Past Ramblings
Breakfast at Grandmas
Strong Foundations
Grandpa In The Garden
Family Reunions
Halloween
Saturday Nights
After Sitka
The Gift

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.The black taffeta dress rustles as Grandma slips it over my head.  The skirt's carousel pattern swirls around my ankles, making the ponies seem to rise up and down.  It's Halloween and I keep looking out the window to see if it's getting dark.  Grandma won't let us go trick-or-treating until after dark, well, actually, Grandpa won't let us go until after dark.  If Grandma had her way, we probably wouldn't go at all.  "Too much meanness goin' on," she says.

But not Grandpa, he sits there on the couch saying, "No, you gotta wait until after dark, cause that's when all the bogeymen come out and that's what makes it Halloween.  It ain't no fun if the witches and goblins aren't after ya!" 

I feel chills run down my back as he cackles his rough laugh and leans forward telling me about yet another Halloween from when he was a kid. Grandma shoos him away as she tries once again to cinch my waist in tighter to keep her dress from dragging the ground.

In later years, I was to wonder about that dress.  It was my favorite Halloween costume and so far as I was to ever know, the only time, other that their 50th anniversary, it was worn was on Halloween.  I'm not sure how many years I wore it, but it started out to be way too long for me, dragging the ground, then later as the years passed, the hem moved up until finally, I realized that I was passed the trick-or-treating stage, as was the dress.

But, on this Halloween, the hem still hugged the ground in  princess style, making me feel the part.  My accessories were my aluminum foil crown and wand that Grandma helped me make.   Right now, the crown sat haphazardly on my head as Grandma worked around it with the curling iron, creating ringlets to hold it in place.  "This would be a lot easier if you'd be still," she grumbles once again.  I jump up trying to see myself in the mirror, then twisting, I look out the door to see if any of my friends are out yet.   I just know they're gonna go before me and they'll get all the best candies and the money.....

Candy was great, but WOW, the ones that gave me money could count on me remembering their house for sure the next year.  My mind is whirling in 50 different directions, planning my route so as to get to the best houses first. 

With half an ear, I hear Grandma's rules, combined with Grandpa's comments that he's sure he just saw a witch hovering up over the pine tree.  "She's watching to see if you're coming out," he says.  Grandma then gives me a shawl, telling me that if I get cold to pull it over my head.  "Yeah," Grandpa joins in," That way the bats can't get to your hair."

"Henry Clemons!  Take the candy and go sit on the porch and watch for kids!" Grandma says, seeing my eyes get big.  Finally, I'm ready... my face is painted, my hair is curled, my bag is double lined and ready to hold the heaviest load ever.  Now is the hardest part... the waiting.  The clock ticks loudly as the sun sinks behind Mr. Smith's barn.  One by one, ghosts and goblins glide up to the porch in the slowly waning light.  Once again, Grandma  reminds me to stay with my friends and to stay off the road and to not eat anything till I get home and .... the list goes on.

Then, finally, "Well, I guess you can go now," she says.  "YEAAAH,' quick as a flash, I'm out of there with bag in one hand and the other holding up my skirt tail.  Running... thinking to myself, let my friends try to catch me... I'm gonna get to all the good houses first.... Candy ..... Money..... Junk Food.... But then... for just a second, I pause to listen.... was that a cackle I heard coming from the top of the old pine tree?  Looking behind me, I see only the full moon riding on the branches of the pine.  But still.... seeing my friends, I holler "Wait... Wait.... I want to go with you..!  Trick-or-Treat! Trick-or-Treat!... Sharon. 

Copyright by: Sharon L. Romine October 1993