The Gypsy's Curse

Edna: Margie, I found this webpage in your bookmarks, I didn't know you were shopping for Halloween costumes this year. Might I suggest you find something a bit more demure? That's a little tawdry-looking, dear.

Margie: Edna, may I suggest you shut your trap? I don't know what's gotten into people these days. Mama made our costumes and they were wonderful. We could be ballerinas or a princess or anything pretty but people nowadays like monsters or worse. It's just shameful.

Edna: Well, and it's almost as if you're saying you don't have any creativity when you buy a ready-made costume. Don't people have any imagination that they can't put something together themselves? I can remember when we'd have such fun finding things to be parts of our costumes. Remember that year I went as a gypsy? Mama made the flounced skirt and I found those dangly earrings at the five and dime. Part of the fun of Halloween was planning and making your costume. People are cheating themselves by just buying one, I think.

Margie: Edna, I think you just hit on the real problem. People aren't creative these days. Remember when Mama made me a drum out an oatmeal box? That was creative.

I remember your gypsy outfit. You kept giving me the evil eye and said you'd cast a spell on me. Floozy.

Edna: It worked, too. Remember how all those mirrors cracked when you looked in them? Gypsy magic.

Have you taken a look at how expensive these costumes are to buy? My lands, you could feed a family of four for a week for what you're paying for those little scraps of fabric that will probably just fall apart after one wearing.

Margie: Scraps of fabric are fine but not in a Halloween costume. Some of those cheap things are just a waste and people who pay those ridiculous prices are crazy too.

Edna, you paid Cousin T to crack those mirrors.

Edna: You are losing your senses, woman. Cousin T wasn't even alive when I wore that costume. Perhaps you'd best lie down, I think you're getting all worked up talking about these costumes and your brain is getting scrambled. You go rest while I look for my dangly earrings and crystal ball--er, I mean, a cold compress for your head.

1930 Halloween Evening

Photo courtesy Costume-Works.com

Margie:, Edna, aren't you excited? Mama and Daddy said you can go Trick or Treating with me this year. I know all the best places to go to get the best stuff. We can go to the Green house because they always give away bags of popcorn.

First, you have to put on your costume that Mama made. See? Mine is pink because I'm a princess. I think yours is red so you must be a little devil. Get dressed, sister.

Edna: Margie, you stop telling me what to do or I'm going to get Mama! And I'm not a little devil, my costume is red because I'm Little Red Riding Hood. You'd best not be mean to me while we're Trick or Treating tonight, I heard Daddy tell you last night that you need to be sweeter to me because I'm the only sister you have.

Margie: Edna, nobody likes a tattle-tale. Keep it up and you'll never have friends.

Daddy said he'll take us to Grandma's house if we're both sweet, Edna. Grandma is making us a chocolate cake. By the way, there's a big, bad wolf at Grandma's too.

Edna: There is not! Margie, do you remember last year when the Richmonds had a Halloween party out in their barn? My favorite thing was the apple bobbing, I could have done that all night. I wish they were having another party this year so I could show off my pretty costume.

Margie: Edna, didn't anybody tell you that we're going to the Richmond's after we go to Grandma's? I heard Daddy tell Mama that they were going dancing.

I know! Let's have a contest, Edna. You bob for an apple and I'll hold your head under until you get one. I like helping you because you're a baby.

Edna: MAMA! MARGIE CALLED ME A BABY AGAIN!

Margie, just for that, I'm not going to share with you any of the Tootsie Rolls I get tonight.

Margie: God, please give me a treat and swap Edna for a puppy.

I did not, Mama. Edna's lying again.

Edna: I never lie, Margie, Mama says it's a sin. Besides, I'd get in trouble for lying and I don't want to get in trouble tonight! I've got my heart set on some of Grandma's popcorn balls, so from now on I'm just going to ignore you like Mama and Daddy always tell me to.

Come on-a my house!

Margie: Edna, I'm very excited about Halloween this year. I think it's wonderful that we decided to have a haunted house for all the children in Jericho.

I do have one small concern, sister, and I'll say this as nicely as I can. You said you'd like to greet the children at the door. If you do that, Edna, they'll run away screaming and will never see the haunted house.

Edna: Margie, if I had a nickel for every time you insulted me, I'd be richer than Bill Gates. You know good and well that the reason I want to greet the children is because I want to see their little costumes. They always look so cute, trying to be scary.

I hope we have a better turn-out this year than we did last Halloween. We spent all that time decorating the house and barely any children came.

Margie: See how you are, Edna? I tell the truth and you call it an insult. I love to see the little costumes too.

There's your answer, Edna. Barely any children came last year because you were waiting by the door. Besides, you ate most of the candy.

Edna: Oh no you don't, you fibber, I'm not the one who went to bed early last Halloween with a stomachache! I don't think we had as many decorations last year, maybe that was the problem. Everything looks nice and spooky this year, and I like how you put those fake spiderwebs out in the bushes.

Margie: I like how you helped Cousin T with his werewolf costume. He's going to do a good job this year.

Edna, here's a scary thought. Do you think Aunt Biddy and Itty Biddy will wear costumes this year?

Edna: Lord help us, those two look so ridiculous on a normal day, I'm not sure you'd be able to tell the difference between a costume and how they usually look.

I ran into Deputy Jimmy yesterday, and he said he's going to bring his two little ones by the house tonight. I told him to spread the word, we've got lots of candy and fun thrills in store for all the Jericho kids.

Margie: Deputy Jimmy? Bye, Edna. I'm going to the mall and exchange my costume.

Edna: Margie, if you can't show a lawman your costume, it's probably not good to show the young'uns either. Good thing I decided on the flapper dress, it's family-friendly.

Now go put something decent on and hurry back, I hear some children coming up the walk.

Happy Halloween
from Margie and Edna!