One More Time
Friday, June 18, 2010
On the way to the house that morning, Puck, who had developed a bad cold and cough, was still peppy as usual. Collette handed him as apple jelly toast while he sat in his car seat. And OLeif started them off with a morning prayer.
“Dear Jesus…”
“Dear Jesus,” Puck overlapped. “Dank you for saving us. Namen!”
“Thank you for this day, Lord Jesus…” OLeif continued.
“Lord Jesus,” Puck reaffirmed.
“Keep us save, dear Jesus…”
“Dear Jesus… Namen! Mama, I got jelly on my head. My hands are too jelly. Wipe dem off!”
Over at the house, Carrie-Bri was still at painting all the trim while she watched Classic Doctor Who, hands covered in white paint.
The morning was for further errands: the church barn to set up Princess Bride for the movie night (where a fencing demonstration would also be held by the Rum gentlemen), Home Depot (new blinds for the windows), a few groceries for the evening, etc., etc.
Then Puck, who had been up since 5:30 from his cough/cold, fell into a deep nap at noon.
By two o’clock, Collette and Linnea-Irish were off for their afternoon together.
First stop: Children’s Hope International to pick up the finally-completed, after six months’ delay, Home Study, and to drop off the next check.
And then… yes, once again, for the fourth time, to Shakespeare Glen.
Even though it was just after three, blankets were already down on the lawn, reserving space. Collette was relieved to see, however, that her front right corner spot was still free. She and Linnea quickly laid down Francis’ new blue tarp, a patchwork quilt on top, and the two old red couch pillows. Then, as the sun was beating quite hot, they walked to the Art Museum.
Linnea did not remember ever having been. She had as a very young thing, but not so recently.
Once inside the cool, and splash of fountain, they immediately sought out the Egypt room. And for the next hour and a half, they carefully observed the mummies, South Pacific tribal masks, German armor, Tibetan Buddhas, etc., and etc. They discussed the cultures and religions, etc. And occasionally they would look out the greater windows of the front galleries to the piles of white and blue storm clouds beyond the fountained lake. Beautiful.
Before heading back to the park, they visited the gift shop where Linnea purchased a small square of hand-painted papyrus, imported from Egypt, for two dollars, and a nice pair of Egyptian silver cat earrings, also from Egypt, for ten dollars. She was very pleased with these things.
Back at the park, the crowds were steadily filling the green. It was still too hot to sit on the blanket, so they went under a shade tree with the mancala board and played a number of rounds while the tiny red aphids ran around the glass stones.
After five, Linnea, who was starving, having had nothing but chocolate milk all day, requested that they visit the concessions. And so, two hot dogs later, and an ‘hello’ to Kathleen George, who was working that night… down to the blanket.
It was warm, with more mancala, and a package of miniature chocolate donuts. But a mass of storm blew in overhead. No rain. And the breeze was cool.
Then the green show. The juggling masters. The smaller bald-goateed fellow. And the larger redhead. Both with funny English accents. After the usual juggling act, Collette and Linnea saw them coming their way. It was inevitable.
“Hello there?” the redhead said to Linnea. “Why aren’t you making masks and crowns with the other children? If I do something clever with your water bottle, will you go make a mask or a crown with the other children?”
Linnea consented. So ‘Randall’ took her empty water bottle, twisted it in half and shot off the lid a rather good distance.
“Look!” he cried. “It’s smoking!”
And so it was.
“Now go make your mask,” he told her, as the hundreds of crowd looked on. Then he turned to Collette. “Is this your sister? Why don’t you go with her. Don’t be sitting here alone. You know what happens when you sit all by yourself when jugglers are around.”
And so they went off to make Linnea a mask and returned in time to pour the sparkling red grape juice in the blue glass goblets Kitts had given to Collette several Christmases ago. And then, Collette knew it was coming…
“What?” Randall cried out, walking past them again. “Are you serving her boos?” And he laughed. “You’ve been here before, haven’t you?” he asked. “I thought so.”
And then on to breath fire, he went.
Eight o’clock, and the play was introduced by the African-American Hamlet from the Trippingly Hamlet productions earlier in the evening.
And so once again, three hours of captivation. This included a chocolate fudge brownie Ben & Jerry’s ice cream and frappe for Linnea at intermission. And gold lanterns of lightening in the west on the ride home.
The acting had altered even since the previous Saturday. Everything was more fluid and expressive. More complimentary. More imaginative. More creative. More moving. Even the death scenes were better. All led by Joseph Shepherd as ‘Hamlet’, who looked quite like a Dane himself. It had become better and better throughout the weeks.
Brilliant.