By Linda Hurd
Special to the Express
It was Halloween and the last school bell rang as we headed out to board our buses for home. Those of us in junior high were excited and talking about the Halloween party being held at the Indian Head School auditorium that night where there’d be dancing and prizes for the best costumes. I was going with friends and still hadn’t decided what to wear.
The Jack O’Lanterns, as they were called in our house, had been carved the night before and were nicely arranged on the steps leading to our kitchen door. As soon as I walked into the house, I heard mom and my siblings going on about something and I heard my name mentioned. The main rooms of our house were all open. As you entered, you were in the kitchen. The spacious living room was to the right with two steps going down into it and a big fieldstone fireplace along the back wall. My sister Penny and I helped load the stones that built it into dad’s truck from my Grampa’s field when we were ages six and nine. A wide square arch way in the kitchen led into the dining room where mom and my brother and sisters were. My 6-year-old brother Davey wanted my help with a costume. Mom found something for Barb and Penny but Davey kept saying no to all her suggestions.
I went down the back stairs to the cellar to look around for anything that might catch my eye or give me an idea. I found a cardboard box that was just about Davey’s size, a little red cap and a pair of red tights; I instantly knew what I could do. I grabbed the can of Nestle’s Strawberry Quick out of the cupboard and took it with the box to my room, shut the door and went to work. I copied the picture of the little figure from the can onto the box and colored it in with crayons. I cut holes in the box for Davey’s head and arms.
When I was done I went to show mom. She looked up with a big grin, saying how clever it was. Davey was excited and let me put a touch of rouge on his cheeks and I even talked him into wearing the little red felt cap but when it came to putting on the tights, he balked. We put him in front of the full-length mirror and mom, Penny and I were showing him the picture of the little figure on the can who’s hat was red with legs to match and telling him how much better the costume would look if he wore the tights. We convinced him and although he wasn’t too happy about it, he wore them. While mom fixed some supper, I had to find something to wear to the Halloween party.
In my room I found a scuffed-up pair of sneakers and old raggedy dungarees in my closet. I tacked a few colorful patches on the pants with a needle and thread. Rummaging through mom and dad’s old steamer trunks down cellar I found a man’s brown sports coat that was frayed and thin with a few holes in it and not too awfully big, an old stained t-shirt that looked more gray than white and a piece of rope on dad’s workbench that I used for a belt; all I needed was a hat. I took one of mom’s long-handled, beat up aluminum pots out of the kitchen cupboard, taped a big patch on it and put it on my head. Perfect!
I put makeup on my eyebrows and across my chin and cheeks to make it look like I needed a shave and walked out into the dining room. Mom, Penny and Davey started laughing. Barbie was only three and looked scared and dad just stared. He finally asked if I was really going to appear in public wearing a pot on my head which made us laugh even harder when I said yes.
To that he said, “Geez, one wearin’ a box and one wearin’ a pot,” and he just shook his head.
Dad would be in charge of passing out the candy while mom was walking the kids around the neighborhood and I was at the party. We were all preparing to leave and I felt a little hand slip into mine. I looked down and Davey’s big blue eyes were staring up at me. He asked if I would please come with them.
Penny walked over to us saying, “It won’t be the same without you.” Dad came up behind us and said to me, “if you want to go with them, I’ll bring you to the party when they come back, it’ll still be going on.” I was torn for a minute then Barbie wrapped her arms around my leg. I took the pot off and told them yes, I will come.
Looking back, I’m so glad I did. Davey got many complements on his costume. Barbie looked like a little doll in a hand made Cinderella dress. Penny wore her cowgirl outfit and mom and I managed the stroller and the bags of candy. Jack O’Lanterns were lit up on every lawn. One porch decorated with ghosts, skeletons and spiders had spooky music coming from it that could be heard from one end of Elm street to the other. There were smiles and laughter as we met friends and neighbors along the way and saw how we all were dressed. Dad did take me to the Halloween party, pot on the head and all and I won a prize for the most creative costume.