Kevin was already dreaming about all the candy he would receive, along with helping his dad decorate their home and working with his mother to make a costume. However, he was unable to get rid of the one unadorned house on his block. He could not understand why someone would not celebrate, so he decided that they could require help.
As Halloween drew near, the neighborhood was alive with excitement. Every yard seemed to be competing to be the “spookiest on the block.”
Plastic skeletons dangled from trees, cottony cobwebs clung to porches, and raggedly smiling pumpkins dotted the streets.
Eleven years old Kevin’s pulse pounded with excitement as he breathed in the aroma of dried leaves and candy.
Halloween was Kevin’s favorite day of the year because it gave him the freedom to be whatever he wanted to be, and he enjoyed how the entire world seemed to shift for one amazing night.
His eyes darted along the pavement, from one house to another, each one decked with dazzling jack-o’-lanterns or spooky ghosts. Kevin couldn’t help but smile.
Some of the houses even had spooky sound effects playing, like creaking doors or witches cackling.
As he went down the street, though, he noticed something that didn’t fit.
One house stood empty and dreary, a sharp contrast to the happy homes around it. Not one pumpkin. Not a cobweb in sight. No skeleton.
Not a little ornament, not even. Kevin frowned as he realized it was Mrs. Kimbly’s house.
He stopped and stared out at the deserted front porch. He remembered Mrs. Kimbly clearly. She lived alone and was an old woman who tended to keep to herself.
Kevin had previously helped her by mowing her yard in the summer and shoveling snow in the winter. Without saying anything, she just gave him her money and walked back inside.
But today, her house seemed out of place, as if it didn’t belong in the same cheerful neighborhood.
Why hadn’t Mrs. Kimbly decorated for Halloween? Everybody else had. Something wasn’t quite right, and Kevin couldn’t shake the bad feeling.
It didn’t seem fair that anyone should be excluded from the festivities, especially Mrs. Kimbly, who lived alone, since Halloween was a time for celebration.
Kevin’s heart constricted. Well, maybe she just needed help, he thought. Maybe she couldn’t make herself look nice.
Determined, Kevin turned and sprinted across the street to her house. The leaves crunched under his sneakers as he climbed the stairs to her front door.
He hesitated for a second before knocking. The sound echoed in the quiet, and Kevin shifted uncomfortably. After what seemed like a lifetime, the door creaked open.
Mrs. Kimbly stood there with a deep frown on her face and her eyes narrowed behind thick glasses.
She seemed to have been preoccupied with something important.
“Kevin, what do you want?”She asked fiercely, her voice gruff and low.
Kevin inhaled deeply.
Good day, Mrs. Kimbly. I thought you might have forgotten since I just noticed that your house is devoid of Halloween decorations. I could help you hang some if you’d like.
Mrs. Kimbly’s eyes narrowed even further if she could.
“I remembered,” she exclaimed.”Decor and help are not necessary for me. Now go. She moved to close the door.
“I could do it for free!” he exclaimed quickly.
“You wouldn’t need to do anything at all.”
Mrs. Kimbly scowled. “No!” she cried, and then she slammed the door shut.
Kevin was amazing. Why would somebody be so against Halloween?
He knew that if her house was left bare, the other children would pick it as the object of practical pranks, like throwing toilet paper over her yard.
Kevin groaned and turned to leave, but as he did, a plan began to form in his mind.
When Kevin got home, his mother, Sarah, was in the kitchen preparing a pot of soup. The comforting smell of chicken broth barely registered in Kevin’s mind.
His mind was still racing with images of Mrs. Kimbly’s dreary, plain house.
“Mom, something strange happened,” said Kevin, who was seated at the kitchen table.Sarah wiped her hands on a towel and turned to him.
With all of her attention on him, she asked, “What is it, sweetheart?”
Kevin quickly clarified that Mrs. Kimbly’s house was the only one in the area without Halloween decorations, and that she had slammed the door in his face when he offered to help.
But when he stated Mrs. Kimbly’s name, Sarah’s expression changed. Her face relaxed and her eyes clouded with a distant look.
It might be best to leave her alone, Sarah advised softly.
It’s likely that we have no idea what she’s going through. There are several reasons why people could behave in ways that we are not aware of.
Kevin frowned and shook his head.
But, Mom, she needs help. I don’t think she’s really upset. I think she’s just depressed. Halloween is supposed to be fun. She shouldn’t have to endure a miserable day.
Sarah’s lips formed a soft smile, but her eyes were troubled.
“You have a good heart, Kevin. Keep an eye out, please. People aren’t always ready for help, even when they need it.
Her remarks were still weighing heavily on Kevin’s mind as he walked upstairs to his bed. But he continued to believe that Mrs. Kimbly was just lonely and disliked Halloween.
Kevin gathered all the Halloween decorations he could find, including his favorite pumpkin, which he had carved for hours, plastic spiders, multicolored lights, and some of his toys. Now he was resolute.
Kevin packed everything into a little cart and hurried back to Mrs. Kimbly’s house.
As the wind rustled the trees, he was gently placing pumpkins and hanging lights along her porch.
The house started to transform, just like the other houses on the block. But while Kevin was putting the finishing touches on the front door, it creaked open.
Mrs. Kimbly hurried out, her face twisted with anger.
“Don’t decorate my house, I told you!”The sound of Mrs. Kimbly’s sharp, angry voice reverberated over the porch, and Kevin jumped.
His heart pounded in his chest as he stood still and gazed at her.
With her furious eyes burning, she exclaimed, “What have you done?”
Kevin’s voice was barely audible as he swallowed hard. He tried to explain by saying, “I just wanted to help.””Halloween is here.”
But before he could speak another word, Mrs. Kimbly cut him off.
“I detest Halloween!” she screamed, her voice trembling with frustration.
Kevin’s eyes widened as she approached and grabbed the nearest pumpkin, the one he had carved himself. He smiled at it with the toothy grin he had been working on for hours.
Without hesitation, Mrs. Kimbly picked up the pumpkin and smashed it loudly to the ground.
The pumpkin broke apart, scattering orange fragments around the porch, shocking Kevin. His stomach turned as he stared at the remnants of his favorite pumpkin.
Even though she was panting and still had a furious expression on her face, there was more going on beneath the surface.
“I’m sorry,” Kevin murmured in a hardly audible whisper.
He turned and ran, his feet thundering on the pavement as he headed home before Mrs. Kimbly could say another word.
That night, Kevin dressed up as a vampire, but he couldn’t get into the Halloween spirit.
As he and his friends walked from house to house collecting candy, he couldn’t help but think of Mrs. Kimbly’s dreary, plain house. He knew what was about to happen.
The other kids wouldn’t understand. They would attack her home without sweets or decorations, throwing toilet paper or worse, and Kevin couldn’t stop worrying about it.
Determined not to let anyone spoil Mrs. Kimbly’s evening, Kevin marched back toward her home, his vampire cloak flapping behind him.
The air was cold, the streets were packed with kids in costume, laughing, and the sound of crunching leaves.
But Kevin was no longer interested in trick-or-treating. He could only picture Mrs. Kimbly sitting alone in her dreary house, with no sweets to share or decorations.
He arrived and, clutching the bag of candy he had previously gathered, sat down on the steps of her front porch.
Without her, the party didn’t feel complete, even if the pumpkins he had earlier set were still glowing softly in the evening.
Every time a group of kids walked up the walkway, excitedly awaiting candy, Kevin got up and handed them pieces from his own bag.
Despite the fact that he was running low on sweets, he made an effort to sound cheerful when he said, “Mrs. Kimbly’s not home.”
Some kids just shrugged and happily accepted the sweets, while others seemed puzzled. Kevin wasn’t bothered by it. He knew it was better than their destroying the house.
Kevin stood alone on the porch for a long, watching the neighborhood come alive with Halloween celebrations, until the door behind him creaked open.
He turned, startled to see Mrs. Kimbly standing there, his face no longer twisted with anger. As she looked down at him, her face softened and her shoulders relaxed.
“What are you doing here, Kevin?”She asked in a softer voice than previously.
Kevin moved uncomfortably. “I didn’t want anyone to wreck your house,” he said, looking up at her with a straightforward gaze.
“Even though I know you dislike Halloween, I thought maybe I could help.”
Mrs. Kimbly hesitated, then sighed deeply and sat down with him on the steps.
She was silent for a minute, watching the kids running down the street from home to house.
When she finally answered, there was a hint of grief in her voice, and her normally stern features softened even more.
She said, “I’m sorry for what I did earlier.””I wasn’t upset with you, Kevin. Halloween is really hard for me. I am reminded of how alone I am since I have no children or grandchildren as I see everyone else enjoy.
Kevin’s heart sank. He had never thought of it that way. He said, “But you don’t have to be alone,” turning to face her.
“Even though I know you dislike Halloween, I thought maybe I could help.”
Mrs. Kimbly hesitated, then sighed deeply and sat down with him on the steps.
She was silent for a minute, watching the kids running down the street from home to house.
When she finally answered, there was a hint of grief in her voice, and her normally stern features softened even more.
She said, “I’m sorry for what I did earlier.””I wasn’t upset with you, Kevin. Halloween is really hard for me. I am reminded of how alone I am since I have no children or grandchildren as I see everyone else enjoy.
Kevin’s heart sank. He had never thought of it that way. He said, “But you don’t have to be alone,” turning to face her.
