The Best Halloween Ever
See reference: Halloween Gift Baskets
Ben was sitting in the corner chair waiting for the phone call that never came. His mom had tried unsuccessfully for the last two hours to keep his mind off of the phone. She had asked him if he wanted to play chess or checkers, or maybe a game of Monopoly. He turned down her offers and insisted that the phone call would come any minute so he could not play games with his mom. He did not want to be too far away from the phone. Little Ben is six years old and is waiting for his dad to call. His mom and dad were divorced last year and he hardly ever sees his dad anymore. He is lucky to see him once a month and that makes him very sad. Dad promised that he would call this week. He said he would bring Ben to the community Halloween party and has to make arrangements to pick him up. The party is tomorrow night and Ben still has not heard from his dad so he is certain that he will call tonight. Dad would never let him down. Or would he?
Ben started thinking about how often his dad said he would pick him up to spend the weekend with him and had called instead to say he had to work late. He does not want to tell his mom but he is afraid that Dad has forgotten about his promise or that maybe he would have to work again. He does not know that Mom already knows he is worried. He does not know that Mom has to blink away her tears each time she peers over at him because she is afraid that he will be disappointed yet again. He does not know that Mom has already tried calling dad from her cell phone to remind him about his promise to Ben. And why did Mom tell him she would bring him to the party if Dad could not make it tomorrow? Doesn't she think he will call?
By the time his mom told Ben it was time to get ready for bed, he was blinking away his own tears. Why didn’t Dad call? He had promised. Each year he and his dad go to the Halloween party together after they go trick-or-treating at the neighbor’s homes. They chat about anything and everything and laugh at each other’s silly jokes. It is always just the two of them because Mom stays home to hand out Halloween treats to the boys and girls who come to their home. It is a special bonding time for Ben and his dad and Ben looks forward to it each year. Ben cried himself to sleep that night.
Ben went to school the next day and could not forget about the phone call that never came. Everybody at school was celebrating Halloween. They had a small party in his classroom and all the kids got to wear their Halloween costumes. Ben was dressed as a Stegosaurus dinosaur which was green with large spikes along the spine. It was the coolest costume he had ever owned yet he was not having fun at school because he had this huge pit in the middle of his stomach. Somehow, he made it through the day without crying and hopped on the school bus for the ride home.
Ben saw a strange car in the driveway when the school bus pulled in front of his house. Who was at his house? Mom doesn’t usually have visitors during the day. His mom was waiting for him at the front door so he quickly ran over to greet her with his usual hug and kiss. She looked excited and very happy today and he quickly learned why. He saw that someone was sitting on the couch but all he could see was the back of a man’s head. All of a sudden, the man turned around and it was his dad. Ben laughed with glee and ran over to his dad. They hugged and kissed and Dad told him all about his new car. It was green and would match his dinosaur costume perfectly. Ben and his dad made their evening plans while Mom quietly read in her chair. Dad apologized to Ben for not calling this week and explained that he had been very busy at work but he would make it up to him tonight. They decided to eat dinner out then Dad would take him trick-or-treating and to the party. Ben was very happy as he hugged his mom goodbye and left for the evening with his dad.
When Ben came home that evening he and his mom sat at the kitchen table and chatted over a cup of hot chocolate. He told his mom all about what he called, “The Best Halloween Ever.” He told her about how he and his dad giggled when they saw a one-eyed monster walking alongside a princess. They called them the beauty and the beast. He showed her all of the candy he got while trick-or-treating that evening and he told her all about the community Halloween Party. He told her about how he played musical chairs with his neighborhood friends, how he ate donuts that were tied to the ceiling with a string, and how he and his dad were very scared when they went through the haunted house. And he showed her the pumpkin that he had carved at the party. It was a beautiful princess, he told her, and it looked just like her. His mom smiled when he said that. Mom let Ben talk for about an hour then told him it was time to get ready for bed.
Mom always read him the same bedtime story on Halloween, The Berenstain Bears Trick or Trick, which was written by Stan Berenstain. It is a tradition, she says, and she will read him that book every Halloween until he is too old to go trick-or-treating. Ben secretly wishes he never gets that old. He lets himself relax while Mom reads the tale about Brother and Sister Bear and the spooky Miz McGrizz on Halloween. Ben falls asleep with a happy grin on his face. His mom watches him for a few minutes with a curious grin on her face and walks away with a glimmer of tears in her eyes. This time, though, they are tears of joy.