Part 6: We’ll never work in Roswell Ohio again

We all considered the Ohio show a disaster, and expected to put it behind us.

But, a couple of weeks later, at the start of July, I got an email from Doctor Neo.

“We had such a great year this year we’re already planning for next year’s show,” he said.  “And, we’d like to have you folks back for it again.”

I asked the folks who had gone if they’d be willing to go again.  There was not much enthusiasm, but everyone agreed to do it again if we were asked.

“OK, my folks are willing to come back out for next year, for the same price as this year, $400.”

There was no answer.  Months went by.

In November I got a very maudlin multipage letter from him about what a lonely life he led, no one cared about him, and how much he wanted to build something people loved.

It was very strange.

In January I sent him an email saying “We haven’t heard from you, let me know if you want us this June.”

If February, March and April I did the same.  No answer to any of them.

In May I sent an email saying “As it is only a month away, and we haven’t heard from you, I’m going assume we are not wanted and will not plan on being there this year.”

I heard back almost at once:

“We want you at our show!  My computer was broken and I lost all my emails and didn’t know how to get in touch with you.”

“OK, we’re willing to be there.  Confirm the $400 you’ll pay us and we’ll plan on going.”

“I expected to pay you $300.”

“I’ve explained in the past that it costs us $400 to go to your show.  So, if you can’t pay us $400, we will not be there.”

“You should get a most gas efficient car so it costs you less to drive here!  Then $300 would be enough.”

“We have the cars we have.  $400, or we don’t go.”

“I’ll pay you $300 and then 10% of ticket sales over 500 people.”

“Last year you had less than 200 people combined for both days, so that would still be $300.  A flat fee of $400 or nothing.”

“You’re giving away a fortune!  We’ve done a lot more advertising this year!  We’re going to have 10,000 people there!  Think of the money you’ll make!”

“$400 or we don’t go.”

“I’m not paying that.”

“Then, we’re not going.”

“You’ll be sorry!  You’ll never work in Roswell Ohio again!”

And, in the 19 ½ years since then, we have not.

We did have some friends who lived in Ohio and did do his show.

They told us that he had even less people that year than the year before.

And, he had wanted us at the show as he used our images on some billboards he put up near the faire site.  Not only had he not asked us for permission for this, but he used photos of our members from our website who hadn’t gone to his show the year before, and hadn’t planned to go that year.

After the faire Doctor Neo sent out an email thanking everyone for going and included me in it.

“Although some people lacked faith in us and pulled out last minute, we still had a successful faire with lots of patrons and a good time was had by all!”

Our friends who had performed there indicated this was less than accurate.

I have no idea what became of Doctor Neo, his plans for an amusement park or that faire.

But, in the 385 shows we’ve done since that one, none have been in Ohio, never mind Roswell.

So, his curse continues to hold.

I don’t mind.