Halloween on Shelter Island

Who Do The Voo Doo That You Do So Well?

Shelter Island is one of the few places left where kids can safely Trick or Treat and not worry about getting razor blades in their apples. However, is it Shelter Island, and other unusual things can appear in a kid’s Treat bag.

“How’d you do, son?” Jean asked her ten year old, Tommy.
“Great Mom. I got a ton of candy, some money, and some other good stuff.”
“I don’t see any fruit in the bag, didn’t anyone give you anything healthy?”
“Yea, I had some apples and stuff and some crappy granola bars.”
“Some healthy snacks? That’s good, where are they?”
“I threw all that healthy junk in the woods for the deer. Let them eat it.”
“That’s my boy....” chimed in Tommy’s dad, Big Tom.
“Hey Dad, Mr. Billings gave me some new fishing line, still in the package, he said you’d give me a buck for it and I got a floating key fob from the liquor store and some ferry tickets.”
“Who gives ferry tickets for Trick or Treat?” asked Mom.
“People who run out of candy and don’t want their deer fences around their gardens pushed down, that’s who,” answered Tommy.
“Give me the ferry tickets, Tommy,” said his Mom.
“Not so fast Mom, what’ll you give me for six tickets?”
“Nothing. You can’t drive, hand them over.”
“I’ll give you a buck,” said Big Tom.
“Don’t encourage him!” exclaimed Mom.
“The bidding starts at five dollars,” said Tommy, feeling like a real Islander negotiating his first deal.
“I bid six!” said Big Tom.
“Tom, stop it!” said Mom. “I’ll give you seven dollars, Tommy. That’s a lot of money.”
“I’ll give you ten,’ said Big Tom.
“Sold to Dad for ten big ones!” shouted the triumphant Tommy.
“You can give him the money, but I get the tickets,” said Mom to Big Tom. She said it in a soft voice and Tommy sensed some other negotiation was about to begin.

Tommy watched as Mother looked at Father and she raised one eyebrow. Father raised both eyebrows just a little. Then Mother looked down and up again, very slowly, at Father. Now both of Father’s eyebrow shot up high on his face and he had a slight smile. Mother pointed with her chin at the ferry tickets in Father’s hand and he quietly handed them over. Tommy wondered if it might be true that women were witches and could cast spells to control men’s minds. Mother took the tickets and left the room.

“Dad! What did you do? You just paid ten bucks for those tickets and you gave them to her and you didn’t even barter for lasagna or anything? Can she do Voo Doo? Did she put a whammy on you, Dad?”
“Son,” said Big Tom, as he sat next to his boy, “I’m gonna tell you something that won’t make sense right now, but it will in the very near future. Always remember, if a woman, or girl, doesn’t want you, there’s nothing you can do to get her, but if she decides she does want you, there’s no power on earth to save you.”
“Is that like the “friends with benefits” thing that the older kids talk about?”
“No, son, that’s just for the single men. Once you chase them till they catch you, and you get married, it’s called slavery with benefits.”
“I still say she put a Voo Doo on you, a double whammy, that’s why you just handed over the ferry tickets.”
“Ferry tickets are only the beginning son. Paycheck, keys, control of your life, it all goes over to them once they put the whammy on you.”
“Not me Dad, girls are gross, especially Kathy next door. I hate her.”
“I understand Tommy. You enjoy your candy. I’ll go check on Mommy in the shower. I don’t want her to slip and fall.”
“Okay, Dad, but I still say you got took.”