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Although they did not talk as often, Major Ironwood Hamilton and Capt. R.E. Ludlow considered each other good friends, and talked about the joys and challenges of having large families.
“And really when I feel tired and like complaining, I remember your family is 13 to my 9 and I feel better,” the captain kidded his cousin.
“Yes, but it took me decades to get here, and Aggie and I chose the situation – well, Ira and Agnew our twin babies were a surprise, but still: we chose this. You had two years to get all seven of your grandchildren together, and you and Thalia are 13 years older than me and Aggie – whole different situation, although the key fact is the same: you chose it, but under some duress.”
Capt. Ludlow sighed.
“I suppose that is the impression people have, but it is not correct. There was no duress. I knew while Eleanor my oldest grandchild was in the womb. I paid for my children and their partners to go to rehab every time someone was pregnant so my grandchildren could get here healthy, so, from the beginning, they were mine.”
“I thought you moved like an exceptionally smooth operator for a man who had been shocked as badly as you would have been had that whole overdose situation been a surprise,” Maj. Hamilton said.
“Grief takes different forms, Ironwood. I pleaded and cried while my children were alive. Twelve years is a long time for a man to be crying in secret. Too long. By the end, there was nothing left of that, because they wanted the foolishness they were in, and I was over it. All that was left, when they went on and did what I knew they were going to do, because of their bitterness and cowardice and refusal of all responsibility – the only surprise … .”
The captain sighed.
“So much anger, Ironwood! Looking back, all the no-good foster parents paid for everything I wanted to do because I had to give my children a good burial for their children's sake – I buried the bad foster parents alive in their foolishness, beat them down legally, had them jailed – and I enjoyed every minute of it because somebody had to pay, and they served themselves up by the way they did the same thing to my grandchildren that my children had done to my grandchildren. It was a perfect situation for that time period … but I'm glad now I'm going home to my grandchildren, and am living my life now, past that period of my life.”
“I can't even imagine how tough that must have been, Robert – we all kid Harry about being the toughest of us three, but I don't know.”
“Actually, you are, Ironwood,” Capt. Ludlow said. “You get everything done every day, and you never break peacekeeper form. Your kill record compares well in the Army to Harry's and mine, but unlike us, you also have a record of the people you didn't kill while still achieving all necessary objectives that is impressive. You never lose sight of humanity's dignity because made by God, no matter what is going on. Even when things went bad with all those bad police officers in this area attacking that newspaper, you still spared the lives of two-thirds of them when you really could have taken them all out with Harry and the men from the town willing to help. Anyone can get mad and take somebody else out. I am trying to learn how to be as strong as you are, and teach my grandchildren the same.”
“You are well on your way, Robert – I can hear the difference in you after these almost eight weeks of intensive therapy. You got your work done.”
“By the grace of God. The last two generations of Ludlows and Lees and Hamiltons have seen and been victims and victimized enough – we have to plot a new course for the next generations, while using our other skills in their defense.”
“Exactly,” Maj. Hamilton said. “Gotta keep up the skills, but not the anger.”
“Yes,” Capt. Ludlow said. “I find that, as I am getting older, that the calmness helps me focus and get more use of my energy. I'm 58, so I really did need this change – I have so much more energy now that I'm more healed, and that's going to keep me strong longer for my grandchildren. I have to make it 13 years to Lil' Robert being grown – now I feel like I can get there in good mental and physical shape.”
“You can, and Lord willing, you will now,” Maj. Hamilton said. “I plan to see my descendants expand Hamiltown, and we would love to have Ludlowville as a neighboring town and for you to see that!”
“Goals!” Capt. Ludlow said, and the two men laughed heartily.