Sammy and Ilna, Thank you for making me a better writer and a better person. Love you both.
Readers and RealMcRollers, thank you for the never ending love and feedback we appreciate every word.
This one's for my Uncle Jidge who would be 99 years old today. Best uncle ever.
Today's story references my story JEKHIPE from Nov 9, 2015
Oneness
DJ read a sign above the entrance to the Renaissance Faire and looked up at his mother. "J-oust at 4:00. Mommy, what's a joust?"
"A joust is like a game of skill. Back in medieval times, knights would have jousting contests."
"Knights worked for the king and helped people and righted wrongs," he quoted the bedtime book they'd read the previous night in preparation for their outing. "And caught bad guys?"
"Yes, I guess they did, because they were the good guys." She smiled, knowing their son was equating the medieval heroes with his father. "And during a joust, knights would ride horses while carrying a pole called a lance and try to knock each other off."
DJ adjusted his Cubs hat against the sun and smiled. "Like at the trampoline place when we try to knock each other off the beam?"
"Exactly right." Catherine squeezed his hand. "And the winner would get a prize."
"Pwize!" Angie echoed from her perch atop Steve's shoulders. "Dere pwizes he'we?"
"There's lots of fun stuff here, baby girl." Catherine grinned, catching Steve's eyes as a man about Joseph's age dressed in a full wizard costume complete with a beard passed by.
"It's a hundred degrees. He doesn't even work here," Steve commented low enough that the kids didn't hear.
At her snort of laughter, he added, "Shoes," to confirm how he knew the man was not an employee of the faire.
Catherine nodded her head. The man was wearing decidedly un-renaissance period footwear. Black sneakers peeked out beneath his robes. "Lots of guests dress up."
"I repeat, a hundred degrees. And it's not Halloween." His furrowed brow told his opinion of the heavy, layered costumes in the Oahu heat.
"Ohhh I ge' down, Daddy," Angie interrupted her parents' teasing, mostly silent conversation. "Pwitty flowe'rs!" She was pointing at a young girl in costume, who was holding a pole with branches. Each of the four branches held a multitude of flowered coronets.
Steve hoisted the three year old over his head to place her on her feet and took her hand.
"Hi!" She greeted the girl who was about Grace's age.
"Good day, princess," she responded with a curtsy in a fairly decent British accent.
"Oh, they do that, too?" Steve whispered to his wife, receiving a chuckle in return as she patted his arm thinking he was so adorably out of his element.
"Joanie is da pwincess," she told the young lady. "I see?" Angie's head swiveled, looking over her shoulder at her parents.
"She can try one on," the girl offered. "What's your name?"
"Angie Ma-Gawett." She grinned. "Dat DJ. He my brudder. Dat Mommy and Daddy."
"Greetings, Squire DJ." She lowered the pole so Angie could try on a coronet. "Greetings, Sir Knight, M'lady."
"Pitty," Angie said of the flowered ring. "Is a lei?"
"Very smart question, baby girl, but that goes on your head," Catherine explained, placing a yellow and orange one atop her daughter's dark, tousled curls.
"See?" The girl held up a mirror and Angie admired the flowers before removing them and giving them back.
"No?" The teenager smiled. "The young princess knows her mind."
"Angie doesn't like things on her head," DJ explained.
"Thank you for letting her try it," Catherine said, smiling when Angie said "Tank you! Bye bye." and started off towards the row of vendors that lined the entrance pathway to the rest of the faire.
DJ took Steve's hand as Catherine took Angie's. "That girl called me a squire, is that a Ress-a-nance thing?"
"Ren-a-sance," Steve said with a smile.
"Renaissance, yeah."
"Yes, a squire was like an assistant to a knight. Young boys were squires when they were training to become a knight," he simplified.
"Oh, cool. So while we're here you're like the knight and I'm your assistant." He stood up tall and Steve grinned.
"Absolutely, buddy."
After the kids enjoyed several medieval games where each collected stickers and prizes, Steve hammered a sliding bell to the top of a scale and Catherine tossed knives with pinpoint accuracy, each winning the children a stuffed dragon.
They also enjoyed a variety of rides including a rope-swing type merry go round, a teeter totter that held whole families, and a maze that Steve and Catherine led them through in record time before the family found a picnic table and sat to enjoy lunch.
"It's so good!" DJ said after a bite of the giant turkey leg he was sharing with Steve. "Are your ribs good, Mommy?"
"Delicious, want to taste?" She offered him one.
"Mmm, that's really good, too, but I think I like the turkey even better."
"More fwies, Mommy." Angie reached for the plate of curly fries they were all sharing. "Please."
"Here you go, have another bite of hotdog, too, please."
The three year old held up a piece and ate it. "Yummy."
"Good job." Catherine kissed her head. "Finish up and after lunch we'll go see more fun things."
While they stopped to watch a hair braiding vendor create everything from simple French braids to elaborate styles, all adorned with tiny silk flowers and baby's breath, DJ looked at his mother and back at the hairdressers.
"Mommy, you should do that."
"Get a braid?" She ran a hand over his head when he nodded.
"Yeah, they look real nice but your hair is the prettiest."
"Aww, thank you, sweetheart."
"I agree." Steve shifted Angie in his arms so she could get a better look.
"You agree that I should get a medieval hairstyle?" She chuckled.
"I agree that your hair is the prettiest." He smiled with one hundred percent sincerity in his eyes and she leaned up to kiss his cheek.
"You know what? I think I will get a braid." She bent to kiss DJ's head. "What color flowers should I pick?"
"Blue for the CUBS!"
Steve laughed and high fived the seven year old. "Grandma Ang will love that idea."
As the family made their way towards the joust, they passed through a long pathway lined on both sides with small tents belonging to palm and tarot card readers.
As Angie and DJ walked ahead, eyes wide at the new sights and sounds of the colorfully decorated tents, the little girl ran up to a dark haired young woman who was between readings and said, "Hi!"
Leaning over to greet the outgoing, curious child, the woman smiled and reached out a hand. "Hello, little one," she said, when suddenly her eyes snapped up to look for the child's parents.
Seeing them a few steps away with a smiling boy, she called out, "Jekhipe! Commander, Lieutenant, how are you?"
"Tsura!" Catherine addressed the woman they'd met five years before when she'd pulled first Steve, then herself into an unbelievably accurate reading at a fundraiser. They'd offered her son a tour of HQ and had enjoyed meeting the family.
"We're good." She beamed. "Since our daughter pretty much introduced herself, that's Angie and this is our son, DJ."
"I knew it." Tsura shook her head. "She has your … essence. A life force that crackles. When she touched my hand, I saw you in my mind's eye."
Steve and Catherine shared a look. After their first encounter with Tsura and experiences at the Briggs' they silently communicated, "Who's to question?"
"How is Zoltan?" Steve grinned.
"He is good, thank you. He is off with my husband and father fishing today. He still wants to be a K9 Officer."
"Bring him by again anytime," he offered.
"Thank you. I will." She waved a hand. "I am happy to see your family. I've spotted you on the news. I see you're complete in your happiness." She motioned DJ closer. "You are the piece of the puzzle your family needed, young man. It's nice to meet you."
His eyes lit as he politely shook her hand. "Thank you."
Angie had taken the opportunity to look at one of the card decks on Tsura's table. Fascinated by the unusual images she took a card and handed it to the smiling woman. "P'itty cards."
"Pick one more, darling," Tsura instructed and she readily complied. "You, too, DJ. Pick a card."
Tapping the cards they chose, she patted the bench and Angie climbed right up next to her. Looking at Catherine and Steve she said, "The cards wish you to know things once again.
"Here is the Page of Pentacles. Pages often represent children. This shows an excellent student who is kind hearted and reliable. One who seeks knowledge and likes to be helpful. Security is important to him. He is mature for his age but has a child's love of life. Like you," she glanced at Steve, "things beyond his control threatened in the past but he is happy, settled and safe. He brings so much love to the household."
She tapped the second card. "The Page of Wands. Of course. This card represents another beloved, much-wanted child. A bright, enthusiastic child." She looked at Angie and chuckled. "One who is full of spunk. Because of her curiosity, natural athleticism and intellect, she draws everyone in, but she has another gift, similar to yours," she addressed Catherine. "An innate ability to soothe the soul."
The couple had interwoven their fingers and Steve's hand rested on their son's shoulder. Again, inexplicably, Tsura had spoken the truth.
"The final card your son has chosen is the Ten of Cups." The card showed two children dancing as their embracing parents looked on. "My favorite card to see for families. It is the sign for happy children."
"Ohh." Catherine beamed.
"They will go far, these two." Tsura returned the smile. "And I won't take up more of your time. Good to meet you DJ and madame Angie. Enjoy the faire."
"We're going to see the joust!" DJ said happily.
"Have fun watching the knights."
"Thank you. Again," Catherine said as Steve pulled out his wallet.
"Ah ah, no, Commander. I told you last time, the cards wanted you to know."
Sighing, not wanting to insult Tsura, he returned it to his pocket. "Thank you."
Knowing they were going to move on, Angie slid off the bench and hugged Tsura. "Bye bye!"
"Bye bye, angel." She waved at the family as they exchanged farewells and moved down the path. Repeating the Romany word for oneness, two halves of a whole, she breathed, "Jekhipe," and reached to reshuffle the cards.
# End thanks for reading
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