‘Costume Drama’

Copyright 2017 Punam Farmah

“Go take a walk, Kiddo,” Richard put a hand to Devan’s shoulder to steady him. “Take Aditi with you,” he added quietly. “Go off for half an hour, forty minutes. Just the pair of you; your mum and I will take care of your guests and prepare for the next bit of this evening.”

Devan nodded as he rubbed his eye with the heel of his left palm. Drinking bubbles on an empty stomach was never a good idea. Tonight, the bubbles collided with butterflies of joy to make him feel all too disorientated. He stood against a table at the side of the Brewer’s barn, trying to steady himself. The barn was teeming with all of the guests that he and Aditi had invited to share their vermillion and gold themed celebration. His bleary eyes moved from his father’s face and towards Aditi a short distance away.

Released from her mother’s embrace she was floating towards him in a dress that echoed the barn’s colour scheme. Devan couldn’t help but smirk at the red Wellington boots that peeked out from below her hem as she walked. He was altogether transfixed as his father walked away knowingly.

“Can we please go take a walk?” asked Aditi under her breath; a forced grin was fixed across her face. “If one more person asks if babies are next, Dray may have to stick me in a cell.”

“Yes, of course,” replied Devan. “Dray’s not sticking you in a cell; not tonight anyway, darling,” he blinked rapidly as he pressed a palm to his mouth and stifled a yawn. “Tonight is Halloween, and I don’t want to bail you out, not really. Grab Mum’s shawl; we’ll go watch the Ghoulies come out to play on Main Street. Call it an intermission in tonight’s proceedings.”

Aditi yawned too, nodding in agreement. “Grab a bottle,” she said fanning out her eyelashes to focus. “Some samosas if you can as well. I’m starving and you look hammered already.”

Devan trudged out of Oakview’s gates with Aditi’s arm firmly curled around his. His movement was somewhat hampered by his recovering leg, Aditi’s Wellington clad gait and the presence of snow on the ground. He had been rather surprised this morning; Devan had woken to find Oakview smothered in a marshmallow fluffy snow. As he and Aditi walked toward Main street, Devan found himself blinking rapidly and widening his eyes to make sure that he wasn’t hallucinating. Tucked under his jacket was a bottle of bubbles, just in case either of them got thirsty. Nestles in Devan’s pocket, were two samosas wrapped in a red napkin that he had smuggled out as requested.

“Pumpkin!” he exclaimed, grinning a little and pointing. “By the Realtors, she can’t be more than two,” laughed Devan. Toddling along, being pursued by somebody who looked a lot like Tin-man, was a child dressed in a bright, orange, sphere-shaped costume.

“Wicked Witch,” squealed Aditi, “There!” she added, tugging at his jacket. “Wicked witch of the west and who is that, who is she with?” she asked, her brows knitting together in curiosity.

Devan also frowned as he saw the teenage couple sauntered passed them on the other side of the road. “That’s either Thor, Loki or non-descript Viking of a sort. Oh, look, incoming,” Devan gently nudged Aditi with his elbow. “Bloodied, brooding vampire, the sort that doesn’t glitter in the sunlight, and with a werewolf….”

Aditi laughed wheezily and pulled a pink shawl tighter around her shoulders.

“I’d forgotten how big Halloween is over here,” Devan commented. “At home, it’s all about All Hallows Eve, going to Church on All Saint’s day if you’re that way inclined. This,” he continued, with something of deep sigh, “Is trippy on a whole new level.”

“Beetlejuice,” Aditi said sharply, her eyes darting towards a passing figure.

“Just the once, dear,” chided Devan, putting his hand to her and feeling the iciness of her fingers. “Somebody already said his name a few times for him to appear. Hmm, Dude in a hockey mask,” he said glancing over his shoulder. “That’s proper old school Halloween. Sometimes the oldies are the best.”

“We’re not exactly dressed to trick or treating, now are we,” giggled Aditi. “Next year, you might want to do this whole Halloween thing properly.”

“Oh, flip me, no,” Devan tutted as he shook his head. “You just about got me into this suit. You can forget dressing me up as superhero or a slasher movie villain.”

“Bah humbug,” scoffed Aditi, she watched still as the people of Peace milled around. “It’s all a bit of fun. Only here and in the States, would you get a street full of costume drama.”

“The pumpkin was cute,” Devan conceded. “Was most likely a pudding at Christmas or something suitably cute and fluffy. Halloween has got be the one time of the year where you can wear what you want and all bets are off. Nothing is too much and too little is debateable.”

Aditi arched a brow having caught his gaze. “Hold off on the pumpkin there, Mister,” she said quietly. “No immediate plans for seedlings of any kind, thank you very much.”

“Look, Mommy, it’s James Bond!” yelled a child version of Captain America, his shield waving excitedly at Devan.

“And the lady in red too,” smiled the superhero’s mother, brushing a lock of red nylon hair from her face. The rest of her costume was green and white, creating the look of poison ivy.

“James Bond,” cooed Devan, beaming at Aditi. “James Bond is always better than token man in tux.”

“If you say so,” replied Aditi, sounding unconvinced. “Not token though. You are my man in a tux, and don’t you forget it. Pass me that prosecco, would you.”

“Yes, dear,” sighed Devan, slowly threading the bottle out from beneath his jacket. He continued to watch as they walked hand in hand down the street; they would have to return home shortly. Perhaps it was the cold, perhaps it was the bubbles; he would swear blue, black and blind that he saw Mister Spock talk to Gandalf with Spiderman listening in.