Yugio, our Brightest Star
…You will shine among them like stars in the sky. Philippians 2:15
The little fairy with pink wings and glitter on her face reached her stubby hand into our candy bowl. She grabbed as many dum dums, starbursts and skittle packets as she could hold, stuffed them into her light-up bag, and then reached for more. Satisfied, she turned and walked down our steps, across the lawn and out into the street where her parents waited in their shiny red pick-up truck.
“Most of them are really sweet,” my husband said, smiling. “They only take one, and I have to encourage them to take more. Only a few take as much as they can get by with.”
I laughed.
It was true.
Most of the zombies, lady pirates, goddesses and vampires who traipsed across our lawn were incredibly polite, “Thank you,” they said, smiling shyly, their teeth glistening beneath fake blood face paint.
We were on our sixth jumbo bag of candy, and the bowl was getting low.
The children had come in a steady stream for two solid hours.
And then came Yugio.
He was about seven or eight years old, dark brown hair, and matching chocolate brown eyes. My husband studied the child’s bright blue costume and asked his standard question, “Who are you?”
“Yugio,” the little boy said, then explained apologetically. “He is an old one. But look,” he said, and pointed to his wrists,” these are star chips.”
And sure enough, his wrists were encircled with gold glittery stars.
“I like them,” I said. “Our bowl is getting low,” I said, apologizing for our meager offering. I knew soon we would have to turn off our porch lights, and go in for the night.
Yugio took one dum dum. “Thank you,” he said, and before we could offer him more, he turned and sped off across the lawn.
A few minutes later, Yugio was back.
My husband looked up. I could see the words forming on his lips, “Back for more?”
Before my husband could speak, Yugio emptied an armful of candy into our bowl.
I looked up at him. He smiled, then sped off across the lawn again.
“That’s a first,” my husband said.
The child had gone back to his Halloween candy bag, pulled out a big armful of not just the treats he didn’t want, but his best treats, and deposited them in our bowl.
It took me a moment to react to Yugio’s sweet surprise.
“Thank you!” I called out after little Yugio-with-star chips, “That is the nicest treat anyone has ever given us!”
But he didn’t look back. He leapt into his parent’s golf cart, and off they sped.
Little Yugio.
Shining like a star.