not care. Didn’t I?
eight
October 31, 2019
This was Gran’s house and my moving in was going to be a slow process. I needed time before I moved her things to put mine in their place. Instead of unpacking my boxes, I went out to buy pumpkins, carve the pumpkins, decorate the front stoop with said jack-o- lanterns, take pictures of it all and roast the seeds. Apple cider had been made using Gran’s recipe from her recipe rolodex that sat on her kitchen counter. I had also made apple pie, candy apples, and pumpkin bread. All vegan of course. Luckily the health food store in town had the vegan butter Gran had listed in the recipes.
Candy filled a black cauldron I had found in the attic along with a witch’s hat, orange lights and a large fake spider and its web. My front door was now lit up and festive. I was ready for trick-or-treaters. This was a first for me. My mother didn’t take me trick-or-treating when I was a kid. She thought the idea of going to people’s houses to “beg” for candy was ridiculous. It was obvious my Gran did not agree.
The living room fire and the wood burning stove were keeping the downstairs warm, but I was still wearing a Vanderbilt hoodie and a pair of black leggings with fur-lined boots in the house. A “Spooky Tunes” CD I had found in the Halloween decorations was laying on the CD player Gran kept in the living room underneath the television.
I was winning Halloween this year. Gran would be proud. Picking up a candy apple, I went to go sit on the front stoop and watch the street prepare for the night when my phone rang. Taking my phone from my hoodie pocket, I saw it was Griff and a smile spread across my face. He had been busy studying for an exam this week and I hadn’t heard from him in two days. He’d sent a few texts but nothing more. Tomorrow night he was coming to stay for the weekend. I couldn’t wait. His lack of communication was worth it, knowing I would get to be with him soon.
“Happy Halloween!” I said cheerfully into the phone.
“Since when do you celebrate Halloween?” he asked with an amused tone.
“Since three days ago. My Gran did it up good every year it seems, so I am doing the same. I even carved pumpkins and roasted seeds. That is not as easy as it sounds either,” I said, thinking about my first disastrous attempt at carving a jack-o-lantern.
“I take it you’re giving out candy too,” he replied.
“Oh yes! I also have candy apples to give out. My Gran’s recipe.”
He laughed and the sound made me happy. I loved his laugh. “Sounds like you have been busy.”
“Very. I’ve made apple cider and apple pie, oh, and I’m wearing a witch hat to give out candy! I found it with Gran’s Halloween things.”
“I hate I will miss all that,” Griff said.
“I’ll save you some of everything for this weekend. I can even wear the hat for you if you want,” I teased. “You are going to love this place. I had forgotten how magical Portsmouth is.”
There was a pause on the line and I wondered if I had said something wrong.
“About this weekend. Sailor, I have a paper on medical ethics due and the one I had originally written I let Chet read. He thinks it’s too weak, and he’s right. I wasn’t focused enough writing it. I need more research behind it. I just, I can’t come this weekend, babe. I am so sorry. This paper is very important.”
My festive mood was zapped just like that. All week, I had been thinking about seeing Griff and showing him Portsmouth and having him here at Gran’s. We had barely had time to talk or he had barely had time. My schedule was wide open. I was also very alone here, and I missed him.
“You can’t work on it here? There’s a second bedroom that you can lock yourself away in and work.” I just wanted him here. Didn’t matter if I saw much of him.
He sighed. “I wish I could. I need the library resources here. Besides, the travel there and back is just more time that I won’t have to work on this paper.”
It was only an hour I wanted to point out but didn’t. He was set on this. I knew that. I could hear it in his voice. I