Friday, October 31, 2008

Halloween Memories

*You're getting two posts today. I was just over at Mary's and was brought back to a memory by her Halloween post. I just wanted to share. Scroll down for my Friday 55 and Da Count. Though I suppose this qualifies as a second entry for Da Count.


I just turned 7 two weeks ago. Over the summer Daddy left and moved into an apartment with some girl who doesn't wear bras. I miss him and I don't understand. Mommy and my brother and me moved from our pretty house in the country where we had a huge yard with woods behind them and a big vegetable and flower garden. Now we live in town in a broken down house with graffiti on the bedroom walls. The yard is smaller than the garden was. Mommy says we don't have money for a lot of things we used to have money for. Mommy is sick too. She has blood clots in her legs and has to lay on the couch all day. I am afraid something bad will happen to her. I go to a new school where I don't know anyone and I don't feel very welcome. I got laughed at today for my costume. I hate it here.

Now it's time to trick or treat and Mommy can't take us. Nana just called and said she was able to get off work tonight. She's a switchboard operator at the newspaper. Other years Mommy would drive my brother and me to the newspaper so we could trick or treat there too. Nana always wanted to see us and she'd lead us around to her friends' desks.

Nana is here now and ready to take my brother and me trick or treating. She chimes, "Come on, kids. Let's go spookin'!" I trudge out because I don't know this new neighborhood very well. All I know is the kids laughed at me in school today. I don't want any more of that. Nana is full of life and energy and we have to run to keep up with her. She sees my long face and wants me to cheer up. I try. She tells my brother and me to get in the car because she has a stop to make. We go to the 5 & dime store and she all but runs down the aisles giggling until she finds the masks. She pulls one down that looks like an Indian with a feather in his headband and snaps it around her face. Her voice is muffled by the mask as she asks what we think of her costume? We giggle with her. Who ever saw their grandmother go trick or treating in costume? And just a mask for a costume is not very much. She laughs at us and says she has more. When we get back to the car she pulls a blanket out of the trunk. It has kind of a southwest looking print on it. She wraps it around herself like a poncho and declares herself fit for trick or treating. She even has a pillow case for goodies. I smile at her. I love my Nana.

When you go trick or treating in my little town you have to do a trick to get your treat and everyone has to guess who you are under your costume too. We are go to the first house and do our little tricks. Nana does a silent "rain dance." The people guess my brother and me but have no idea who this "extra kid" is. They guess name after name. My brother and I are giggling while Nana keeps doing her Indian gestures and stifling her own laughter. Finally the people give up and Nana pulls off her mask to reveal the old lady she is. We all fall apart laughing, Nana hardest of all. She had the best trick of all. She holds out her bag to collect her treats.

As we walk to the next house she is unwrapping her goodies and eating them already and tells us we can too. Mommy always made us wait until we got home. I feel lighter when we trip up the steps of the next house. Nana tricks them all again, gets more treats, and we all laugh harder. House after house we are in hysterics at how funny and clever Nana is. We are working out more Indian tricks for her to do, more ways we can suggest she is a kid. We are planning who to fool next. We are stuffing ourselves with candy. She lifted us out of sadness by becoming one of us. Nana is our best treat that Halloween.

26 comments:

Elle Dubya said...

i wasn't going to dress up this year. this post makes me rethink that plan...

Elle Dubya said...

oh SNAP! YAHTZEE!!!!!!!

Mona said...

That was so cl;ever of your Nana. yes indeed, it was a double treat, both candies & happiness! I love this story of your life! :)

Desmond Jones said...

Oof! You remind me of the day my dad sat down with my brother and me and told us that Mom wasn't gonna be living with us anymore. . .

But your Nana. . . What an amazing woman. . .

Bijoux said...

Best story ever! Honestly, Lime, this could be in an english textbook next to an Alice Walker story! Love it!

S said...

It's going to rain. I'm wearing my yellow plastic rain parka and custom fitted fangs. I will be a monster cheese.

:P

Happy Hallowe'en Ma'am!

SignGurl said...

This was so sad and so uplifting at the same time. I feel sadness for little Lime who was much like little SignGurl.

barman said...

Sad times but wonderful times too. And look how you turned out in the end. Like everyone you may have your quirks and problems but you are so muck like Nana to us all here. Thank you.

Anonymous said...

I agree with Barman. My dad also left when I was 7, so this of course hit home with me. But then I think what a wonderful Nana you had, and how much she loved you kids. My mom was much like that, but the year they broke up she had a sort of break down and things weren't too good for us either. But we survived and we had a lot of good memories, too. I think you do a good job of telling us kids' story, and what it was like for us. Nice post!

tsduff said...

You give us all a treat this Halloween in relating your special story to us. Told from your young perspective, it was all the more touching and made me wish I had known your Nana too.

Anonymous said...

I do agree with you Lime: Traditions like this is important to hold on too and pass to the next generation. Halloween is not one of those in Norway, but as you have red on my blog, we have plenty of others and they actually gets more dear to me as time passes by.

Hope you had a great one and I wish you all a wonderful end to your week :-)

RiverPoet said...

What a wonderful story, and what a great Nana you were blessed with! She really came to the rescue for you...

Peace - D

Kat said...

Oh Lime. That was beautiful.
What a lady!
That is the kind of grandmother (and mother) I want to be.
Beautiful post!!!!!

San said...

Such a dazzling memory of your Nana. She created magic for you. And you needed the magic that Halloween.

Although I never experienced my parents breaking up when I was a kid, I do remember my mother being sick and having to have surgeries and how scared I was about her. You brought back those feelings.

Beautiful post.

Cooper said...

Good times usually come from the least expected sources. Thanx for sharing the memory.

Devotee said...

That is a truly wonderful story, Lime -- real and human and beautiful and full of many lessons without in any way being preachy or pushy.

Fabulous.

Queenie said...

Lime, you have such great memories. Halloween has only really become a big event here over the last few years My Nan always made Christmas special, just like Nan's are!!!!

Commander Zaius said...

Simply a great and touching story.

BBC said...

Fuck Halloween, it just teaches the next generation to be greedy.

Moosekahl said...

Nanas all have wings hiding under their costumes...

Casdok said...

Beautiful post and a wonderful Nana. :)

Anonymous said...

An unprecedented second post of the day... without sacrificing the heartfelt and joyous writing that we have all come to look forward to. A lovely story and memory, Lime. Cheers! It certainly did me. :)

javajazz said...

ever sweet story, beautifully
written, Lime...Nana is a gem,
and transformed the negative
into the positive with her
wonderful spirit...

Anonymous said...

What a sweet story and I can relate as well since I came from a broken family and how I wished I had a Nana like yours when I was a child.

Anonymous said...

Great story/memory!

KFarmer said...

I remember that Indian mask... do they even make them anymore?

What colorful memories you have tucked about you. Thanks for sharing~