Halloween - the Football Helmet Vs the Eye

I was very young, maybe five, possibly six and had been playing football for about three years. I think they called it the peewee league. All l know is I loved it.

One of the coaches was my uncle and he was forever giving me pointers and letting me practice my tackling and blocking on his lower legs. A few times I even managed to catch him unaware and knock him to his butt.

Mommy had asked me a hundred times what I wanted to be at Halloween that year. Each time I answered, "A football player."

She teasingly asked if I was sure - it was our little joke.

Mommy loved football more then I did. She could not wait for Sunday afternoons, sometimes so much that she let us 'skip' church to sleep in and get ready for a day of couch coaching.

Halloween night I pulled on my shoulder pads and jersey but Mom told me I didn't need my cleats - in other words, don't even try her voice said.

She told me I could use my helmet to hold candy. "But Mom, how will I disguise my face?", I asked. She gave me three plastic bags and I stowed two of them in the back pockets of my jeans.

We headed for the school. Halloween is a school thing around here. We have several busy streets to cross to get to the 'good' neighborhoods and the adults decided it would be best if we did it in groups.

The crossing guards donated their time but many of us 'paid' them with candy.

The older kids from junior high also acted as traffic wardens and chaperones. They usually dressed in costume and sometimes even collected candy.

This evening a young man had dressed as a magician - he reminded me of the dark arts teacher in Harry Potter with the rotating glass eye and a wooden leg. I called him the 'eye'.

His version of the crazy eye was much scarier then the one in the movie. The rest of his costume was impressive - someone spent a lot of time making up his face. It was really scary even in partial day light.

But the scary thing was his wand. He would point it at you then touch, pinch or pull a part of his body and you would feel it.

He waved his wand then touched the top of his head and I felt it on top of my head. I jerked my head up and back but no one was there just an older girl facing away from me.

He repeated his action on a girl from my class and she screamed a little when it looked like he pulled her hair on the side away from me by pulling on his own.

When her head tilted back from the tug there was no one there - just her mother and an older girl talking.

He repeated the 'magic' on several unsuspecting children even an adult.

We were standing in a group waiting to cross the street when the 'eye' approached me again.

He waved his wand and I was so scared I ran into the cross walk to catch up with the group ahead of us. Mommy had no choice but to run after me.

She didn't ask why - she thought I had a crush on the girl ahead of us - in reality I was scared to death of the eye and was not paying any attention to girls.

We visited several decorated and generous homes and were heading back towards school to 'weigh' our bounty, show off our costumes and brag about our treats and tricks. I was also thirsty for some apple cider and wanted to hurry home and light my carved pumpkin masterpiece.

Mommy stopped to talk to an elderly friend and I saw the 'eye' coming behind us. It was darker now and the 'eye' was 'glowing' by some trick of magic. I was even more scared.

It keep getting closer and I kept tugging at mommy's jacket and mommy kept pushing me away and the eye got closer and I started shaking and when mommy forcefully removed my hand from her coattail I knew I was going to die.

I panicked and ran as hard as I could from the 'eye". I ran onto one of the busiest streets in the neighbor. I made it across the first lane and part of the second before a driver slammed on his brakes and his car gave me a glancing blow to the head.

I woke up in the emergency room and immediately started crying and looking for mommy. Once I found her I wanted my candy then I realized my helmet and pads were gone. I was not very happy.

A beautiful cheerleader (nurse) told me I had to go get pictures taken of inside my head. Could she take me or did I want my mother?

I stuck out my chest and let her push me down the hall to a dimly lit really scary place with all types of humming machines and tables with cross hairs on them.

It was scary but not as bad as the 'eye' and besides, my cheerleader told me I would get a magical sucker if I held real still.

On the way back to mommy sucking on a red sucker (my favorite color) I saw my helmet under a cart. I grabbed it and hoping to look all grown up I put it on. I noticed it was cracked and scratched but that would make me look like a man.

Then from the other side of my mother came the 'eye' and his sister. I went into my strongest stance and hid behind my mommy's leg.

The eye came closer and his sister asked how I felt then I saw the 'eye' wave his hand with the attached wand and I thought he was going to hurt my mommy.

I ran towards him and right before I made contact I dropped my head just like my uncle had taught me.

I will let you guess where my helmet made contact but I will point out I was a short five year old and dropping my head made me even shorter.

My target was a taller then average eight-grader. His stomach would be a good guess (if you need to explain to a child) but you adults, you probably know where I made contact.

He went down like a bag of candy and lay on the floor groaning. My mother yanked me up by my arm then remembered I was hurt.

I had a broken arm and possible concussion - thank goodness I was wearing my helmet.

When I explained my actions, everyone had a good laugh at my expense when the 'eye' and his sister demonstrated how the trick worked.

I offered my candy but the 'eye' told me to heal fast so that we could play some football together with the big kids.

I might be crazy but I am not dumb - I never did take him up on his offer.