Spooks

"Kimochi warui!" screamed K-kun, as I forced him to stick his hand into the mysterious cardboard box. I told him he was touching B's eyeballs, and the kid scrunched up his face and could only laugh at me.

Last week, I was allowed to give some lessons about Hallowe'en. For all of my classes, I told them the same "scary" story. It was the tragic tale about my friend, B., who is killed by a monster after eating his toe for dinner. I then tell the kids I have some of B's remains in a cardboard box, because the police thought it would be appropriate for me to hold onto them. I think the kids were really tickled by the story, because lots of them have either met or seen B. around town as well.

I am often impressed when my kids remember the little things I've taught them. Two years ago, I taught this song to all of the kids: "Trick or treat! Smell my feet! Give me something good to eat! Not too small! Not too big! Just the size of Montreal!" And surprisingly, I heard B-kun, who is a now a third-year student, humming it around the halls last week. (He was a tiny first-year student when I taught my Hallowe'en lessons using that song).

I'm going through a bittersweet time of "last moments in Japan." I will miss hearing a class of eager Japanese kids cheer loudly when I tell them that day's lesson is all about Hallowe'en.