Day Twenty Eight -Chomp

We’ve all got pumpkins lined up on the dining room table that we’ve lined with a bunch of newspapers.

When Teddy offered to bring us pumpkins a local farm was donating, I refused. No one would be around to see the pumpkins, no treat or treaters or any visitors come on Halloween. But Teddy insisted that it would be a fun activity for all of us to do together even if no one came to see the pumpkins.

I can’t remember the last time I carved a pumpkin, maybe when I was kid. I can’t say I particularly missed it, but it is fun getting a bit messy with everyone else.

This is Calvin’s first time carving a pumpkin. He has never told me what year he lived in, all I know is that he’s been around for a long time and has been trying to learn as much as he can. Though I guess whatever time he’s spent learning, he hasn’t been using it for having fun. He’s been working diligently to make a simple smiling face on his.

Mary has been experimenting with adding paint to her carving. It looks like she’s trying to make a recreation of Vincent Van Gogh’s Starry Night on her pumpkin.

Teddy and Billy have been working on their pumpkins making scary goulish looking faces in them. And they’ve been giving a hand to the others.

Mrs Thompson refused to crave a pumpkin, so she’s taken it upon herself to clean and roast all the seeds from our pumpkins as a snack for later.

I’ve been trying to be creative and to make a cat (possibly Lavender) in my pumpkin. I’ve gone as far as trying to use the triangles I cut out for eyes as ears sticking out of the pumpkin. Though as I’m about to stick the second ear into my pumpkin, I slip and it tumbles to the ground.

Lavender is quick to appear and before I can stop her, she runs off with the piece of pumpkin.

I call after her, telling her to stop, and when she finally does, I pick up the triangle only to see that it’s got large chomp mark in it. Silly cat.

I head back to the dining room to show everyone the ear and we all share a laugh.

By the time we’re done with the pumpkins, the sun is already setting.

We line the pumpkins up on the front steps and get to work lighting up the candles inside of each one.

We all stand back to admire our work. Everyone’s pumpkin is unique to them.

“We should decorate the house!” Teddy exclaims.

“Why should we go through all the effort if no one will be around to see it?” I ask him, leaning into him as we continue to look at the house.

“I think it would be fun! And with the ghosts’ help we could probably get some fun stuff put up. And even if no one sees it, we’ll see it, won’t we?”

I suppose Teddy is right. It could be fun to see the house all decorated for Halloween, it would be fun for all of us to see it.

“We’ve only ever lived in apartments our whole lives.” Billy says to me. “We got to carve pumpkins at school but they’d just rot on our balcony. Teddy’s always dreamed of having a house to decorate.”

I look from Billy to Teddy, who is staring at the pumpkins. I can only image that he’s picturing exactly what he could do to the house.

I rub his arm. “Okay, let’s do it. Let’s decorate the house and make it as spooky as you’d like.”

Teddy’s face lights up with a child-like wonder and he smile at me. “Do you mean it?” he asks.

“Yes,” I say, “We’ve all got the day free tomorrow don’t we?”

I can almost feel the excitement radiating out of Teddy. He turns around to gently hold my face and kisses me, quickly, but long enough that I can feel how excited he is. It takes my breath away.

“I have to get to work now, this is going to be awesome!” he strokes my cheek once more before dashing off to his van.

Billy drifts up beside me again and we both watch as Teddy is rifling through the supplies in his van, the interior light illuminating him. Unbeknownst to Teddy, all of the other ghosts have gathered around him, looking at what he’s doing.

“You make my brother very happy.” Billy says, “It means a lot to me to know that there’s someone around that loves him as much as I do.”

I feel my cheeks flush. I haven’t said it to him, but it’s true that I care deeply about Teddy and I guess you could call it love.

“Will you look after him when I’m gone?” Billy asks quietly.

I’m taken aback by the question and look at Billy, who isn’t looking at me but continues to stare at his brother.

“I left this world early. Too early. I’ve taken care of Teddy since he was a kid, and I think if I know that my brother will be taken care of, I’ll be able to move on. To whatever that is.” He says this to me with no deep emotion in his voice, but I can tell that it was hard for him to say.

“I’ll take care of him the way he’s taken care of me.” I whisper. And I mean every word.

Billy nods, “Thank you. I’m not leaving yet, but I had to know.”

I nod too and we both watch as Teddy continues to pile up a bunch of supplies just outside his van.