Neighbors Throw Halloween Party for Little Boy in the Summer, Attend His Funeral Days Later – Story of the Day

The neighbors were confused why Wendy wanted to celebrate Halloween in the middle of summer. It was only after the beautiful festivities that they realised the heartbreaking reason.

Wendy carefully dabbed a tissue between her lips to balance out the lipstick. She looked in the mirror once again to check if her hair was set as planned. She was going for an appealing yet modest look.

'They will get it, right? They won't find the request too weird, or will they? Should I ask them after Lucy opens all the gifts or just before everyone's about to leave?' Wendy's thoughts were racing as she fixed her dress one last time.

She put on shoes she had selected a day before for the occasion. She picked up the beautifully wrapped gift box and left for Lucy's baby shower party.

Even on her way to Lucy's house, Wendy was rehearsing her pitch. She was usually very shy, but today, she had to be different.

"There you are!" Fiona startled Wendy. "You're looking different today. I love what you've done to your hair."

"Fiona! You scared me there for a bit. And thanks," Wendy replied.

"Wow, and what do we have here?" Fiona pointed at the big box Wendy was carrying. "Did Jonathan get a massive bonus or something?"

Wendy chuckled. "No. Not really! I just overheard the other day at the football game that Lucy broke her blender. And I got it at a good discount online."

"Look who's using her eavesdropping skills for good. I just wrapped a copy of Eat. Pray. Love. Isn't that what expectant moms love to read?" Fiona asked with a dash of irreverence.

Wendy laughed and said, "Yeah. That's a great gift. Maybe she'll return it to you when you get pregnant."

Fiona playfully rolled her eyes. "Speaking of kids, where's that lovely naughty monster of yours?

"I didn't see him at the last game. I heard he recovered quickly after a fall in the game last week, right?"

Wendy's laughter died down dramatically. "Yeah. Jack is…"

"Hey, gals!" Rosanne joined the group, which gave Wendy time to rebuild her composure. She realized that she could not retreat into her shell today. She blended in the conversation with Roseanne and Fiona as the trio made their way to Lucy's house.

Almost everyone had already reached the party. An overwhelmed Wendy braved herself through the initial greetings. She wanted to get to the part she had been practicing for.

'When should I speak?' she wondered.

Meanwhile, Lucy opened the gifts and loved them all. Especially Wendy's gift. She almost shrieked upon opening the packaging and finding the blender.

The party reached the point where all the women were offered drinks. Wendy had a sip, and she realized that it was her moment.

"Guys, is it just me, or did we miss out on celebrating Halloween properly last time?" Wendy blurted out, ignoring the ongoing topic of conversation. The others stared at Wendy with confusion.

"I mean, my Jack was really disappointed that he couldn't get enough candy for Halloween. I think it would be a great idea if we all celebrate Halloween in the neighborhood next month.

"Jonathan will get Jack next Friday from his grandparents' place. It will be an amazing surprise for him…and the other kids as well. Am I right?"

There was an awkward pause. The women could not understand why Wendy was so desperate for the Halloween party.

Every child's wish deserves to be fulfilled.

"That sounds so cool!" Fiona said, breaking the tension in the room.

"The pandemic was at its peak in this area during Halloween. And I've got a lot of candies to give out to the kids," Fiona added.

"But it's August, Fiona. Halloween in August?" Roseanne interjected.

Fiona instantly gave Roseanne a look like she was asking her to stand down. Roseanne took the hint, although she did not understand why Fiona supported Wendy's idea.

"On second thought, it might be great to continue the festive atmosphere in the neighborhood that Lucy's baby shower started here." Roseanne tried to change her tone.

"I like it. Let's do it," Lucy exclaimed. And the vibes in the room again got uplifted.

"It's settled then," Fiona declared.

"Ladies, get your husbands to work. This is going to be the best Halloween, summer or otherwise. Period."

The following week Jack returned home with Jonathan. On his way back home, he noticed the neighborhood was full of Halloween decorations.

Jack was elated when Wendy got him a superhero costume that she had stitched specially for him. He put it on, posed like a superhero, ran around the house, and punched the pillows.

"Mom, look! Bam! Bam! Bam! Go away, sadness! Bam! Bam!" Jack shouted as he punched the pillows.

Jack knocked on every door with excitement. He showcased his superhero skills to everyone. He couldn't believe the amount of candy he got from all his neighbors.

The next day, when Fiona walked by Wendy's house, it was locked. A week later, Fiona got a call that shattered her. Roseanne, Lucy, and all the women in the neighborhood also received the same call.

The following morning, everyone gathered at Wendy's house. It was Jack's funeral service.

Jonathan explained to Fiona that the day Jack fainted at the football match, it seemed like it was just the heat. But the doctors asked to do some tests, and they found a large-sized tumor in his brain.

The tumor was growing fast. It did not seem treatable.

The family was devastated. Jack did not know what was happening. He did not understand why Wendy was crying out loud in the laundry room.

Jack would console his mother by saying:

"Mom, tell me, what makes you sad? I will punch away all the sadness, and it will never come back. After all, I'm your superhero!"

Wendy would break down whenever she saw Jack try to keep up her spirits. All this while his condition was deteriorating.

Jonathan used his connections to find out if the city had better facilities. He found out about a couple of hospitals and took Jack to the city with him.

Jack was put in a special intensive care facility that worked with cutting-edge technology in the field of cancer. He showed slight improvement for a few weeks before getting worse.

The doctors declared that there was no sign of hope and that Jack wouldn't be able to live for more than a month. Jonathan and Wendy decided to bring Jack home and throw him the last yet best party of his life for his favorite holiday, Halloween.

What do we learn from this story?

• Every child's wish deserves to be fulfilled. Wendy was a shy person. She went out of her way to convince everyone and celebrate Halloween for her child's sake.
• Always be kind and supportive to your friends. Fiona did not know why Wendy was acting desperate. Despite that, she decided to help her convince the others to celebrate Halloween. Even Roseanne supported the decision because she trusted Fiona's decision.

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This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone’s life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.