Mixing Seasons

Halloween 1986, my older sister and I, her roommate, our boyfriends, and some of our younger siblings used my parents' box of collected Halloween costumes to dress up and go trick-or-treating. Just for fun, we figured we'd be Christmas carolers. Our high-school-aged brother and some of his friends, who were in the school band together, would accompany us. On weekends, these boys had a business playing a dirge-like birthday song at what they called "birthday funerals." Of course, they could also play Christmas carols.

We looked an odd bunch of carolers. My Mexican boyfriend and I switched identities; I dressed up like him and he dressed up like an English woman. My sister was a gangster. Her boyfriend was a Norseman. My sister's roommate was a pink-haired punk rocker. Her friend was one of the three musketeers. My twelve-year-old sister came too and dressed up like a cute little mouse. I don't remember my brother's or his friends' costumes. Collectively, the boys played the trombone, two trumpets, and a French horn. We looked strange, but we sounded impressive.

 

First, we caroled around my parents' neighborhood. Everyone was very happy to give us candy, even though most of us were between 17 and 21 years old. We knew what we were doing was weird, so we only went to the homes of people we knew. After we'd been to all my parents' neighbors, we drove to my brother's friends' neighborhoods. Up and down their streets, we walked as a group, knocked on doors, and sang our Christmas carols. It was great fun. We were surprised people gave us an amazing amount of candy.

On one street, an old lady that nobody knew left her home and followed us up and down through the neighborhood. I thought it was a little creepy. Eventually, we must have passed her house, because she stopped there and stood by a tree in the front yard. While we caroled next door, my older sister noticed her watching us.

After we finished playing and singing at the house next door, my sister said we needed to turn back to sing to that lady by the tree. We gathered on the sidewalk in front of her.

My sister announced, "We're dedicating our next song to you." Then we sang "Jingle Bells."

When we were done, the old lady thanked us and smiled. "I'm sorry, I don't have any candy to give you," she said.

"That's okay, we have something for you," said my sister. She reached into her pillow case and presented her with a banana.

With tears in her eyes, the lady told us she didn't have much longer to live. She said this would probably be her last Halloween. She might not even live until Christmas. She was so happy to hear us singing Christmas carols. It brought back a lot of memories for her. That's why she'd been following us.

I was glad my older sister talked us into singing to her.

I was also impressed by my twelve-year-old sister's sensitivity. As we left the lady to go back to my parents' neighborhood, the little mouse looked into her bag full of candy. Then she said happily, "Now we've had our spiritual experience for the day too!"