A Short Story: The Origins of Halloween Town Parades Part Two

PART TWO

 “I must go in. The fog is rising.”   

-Emily Dickinson-

“Anyone could see that the wind was a special wind this night, and the darkness took on a special feel because it was All Hallows' Eve.”

-Ray Bradbury 

Here was the plan, the party would be held at Mrs. Kerbs’ house, she had enough space for snacks, people, and games.  She decided she would just invite the kids in the neighborhood and see what would happen from there.  And so a year passed, a strange and uneventful year for Leola.  She helped plan but still, there was not much for her to do.  

“Elizabeth, Elizabeth!” There was a sharp and continuous knocking on the door.  Leola was at Mrs. Kerbs' house kneading bread as she did each Sunday afternoon when the figure of a man appeared through the blurred glass door.  He was a short man, short and wide, and she noticed how the top of his head was shiny and bald with the rest of his head covered in white fluffy hair.  His shirt was pulled tight over his belly and his pants cuffed at the bottom.  Leola knew exactly who this man was.   

Mrs. Kerbs rushed in from the other room.  

“Oh, I was afraid of this,” she said, almost to herself, as she took off her apron and hurried to the door.  He was holding his hat and, as he stepped in, a red color washed over his face, down his neck, and stopped where his shirt collar was tightly buttoned.  

“Hello, Elizabeth and hello Leola, dear,” he said, twisting his hat in his hands.  “I was wondering if I would speak to you privately, Elizabeth.”  He was practically pointing at Leola and saying this is not a matter she needed to deal with.  

“Yes, of course, I just made a pot of tea, I’d be happy to share it with you in the next room.”  He nodded and they left.  As soon as the door clicked shut, Leola let out her annoyed look as if she had to hold it in when they were in the room.  What matter was so important that she couldn’t be there, she wondered, and wiped the dough stuck to her fingers off on a damp towel.  Before she even knew what she was doing, she had crept over to the door at the end of the kitchen to find out what voices she could hear.  They were still enduring the beginning pleasantries and asking how their families were doing, and pouring out tea.  Leola knew how Mrs. Kerbs hated those questions, she always wanted to get straight to the point. 

Eventually, Mrs. Kerbs couldn’t stand it any longer, she was bound to be the first one anyways.  

“Mr. Alby, what did you come here to discuss?”  

“Well, you see,” he stuttered, “As mayor of this town I believe it is my responsibility to know what you are planning with this party and what exactly the reason for it.”  He always started any business-related conversation with “as mayor” like he had to remind everyone of his importance.  “We already have the harvest festival and I don’t understand what else you could want.”  Mrs. Kerbs took a deep sigh before she began.

“I think a party for the youth in our town is something that has been of utmost importance for years now.  Every year, on the morning after Hallows Eve, the town is in ruins and my garden along with it.  Last year Leola got hurt by the older children in the town and that was the last straw.  Mr. Alby, we need something that can help these children get all their devilish energy out, so to speak.  It will not hurt anyone, it is only the children in the neighborhood anyway, my house is not big enough for the whole town”  It sounded almost rehearsed.  

For a moment, Mr. Alby couldn’t speak.  

“Well, I am curious to see if it will work Elizabeth,” he said finally, and Leola could tell he was standing up, so she leapt from the door and shoved her hands back into the sticky dough.  Mr. Alby opened the door a moment later with Mrs. Kerbs following.  He was about to leave but he turned. 

“Promise me one thing, Elizabeth,” she only narrowed her eyes and waited.  “You’ll still make all the pies for the harvest festival.” 

“Of course.” 

And then he was gone.  

And just like that, it was, once again, the busiest time of the year.  It was even busier this year, Mrs. Kerbs and Leola had to make dozens of pies along with continuing to set up the Halloween party.  Every day Leola went to Mrs. Kerbs’ house, making pies and occasionally helping Mrs. Kerbs make decorations or snacks.  However, recently Mrs. Kerbs had been working on the party alone more and more.  Leola had no idea why.  

The stage was set, so to say.  The town harvest festival was practically over and Mrs. Kerbs’ house was ready for the late-night festivities, leaf garlands were hung, caramel apples, popped corn, pies, and candies were made and covered the dining table- not an inch of table cloth was showing.  The house was a maze of games, starting in the very first room, which was a combination entry space, the dining room, and the kitchen.  Through the next door was the living room, then the sunroom, and then out into the yard.  The games were placed strategically, spaced with enough space to play each game but not so far that kids couldn’t talk while they were playing.   

Slowly kids started arriving from the neighborhood.  Leola remembered some of them from the Harvest festival earlier that day but she had never really talked to any of them.  She had to admit that the party looked fun, however Mrs. Kerbs didn’t allow her to play any games, she wasn’t old enough and the games were just for the older kids, but she sneaked snacks and watched.  Still, it was a small party and Leola couldn’t imagine anything changing from the year before.  It wasn’t a large town but it was bigger than one neighborhood worth of kids.  

Mrs. Kerbs made Leola go home early just in case something would happen. But she arrived home safe and fell asleep, promising herself that first thing the next morning she would run to Mrs. Kerbs’ house.  

And she did just that.  As she ran along the sidewalk, her skirt brushing uncomfortably across the gravel, she noticed blackened and burned out-houses and gates and she dreaded what she would see.  

The chrysanthemums, the asters, the pansies, the dianthus, and violas, all trampled and ruined.  She arrived at the gate and sat low, her skirts piling up around her, and she put her face in her hands.  Little did she know that Mrs. Kerbs was sitting at her round dining table, gazing through the windows, and watching her.  Soon she went inside and found this out.  

“It didn’t work.” was the first thing she said. 

“No, no it didn’t,” Mrs. Kerbs shook her head, and then she started to laugh and laugh. Leola rushed to her side. 

“Why are you laughing?”  Leola didn’t see the humor in it but couldn’t help smiling at Mrs. Kerbs’ big belly laugh.  “I thought, I really thought it would work, dear.”  She whiped a tear from her cheek and Leola’s heart broke when she realized that Mrs. Kerbs was laughing to cover up the fact that she was crying.  Even so, it could be a little of both, you never could tell with Mrs. Kerbs.   

“We will figure it out, Leola,” 

“How do you know?” 

“I’ll figure something out,” she patted Leola’s knee, “you know I always do,” 

Leola nodded, “yes I suppose — wait, I think I know the problem.” Mrs. Kerbs leaned forward in her chair  “Yesterday the party was too small, don’t you think?”

“Well, everyone from the neighborhood came.”

“Yes, but we need to cater to more people than just the ones in the neighborhood then.” 

“I suppose but I don’t have space for every youth in the town.” 

“I know, no one would.  So, don’t have it in your home.  Mrs. Kerbs, do exactly what they do each year, I mean all the the older kids who mess up the town.” 

“That’s brilliant, do exactly what they do, lead a parade, so to speak,” 

“But don’t do what they do when they mess up the town and instead make it fun!” 

“Make it civilized and make it fun.”  Mrs. Kerbs agreed, she smiled and leaned back in her chair.

“Hey, it was my idea,” she said and wrapped her arm around Mrs. Kerbs’ neck.   

“And it was a good one,” she said and jokingly poked Leola’s belly button.   

Once again, the plan was set. The fog was rising and it was time for them to get to work.  

The planning that filled the next year was wildly different from the last —  it didn’t involve any preparation of games or snacks or decorations —  but mostly spreading the word and making sure everyone knew.  Every youth in the town had to be aware: there was going to be a Hallows Eve parade that would last long into the night, and you wouldn’t want to miss it.

It seemed like the year consisted of nothing else. because all she thought about, her and Mrs. Kerbs, was the day.  Leola never once wondered what would happen after the year ended, it was like she lived for this parade and after it, nothing.  

Mrs. Kerbs set up stations around the town, where people would pass out sweets or give out things for the kids to wear.  She worked hard to make sure everyone was up for it and that they had enough candy.  They made chocolates and caramel, months in advance, and had pounds of candy to give out.  Once again, Mr. Alby the mayor, made Mrs. Kerbs promise to make the pies for the harvest and she agreed once again.  

Making dozens of pies, was Leola’s job this year.  The week of Hallows Eve she sat inside Mrs. Kerbs’ dining room and watched, with her head continuously turned toward the window so she could see the slightest glance of any preparation that she wasn't a part of.  She practically interrogated Mrs. Kerbs every time she came through the front door, asking her what she was doing and if she was almost done.  She always answered that she was almost done and that Leola staying where she was and finishing the pies would be the biggest help of all.  Still, she never seemed to stay inside long and was soon hurrying out the door again.  She wished she could track behind Mrs. Kerbs and go with her on her errands but mostly she believed her when she said that she was being helpful.  By sitting and putting together the pie filling and threading the lattice crusts together, by herself, as she caught glimpses of people hurrying by and the leaves falling from the trees.  

The days had passed quickly, it was Hallows Eve now, and Leola was lazily watching the pie-eating contest as she leaned back in her chair.  The sun was setting and it left a golden glow on everyone's cheeks and over their hair and Leola liked watching people just for that reason.  

The contest finished, the participants rose with their cheeks covered in thick smudges of blueberry and strawberry.  They left and washed their faces as they giggled.  Leola watched as people left, much earlier than normal, and started wandering home.  

“Leola,” Mrs. Kerbs was behind her and she said in a hushed voice, “Come,” She offered her hand and they ran off.  Leola couldn’t help smiling, she was running with Mrs. Kerbs. Before she was nervous that Mrs. Kerbs wouldn’t even want her to walk in the Hallows Eve parade but now she was sure that she would.  Leola knew where they were planning to start and they hurried straight to that spot, Mrs. Kerbs couldn’t run for long and so she stopped and took a moment to regain her breath.  

“We're going to start, just you and I,” she told her, beaming.  The sun had set and only the slightest glow reminded.  With that glow, Leola could see the biggest smile on Mrs. Kerbs’ face.  They started walking, and someone handed Mrs. Kerbs a torch.  Every time Mrs. Kerbs nodded or shook someone’s hand that she didn't know, she was surprised although she probably shouldn’t have been.  

They had been walking for five minutes and people began to appear behind them, people wearing masks and holding signs.  One, just behind them read, “Hiawatha’s Hallow Eve Frolic.” So that was the official name, Leola thought.  She liked it.  She knew that people were joining the parade and finding candy and they were laughing and smiling through it all.  And Mrs. Kerbs had planned it all.  

In a simple desire to keep children from ruining her lawn, Mrs. Kerbs had created and planned the first Halloween parade, or Frolic, as they called it.  

Mrs. Kerbs woke up the next day, looked out her window, and saw all her plants, lined up perfectly the way they should be.  The plants that she and Leola tended to so carefully all that year.  

“I have a responsibility now,” she said to herself as she smiled down at her garden and watched as Leola came running down the street, triumphantly raising her arms in the air once she saw the garden.  It’s what Mrs. Kerbs had wanted to do when she saw it too.  She hurried down the stairs while Leola hurried in and this time she felt like crying.  Both of them did —  Leola with a tear cascading down her cheek when she ran to Mrs. Kerbs’ arms.  

“I wouldn’t have been able to do it without you,” she said into the side of Leola’s face. And Leola beamed.  

 

If you read part one of this story last week you would know I titled it, A Short Story: The Origin of Trick or Treating, but to be more accurate to the story I changed the title.  Trick or Treating evolved from ancient Salem traditions that were nothing like they are today, and it is true that people and stories like Mrs. Kerbs were part of that but there is no way we can know for sure.  We do know, however, that one woman began the tradition of a Halloween parade, or frolic as they call it in Hiawatha Kansas, where this story is set.

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