Pale October

My cousin Pugsly, who I never liked but tolerated, set me up on a blind date with a girl named Morisha. Pugsly couldn't tell a pretty girl from a bowl of candy corn. But for some reason when he handed me her phone number on a greasy sticky note I was curious enough to take it and call her. Not that I was anxious for a date. Well, maybe a bit but I wasn't letting on that I was. Especially to Pugs.

It was getting late so since it was going to be Halloween in two days, I figured I give Morisha a buzz around midnight. My reasoning for that hour was if a girl was in bed before that time then what fun could she possibly be. So, at exactly twelve ante meridiem I buzzed her up. And she answered. "Hello." She didn't sound asleep.

"Ah, yeah. Hey there, ah is this Morisha?"
"Speaking." Now for some reason I pictured a girl with a witches hat on because her voice sounded all gravely and graspie. I almost hung up, but hung in there for the amusement.

"Yeah, well my name is Pat and my cousin Pugsly, he gave me your number and.

" "Oh, yeah, Puglsy, a hoot of a guy ain't he?"

"Yeah, well, ah." I wasn't about to make this call about my nauseating cousin, so I quickly got to the point.

"Well, um, Morisha, how about I take ya out to this party on Tuesday. Ya know, a Halloween party." The phone went silent and I thought I had lost her. "Morisha, you there?"

"Yep, here. Sure, just have to find }a witches hat and a broom and you, my dear Pat, can pick me up at ten on Tuesday."

"Okay, Morisha, what's your address?"

"My address?"

"Yeah, so I can pick you up. You do have an address right."

"Funny, Pat, real funny. It's 1313 Mocking Bird Lane."

This outta be fun I thought to myself.

"Yep, it will be" she said.

As I hung up the phone I turned and saw what I thought was a ghostly apparition.. Chills ran down my spine. Halloween night came and I made sure I was prompt for my date with Morisha. Even though it was eighty degrees that evening, standing at her front door gave me a chill I wouldn't forget. The door creaked opened and we stood face to face. Me in my get-up as a bum with a severed hand and her in a bewitching witches get-up. Right then and there I knew I wanted to do more than go bobbing for apples at a stupid Halloween party. A lot more. She was a beauty.. and I could tell by the look in her dark eyes she was quit pleased to see that I wasn't half bad looking. She took my arm without a word and we gazed at each other like two love birds.

We entered the party that night I realizing I didn't need anymore stinking mercy phone numbers from my cousin. I was in love. I wanted to shout it to the world. But, instead, I quietly put our names down to enter the pumpkin carving contest.