Kevin, 11, was really excited about Halloween getting closer. He loved how the whole neighborhood turned into a scary wonderland. His block did have one house that stood out, though, and it was Mrs. Kimbly’s.
Mrs. Kimbly was very old and lived alone. She didn’t talk to many people. Her house was very different from the others because it wasn’t decorated or showing any signs of holiday cheer. Kevin couldn’t figure out why she didn’t want to party.
Kevin wanted to help, so he offered to decorate her house for free, but Mrs. Kimbly rudely turned him down. Not giving up, Kevin came up with a plan. He got all of his Halloween decorations together and went back to Mrs. Kimbly’s house, where he put together a colorful show on her porch.
But Mrs. Kimbly’s response was a surprise. She came out of her house angry and smashed Kevin’s favorite pumpkin. Kevin ran away when he was hit.
Even though Kevin was dressed as a vampire that night, he couldn’t get rid of the feeling that pranksters would be going after Mrs. Kimbly’s house. He went back to her porch, determined to keep her property safe.
As the kids got closer, Kevin was kind and gave them treats from his own bag. This kept the kids from damaging Mrs. Kimbly’s house. When Mrs. Kimbly finally came out, her face had changed.
She said that Halloween was hard for her because it made her think of how alone she was and how she didn’t have any family. The kind things Kevin did for others moved her heart. They sat on the porch together and watched the party.
Mrs. Kimbly told Kevin she was sorry for how she had been acting earlier and thanked him for being kind. She said with tears in her eyes, “You’re right; I don’t have to be alone.”
As the night went on, Kevin and Mrs. Kimbly became closer in a way that didn’t seem likely. She asked him to help her make a new pumpkin, and Mrs. Kimbly felt happy about Halloween for the first time in years.
A lonely friend felt better after Kevin did something nice for them. This shows that sometimes, a little kindness can make a big difference.
