Halloween’s Sweet Surprises
By:  Yvette Jessen
Written for Dyeland Halloween 2007

Willy Wonka sat at his desk in his office.  Ever since he had opened his factory on a crop of land known as ‘Pure Imagination’ on a landmass known as Selini in Dyeland, he had been busy.

Everything in the factory was brand new, less than two weeks old, and it was running full blast.  If only things had started out that way, he thought with a smirk, but continued writing an inventory list of what would be needed for the annual Dyeland Halloween party.

He took a deep breath and ran his hands through his curly blonde hair as he stood up with the intention of going to the Chocolate Room, where the evening’s festivities were to take place.  This Chocolate Room was considerably smaller than the one at the factory in London, but it was still nice and seemed to work well for the confectionary genius.

He was not quite certain how well the party would go over, after all he had been getting notices from Lady JenniAnn since the factory doors had opened, some of which were scrawled out on peach colored post-it notes.  ‘Don’t forget to make the theme of the party as light and fun as you can’, or ‘the colors should depict something that is not scary, try to stay away from blacks or other dark colors’.

Along with that, the lists from the various people of Dyeland seemed to come from all over the place.  Tess wanted Candy Corn, a confection that he had never made, Gloria was insistent on trying something called ‘Marzipan’.  Monica wanted ‘coffee flavored chocolate strudel with vanilla ice cream’, Nigel wanted something old and English that would remind him of home.

Willy’s mind felt as though it was on the verge of exploding from trying to accommodate all of these requests.

He seated himself once more at the desk, but as he sat lulling over the papers, someone knocked at the door.  He slowly got to his feet and walked over to answer it.

Standing on the other side, was Andrew.  The Angel of Death’s light colored features a shade paler than what he remembered seeing when they had attended Adam’s surprise birthday party several weeks before.

“Hello, Willy, I just came by to drop off your costume for tonight,” Andrew said, his words forced and unnatural.

Willy looked down at the black tuxedo and matching cape and smiled.  “It’s quite a nice costume, don’t you think?”

Andrew cringed.  “I’m sorry, I really don’t want to be rude, I am not the biggest fan of Halloween.”  He hastily shoved the costume into the chocolatier’s arms and turned to take his leave.

“Wait,” Willy called out as he carefully hung his magician’s costume on the coat rack that was placed next to the door.  “Andrew, I fear that we didn’t get much a chance to get to know each other.  Adam’s party was hardly an applicable place in which to get acquainted.  Would you mind joining me for a small walk around the factory?”

“I really should be getting back home.  Yva asked me to drop this off and assured me that it wouldn’t take too long.  I have to check on Lulu and wanted to have some quiet time before the party,” he hedged.

“I understand,” the candy maker said, but without missing a beat, he continued.  “Shall I at least take you back to Serendipity?  We can take the Wonkavator.”

“Lady JenniAnn’s been talking about that thing, she said that it was quite exciting,” Andrew said.

“I think so,” Willy said as they walked over to the elevator and he pressed the button that opened the sliding doors.  Once it was opened, he pulled the glass door open and motioned for Andrew to enter.

As soon as they came inside, Andrew sat down and Willy pressed the button with the words ‘up and out’ surrounding it.  This was of course, hard to make out, but Andrew suddenly felt the elevator jolt to life, his stomach feeling as though it had been left back at Willy’s strangely decorated office.

As the Wonkavator shot out of the buildings and was flying over Dyeland, Andrew started to look out across the various landforms, as memories washed over him.

Willy silently watched as the angel took in the various things that were below.  He liked autumn a lot, as there was such a wonderful feeling of color and life to this time of year.  The trees were making ready to shed their green leaves and prepare for the long winter’s rest.  There was something poetic about this time of year, but instead, he watched as Andrew stared down at the land masses that were below them.

“I never realized how beautiful Dyeland is from above,” the angel said honestly, his words breaking the silence that had otherwise engulfed them.  “There’s something really magical about it.”

“That’s what I heard,” Willy said.  “Sometimes it is the magic that keeps us young and happy.  Did you ever wonder why it is that so many people like Halloween?”

Andrew shook his head.  “I know that Lady JenniAnn becomes somewhat melancholy during this time of year.  Halloween seems to distract her from that somehow.  It may seem unobservant of me, but I never really contemplated why it was the others liked it.”

“Shall I tell you?  I mean; some of them have told me.  Lady Beth was at the factory only yesterday and she told me that she loved the smells.  She thrived on the sweetness that encased her whenever the holiday comes around.  She told me of her first Halloween in Dyeland and how happy it made her feel, that sense of community.  I had to say that I was impressed with that aspect alone.”

“What about your family?” Andrew asked.

“Very remote, I’m afraid,” he said.  “Perhaps that is the reason I get along so well with Yva, she has told me of her family disputes and traumas.  She spoke of her father who left and has since passed on and how she sees the Halloween party as a wonderful tradition.  She went on to say that the connectedness of it reminded her of something called Winterfest that takes place in the Tunnels.  It marks a time that allows her to feel the gratitude and thankfulness for the family that she has found here.  I never realized before coming here just what it meant to be a part of a community.  I was always alone and had to cope with that aloneness.  Being able to host the party this year, is very special to me.”

“Is that why you volunteered?” Andrew asked.

“Probably,” the candy maker said.  “Several months ago, I found my way into Dyeland, and do you know what I saw?”

“What?”

“I saw Taffy Town,” the confectioner confessed.  “It was very strange that I would see something like another factory similar to my own here in this place, but there it was and this reminded me of something very important.  Did you know that I actually knew Uncle Dudley?”

“You did?”  This time Andrew was surprised.

Willy nodded.  “Yes, we met at a candy makers’ convention several years before he died.  I had decided quite unwillingly to attend.  This was about two months after opening my factory in London and sales were not good.  I was seriously afraid that I would be run out of business by my competitors.  It was a scary time for me, but then I show up at this convention and there’s this jolly old gentleman standing amidst a number of other candy makers, and he’s telling stories.  One of which was about Halloween and how that had saved his business.”

“He told you that?” Andrew asked.

“He didn’t tell me, I just overheard it,” Willy said.  “At any rate, after several minutes, I approached him and introduced myself.  I probably sounded much more confident than I felt.  I mean; I was meeting a man who was successful, who I considered a genius at his trade, and I was the small guy.”

“You’re not so small anymore,” Andrew said.  “Given what I know and have heard of you, you’re probably the most famous person to reside in Dyeland in a long time.”

“At that time I was small, trying to come up with new ideas that would make children happy.  That was what it was about, Andrew, the act of making people happy.  You see, happiness does not have marketable value, it’s just there.”

“That’s very wise,” the angel mumbled.  “But, what does this have to do with Halloween?”

“A great deal.  But, you’ll see that tonight, you’ll recognize it when you look into the eyes of our friends and see the joy that they carry at being together and celebrating the life that they have and share with one another.  My meeting Uncle Dudley, taught me that, and I know that we don’t know each other very well, but when it comes to Halloween, perhaps this is what the people of Dyeland can share with you.”

As he spoke the Great Glass Wonkavator landed on the lawn outside of the angel’s Dyeland residence.  “See you tonight, Willy,” Andrew said.

The chocolatier nodded and waited for the angel to disembark before he pressed the button and the elevator ascended into the air.

~~~~~

Once he was alone, Andrew watched as the newest Dyeland inhabitant disappeared in the sky.  He took a deep breath and walked back in the direction of his house.  En route to his destination, he ran into Rose who was coming out the side door, Lulu barking happily as she tore her way around the yard.

“Hi Andrew, are you excited about tonight?” Rose asked him.

“Excited is hardly the word I would use to describe it,” the angel mused more to himself than to her.

“Hey, I know you’re really bummed about having to celebrate a holiday that reminds you of some of the impressions people have of death, but isn’t it also about life?” She asked as Lulu barked happily.  It was as though his own dog was emphasizing the point as well and he groaned.

“It’s not really that,” he said.  “Willy just told me about something that really got me to thinking.”

“Willy’s great, isn’t he?” Rose asked excitedly.  “I was really surprised when he showed up at Adam’s party, and his messages to me have been so nice.  He’s a part of our community, and he’s only been here less than a month.  It’s like he fits right in.”

“Yes, it would seem.  Well, since you’re taking care of Lulu, maybe I should go inside and make us some cocoa.”

“I’d love to, but I have to get home.  My aunt is helping me with my costume and she said that there are still some finishing touches that need to get done before tonight.”  Rose rubbed her face with her hands.  “What are you going as?”

“Adam and Henry have decided to use an old advertising slogan idea and have us dress as three different kinds of fruit.  I don’t know if you remember this as you are really young, but several years ago, there were these three guys who dressed up as fruit to sell textiles.  Anyway, Henry saw this on some archive somewhere and decided that we should use it for Halloween.”

“That sounds really cute.  Do you know what anyone else is going as?”  Rose asked.

“No, we’ll have to wait and see,” Andrew said.  “I really don’t want to be the reason that your aunt has to wait for you.  Maybe I can continue taking Lulu around.”

Rose enthusiastically hugged him.  “Thanks Andrew.  See you tonight.”

Once she had left, he looked down at his dog.  “You know, old girl, I think I would rather dress as a dog than a bunch of cherries.  I can’t imagine trying to dance with someone while surrounded by red balloons.”

~~~~~

In the Tunnels, Lady JenniAnn and Eliot were standing in one of the chambers with Mary affixing pins to their matching costumes.

“If you don’t stop squirming, JenniAnn, I may end up poking you,” Mary was admonishing as Vincent and Catherine came into the chamber and saw their cousin dressed in a special peasant dress.  Different kinds of silk butterflies and flowers were scattered around it, thus giving her the distinctive impression of spring.

Catherine held up her dress, the one she was needing some finishing touches on, and smiled.  “That was a great idea you had about the four of us going as the different seasons.  I found this summer dress in the back of my closet, and thought it was perfect.”

Mary looked up.  “It needs something though, perhaps we can affix some silk leaves and maybe some of the flowers that JenniAnn doesn’t need can have their colors enhanced.  I just learned that you can use drink mixes for children to dye colors onto textiles.  We can enhance the colors on your flowers to give it a much more summery feel.”  She looked at Vincent.  “You’re an autumn, and the cloak with the fallings leaves is perfect.”

As she finished Lady JenniAnn’s dress, she looked at Eliot.  “We have some decorations left from last year’s Winterfest.  Why don’t you go and get your light blue cloak and bring back some of those snowflakes?  If you can’t find them, then perhaps you might ask Father, he will know what we mean.  Tell him when you see him that if he wants to dress as Mark Twain, that he better find the pieces to his costume pretty quickly; we’re running short on time.  There is really something about you Dyelanders that is starting to have an impact on us here, and that is your ability to procrastinate.”  She looked at Eliot, who was still standing and watching her.  “Shoo, Eliot, those snowflakes will not affix themselves, you know.”

Once she had finished speaking, she returned her attention to Lady JenniAnn’s costume.  After about five minutes had passed, she had finished and her attention shifted to Catherine’s dress.  Wordlessly, she started pinning flowers along the flowing beige colored fabric.

As soon as she had managed to get away from Mary’s scope of attention, Lady JenniAnn looked up at Vincent.  “Do you think everyone will like our costumes?” She asked him.

“Well, I think that it would be hard not to, the four seasons was a great idea, Psyche,” he said with a chuckle.  “But, how much time do we have until the party starts?”

“We have a good five hours.  Willy said that we should come at dusk, and that generally is at six since daylight savings is behind us,” she said.

Vincent smiled as a little girl came rushing into the chamber.  It was Jessie and the child was dressed in a lady bug costume.

“Vincent,” she squealed happily.  “You like my costume?”

“Yes, where did you get it?” He asked.  “It’s adorable.”

“Yva and Willy got it for me,” she confessed.  “I know I shouldn’t take such nice gifts, but I thought it was so pretty.”

“I think that Yva and Willy were very nice to get you such a wonderful costume,” he said.  “But, your close to five hours early.  The party’s not going to start until tonight.  You have a lot of time between now and then.”

“I know,” she said.  “But, I’m so excited.  Willy said that he would show me the factory, and when I asked him if I could see the room where the party is going to be.  He said no and that it was going to be a surprise.”

“Nobody’s seen that room yet, sweetheart,” Lady JenniAnn said.  “He’s really making it a surprise for all of us.”

“Has Yva or Lady Beth seen it?” Jessie asked.

“No, no one has seen it, not even Adam, Nigel, or Andrew has seen that room.  He’s really going all out for us,” Catherine said.  “He said that’s what makes Halloween so special.”

“Speaking of Adam and Nigel, anyone have any idea what they are going as?” Lady JenniAnn asked.  “I remember last year when Nigel and Yva dressed as Robin Hood and Maid Marion.  They looked really great.  I don’t think anything could top that.”

“I only heard that Adam was looking around the great hall for purple balloons,” Vincent said.  “I think one of the helpers got them for him at a party supply store above.”

“This should be interesting,” Lady JenniAnn said with a giggle.  “What is he going to do with a bag full of purple balloons?”

Jessie looked at Mary at that moment.  “Are you coming to the party too?”

“No dear, I have to stay here and tell stories to the other children.  Father and Vincent will not be here, and so their counting on Pascal, William, and me to see to things here.  But, I want a full report when you get back.”

Jessie nodded and giggled but continued to float about the chamber with her arms held out.  It was as though their tiny little lady bug really wanted to fly.

~~~~~

Back in Dyeland, Yva was sitting in the kitchen sewing the last buttons on her and Sir Sven’s costumes.  Sir Sven had whined at the prospect of walking into any social circle with orange skin and green hair, but she had insisted that they dress as Oompa Loompas and had soon won that particular argument.  It probably had something to do with her pouting at him and giving him her Bambi eyes.

As she sat at the barstool poking her finger for the umpteenth time since starting the task, someone knocked and then entered the house.  It was Nigel, and he was dressed in a large brown piece of fabric.  “Yva?” He called her name and she turned around.

“Oh Nigel you look wonderful,” she smiled as she shoved her costume aside and went over to him.  “You make a great looking monk.”

“This was a last minute idea, I assure you, Love,” he said.  “You know as angels we do not affiliate ourselves with any religious order.”

“I know, but I had run out of ideas for your costume, and Andrew had conveniently dressed as a monk when he had an assignment at a monastery.  It was the only thing I could think of on such short notice.  You’re not an easy person or angel to find a costume for.  You’re not fond of modern day things, and so that cuts things down drastically on the options.  I mean; you don’t want something itchy or uncomfortable and I don’t think you want to dress as a part of a fruit salad like the Angels of Death are doing.”

“What are you going as?” Nigel asked.

“Sir Sven and I decided to go as Oompa Loompas.  Actually I was the one who decided it,” Yva said with a mischievous smile.  “I’ve finished the last stitches on Sir Sven’s costume and now I’m finishing mine.”

Nigel looked at the mass of browns and whites as they once more graced her lap.  “Yva, what’s an Oompa Loompa?”

“It’s one of Willy’s workers.  They come from Loompaland and they are at his factory in London,” she said.

“I see,” he said.  It was clear that the Victorian angel did not see, but that was a story for another day.  “What will you be doing when you finish with this?”

“I wanted to go to the factory and see if I can sneak into the room where the party is going to be,” she said mysteriously.

“I doubt that would work,” Nigel said smiling.  “You know how protective Willy is about his secrets.  Maybe we can go and see if Lady Beth has managed to get her costume done for the party.”

“Did she say what she was going as?” Yva asked.

“Yes, she told me,” he said.

“Well, what is it?”

“Florence Nightingale,” Nigel said.  “She said that she needed help with making her costume seem more authentic and so she figured that since I know the time period, I would be helpful in that regard.  After that, I am scheduled to meet Father for a game of chess.”

“Can I come with you?” Yva asked smiling.

“Of course, Love, who am I to say no to you?” He asked with a broad smile.

“Then, let me finish these buttons and then we can go, alright?”

Nigel smiled, but nodded and settled himself to wait.  He hoped that Lady Beth would not be upset that he was bringing Yva with him to help with her costume.

~~~~~

Several hours later the inhabitants of Dyeland met one another outside the gates of Willy’s factory.  It was nearing dusk and everyone stood in silent anticipation of the event.

Tess was dressed in a long black flowing robe, her hands holding tightly to a large gavel that looked to be made of plastic and filled with air.  This indicated that she was a judge of some kind.  Monica was dressed as a coffee bean, while Gloria came dressed as a book.  Both costumes seemed to emanate both angels’ personalities.  Instead of having shoes on her feet, Monica had little moccasins that kept her feet from getting cold.

Rose had come dressed as her namesake.  Soft silken petals surrounded her youthful face and her hands and arms were green and covered with silk leaves.  She wore a leotard that was also covered with even more silk leaves.  A soft fragrance erupted around her as she had real rose petals strewn throughout her hair.  On her feet, she wore light green colored ballet shoes.  Her aunt, had opted to staying home, but it was clear that she had really put a great deal of work into her niece’s costume.

Lady Beth’s Florence Nightingale costume was quite unique, and the small head piece that she wore mirrored those of the old nurses of Victorian England.  Nigel had insisted that she wear the headpiece to ensure that people knew that she was a nurse and not just a Victorian woman.  Her black and white colored dress was a striking facsimile to what Nigel saw in his day to day existence.

For his part, Nigel had opted to not dress as a monk at all.  Instead he appeared dressed as a hobo, his patchwork hat, and jacket had been thrown together during a quick afternoon trip to the Tunnels.  It soon became clear to everyone that Nigel had gone to the Tunnels not to play chess, but to get help with his costume.  Mary had taken normal jacket and matching hat and sewn patches all over them.  Nigel even had a large sunflower covering the lapel of the jacket giving him a very vaudeville sort of look.  He also seemed much happier with that than with the idea of dressing as a person of a religious order.  His choice of costume was a pleasant surprise for Yva who had no idea that he was going to change his mind at the last minute.  All that she remembered was his abrupt departure from Serenity City, thus leaving Yva and Lady Beth alone to get the work area cleaned up.

Yva and Sir Sven were matching Oompa Loompas, dressed in brown turtleneck shirts, with white overalls that covered them.  They each wore white colored gloves on their hands and their feet were covered with white and brown colored bonbons on their shoes.  Their looks were completed with orange faces and green hair.  Their real hair was covered by these bob style wigs.

As the door opened, Willy emerged, the chocolatier dressed as a magician, his cape lined with red and his tuxedo seemed to emanate his own style of dress.  A red colored bow tie was bunched at his neck and his hat was black with a matching red colored band that surrounded it.  “Welcome, my friends,” he said, his arms stretched out.  “Welcome to my chocolate factory.  It’s wonderful that you are all here.”

He began to usher his guests into the factory, his blue eyes filled with joy as he regarded each of the inhabitants as they entered.

Lady JenniAnn, as spring was escorted by her boyfriend, Eliot, dressed as winter.  The snowflakes and flowers acting as a great contrast to one another.  Vincent and Catherine were coming through the door next, Vincent’s cloak was covered with shades of reds, oranges, and yellows, while Catherine’s leaves were green, their depictions of autumn and summer sharing the same contrasting ideas as Lady JenniAnn and Eliot’s costumes had done.  Behind them came Father, dressed as Mark Twain.  A cane in his hand, a white suit and matching hat completing his ensemble.

“‘Good friends, good books and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life’,” the chocolatier cited one of Mark Twain’s quotations as the Tunnel community patriarch entered.

Behind their group, Rose was walking daintily into the factory alone.  She carried a smile on her face that depicted her strolling across a stage.  Willy pulled a bushel of flowers from behind his back and extended them to her.  “Enjoy the party, my dear,” he said cordially as she swept her way inside.

Next came Nigel, Jessie, Lady Beth, and Countess Jennifer who was dressed in orange and black stripes, and her nose was covered with black face paint with those same orange and black stripes covering her cheeks.  “Hello tiger lady, so nice to see you,” Willy said smiling, but before he could wave them inside, a little lady bug gave him a hug.  As he released her, she ran to catch up with the others.  “Careful, don’t trip over your tail, Countess Jennifer,” he called out to which he received a thankful wave from her.

Once the rest of the guests were inside, the only one who was left was Yva, who looked up at Willy.  “Where do you suppose Andrew, Adam and Henry are?  They were supposed to come, weren’t they?”

“Yes, I talked to Andrew today,” Willy said.  “He said that he was coming.”

“Are they just fashionably late?” She asked.

“I don’t really know, Yva, but I have to tell you, your costume is just wonderful,” he reached over and brushed a lock of the green hair out from in front of her eyes.  “You look just like one of my workers.”

She smiled.  “I’m glad it worked.  “This face paint at least doesn’t itch, although Sir Sven was not sure about dressing as an Oompa Loompa.”

Willy nodded.  “Let’s go inside, I can’t wait for you to see the Chocolate Room.”

She wrapped her arm around his waist and they walked inside.

Yet, the question that seemed to ravage everyone’s mind:

Where were Andrew, Adam, and Henry?

~~~~~

The party was in full swing about half an hour later.  Dyelanders and their friends from the Tunnels were having a wonderful time and Willy could instinctively tell that his factory had been a welcomed addition to the Dyeland community.

The music was playing and everyone seemed to be enjoying the candies that were available to them.  In one corner, several people were dancing.  He watched as the man dressed as autumn had picked up the little lady bug and spun her around the room, her happy laughter filling his healthy ear.  Being deaf in one ear did have its disadvantages, but laughter was, after all, laughter.

“Willy’s Chocolate Room is better than trick or treating,” Jessie had said, this sentiment shared by everyone in attendance.  This alone made the candy maker’s feeling of acceptance grow by leaps and bounds.

It seemed as though everyone was having a ball, but still there was no sign of Andrew or the other two angels, and things amongst his guests were starting to get a tad bit anxious.

“I know that Andrew doesn’t like Halloween,” Lady JenniAnn was telling Lady Beth, and Yva once the three of them were alone.  Eliot had gone to find some pieces of licorice to munch on.

“I know, and this is such a great place for a party,” Lady Beth said.  “Willy didn’t even have to decorate it, the place is nothing short of fantastic.”

“But, where could those guys be?” Yva asked.  “I asked Tess and she didn’t seem to know and I am guessing that Monica and Gloria are about as clueless as we all are.”

“No kidding,” Rose said, as she joined the group.  “It’s a great party, but it isn’t the same without those guys.”

As her words hung in the air, the doors to the Chocolate Room suddenly opened and in walked a bunch of grapes, a group of cherries, and an orange.  Otherwise known as Adam, Andrew and Henry.

“Sorry we’re late everyone,” Adam announced, a grin plastered across his purple face.  “We seemed to have lost track of time.  We were having a jam session at the café and then had to get ready for the party.”

“Jam session,” Yva nudged Sir Sven, who proceeded to give her a puzzled look.  “Maybe you guys should have come as jars of marmalade, since you’re talking about jam!”  She called out and Adam chuckled.

“Nice comeback there,” he continued to laugh as Andrew watched as the Dyelanders swarmed over to them like bees to honey.  He quickly realized that hugging everyone whilst covered with red colored balloons was not exactly easy.  After several minutes the Angel of Death managed to give everyone who wanted one, some semblance of a hug.

“I hope you all weren’t worried,” he began, but cast a glance towards Willy.  “And I wanted to thank everyone for being so understanding about my feelings about Halloween.  Willy told me something this afternoon that I thought was really special.  He said that our Halloween parties are about family.  I came to realize that when we put aside our differences and embrace each other, then perhaps that was why the Father gave us this day.  So, anyway, I had some time to think about these words, and I realized that he was right.”

Henry began to applaud loudly.  “Yes, well, that too, but we planned to play for you tonight.  But, I have to take off the citrus outfit and so that I can play guitar.  So, does anyone have something else for this gig?”

Yva turned to Nigel and grinned.  “I knew that monk habit would come in handy,” she said as she retrieved it, took it over the Angel of Death dressed as an orange and extended it to him.

Once he had changed, the Angel of Death band started playing music, leaving the Chocolate room filled with joy as well as music.  The mystery as to where the three angels had disappeared off to was now solved.  Everyone could now settle in to having a good time…

…which lasted well into the early morning hours of November 1.

The End