Image by Rudy and Peter Skitterians from Pixabay
“Grounding Gracie is a bit like putting a local mob boss into a local prison. Said boss may not be able to move around as much, but said boss is still the boss.”
Col. H.F. Lee paid special attention to this from his Italian-American wife, Mrs. Magdalena Milano Lee (just Maggie, for short) as he likewise observed that all of the Ludlow grandchildren went running to eight-year-old Gracie Trent on Sunday morning before they joined the Good Neighbors Fellowship through Zoom on the lawn.
To the Ludlow grandchildren, they understood that maybe Gracie shouldn't have brought a water hose into their house, but they also understood eight-year-old Edwina Ludlow was having a whole fit that the Lees couldn't get her out of. Gracie had cooled that whole situation down, and even Col. Lee had realized: Edwina's heart rate and blood pressure had been way, way, way up because her mother's family didn't get it and wouldn't stop trying to work their way back in to try to get at the money the Ludlow Bubbly was (presumably) making.
The colonel could not get into detail about what he and Edwina's grandfather, Capt. Ludlow, had worked out on the legal side – there was not a Ludlow child older than 11, so what Gracie had done to “wash those horrible people out so that they can never come back!” made her the hero that they understood. They were not happy that she had been grounded, and they were showing their solidarity with Gracie.
“Yeah, the rest of us just chopped liver over here; it's all about Gracie,” Gracie's biggest sister, days-from-18-years-old Vanna Trent said with a laugh. “Do I need to bring out the church candy to even get a hello, Ludlows?”
Gracie's own siblings eleven-year-old Velma and nine-year-old Milton had basically the same understanding, and so did her nine-year-old cousin Vertran Stepforth. They were also downstream of the Ludlow grandchildren's abundant gratitude, because Gracie freely shared it around … so, in a way …
“She's the leader of the local syndicate, eh?” Col. Lee said to his wife.
“Yep,” Mrs. Lee said. “My grandfather, Nabucco Milano, knew some real mobsters, and has outlived all of them because he refused to get involved in all that, but he said they are like really well-run family and friend circles. Some go into legitimate business, and some not, but the point is, the person at the top knows how to keep the benefits going to the family and is willing to make the tough decisions.”
“I see your point,” Col. Lee said. “Gracie qualifies. She also has the systems thinking necessary.”
“Yep,” Mrs. Lee said. “Better get her and Amanda involved with the Lofton Trust as soon as we can, because both of them need to be involved with their gifts in doing good for as many people as possible, but well-guided.”
“Actually, it makes so much sense that Grayson, Amanda, and Edwina are all so attached to her for that reason,” Col. Lee said, “because they all will be wonderful directed into civic service, and an absolute nightmare if not directed.”
“Aw,” Mrs. Lee said as she took out her camera. “Look at those three just snuggling Gracie!”
“Yeah, cute but lethal,” 21-year-old Melvin Trent said about the Ludlow snuggle trio hugging his baby sister.
“Yes, Vincent and Melissa's issues are valid,” Mrs. Stepforth said to her husband. “Grounding really does not work for Gracie as a chastening; we are totally hustling backwards on this one just like they are.”
“Let me think about this and talk with Col. Lee who is another big observer,” Mr. Thomas Stepforth said. “We have eleven children here under 12 who have been through a lot of stuff but have recovered and are being loved and cared for so well that they are developing their quite strong personalities. Gracie is a Stepforth, Trent, Moore, and Jubilee-of-the-mountain – that's a powerful combo, and Milton and Velma are too. Vertran is me come again, mentored by me: 'nuff said. The Ludlows' grandfather is Capt. R.E. Ludlow, and he has two complete little copies over there and the other five are close enough, and all of them have Hilda Lee, of the mountain, as a great-great-grandmother: 'nuff said. Basically, what they have done is formed their own subculture and their own world, and we don't understand just like they don't understand us. In that world, Gracie is a well-supported hero – unless we go to fear-based methods, we can't break that up. But maybe we can understand what is going on and be able to help them grow and understand better.”
“How are you out here sounding like Valiant Moore, my father?” Mrs. Stepforth said.
“I'm a practical man – and yeah, we should call him real quick and run this by him, too – and I want to do what works. Your father understands six generations of children, and we need all the help we can get.”
“Look at them planning their next quest for Monday, when Gracie is off grounding,” Mrs. Lee said as she kept snapping pictures. “I'm sending all these to Robert and Thalia!”
“Yes, indeed – and don't forget to ask them to pray,” Col. Lee said, with a smile. “Legal issues I need to handle tomorrow will take up a lot of my time, meaning you will have to put more time into dealing with the syndicate – I mean, all these kids – getting Gracie back!”
