all hand luggage is stowed, seats are in the upright position and your seat belts fastened.’

The arrival at Tokyo Haneda Airport wasn't any different to any other time Drew had flown - queue to get off, queue for passports, queue for the loo. Being in a sizeable group there was no time to dally; Dad and George herded everyone forward mercilessly as far as the luggage carousels where the bilingual displays suggested a ten-minute wait for their bags.
 
 
"God, I’m glad that's over," Mand offered with a heavy sigh.
"Why do they have to make it so stressful, walk here, queue there, it's even worse with a bike."
"You have to carry your bike from the plane?"
"Well no but it gets you well stressed."
"It's not so bad really, Amanda, Gaby makes too much of it," Tina proffered.
"When I went to Manchester it stressed me out," I replied.
"You flew to Manchester?" Mand queried.
"Well duh, how'd you think I got there, Tardis?"
"Never gave it much thought."

No, why should she. I on the other hand had given it a lot of thought...
"You okay, miss?"
"I think so, it’s just a bit awkward." I tugged the bike bag upright.
"Let me," and without further ado he swung the bike bag off the conveyor onto the floor.
"Er thanks."
"You race?"
"Yeah." I really will have to work at this.
"Och mine always seems to come through last."
There was something about him that was familiar but I couldn't put my finger on it.
"That’s usually me, Drew, by the way."
"Chris, so you off to the 'drome?"
"Not till next week, I’m on the junior squad," I boasted.
"So you're the mysterious wonder from Germany."
"Well, Worksop, actually," I blushed, "how'd you know?"
"Let’s see, bike, flight from Germany and on the squad, I might only be a sprinter but even I can add those clues up," he grinned.

Sprinter, Chris, built like a brick you know what, oh bum.
"You’re, Chris Hoy?" I blurted.
"Guilty as charged, lassie, come on, let’s get through cattle control," and he set off dragging not just his bag but mine as well.
 
 
We must've looked a right sight, Chris ambling along with the bikes and me doing my best to keep up. He’s obviously better known in Blighty as he was clearly recognised by several people although the fact I was referred to as his daughter by one chap was a bit irksome.
"So’s yer teking after yer mother then?"
"Kinda."
"Yer don't fancy the boards?"
"I’ve done a bit but BC want me to concentrate on the road."
"Maybe that’s as well, we're a bit light on the road still, I think you'd do well in the pursuit mind, I’ll have a word with Dave later."
"You don't have to," I spluttered.
"We canna afford to overlook any potential lassie and if you ride anything like yer mother..."

 
 
At that point he was called forward to passport control, still dragging my bike. The officer’s face was a picture when he saw who was in front of him, I couldn't hear the exchange but Chris went through and the chap just waved me through after him.
"You got someone meeting you, lass?"
"Uncle John should be here."
"Right then, my car’s here somewhere, I’ll see yer next week, eh?"
"Er yeah sure, nice to meet you."
"And you, lass, and you."
We briefly shook hands and with a grin as wide as the Rhein Chris set off down the concourse.

 
 

I was broken from my reverie by the sound of the carousel starting up.
"Come on girls I can see your bags already," Mum stated.
Muu-uum.
"Coming."
At least it wasn't my bag we were waiting for this time, no; this time it was George's.
 
 
Soon the nine of us had our bags loaded on several trolleys and then it was through customs where we had to declare mine and Mum’s medals that we’d had to bring cos they wanted to see the bling. So far our experience of Japan was that of homogenised airport, the same the world over just with the signs in a different language. Once free of customs we got our first taste of Japan.
The hustle and bustle was a stark contrast to the calm, ordered atmosphere in the controlled areas and we were treated to instant Japan. Uniformed school girls, grandma’s in traditional dress, be-suited ‘salary men’ – pretty much everything my manga depicts is actually true – at least in this microcosm of the country. With Dad riding herd, George led the way through the crowded concourse, us following like gawping sheep.
“At least we won’t get lost,” Mand noted.
“Oh?”
“All the signs, they’re in English next to the Japanese.”
I hadn’t really taken that much notice, being more interested in the other sights around us.
“Wonder where we’re going?”
“We’ve been following signs for ‘rendezvous’ so I’m guessing there.”
Since when does Miss ‘don’t like flying,’ know so much about airports?
 
 
So okay, she was right, two minutes later George stopped our hike.
“Find some seats ladies, Vincenzo sent a message for us to wait here, he’s caught in some traffic.” George advised.
“Well I need a coffee,” Erika opined.
“Sounds like an idea,” Tina agreed, “Anyone else want one?”
What a daft question!
“I’ll come and give you a hand,” Dad volunteered.
The rest of us utilised bits of luggage and a single three seat bench to perch ourselves while we waited.
 
 
“Just like in your comics,” Jules observed.
“How’d you know?”
“You aren’t the only one who can read you know although I was a bit confused until I found out that you read from the back.”
“It’s not the back in Japan,” I pointed out.
“You know what I mean.”
“Comics, Gab?” Mand queried.
“Manga?”
“That stuff on your bookcase?”
“And around half the house,” Jules added.
“I still can’t believe I’m here,” Mand mentioned, “until this year my foreign travel was a package holiday to Spain, since I’ve been to Switzerland, Italy, Denmark and now Japan.”
“Don’t forget Germany.”
“That’s even more amazing,” she agreed.
I couldn’t disagree.
The coffee brigade returned bearing containers of caffeine infused liquid – not as good as when I make it at Thesing’s of course but it hit the spot just the same.
 
 
We’d been waiting a little impatiently for nearly an hour; I was considering a trip to the loo when a clearly European chap hurried up to our party.
“Apollinaris?”
“Ja, Vincenzo?”
“He’s a bit of a dish,” Mand whispered.
George, Dad and the newcomer were soon having a discussion in a mixture of Italian, English and German, there was a bit of gesticulating but they were all smiling and they soon rejoined the rest of us.
“Welcome to Japon, ladies,” Vincenzo started in heavily accented English, “I am a Vincenzo, I is a for Bianchi the manager for Japon. My apologies for my lateness, there was an auto incidente on the autostrada. We go to the bus now and direct to the hotel, we have dinner then you sleep, recover from the journey. Tomorrow we sort la bicicletta in the morning ready for the race in Chiba City tomorrow afternoon.
So if you follow, we delay no more.”
He mentioned food; I hope this hotel isn’t too far away.
 
 
We followed our host out into the late afternoon sunshine and to the waiting minicoach. Once there Dad and George took charge of the luggage leaving the rest of us to find seats, there were plenty but nevertheless I ended up sat next to Mand. Our driver introduced himself as Ken however his grasp of foreign language was about as good as my Latvian – non-existent! We landed in Japan nearly three hours ago and we are only now leaving the airport, got to be the slowest mile ever!
 
 
We’d got as far as the motorway before Mand chortled to herself.
“Wassup?”
“Notice anything weird?”
“Weird?”
“Yeah, well okay not weird maybe.”
I looked out of the window, it could’ve been anywhere really, well I suppose the cars and trucks are different to back home where it’s all Mercedes, Opel and Volkswagen, here its like Toyota and Mazda but it is Japan after all.
“Looks pretty ordinary to me,” I allowed, “so what’s odd?”
“Duh, it’s like at home, where they drive?”
“On the road?”
“Miss smarty pants, no, on the left.”
“We drive on the right at home, oh right, gotcha, it’s the same as England.”
“You really do give blondes a bad name, Gab.”
“I knew,” I protested.
“No you didn’t, admit it.”
To be honest it wasn’t something I’d ever thought about. I guess when you are in the UK and everyone in Europe drives on the ‘wrong’ side you kind of forget that maybe other countries are the same as Britain in that regard. I’m so used to being in Europe that this, now Mand has pointed it out, feels weirder.
 
 
The rest of the drive was uneventful, road signs with strange squiggles but the odd bit of English, streams of cars, buses and trucks, colourful advertising hoardings for unknown products. Then we left the motorway and within a few minutes we were climbing off of Ken’s bus at the Hotel Bristol Yokohama. I guess it’s a bit classier than Ibis but not quite the Hilton, what it wasn’t was the Japanese hot bath lodge that’s depicted in all my comics, er manga.

I hope the food isn’t generic world cuisine as well.

  
© Maddy Bell 2016 
 

 

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Comments

Manga

And a new book starts off with a bang - even if it is a dream.

The problem with letting manga set your expectations is that they tend to set themselves in alternate realities to begin with. Different places, often different times, even entirely different worlds.

Jorey
.

New adventures

Donna T's picture

And the journey continues. I can hardly wait. Arigatōgozaimashita!

Donna

It is just too bad that

It is just too bad that everyone cannot have the opportunity to visit and stay in a country that is not their own. We would have much less issues between countries, if that could happen more often, as people would soon learn that other people are very similar to them with not so many differences as they believed there were.

talking

Maddy Bell's picture

to the converted here!

I've even crossed the border to Derbyshire on occasion, its not true that they all have six fingers but otoh they do call everyone 'me duck'!

TIC
Mads


image7.1.jpg    

Madeline Anafrid Bell

They do however......

KevSkegRed's picture

......Lust after sheep, especially the Derby County fans. ;)

KevSkegRed, Skeg Vegas, England, UK.