As a youngster, my mother wasn’t so involved with Halloween. She was never very much into crafting (I fear I’m too much like her, John told someone the other night that I am anti-crafty) and never went for making us costumes. We always had store-bought ones with stifling masks and flammable smelling plastic.
I couldn’t name my best costume as a girl, like I said, they were mostly purchased from the Zayre, but I can tell you my worst costume, unlike most of my Halloween memories, this one sticks out grandly.
I was in grade school, I know this much. I’m not sure how old I was exactly, but more than 6 and less than 9. We were having one of those charming Halloween parades at school, where everyone walks around the gym in a circle, showing off their mother’s handiwork while shoving candy in bags.
Well, my mother forgot.
I had no costume, nothing to wear, nothing made, nothing purchased. Nothing. My mother, very quick on her feet she was, put something together fast. She gave me a sheet, wrapped it around me, put dark circles under my eyes, messed up my hair and sent me on my way. On my way out of the house, she told me what I was:
A sick person.
I went as a sick person one year for Halloween.
A small girl, wandering around this big gym, swaddled in a sheet, coughing and sniffling, moaning about “how I didn’t feel very well”.
I’m not sure mom has ever forgiven herself for that, although it has made for wonderful family storytelling over the years.
PS. As an aside, my best costume ever was with my friend Sabrina when we were in her hometown of New Orleans about five years ago. We went as Jack and Jill AFTER they fell down the hill. It was truly beautiful. Someday I will scan a pic and post it.
But for now, here is Sabrina this year, in her Halloween costume, as a very disturbing Kurt Cobain.
3 comments:
"stifling masks and flammable plastic."
the Zayre. i had nearly forgotten. i think illinois' forgotten store is Venture, but WI's forgotten store is Zayre.
and a sick person. wow. that's really funny in a sad sort of way. i find that i tend to laugh at really tragic things these days.
I used to shop at Zayre. It smelled like K-Mart and just-popped popcorn.
I once tried to steal a lipstick from there. I got caught.
It was horrible.
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