E-Paper
Spice of life | An encounter with ghosts, vampires on a cold October night
When my son told me about Halloween, I was taken back to my childhood in Punjab and could hear the chant ‘sundar mundariye ho’ reverberating in my ears
It was only my second day in California on my first-ever trip to the United States where I had gone to meet my son. Having spent the previous day recovering from the 22-hour journey from Amritsar to San Francisco, followed by a three-hour drive to Sacramento, I was ready to make the most of my first holiday abroad.
So, I rubbed away the drowsiness from my eyes, shrugged into my jacket, and waving away my son’s concerns announced that I was going out for a stroll as I was curious about the neighbourhood.
My son was not comfortable with me going out alone and cautioned me not to venture too far, a role reversal of sorts, and stealthily slipped a phone and a piece of paper with his address written on it into my pocket. “Mom, there have been many instances of first-time visitors losing their way here,” he explained, when I protested.
He loves to narrate tales of elderly Indians losing their way in an alien land. Squaring my shoulders, I told him not to worry nor compare me with the heroes and heroines of his funny stories.
Stepping out, I immediately noticed the brightly-lit houses covered in colourful lights. The lawns were decorated with eerily glowing skeletons, vampires with fangs, and a host of human figures with frightening expressions. Along with the beastly figures, were carved pumpkins, which had been hung from the hedges or strewn on the ground. Alarmed and a bit scared, I decided to hurry back.
When I was almost at my door, I spotted some ghost-like figures. Dressed in black flowing robes and sinister-looking painted faces, the ‘ghosts’ let out blood-curdling shrieks and rang the doorbell. When the door opened, the children in costumes merrily chanted, ‘Happy Halloween’ in unison. Far from complimenting the children on their costumes, the woman who answered the door was furious. “What Halloween? she thundered.
“Candies…?”a small quivering voice of a young ghost responded, usure and taken aback by the woman’s hostility.
The woman, who was dressed in a salwar suit, coldly replied, “No candies, we don’t celebrate Halloween.”
Crestfallen, the ‘ghosts’ moved to the next house where my son was waiting and ready with gifts, which he put in the beautifully decorated basket the children were carrying. They were happy and excited as they wished us Happy Halloween before leaving with their goodies.
Hearing my son tell me about the festival, I was taken back to my childhood in Punjab and could hear “sundar mundariye ho,” reverberating in my ears, and I could vividly recall the taste of gacchak and revadi. But soon, my thoughts wandered to the woman next door. Narrow-minded and rigid people decide to live in foreign lands, and enjoy all facilities the country offers them, but are unwilling to respect their culture!
aswantkaur@yahoo.com
(The writer is a Tarn Taran-based freelance contributor)
