By Maggie DiGiovanni
Electic, AL Reporter for the Elmore/Autauga News
At 21, her mother said she was much too old to go trick or treating that year. The mother gave her daughter a new option to dress as her favorite character and hand out candy to the children who came begging.
That year she dressed as a witch, practicing a wicked cackle that did not fit her sweet smile. Five o’clock marked the time she sat on the porch, a bowl of treats in hand, patiently waiting. Her mother sat inside ready to help should anything go wrong. For her little girl, born with Down Syndrome, had not faced the cruelty of life while her big brother and his friends were nearby.
While in school she had such an outgoing personality that even the regular kids sometimes asked her to play. Only once or twice had anyone spoken with deliberate cruelty. True to her nature, she smiled and turned away. Standing a bare four feet, four inches, her ability to forgive made her seem taller.
Her first evening as the Little Witch went well. Children who knew her wanted her to go with them. Gravely she told them she was grown now. They moved on to the next house.
Over the years, Halloween spawned people who pulled cruel pranks on children, making their parents afraid to let them go anywhere other than the safety of school or church parties. The Little Witch had less visitors, less candy given out. Still, she sat patiently waiting until eight o’clock.
When her Daddy became ill, the family moved from Florida to rural Pennsylvania. Mama asked that she not sit on the porch for they did not know any children who might come by. She dressed in her witch costume and sat looking out the window, hoping someone might stop. No one came.
Daddy passed away. She and Mama moved back to their beloved Florida. Once more she started her vigil. If only one child stopped, she gave her friendly cackle and offered the child a hand full of candy. Before they settled into their new home, she and Mama moved once more to help a relative in need of care.
She and Mama found a new church, with several children. Young families moved into the subdivision where they now lived in Alabama. The parents trusted the people within their neighborhood. The Little Witch was giddy putting on her costume, filling the bowl with candy and settling onto the front porch rocker.
Children came from the neighborhood and children who heard of the Little Witch came from the church families she knew. She tossed candy into plastic pumpkins, sacks, and orange baskets with abandon, so happy to have her fondest dream come true.
This year, the Little Witch has her tall, pointed hat and a black cape ready to don on Halloween night. She reminds her mother daily that soon they must buy candy. She has candy money ready when Mama says it is time.
The Little Witch’s name is Jaimie. She is my daughter. She is beautiful beyond anything we ever hoped because she has a kind, forgiving, loving heart. The Little Witch has no bias. She sees the person and nothing else.
So, should you be in Eclectic on Halloween night, look around. You can find her at 90 River Stone Way. You might see the Little Witch who waits patiently to sweeten up the night with candy and a smile when she sees a friendly goblin or Superman, or an Avenger headed her way. If you are lucky, she might share with you.
