- The new Joker movie keeps getting really bad reviews.
- Yeah, that’s weird. Even if it was 90% worse than the first one, it would still be good. Did you watch the first Joker?
- Yes, in Spain with Blaine.
- No! There was also a subtitled version in the theaters, thank heavens.
- Let’s go to BioVuoksi today. We have to see it before it’s gone.
- I want to decorate the yard for the Halloween.
- What???!!! You’ve always despised it!!!!
- But obviously it has landed in Finland permanently now. Even the kids in our village will come and beg for candy.
- We don’t have to open the door for those goddamn fetuses!
- But I want to. We could paint those round stones as pumpkins.
When the movie ends, Kaarna is furious. Ken asks, to whom is she angry and Kaarna says:
- To that pussy Arthur Fleck of course!!!!! I didn’t want it to end like that!
Ken just smiles and decides to wait for Kaarna to calm down before telling her his opinion.
At home Ken feels it’s safe to talk to Kaarna about the movie:
- Just like the crowds? You got mad and turned your back to Arthur? Doesn’t that make it a brilliant movie?
Kaarna is silent for some time and then she admits:
- Hello hello hello! I have a gift for you, Ken!
- Oh?! What for?
Hector hands Ken a Ken in a box and says:
- Your ex-girlfriend’s company has made a doll out of you. I hope you don’t already have it.
- Oh heavens… I didn’t even know about this. I’m a pretty good looking guy, young and happy!
Kaarna yells:
- Let me unbox you!
Ken takes a good look at the mini version of himself and says:
- Really bad quality though, look at the print on his shirt.
- I thought the same! Apparently Barbie produces stuff cheaply and sells it at a high price, Hector adds and everyone agrees.
- Mom fell down at her home and hurt her back.
- Ok.
- She’s in the hospital
- Ok.
- In the central hospital in Lappeenranta.
- Ok.
- You really could visit her!
- Why…?
- Because she’s always asking for you and you haven’t seen her in years!!!! And she’s in the hospital!
- Eh….
- It’s not far from us, Ken! You have no excuse now!
- Go see your mother, Maxi-Me.
Ken feels cornered and says to Hector:
- That doll would never say that to me! And you shouldn’t either, since you know damn well what she’s like.
- I know, but still… Go there tomorrow and ignore all the mean things she says. You might regret later if you didn’t visit her now.
- She should’ve died instead of Papi. But no, she’s too mean to kick the bucket. She’ll outlive us all.
Kaarna is always surprised to see how difficult it is to Ken to even think about his mother. It’s like a demon taking over this ever so kind and friendly man.
- Not really. I called you this morning that I’m coming.
- I didn’t get that message.
- A phone call, Mom. We talked on the phone.
- Nonsense! But am I glad to see you looking like a real man! So the dress phase is finally over? Thank God! It was so stupid!
- Yes Mom. I brought you some crossword puzzles.
- You can take them back. I’m too tired to do anything. Flowers would have been nice.
- Flowers are forbidden in the hospitals these days.
- So, the autumn looks really beautiful this year.
- Can you imagine that nobody has visited me here!
- Veli has been here every day.
- Mom, that’s not true…
- Are you calling me a liar?
- No Mom. Erm… how’s the food here?
- The food is ok, but the coffee tastes like mud water.
- Maire, you haven’t finished your water. It’s important to stay hydrated.
- I’d rather have a lager, please. This is my eldest son! Oh Ken, these handsome boys here are so wonderful and they have a great sense of humor.
- I bet they do, Mom.
- But can you believe that they found nothing wrong with me? Although my back is completely broken! That sweater I knitted for you last Christmas is perfect for you. I’m glad you’re wearing it.
- It was Christmas 2003 actually. I haven’t outgrown it yet.
- How is Hector? I loved him. Such a sweet boy. Too bad you messed it all up.
- He’s fine. Drink your water, Mom.
- Maybe you should find a nice woman now and get over the faggot phase.
- I’m fine by myself at this point, Mom.
- I refuse to take a man in my life again! I miss Papi so much. He was the love of my life, may he rest in peace. We were together until death as parted!
- You had been divorced for ten years already when he died.
- Are you trying to make me look crazy? You always do that!
Ken is burning inside. He wants to scream and run away.
- If we had alcohol in the house, I would take a glass now…
- Let’s go to Mocambo. Taylor gives family discount!
- Normally I would laugh and say no. But now I have to say yes. Chocolate just isn’t strong enough.
Before they leave, Kaarna shows the new products that the printing company sent. She has designed a wall calendar like the previous years, but also a diary.
- I already added them to the web shop. Fingers crossed for a lot of orders!
- They’re planning to keep Mom there for a while, although her back seems to be fine. Nobody knows if she really has fallen down or not. I actually didn’t know the dementia is advanced that much already. Which is good actually. If she doesn’t remember visitors, I can stay away from her in good conscience.
- At least today she’s still as mean as she always has been. Lucky Veli… he never sees this side of Mom, as she adores him.
- You’re both welcome to our Halloween themed swinger night next Saturday!
Ken doesn’t even want to hear more, but Kaarna is interested:
- Here at the bar?! You’ll all be banging each other here?!
- Well, we’re getting to know each other here, but the real action happens in the back room. It’s great: golden and red textiles and a lot of mirrors and candles! Geordie’s creation!
- Mari would never let me come, Kaarna sighs.
- We still have things to do with the lighting and spooky decoration, Taylor says.
- She’s Barbara! Horrible, but some people prefer plastic over human skin.
- Is Muija invited?
- Naturally I can’t reveal the guests, but that much I can say: she’s definitely not! We only have decent and polite people in these events.
- You’ve done this before?
- Not as a host but as a guest. Come, I’ll show you the rest.
- I feel verry happyyyy! I made pancakes! No! I made waffles!
- Ken, are you drunk? Maybe you should’t have taken that second mint chocolate coctail! Kaarna laughs.
- Oh I should’ve! I feel verry happyyyy now!
- I can see that. And I can hear you even if you spoke in a normal volume, Kaarna giggles.
On the next day the ”kekripukki” walked from house to house to ask for food or drink or he would break down the oven. ”Kekripukki” was dressed as a scary looking goat-like figure with horns and fur coat.
When the Christian habits started to mix with the pagan ones, the remembering of the dead became a part of ”kekri” and eventually the old traditions disappeared completely. The church brought ”pyhäinpäivä”, the day of the saints, instead, which it is a day of silence, remembering the dead loved-ones and bringing candles to the graveyards.
The horrible ”kekripukki” turned into the nice ”joulupukki” who brings presents on Christmas Eve. (pukki = goat)
Later, in about the 1970s our ”joulupukki” got the red outfit from the American Santa, and tossed his dirty fur coat.
And now, during the last two decades the Halloween with pumpkins and ghosts and trick or treating has invaded Finland, mostly among the young people and kids. So, it’s sort of bringing back the old pagan ways, but in a very different form.
The American Halloween is a carnivalized version from the old pagan feast Samhain, which was a celtic tradition for ending the harvest season and starting a new year - very similar to our ”kekri”. The Irish and the Scottish took it across the ocean.
The kids start knocking on the doors right after sunset.
Some of them seem to be a little shocked when Kaarna opens the door, but mostly they stay cool.
These modern kids are so much tougher than Ken and Kaarna used to be at their age!
Kaarna gives an extra big reward to a kid with the scariest costume.
In the next evening Kaarna puts on the fur coat again (as a disguise) and just casually happens to pass the Mocambo on her walk.
She sees Muija sitting on the cold ground.
- Hey Miss Jeti! What day is it? Muija asks.
- It’s Friday.
- Then why is the door locked? There are nice looking strangers inside but I can’t get in!
- It says right there on the door that it’s a private event. You can’t go in without an invitation.
- Not fair!!!! Muija starts to cry.
Kaarna tries to peak through the dirty window to see the swingers, but Muija is disturbing her.
Kaarna sighs:
- Come on. Lotta´s cafeteria is still open. Let´s call Reiska and you can wait for him inside in the warm. I don´t want you to freeze to death here.
- How do you know Reiska, Miss Jeti?
Kaarna thinks that being in a monogamous relationship is sometimes a bit boring.
She would love to go in Mocambo and have a little fun with all those people.
Taylor looked so hot in her little outfit and everyone seemed to be behaving nicely.
But when she thinks that Mari should be allowed to do the same, the whole thought disgusts her.
How difficult!
