NO TIME FOR TRICK OR TREAT

NO TIME FOR TRICK OR TREAT







The sun was shinning bright through the blinds of King Arthur’s room facing the Manhattan rail station.  He stood about 4’ ‘11”, chunky in size with a Kermit the frog like voice.  His first name was King and no one could tell him he wasn’t the ruler of everything and everybody.  Kneeling to tie his shoes, he heard two tiny voices bickering in the bathroom near his room.  He approached the bathroom where he found his sister Darla and brother Marty refusing to let his sister brush her teeth first.  They were constantly bickering with each to at least be ruler over the other.  Any other day, King Arthur would have ordered them out of the bathroom and demanded he be allowed to brush his teeth first.  Instead, he stood in the doorway and suggested they shared the sink.  “What’s wrong with you Arthur?” Marty replied. 

“That’s King Arthur to you, “Peasant!”  “It’s Halloween today and I plan on getting lots of candy.”  “So hurry up you two!” he insisted. 



Marty now knew why King Arthur was up so early.  Marty begin brushing his teeth as slow as a turtle.  “Hurry up Marty!” said King Arthur.  “You are trying to make me late for school,” but Marty purposely ignored him. 

“I was here first!” shouted Marty.  What’s your hurry?  “You can’t go trick-or-treating right now anyway,” whispered Marty as he poked his tongue at King Arthur.  On any other morning, King Arthur would be the last out of bed but today he had finished making his bed, combed his hair, arranged his snickers in a perfect line under his bed and was eager to use the bathroom.  He was excited about going trick-or-treating tonight that Marty moved slower to prolong King Arthur from coming in to the bathroom. 

           Just as King Arthur was about to pull Marty from the sink, he heard his mother.  “What’s going on you two?” his mother asked. 

“Mom Tell Marty to hurry!  He’s purposely trying to make me late for school,” replied King Arthur.  Marty shouted, “King Arthur says he’s going trick-or-treating tonight with his friends!” 

“That’s right!” King Arthur interrupted.  “And don’t ask me to share my candy with you either!” he huffed. 

“Son you can’t go trick-or-treating tonight,” his mother explained.  “I was called in to work tonight and you will have to watch your sister and brother for me.” 

“You don’t understand mom!  It’s Halloween!”  King Arthur cries.  “Please say it not true!” as King Arthur falls to his knees crying.  His mother pulls him up and puts her arm around his shoulders and gives him a hug as he lends over to pick up his tooth brush.  She explained how important it is for him to look after his sister and brother while she’s at work.  She told him how she wouldn’t be able to find a babysitter at the last minute.  “Don’t cry, I will buy you a big bag of candy tomorrow”, she replied as she walked toward the front door filling in her purse for her car keys.

         Later that evening, there came a knock at the door.  “Who is it?”  “Who is it?”  King Arthur shouted.  He heard the voice of his best friend Eric on the other side of the door.  As he turned the knob on the door to open it, Eric and the two other of his friends rushed in.  “Come on King Arthur!” they shouted.  His friends were excited about going trick-or-treating they summons King Arthur to retrieve his custom.  He stood thinking about the instructions given by his mom once and then twice.  He thought, ‘What should I do?”  He knew how bad he wanted to go trick-or-treating and he didn’t want to be left behind.  In an instance, he raced upstairs to tell Darla she was in charge of watching Marty and the house.  “Where are you going?” Darla asked.  “I’ll be right back,” King Arthur replied.  “Are you going trick-or-treating?” Marty asked as he walked through the door where King Arthur was standing.  “I’ll be right back!” King Arthur repeated.  He turned towards the dresser draws, grabbed his Halloween bag and his mask darting down the stairs towards his friends.  “Aren’t you going to put on your costume King Arthur?” Eric asked.

“No, I only need my mask on,” he nervously replied.  “Why are you acting so nervous?” said Eric dressed as the Incredible Hulk.  “I’m not acting nervous, I’m just excited that’s all,” said King Arthur.  Without a minute passing, they all ran out the door towards their first house when King Arthur realized he only had on a pair socks with holes on bottom.  Suddenly everyone stopped and looked down at his feet and burst into laughter.  King Arthur wasn’t about to turn back now they had just approached their first house.

When the door opened, they all shouted at the same time, “Trick-a-Treat!” Before they knew it, their bags were filled and it was getting late.  They had knocked every door in the neighborhood that King Arthur had lost track of time.  At that moment King Arthur remembered the important responsibility his mother had entrusted in him as he said good-bye and raced home. 

The closer he got to his house; he noticed a fire truck, police cars and an ambulance blocking his street.  Nervously he began to run faster as his heart was pounded.  He approached the street to where he lived and there was a fireman standing wiping his face.  He asked, “Hey Mister Fireman, What’s going on?”  The fireman began to explain, “There were two children home alone and their house caught on fire.  Someone was playing with matches.”  “Which house?”  Are they not alive?”  King Arthur nervously asked question after question.  “Don’t know yet son, but step back so you won’t get hurt,” the fireman said.  King Arthur knew Marty had started the fire.  Marty had a fascination about fires.  He began sobbing uncontrollably still holding on to his bag of treats.  He thought to himself, I should have never left the house to go trick-or-treating.  All I had to do was obey my mother’s instructions, none of this would have ever happened.  He watched as the fireman spray water on his house when suddenly he heard two tiny voices in the near distance.  Could it be Darla and Marty?  He only hoped as he focused his eyes towards where he heard the voices.  He walked toward were the voices were echoing and to his surprise it was Darla scolding Marty for playing with matches.  Overjoyed that his sister and brother were alive, he realized they were the best treat he could have ever received and the most important trick King Arthur learned was to always obey your mother the true queen of the throne.