Looking Back: Halloween was a special time for mom and daughter

I think Mom loved Hallowe’en even more than I did. 

“You look just like a miniature me,” she said, as she tied the black ribbon on my Mary Janes. It was getting dark outside, and we were going to walk up town together, to trick-or-treat my Dad at the bar. I was barely four, and dressed in an outfit that was a copy of one of Mom’s own: a rayon dress and coordinated blue tweed cape, with matching purse and pill box hat. And my Mary Janes.

“You look funny, Mamma,” I said, laughing at her baby outfit: a T-shirt and giant diaper, with a bow in her hair and a giant lollipop in her hand.  

She put a coat on over her costume, and stepped into her stadium boots. “Well, let’s get going, Sugar,” she said, as she opened the front door and flipped on the porch light. “Oh! Brrr! It’s cold out here!” she said, shivering and buttoning up her coat and my cape.

We walked off the porch and up the dark road. The nearly full moon was just rising above the mountains, helping to light our way. We walked fast; I hesitated at the bridge, so she carried me across. Then soon, we walked into the bar.

“Whhht, whhhew!” several men whistled from their stools at the bar, as Mom slipped off her coat and showed off her long, slim legs below the diaper. Daddy was shaking the dice, but looked up and frowned.

I opened up my little purse, “Trick or treat,” I said to Daddy as I climbed up on a stool next to Long George.

Daddy grabbed a Milky Way from the back bar and put it in my purse, then grabbed a bottle of Great Falls Select from the refrigerated cabinet in the back bar, and slid it across the bar to Mom. 

She set down her lollipop, lit a cigarette, blew out the smoke, and set it in an ashtray. Then she took a long drag from the bottle. “We can’t stay long, Bill. We’re gonna trick-or-treat every door in town.”

But already there were several opened bottles on the bar in front of Mom, bought by the men who had whistled. I climbed down from my stool and went over to a booth, realizing it would be a while before Mom was ready to go anywhere. I must have fallen asleep, because the next thing I remember, Mom was shaking me awake. “Less go, Toots; less go see Sam before he closes,” she lisped, drunkenly.

We walked up the street to the Triple-E, but they were closed. Then to the Koffee Kup, where several kids in costume were getting treats. “Aren’t you just the little lady,” Bonnie said, putting a cookie in my purse. “Aren’t you cold?” she asked Mom.

Then we crossed the street and walked up to the liquor store. “Trick or treat!” I called to Sam. 

“Haw haw haw! Aren’t you two a sight!” he said laughing, handing me a Hersheys bar and Mom a Butterfingers. Both went into my purse, and we started for the door. “Wait a moment, Anne,” he said, stepping into the back room. “This will help warm you up a bit,” he said, handing a shot of whiskey to Mom, who was shivering without her coat.

Then we walked back to the Texaco where Bill Sears gave out a cat-call and a couple of candy bars. Then on to the Gigriches, but they must have gone to bed early, since there were no lights on inside their house. A few snowflakes were falling as we walked up to the Dockstaders’ kitchen door.

“Good Lord, just look at you, Anne!” Effie said. “Doc, you gotta see this one,” she called into the house.

“Good Lord,” he said, repeating Effie’s words as he walked into the kitchen. “You better come in and have a drink.” 

So we went inside and Effie poured a hot toddy for Mom, and a hot chocolate for me. “Are you going to the party at the hall, Cathy? Mike and Mary are already there.” 

I looked at Mom. “Am I Mamma?”

“No, Toots, not this year. It’s just for kids in school.”

“Oh,” I said, not really disappointed. I needed to keep an eye on her when she was drinking.