The Linda Letters by Gabriel O'Sullivan: HAPPY HALLOWEEN

31 October 2021

1046

R. Linda:

A spooky guy in town

Today the rain has just stopped. It pounded on the roof all night and by daylight, a lot of the gaily coloured leaves were strewn on the damp ground, as though Autumn had dropped her mantle. The breeze is slight, and I can tell by the red maple leaves caught in the raindrop-speckled grass blades, winter is near. The leaves shiver and shake as if trying to free themselves from the coming cold approach. The leafless branches are like dark streaks against a stormy steel sky, as if a child had taken a marker and slashed its ink everywhere. It be quiet but not in a serene way, in an expectant way.

Tonight the children will dress up in costumes and any house with lights on will be a candy target. They will skip up to the door if there are no decorations, and if there are spooky things by the entrance, then they will hesitate and look back at their parents for encouragement to ring the doorbell.

Some will be rewarded instantly with a bowl of candy held for them to take a handful, and a voice, "My don't you look scary," or some other feigned fright if the costume is a little on the fearsome side. Some will be taking a step back if a witch or ghoul answers the door and one or two may run away, but those treats, oh those candy treats! It's worth a small panic to stand there quaking in their scary costume to receive a treat!

Through the village, we will walk, past the denuded trees, through the carpet of fading leaves, from house to house, the sounds of false screams, the voices of adults, and the laughter of children, and it is all about one single night to enjoy a step on the other side, that dark spooky side, where one isn't sure what awaits in gloomy places.

Afterwards, we will be once again in our safe abode, candy dumped on the floor, thumbing through what we like and what we don't like. Mother will bring warm cider to take away the chill and pumpkin-faced cookies to stimulate conversation. All will be happy and full of sweets, sleep will come and the season of spooks and ghosts, witches and broomsticks, scary stories, and beautiful fall scenery . . . gone for another year.

I hope your favourite holiday is a spooky one. I hope you get lots of candy and if you answer your door you scare the bell ringers with a cackle or boo!