A month before Halloween,
Knives and scoops in hand,
With faces carved into pumpkins,
Proudly did we stand.

***

It was funny how the act of carving faces into pumpkins invoked such childish joy within her.

It was like the time she and her sister had picked mulberries in the Himalayas, or when her family had eaten fresh strawberries and cream. These were activities she had only read about in the world of Enid Blyton and J. R. R. Tolkien. The protagonists in her favourite books went on fantastic adventures that included carving pumpkins and picking mulberries. They weren't a part of her culture that had different adventures and celebrations.

So, that day, when they bought pumpkins and made faces on them and put lights in them, a part of her eight-year-old self awoke within her, and she could not contain her excitement. She was grinning like a Cheshire Cat all evening.

***

HaPpY HaLLOwEeN!