Renaissance Festival War Stories: Newbourne June 10/11/12, 2022 ...Part 2

Mother & Father Christmas

Newbourne saw all types of visitors this weekend, including Mother & Father Christmas. I called out to Father Christmas and said, "Don't place me behind Donner this year!"

Mother Christmas said, "Oh, He's my favorite."

Father Christmas said, "You need to make the team first. Work hard, train hard, and maybe you'll make the team. Only the best make the team."

Looks at resume, report card, and general evil reputation. I'm screwed. I told them later that I'm going to hang out with Krampus instead.

...

Tinka can keep a secret...once in a while.

I am an open book. You ask me anything, and I'll pretty much tell you. I lack shame, which has served me as a bizarre form of confidence. So when I came up with a bit after the last season of the faire, it took everything in me NOT to tell Nestor what it was and I had to wait for him to set me up for it, if it would even happen.

Nestor tells the riddle where the last rhyming word sounds like it should be "ass." Over several of the tellings, we substitute the word for other words: butt, bahokey, hiney, etc. Last season, I started using the phrase 'gluteus maximus,' which Nestor started using too. So when he used the phrase 'gluteus maximus' upon telling the riddle (the unknowing set up) I reply with, "You know you're pronouncing that wrong."

"I am?"

"Yeah, and when you do, you sound like an ass."

The patrons laughed. The look on his face was priceless. When I had a quiet moment to tell him how long I had held that line in, he said he couldn't believe I didn't spill the beans. I tell Nestor everything. It's what brothers do.

...

Tag!

Sunday morning before the arrival of Queen Bea, outside the gate, erupts a game of tag with a bunch of people, patrons and cast included. I play along with the game of chase, in character, as one does. But Nestor in character plays on a whole other level. He gets tagged and slyly goes up to the LORD MAYOR, says hello and tries to shake his hand. The Mayor was just a touch faster and pulled his hand away before Nestor could shake his hand and tag him in the game. Cruel. Genius. No notes.

...

Brothers return the favor

A family approached us at the Riddle Booth. We had seen them when they first arrived that morning, they were there in the first half hour of the day. This little gem of a child pointed at Nestor and admired his tabbard: the colors, the gems, etc. Nestor is in perfect form, goes to one knee and talks to this little girl. He plops his hat on her, gives her a piece of alchemists' gold, and tells her that she could be an alchemist someday too. She also answered a couple of riddles without Mom and Dad's help, which was impressive for a child of that age.

Nestor once captured a moment like this of me before, and I knew it was time for me to do the same for him. I may not be a mother. I don't even have the ability to have children anymore. But I'll be damned if my ovaries didn't regrow and explode in that moment.

...

Kindness. Make it count. Every little bit.

One of the last patron interactions I had on Sunday was a father and son right at the end of the day. We walked up the road towards the gate together, son in the stroller. Dad was all smiles, saying how much fun the two of them had, how he's so glad that Newbourne is here. His son has a wooden sword and a couple souvenir coins in his tray. Like most small children at that age, he holds up his treasures and drops them. While we walked, I gave them each a four-leafed clover. During that 20-30 feet of walking, the boy dropped one of his coins. I told Dad to pause and I will double back to where we walked from to find it. I walk down and back without it. Right as I approach them, Nestor finds it and picks it up. "Is this it," and returns it to the child along with one of his pieces of alchemists' gold. Dad is beaming from ear to ear...This is why we do it.

...

Even when the show's over, you keep performing.

Sunday evening and the show is over. Nestor and I start breaking down the stage and cleaning up. I start playing some music on my phone in my pocket, just loud enough that we can hear it. The second song that plays is an absolute favorite of mine.

While the song is about the TV show 'The Magicians' it feels a lot like it's about working with the Riddle Masters at the Renaissance Festival. Even in the final bridge, she sings, "When you grow up, you don't have to give up what you loved when you were younger," Nestor's first character name was Nestor the Younger, it no longer is. In my mind, the word 'younger' is capitalized.

We are folding up the chairs and tables and Nestor takes the large riddle sign and strings it over his shoulders. When the song starts, I happen to look over to him, and he's miming strumming it like a guitar. About 50 feet away, some of the other cast members are walking our way, I start lip-syncing to the song. We perform a little bit more and it gets smiles from them. It doesn't end...

...Because the show goes on with ease for us.