I have just looked out the window for the tenth time. It’s still not dark.
Mom says we have to make sure our chores are done and we’ve had dinner before we can go out trick or treating. Other people will still be eating and we don’t want to disturb their dinner.
Our costumes are home made. Mine is an old white sheet with two eyeholes, the basic ghost costume. My little brother is a cowboy.
We have a couple of old pillow cases for loot bags and a flashlight that works if you fiddle with the switch and smack it once in a while.
We are ready to go.
Our road is about one mile long and we will go to one end and work our way back.
The first stop is Frosts’, where we will be asked to come into the kitchen and perform something before we get our treats. It takes way too long as far as we’re concerned.
We go over to Shariens’ and my brother’s friend Bobby joins us and we head down the dark, unlit road with water filled ditches on each side.
There is a moon but a Halloween moon is not there to guide you, it is there to provide shadows only.
We skirt past the old man’s house with no lights on. We dare each other to run up and knock on the door but no one is that bold this early in the evening.
We arrive at Dycks,’ and Harold and Gordie join our troop and off we go. Going up the steps at Nicholl’s house I trip on my sheet and fall on my bag.
This promotes gales of laughter from the rest and now I can only see out of one eye hole.
Then we come to a decision. Lightfoots have a long gravel driveway, do we go up there now or on the way back. We decide to go now and half way back down the drive way, the flashlight quits altogether, so I give it to my little brother to carry.
At Hickeys’, we discover Russel and Dennis have gone out already so we’ll find them somewhere on the way.
We cross the road to Campbell’s then up to Mrs. Harris’ where we know her homemade caramel covered popcorn balls will be waiting on a tray covered with wax paper. We will have to perform again but the prize is worth the wait.
Down the road to Amundsons’ and Mrs. Ski’s house then a dark stretch until we come to Hieberts and then Muenchs where we start to run into their kids and we turn back toward home.
Now the group is large and noisy and the discussion is all about which house is giving out candies or Lifesavers and which ones are giving out raisins or apples.
I have stepped on my sheet many times and I no longer look like a ghost, just a kid with a white sheet around his shoulders, but we’re almost done so who cares?
It’s time for the corn roast and fireworks.
This year the families will come to our place and the gather around a back yard fire with hot chocolate and coffee for the adults. Everyone has brought their fireworks and we fire them off to mark the end of a perfect evening. The only task left is to smuggle candy to bed.
Halloween was pretty simple back then.
At least that’s what McGregor says.
