Halloween

Oh yes, that night of the year is approaching with all that creepiness and spookery. Years ago when I was a sproglet the only places that Halloween was mentioned was usually in comics and it was invariably slightly frightening. So different today when it seems to almost to be a national festival of greed or malicious 'tricks'. Yet another American influence to be thankful for or not, depending on age and viewpoint really.

An earlier blog narrates my principal experience on Halloween and that was slightly unnerving and eerie whereas generally today it is almost a social occasion.

Several years ago a friend had become somewhat weary of the annual round of 'trick or treaters' at his door so he devised a cunning plan to wreak his revenge. He was sitting quietly indoors on All Saint's Eve when the doorbell rang. When he opened the door there were several children dressed in an array of allegedly frightening garb who promptly demanded 'Trick or Treat, mister'. Gathered on the pavement at the end of the front path to the house there were assorted parents of the callers, obviously concerned for the safety of their offspring.

'Just a moment' said our hero disappearing into the house and shutting the door. A few moments later he emerged from the side gate of the house clad in a very large white bedsheet, waving his arms aloft heading towards the children and making loud, deep 'Whooo, whoo' noises and rattling a length of chain concealed beneath his costume. Some of the children began to edge away and others fled down the path to comforting parental security.

Emboldened by their retreat the householder then began to run towards the youngsters with ever louder sound effects. Suddenly he tripped on the sheet which was touching the path all around him, falling flat as he did so. the assembled adults and children began laughing and making somewhat disparaging they moved on to the next victims.

Meanwhile our hero, endeavouring to regain some most dignity got to his feet only to emit a loud almost blood curdling scream and fell again; pitching headfirst into a bed of rose bushes. The sound of his distress bought his good lady wife rushing to the scene whereupon she helped him to his feet assisted him back indoors all accompanied by assorted cries of pain.

It was soon obvious to his wife that some degree of physical had been occasioned as one ankle was visibly very swollen. She decided that it might be sensible to go to A&E at the local hospital so she tried to help to the car in the driveway. This move was greeted by even louder cries of discomfort, reluctantly she abandoned the proposed journey returning her spouse to the warmth and comfort of their home.

"Hello, emergency, which service do you require?"

"Ambulance please."

The emergency controller once equipped with the necessary knowledge of the accident despatched an ambulance to take the victim to hospital.

Some while later, surrounded by the usual paraphernalia of an A&E department, a doctor came and spoke to my friend bearing bad tidings. The outcome of his bright idea was that he had a severely broken ankle which would require surgery to reset it properly and that he was likely to off work for at least two months!

Is there a moral on this tale? Well, there is and I think it too obvious for me to labour the point!