Image by Angel Paredes Aldrete from Pixabay
“So, it is a blessing we didn't move up to Smallwood and got this place here, because we would have had to listen to Edwina 24 hours a day about how they needed to modernize the town and how she was going to get some paint and break bad.”
That was nine-year-old George Ludlow talking to big sister eleven-year-old Eleanor about their eight-year-old sister Edwina.
“It is kinda 1950ish up there, but I think the people there like it,” Eleanor said, “and I think there was a time that Papa might have liked it too, but Grandma never would have gone for it.”
“Do you think Edwina even knows that you can't change a town like you do Legos, now that she's into Legos with Grayson?” George said.
“Well, is she supposed to know that at eight years old?” Eleanor said.
“Come on, Ellie – I'm nine and I know that!”
“Aren't you the same brother that didn't know you can't put purple food coloring in a wash and have the reds soak up the reds and the blues soak up the blue?”
George closed his mouth.
“Aren't I the same sister that didn't know you can't duct tape an inflatable pool and then put 100 gallons of water in it and expect it not to burst?” Eleanor added.
“Yeah, I guess we all have things to still learn,” George said.
“Look, George. I'm eleven. You're nine. She's eight. Cut us all some slack, will you? It's not like we're God and have to know everything.”
“It's a good thing He knew not to let us move to Smallwood, VA!”
“Yeah, it is, although I think Edwina would have gotten used to that because of having all those woods to explore.”
“OK, well, then at least it wouldn't have been 24 hours a day – but 18 hours is enough!”
“You notice that if everyone just leaves Edwina alone, she usually doesn't actually start stuff?” Eleanor said.
“Well … kinda.”
“The thing about Eddie is, if she gets riled up, then everybody gotta pay for it, so the secret is, don't get her riled up,” Eleanor said. “You notice Andrew and I never have any trouble with her.”
“Yeah, but you have that double-digit age stuff going on,” George said.
“Grayson only had trouble one time, and Amanda and Robert don't have trouble with her either. Eddie is one of those people that, if you show her that you respect her and also insist on being respected, she doesn't really bother you.”
“How do you respect someone that you really need to have go sit down and shut up sometimes?” George said.
“By recognizing that you're not going to be able to make that happen, more likely to get thoroughly bawled out and beat up trying, and that not adding fuel to the fire is important – respect the power even if you are sick of the person,” Eleanor said.
George thought about this.
“That's basically what the world has to do with Papa,” he said.
“More or less, but Papa is the same way: if you don't rile him up, he's not going to bother you. He's got stuff to do in the world, but get him riled up, and you've got a real problem.”
“Hey, Cousin Harry – what we need over here are a few sets of purple and pink Legos, because we gotta modernize the color schemes Grayson and I have to work with!”
“Here we go,” George said.
“You notice Cousin Harry doesn't have trouble with her either, though,” Eleanor said.
“Stop yelling across the house, Edwina: save your voice for your next music lesson,” Col. H.F. Lee said as he came out of the kitchen and to the Lego pile. “I'll check on the new color schemes for the next month's budget.”
“OK!” she said.
“No, he really doesn't,” George said, “but Cousin Harry is like 46 and just like Papa probably doesn't have trouble with anyone.”
“And that's the point, George,” Eleanor said. “God makes an Edwina so a George can stop worrying about everything else and work on being the kind of man who doesn't have trouble with anyone and get caught up on small things.”
“Oh, that's what's going on?”
“Because if you don't, George, you're not going to make it. It's one thing to live with Edwina. It's another thing to live with Edwina and live worried about Edwina. That's too much – and she's not even a teenager yet.”
George started.
“Yeah, I'mma go start reading the books that Andrew reads, because I gotta get to 13 already getting my life together because sheesh!”
“You see us reading all the time, getting ready, right?” Eleanor said. “God makes an Edwina to make everybody around her better, and to take away any idea that we have a choice in the matter if we want to survive ourselves.”
“Yeah – pass me that book over there, because I really feel like I need to start now.”
