Halloween Eyes

[Weekend Wordsmith prompted us to write about "eyes" this time.]



In my elementary school, back in the day, we celebrated Halloween. We would bring our costumes to school, and at the lunch break, we'd change into them for the afternoon. Or if we lived close enough to the school to go home at lunch, we could change there, and return to school in costume.

Once we were all back in our rooms after noon recess (and after the costume-donning), we started a parade. The first graders would walk in a line through the room of the 2nd grade, then the 2nd graders would fall in line and, led by the 1st grade, they would walk through the 3rd grade room.

The parade grew, and everyone showed off his or her costume to the older kids, up through the 5th grade. Then we took the show on the road.

The parade led out of the school building and down a short block and a half to a nursing home. We walked through the hallways there, showing off our costumes to the residents, then returning to school (and probably a snack). I don't remember exactly, but I'm guessing there was very little work done on Halloween afternoons.

What does this have to do with eyes? Bear with me; I'm getting there.

When I was in 3rd grade I decided to go home to change into my costume. That way it would be a surprise and I'd make people guess who I was, since none of them would have seen me in the girls room putting it on. I was looking forward to making people guess, and I was covered from head to toe, so the color of my hair would not give me away.

The bell rang and we lined up at the door to the building to go in from recess. I was in the middle of the line and was completely crestfallen when everyone seemed to know who I was? How had they guessed?

My eyes, they told me. I have very, very dark brown eyes, and I hadn't realized what a sea of light brown, hazel, and blue-eyed people I was surrounded by. But I guess my classmates had noticed.



P.S. It took me hours, but I now remember the name of the woman who made the dolls - Mrs. Kolaff. I probably have the spelling wrong, but I'm so pleased this hadn't left my brain entirely!