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.