To Each Their Own

Brightly colored maple trees lined Elm Street. The cool autumn air blew through the leaves. Jack O Lanterns and other gourds stood at attention on each door step. One by one, trick or treaters came out of their homes, searching for loot to fill their satchels. One house stood out from the rest. It was an Arts and Craft style house with cedar shakes and linear in form. This particular house had an amber porch light whereas the Dutch Colonials and Victorians had a whiter light emitting from their porches. A group of neighbor children dressed in the latest costumes walked up to the front door of the Arts and Craft house. Once the children arrived, they stood there for a bit, whispering amongst themselves. The one dressed as a pirate reached up and knocked on the door. The door creaked open by itself. The children commenced by saying “Trick or Treat!” before they were abruptly cut off when what looked like a wolf hound came charging out of the house. The children went flying back towards the street. The wolf hound stopped dead in its tracks at the property line, barking and growling at anybody who came close. A stern voice from back inside the house ushered the wolf hound inside. After hitting other houses for treats, the children migrated back to their own homes to engorge themselves on candy before bedtime. The next day at school, the children talked amongst their peers about the amount of candy that was collected and the wolf hound. An onlooker dressed in hand me downs, carrying a note binder and a book in their arms interjected by asking why is everybody so infatuated with that particular house. The other children turned their backs away. The onlooker kept walking down the hall. Later on that day when the final bell rang, the children flew out of the school building. They spread out like wildfire in the street, heading towards their homes. The ones who lived closest to the Arts and Craft house stopped out in front and stared up. Smoke was billowing out the chimney. Right below the front eave of the roof, the bystanders notice somebody moving around upstairs. They tried to focus in and get a clearer view but ambient light made it difficult. Just then, a sedan pulls up and one of the bystanders' parents said to get in the car and leave that house alone.

Years later, when the same group of children (now grown) came back to their childhood homes for the holidays, they noticed that Elm Street hadn't really changed much including the Arts and Craft. However, its porch light was now a whiter light. Its lawn was manicured but no hound was no longer on the premise. A shiny blue coupe sat in the driveway now. The front yard was fenced off from the backyard with a gate located at the back of the driveway. The bystanders peered around the back as best as they could. Periodically, a swing came up then back down again. Faint laughter could be heard from behind. All of a sudden, a football came hurling over the roof line of the shorter wing of the house. It bounced and wobbled in the front yard before coming to a rest. The gate creaked open and a male voice said to stay inside the yard. As he came over to pick up the football, he inquired why an audience was standing right outside his house. No immediate comments were made so he ran off the bystanders and went back inside the gate. As the group walked back down the street, one of the members recalled the resemblance of that guy to a past individual. The others in the group denied the resemblance.

On the last day, before heading back, that member of the group walked back down to the Arts and Crafts house. Its resident was out in front and noticed the member walking up the sidewalk. The resident asked if he could be of assistance. The member introduced themselves and asked the guy if he was from the area. He replied yes. The member said that she was as well and mentioned the name of the school in the area. This opened a new conversation. The guy also asked why people were infatuated with his house. The member said that it never looks like many lights are on. The guy keeps on raking leaves. The member keeps on talking. The guy politely interrupts and goes inside and shuts the front door. The member starts walking back to her car. She gave herself a pat on the back because she tried to make amends with that individual. Once she arrives to her car and waves to her family, she speeds off.

A couple of months later, word gets around that a certain house on Elm Street suffered smoke damage. The neighborhood set up a Go Fund Me web site for the victims. Several anonymous donations were given for assistance. The local news station came out to interview the victims. The victims said how they were pleased about the donations but who or why would contribute. The adult victims had jobs as least. This prompted to inquire about the anonymous donors, but to no avail. The donations helped rebuild the damaged part of the house while temporarily relocating the victims.

The following spring, the member cruises through her old stomping ground of the neighborhood. The maple trees that lined the street had put out new growth. She looks to her right and slows down. She noticed a For Sale sign in the front yard of the Arts and Crafts house. The house had been painted a brighter color. However the grass needed mowing. For once, she didn't see smoke billowing out of the chimney. She took a sigh and slowly drove away. She guessed that the owner of that house may have been tired of publicity and wanted peace and a neighborhood that had a better focus.