Wednesday, October 29, 2008

The Visitors

I am the happy owner of quite a few extravagantly dramatic witch hats. It’s a delight each year to choose which one to wear as I perform my witchy duties of greeting the bands of small goblins who visit my door in search of treats on Halloween night. I love to see the various reactions of the little trick or treaters when I open the door. Some stand back shyly as if distrustful of any procedure which requires human beings to dress is such an unusual manner...some charge forward in full gory glory, determined to scare the wits out of everyone they see, little thespians in the making, no doubt. The ones I love the most though, are those out participating in the revelry for the very first time. These are the ones holding their little orange buckets with chubby hands, trying not to trip over their pink princess dresses or looking rather lost inside their red and black Spiderman suits. I once had one of these wee ones take one look at me, smile sweetly and march right inside the house. Evidently I am not as scary as I think. Last year we had oodles of visitors, but one in particular stole my heart. A tiny sweet-faced little fellow, dressed most incongruously as a vampire, and followed closely by his dad, made his way tentatively up the walk. As I bent down and held out the big bowl of candy for him to choose his favorite, he stared at me in grave study, never saying a word. Many, many visitors and a few hours later, as things were winding down, I was standing out in the drive talking to neighbors, when I noticed this tiny vampire and his father approaching once again. His dad said, ....”I’m so sorry, but all he has wanted to do all night is come back here. He just keeps saying that he wants to go back and see the good witch”. Well, I ask you, just how many ways can one’s heart melt?? I bent down to talk to the little guy and it soon became apparent that he sort of wanted to stay for awhile. His father was explaining that it was time to go, and he was having none of it. Finally, I put on my most good-witchy voice and said, “I really must go I’m afraid.... It is time to feed my flying monkeys.” The little guy nodded knowingly and took his father’s hand while his dad gave me a grateful thumbs up.

Oh yes, I do love my Halloween visitors. And I so hope that little vampire returns on Friday night!