Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
Although Capt. R.E. Ludlow was clearly the dominant figure in his grandchildren's lives, the quiet daily work and love of Mrs. Ludlow with all seven of them just piled on and piled on like a good investment, growing more and more interest.
Case in point: nine-year-old George, with his grandmother's gentle encouragement, went to his eight-year-old sister Edwina and ended the conflict between them … at least, for a little while.
“So, I was reading with Grandma about manners,” he said to Edwina, “and I know now that you think I have poor manners, and I kinda do.”
Edwina sighed.
“Well,” she said, “I haven't always been nice to you either, and Grandma has had me reading the same book.”
“Grandma says poor manners happen because we don't think about what the other person needs,” George said, “and it is not about knowing everything to do in the book of manners, but knowing what the other person needs and loving them enough to do it.”
“Grandma told me that being impatient with other people who are just learning is a sign of poor manners, because I'm still learning too and so I need to understand that others are too.”
Edwina started to cry.
“We didn't have a chance to grow up together because our parents just didn't have good manners and love us enough to stay and make it happen, and I'm so mad, but, maybe we can make it happen!”
“Yeah!” George said, and started crying as he reached out and put his arms around the cousin who was going to be his adopted sister.
Mrs. Ludlow came and put her arms around both of them, and dried their tears, and sent them on their way talking about things they both liked that the other didn't know about – “But I think that is cool too!” one kept saying to the other.
An hour later, George and Edwina were still sitting on the back porch, looking at baseball cards and magazines and laughing about how collecting pictures was fun, and enjoying their elder siblings Eleanor (11) and Andrew (10) showing them how to make collages because “Hey, the best baseball players gotta have good-looking wives, too!”
Mrs. Ludlow was smiling, and then smiled some more as she was embraced from behind and kissed all over her neck.
“I know it is poor manners to sneak up on a good-looking woman like this,” purred Capt. R.E. Ludlow in his colossal bass voice, “but I think you will forgive me, my good-looking wife whom I love and without whom Ludlow life would not be a life worth living. Thank you on behalf of all eight of us.”
He kept at it between his kisses and his purring voice until he could feel her shuddering from pleasure in his arms.
“I'll explain the rest to you later on tonight,” he purred, “but that's just for you to enjoy right now.”
“Got me on cloud 9, Robert,” she said, “and I feel thanked and loved and can hardly wait for you to explain some more.”
“Leave them wanting more – you know I am a performing artist and we know how to do that!” he purred. “Look forward to it, because at any moment –.”
Sure enough …
“Hey!” five-year-old Lil' Robert started yelling as he came running in from the yard. “Y'all want to come see a snail laying eggs?”
“Ewwwwwwww!” said the girls.
“Where?” all his brothers said.
“STOP,” Capt. Ludlow said, and then released his wife. “Go relax, Thalia I've got this. Apparently, we eight are going to the snail maternity ward for a while, so enjoy the quiet.”
Keep growing and keep writing 😊
Thank you!
Nice 👍
Fantastic to hear the Ludlow kids learning about manners @deeanndmathews, and thanks for the laugh about the "snail maternity ward", keep up the good work and stay awesome.
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Keep up the awesome work.
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