Chapter 28: The healing begins

Over the following days, the girls got caught up in the excitement and preparation for the race. It was easy to get caught up in their problems with their carburetors, timing chains, and miss-matched vacuum hoses. They had their own problems at home too, and the girls were also at ease offering their own suggestions and support. Maria and Marie had no shortage of young men interested in them also.

In their evenings together at the Café, the girls grew fond of the camaraderie and knew they were going to miss Barcelona when this was all over. The girls were given their own motorcycles to use back and forth from the track to the Café or Hotel. Maria was giddy about getting to ride from the track to the Café at night. There seemed to be a growing number of young girls who were eager to meet the mostly-eligible young athletic riders, and were shocked when she removed her helmet and shook out her long reddish brown hair down past her waist before she strolled into the café. A number of photographers were able to sneak in to get photos of the young riders. Pictures of Maria and Marie in their riding gear started to show up in their local newspapers back in the states. It would be hard to be anonymous back in school the next semester.