Transcript for the Piece Audio version of Pumpkin Belly

One year I was VERY PREGNANT on Halloween. Besides for the FEAR of the work I had ahead in labor, delivery, and then care of the infant, I was SCARED that our preschooler would have all the emotions of a child whose life in center stage had come to an end. It was a FRIGHTENING, SCARY Halloween.

I felt I must somehow enjoy myself on this very freaky precipice upon which I stood.
On Halloween afternoon, my friends Barb and Julie and I came up with the perfect idea. We whitewashed my belly with white clown makeup, then followed that with some very bright orange acrylic paint. Julie used a black grease pencil to draw two triangle eyes and a toothy grin... and VOILA.... my belly became a PUMPKIN!!

My preschooler was going to be Captain Hook. This was really his FIRST Halloween---- the first time that he ever REALLY understood what was going on. He was dressed up and ready to go by four p.m.

We stalled him with candy, oh yeah, and I think SUPPER, then about 6:00 we headed out to TRICK OR TREAT.

It went like this: Captain Hook would run to the door, ring the bell, shout TRICK OR TREAT, and as the kind neighbor was offering him candy, I would come up from behind, lift my shirt and flash my PUMPKIN BELLY upon the neighbor, who was hunched down to pass out candy and found himself face to face with THE GREAT PUMPKIN.

I assumed that this would be funny and cute to my neighbors. One of my dear neighbors, a single, very neat man with two cats and a very nice lawn, looked HORRIFIED when he saw the size and shape, straight on, of my belly. I think that might?ve been a first for him. My neighbor Ruby, in her late seventies, stepped back quickly, noticeably embarrassed. Maybe it seemed indecent to her, but it was NOT funny. My cool, rockin? neighbors, a man and woman in their early twenties, said ?WOA!? and looked up at me sort of in awe. They definitely appreciated the shock value.

We returned home to shoot a whole roll of film at various angles of the GREAT PUMPKIN. Captain Hook was too busy counting his candy and sorting it on the coffee table to pay any attention. I think he thought I would always have this very neat Halloween prop.

I had a pretty good TRICK that Halloween. Not many people expect a big pregnant woman to flash her belly at their door....and what my friends and I considered to be a TREAT was , to many of my dear neighbors, quite frightening... Maybe real life is too scary, even on Halloween?