“Want some candy?” Kurt said.
I looked around to see who he was talking to. Those three words were the first I ever remember him saying to me.
Kurt came to our house on the day after the Fourth of July, so his Mother could say Happy Birthday to my Mother. I guess Kurt got bored and my Aunt Lisa told him to go outside and play with his little cousin. I stood on the front lawn, in my new red, yellow and blue striped bathing suit, cooling off in the sprinkler. He watched, from the top of the front porch, sitting with his legs in his blue jeans stretched down the steps. He had a grin on his face, below his narrow blue eyes and curly black hair. He always had that grin, like the cat Alicemet in Wonderland. I saw the grin when he opened Christmas presents, when his Dad slapped him for talking back, and when he threw our cat as high as our house, yelling, “Now let’s see if you land on your feet.” He had the grin while he talked to me. I kept running through the spray, jumping, squealing, and dodging the pin-needle drops of cold water.
“Do you?” Kurt shouted at me.
I tried my best ballet leap, legs straight out, hands over my head, in the fifth position.
He stood, walked over, and turned off the sprinkler.
“Hey, why did you do that?”
“Are you deaf, or just special?”
“Special, I think.”
The grin was gone. “Do you want some candy?” he growled.
“Do you have some?”
“I got an idea,” he said.
Kurt told me to go in the house and get a big shopping bag. He said to hide it from my Mom and his Mom. “Get two,” he added.
When I came back, Kurt said we should take a walk.
“Where? I can’t leave my block,” I said, looking at my front door.
“It’s okay. I talked to your Mom.”
I slipped on my pink flip flops and Hello Kitty t-shirt. I followed him across the lawn to the sidewalk. We hurried down my street and turned at the Olsens’ house on the corner.
“This is as far as I can go.” I stood on the sidewalk, in the middle of the Olsens’ driveway.
Kurt walked back to me. “Guess you don’t want any candy.”
“Guess I do.”
“Well, I know where it is. I’m taking you there.”
“But why is it so far from my house? My Mom told me not to go farther than here.”
“Don’t be such a baby. I told you, your Mom said it’s okay. I’ll show you the way and then I’ll take you home.” Kurt said, with the grin.
“Okay.” I picked up the shopping bags.
“You’ll have so much candy, you won’t have to buy any for a month,” Kurt added, as he started down the block. “We’re talking about the best, the biggest chocolate bars you’ve ever seen.”
“And Skittles?”
“Plenty of Skittles.”
“I love Skittles.”
“Okay, okay,” Kurt said, and waved me off with his hand.
After two more blocks, we turned again, down another block. I had never been so far from my house by myself, even riding my bike. The houses were bigger than mine and farther apart. I didn’t see any kids on the sidewalk or in their yards. Kurt never said anything. He clomped in his black and white sneakers, a few steps in front, his shadow covering me. I ran to keep up with him.
I smelled cigarette smoke, and watched it cloud around Kurt’s head.
“You shouldn’t smoke,” I said. “It causes cancer and heart attacks. Not to mention nasty breath and stinky fingers.”
“Oh, my God. Shut up, you little rodent!” Kurt said, as we came toMcLain Boulevard. Cars whisked by from both directions.
“You don’t have to be so mean,” I said.
In the first space between the cars, Kurt flipped his sparking cigarette, grabbed my hand, and ran into the street. I stumbled and dragged behind him. One of my flip flops fell off. When we got to the other side, he let go and started down the sidewalk.
“My shoe!” I screamed.
“Man, you’re a mess.” He walked back into the street, cars honking and stopping all around him, and picked up my flop. He came back with a red and twisted face. He threw the sandal down on the ground in front of me. “There,” he said. “Let’s go.”
I jammed my foot in and ran behind him. I thought about turning around, but it was so far back to my house, across all those streets. I didn’t know what blocks to turn at. Kurt said something about candy. He was in such a hurry that I decided he must know where they had some.
We turned one more corner past McLain. I carried both bags by myself. They were wet and mushy from my sweaty hands.
Kurt stopped at the house on the corner. It was brick, with two-stories, big shiny windows, and a porch that went along the whole front. The lawn was green, smooth, and big as a golf course.
“Okay. Take your bag. Here, I’ll hold the other one. God, it’s all slimy.” Kurt held the bag out, between his first two fingers, as if it smelled bad. “Go up to the door, ring the bell, and say, ‘Trick or treat!’”
“It’s not Halloween!” I cried, my bathing suit cutting into my sunburned skin.
“Do you want some candy?” Kurt snapped. “They don’t care. If you go up there, and act cute, they’ll put tons of stuff in your bag.”
I stared at the door. It was a huge house. The people inside probably had a lot of candy. I looked back at Kurt. “I don’t know,” I said.
Kurt didn’t have the grin. He put his hand on my shoulder. “Go!”
“I don’t have a costume,” I said, pulling away from this hand.
“With those red pigtails and freckles, you look like Raggedy Ann. Do something, like that stupid dance of yours, or sing, or tell a joke.”
“I don’t know any jokes.”
“Just say ‘Trick or Treat,’ and hold the bag open. It won’t matter. They’ll give you candy,” Kurt said. He pushed on my shoulder blades from behind. “God, you’re boney,” he said.
“Okay.” I walked with my shopping bag toward the house. I didn’t see anybody around. I went up on the porch and took off my sweaty flip flops. I crossed the cool stone to the door. I pushed the doorbell. It sounded like chimes at a church. I waited for a few seconds and the door swung open. A man with bright blue eyes and long stringy gray hair, looked at me, then at my bag.
“Yes?” the man said.
I looked at him, and thought about running off the porch. I put the bag out, with shaky hands, and said, “Trick or Treat!”
“What?” The man leaned back, then smiled. “Is this–? ” He stepped out on the porch and looked around. “What are you?”
“A bunny,” I said. I dropped the bag, put my two forefingers straight up above my ears, jutted out my front teeth, and hopped around in a circle.
“Good. Very good,” the man said, laughing. “Just one minute.”
He walked back in the house. I looked inside and saw a big black piano, with the top up, standing on a white fluffy rug. Beyond the windows, at the far end of the room, I saw a swimming pool, black and white striped umbrellas, and a diving board.
The man came back and reached for my bag, which I picked up and opened wide. He dropped in something. I looked and saw five Snickers bars.
“There you go,” the man said. “You were an excellent bunny.”
“Thank you.” I got into my shoes and hopped off the porch, one step at a time.
While I didn’t see Kurt as I came down the long path to the sidewalk, he stepped out from behind some bushes and grabbed the shopping bag. One of the paper handles tore off in my hand.
“So, what you get?” he asked, looking inside. “Great!”
Kurt put his arm over my shoulders and turned me to face down the block. “Okay, march!” he said. “We’re going to make a killing.”
At the next house, a girl about Kurt’s age answered the door. She had black spiky hair and blue shadows over her eyes. She smelled like coconut. “What are you supposed to be?” she asked, after I said ‘Trick or Treat,’ and opened the bag.
“A princess,” I said, and curtsied, holding out the hem of my imaginary gown.
“Too much,” she said, turning into the house. All I could see in front of me was a round mirror on the wall. It was too high for me to look at myself. The girl brought back a big bag of Hershey kisses and poured about half of it into my sack. “Don’t let them melt,” she told me.
At the third house, the thin dark man who answered the door told me to wait a minute. He twisted back into the house and shouted, “Rashmi, come here. You have to see this.” After I put my arms up, hands over my head, and twirled around and around on my tiptoes, the two of them applauded and the man slipped a giant Cadbury bar into the bag.
Kurt was excited to see all the candy I got. He led me by the hand down the block. After four more houses, I told him I was hot. I wanted a drink.
“We only got to go to the end of the block, what, three more places, and we can go home,” he said. “Think of all the sweet treats you’ll get.”
I stuck my face in the bag, and looked at the brightly wrapped candy: the big bag of Skittles, the yellow Butterfingers, the orange Reese’s peanut butter cups, the silver Kisses, the brown M&Ms and Snickers, the red, white, and blue Baby Ruths.
“I get the Skittles,” I said.
“I know. Just go.”
The lady at the next house, who had short blonde hair and green eyes, like my teacher, Mrs. Holmgaard, asked me my name.
I said, “Angela.”
“Are you alone, Angela?”
“My cousin, Kurt, is there,” I told her, pointing down to the empty sidewalk.
“Does your Mother know you’re out doing this?” the woman asked. “Trick or treating?”
“Maybe. I don’t think so,” I told her.
“Tell you what. I’ll give you something to take, if you promise to go right home and show your Mother all this candy. Okay?”
“Okay.” I smiled and frowned, like a crazy clown.
When I told Kurt what the woman said, he snatched the bag out of my hand and threw it on the ground. “She doesn’t know shit.”
“But, we have to leave. I told her I would go home. I want to see my Mom.”
“Dammit,” Kurt said. He pushed by me and climbed to the bottom part of the woman’s yard, above the street. He stomped up to a skinny tree with just a few leaves, near a bunch of bushes. He took its trunk in his hands and ripped it out of the dirt, roots and all. He lifted it over his head and brought it down on his knee, snapping it in two. “Trick or treat!” he yelled, toward the woman’s house. He threw the broken tree into the bushes and walked back to me. I stepped off the sidewalk, out of his way.
“Screw it,” he said, heading back up the street.
I fell in behind him, and carried the shopping bag, which was heavy as a watermelon. The empty folded one rubbed my armpit. Kurt walked ahead, with long steps. I ran, tripping and stubbing my toes.
In the middle of the sidewalk, Kurt stopped and spun around. I almost bumped into him.
“You know what,” he said, snatching the bag from me, “we’re going to the end of the street. We’re finishing this block.”
“I said I want to go home,” I yelled.
“Good luck with that,” he said, heading in the direction of the last three houses.
“Take me home,” I called after him.
“After we do these down here.”
“No!”
Kurt kept walking to the end of the block. When he turned back to me, I stood where I was, with my arms and legs crossed, staring at him. He watched me, then stepped off the curb. “Okay. See you at home,” he said. He crossed the street, and disappeared down a side street.
“Kurt!” I yelled. “Kurt?” I waited for him to come back. I stood as still as I could, on the same crack in the sidewalk, so he knew right where to find me. I wished so hard that I would see him walking back from that street, but he never came. I have to get home, I thought. What if no one ever finds me? I was down below all these big houses. I couldn’t see anybody in their windows or yards. Nothing moved on the street. I didn’t hear any birds singing or dogs barking. I knew my Mom would be worried. I felt like I wanted to throw up. I was shaking, and started to cry. I threw the empty gooey grocery bag on the lawn beside me. I stood on one foot, then the other. Then, I had to go to the bathroom. I decided that I couldn’t stand there all day. I had to do something. I had to go somewhere. I stood straight, tugged on the bottom of my shirt, and took a big step off the crack.
If Kurt went down that street, it must go to my house. I might see him, way up ahead and follow him home. I decided to try it. I crossed over and walked fast on the sidewalk. My friend, Maggie, told me that it was faster to walk at one speed than it was to run really fast and then walk slow and run and walk and run. I kept at one speed. When I got to a corner, I turned and thought I sawMcLain Boulevard, down a couple blocks. I couldn’t believe it was that close.
I had one red Tootsie Roll Pop, stuck in the waist band of my bathing suit. I hid it when my cousin wasn’t looking. I pulled it out and took the wrapper off. I popped the sucker in my mouth, and tasted the cherry flavor. I felt better. I walked on the sidewalk, bending my feet so my flip flops would stay on. I swung my arms, like a toy soldier and felt the sun on my hair. I let the sweet candy stay against my cheek until it make bumps in my mouth, then I moved it around with my tongue, making a clacking sound on my teeth, and swallowing the sweet juice. I still didn’t see any kids playing in their front yards or in the street. When I got toMcLain Boulevard, I stood on the corner, looking both ways as cars rushed by. I thought it wasn’t so bad. I could do it. I just had to watch and run as fast as I could, until I got across the street. I took my sandals off and held them in my hand.
I took one step toward the street and heard my name. I turned to see Kurt come out from behind a tree. He carried the sack of candy under his arm like a football, and he wore the stupid grin.
“What are you doing?” I said, as he stepped next to me on the curb.
“I’ve been watching you.”
“That is so creepy. Why don’t’ you go away,” I said. “I can get home without you.”
“Don’t be such a dick brain.” He walked right out into the middle of the busy street, and stopped the cars. “Come on, Fool,” he called, waving his arm at me.
I ran to the other side of the street. He walked ahead of me again, smoking his cigarette. I bent to put on my shoes and let him go. I stayed at my same speed. He got further and further up the sidewalk. It didn’t matter to me if he was there or not. I wished that he wasn’t.
Up ahead, at my corner, I saw my friend, Cicely, on her bike. I felt friendly again and waved. I couldn’t wait to see my Mom and tell her happy birthday.
When I got to my front porch, Kurt stood at the top of the steps, blocking my way.
“Excuse me,” I said. “I need to go in my house.”
He brought the bag of candy out from behind him and put it on the step in front of me. “There,” he said.
“Is that my half?”
“It’s the whole thing. I don’t really care about the candy.”
“What?”
He had the grin. “I just wanted to see if we could do it.”
“You mean you wanted to see if you could make me do it.”
“Cool your rooster comb, there. Nobody dragged you away from here. You wanted candy and you got it.” He turned toward the door. “I’ll go tell them we’re back.”
I sat on the porch, and looked at the hose, tangled up on the lawn. It seemed like forever since I was playing with it. I got up and went into the house to hide my candy in my bedroom. If I told my Mother about it, she would take it away and ask a bunch of questions.
When I came out, I heard my Aunt Lisa say that they had to leave. I walked through the kitchen and followed the three of them out to driveway. My Mom smiled at me and put her arm around my shoulder. She faced the car and moved her hand up and down, for Kurt to roll down his window.
“Bye, bye, Auntie Sarah,” he said, opening his eyes wide and smiling with his teeth. He looked over at me. “Trick or Treat, Angie.”
My Mom leaned and called across him to Aunt Lisa, “Remember, Leelee, you can return it if you don’t like it.”
As their car pulled away, I could see Aunt Lisa talking to Kurt, who faced forward, slouched so low in his seat, I could just see the top of his head.
Going up the driveway, my Mother said, “Did you have fun playing with your cousin? You two were gone a long time.”
“It was alright,” I said, “but he is weird.”
“What do you mean 'weird’?”
“He’s sneaky, and bossy. And even when he’s trying to be nice, he’s still mean.”
“He has always been an odd boy,” my Mother said.
Before we got to the door, she said, “What did Kurt mean when he said, 'Trick or Treat, Angie’?”
I raised my shoulders and eyebrows. “Like you said, Mom, he’s odd.”
When we got inside the house, I told my Mother that I was going to take my bathing suit off. I went into my room and closed the door. I picked up the bag of candy off my bed and put my whole head inside. I breathed in deep. As I pulled my head out, I spotted the big Cadbury bar and grabbed it.
I rolled the top of the bag tight and tucked it under some old jeans and sweaters in the corner of my closet. I put on shorts and a clean shirt. From the bottom of my sock drawer, I got out the wrapped box with the turquoise and silver earrings inside. I put the candy bar under the box and held them in my hand. I went into the hallway, got a running start, and pushed through the kitchen door. I did my best flying leap, in front of the sink, holding out my Mother’s gifts.
“Happy Birthday!” I yelled. I tripped, crashed into a stool, and landed on the floor, in front of my Mother.
She bent over to help me up gather in my arms and legs. “Poor dear,” she laughed. “I’ve always loved your style.”