The Scariest of Holidays

I haven’t been around very long, but some things humans do seem really weird to me.

Take Halloween, for example, and watching horror movies. Or riding roller coasters or Ferris wheels. Or walking in the dark.

That’s one of the reasons that Daddy and I get along. He doesn’t like scary things either. And that’s why we don’t have big Halloween displays in our yard.¹ But Momma and Daddy do like for the kids in the neighborhood to drop by on October 31 in their cool costumes to beg for candy. Well, Momma does. Daddy worries about things like how many pieces of candy each little monster or fairy-tale hero should get. And whether we will run out of candy.² They’ve even been known to take pictures of some of the kids who come by.

This is my first Halloween at Casa de Togo and, given my skittish nature at scary things, I’ve wondered what my part should be in all of this. Momma has been helping. She has already picked out a costume for me to wear. I don’t want to ruin the surprise so I’ll save pictures for next week after Halloween. She has also shared stories with me about past costumes that Jeremy and Justin have worn.

And she told me about the time that she, Daddy, Justin, and Bella went on a ghost tour in Austin.

It sounded pretty fishy to me. They met up with a guy in a hotel lobby in downtown Austin. He proceeded to walk them up and down the streets, pausing here and there to talk about a haunting or some gruesome happening. Momma says that they never really got scared but the man was a really good storyteller.³

I got to thinking that maybe, as General Manager of Casa de Togo, I should initiate the “Casa de Togo Ghost Tour of Abilene.” I mentioned this to Daddy and he reminded me that we couldn’t go very far since it would be a walking tour and after dark. So I’ve rebranded it as the “Casa de Togo Ghost Tour of University Hills.”⁴

I have already charted our course for the evening. One easy one is a house close by. They go all out for Halloween. Togo always enjoyed seeing what new things would appear each year.

Togo’s annual pilgrimage to the scary house.

And I swung by there just this week. In the daylight.⁵

The big finale will be up on the university campus at the Jacob’s Dream sculpture. Even though it’s about angels, it is spooky to me at night.

And then, we’ll turn out the lights and, suddenly, I’ll make my appearance as “Ghost Dog of University Hills.”

I guarantee, it will be thrilling. And then I’ll pass out those tiny Three Musketeer candy bars, carefully collect the wrappers, and pocket my well-earned fee as tour director.

Daddy insisted on this disclaimer: “The Casa de Togo Ghost Tour of University Hills” is not an approved activity of Casa de Togo and will probably not take place. Do NOT pay tour fees in advance!”

Just between you and me, I think Daddy is much more skittish than I am.

1. Also, Daddy is a cheapskate so he can make the excuse that he is being financially responsible.

2. Daddy has confided in me that many people buy way too much candy at Halloween, and then happily munch on the leftovers through Christmas. Apparently, Momma believes that the temptation to overindulge is too great for Daddy, so she strives for a very balanced supply that runs out just as she closes the door and turns off the light for the night. Daddy has also confided in me that Momma is right about him but that he thinks it’s important for him to pretend his feelings are hurt. Again, humans do some really weird things.

3. Momma did say that Daddy actually did get scared but it wasn’t because of the stories. He drank a lot of water before the tour and they had walked a long time. And there were no restroom breaks planned.

4. The mention of hills shouldn’t frighten people away since Abilene folks know that University Hills is as flat as a pancake.

5. I’m not a big fan of night walking so, be assured, I plan to have a large number of my security team accompanying us.