Image by Stefan Schweihofer from Pixabay
“Yes, I know, my dear Eleanor, that it is overcast, but don't let that mask the fact of the heat and the risk of you overheating – still wear your summer clothes, and take your hat out to play for when the sun comes out.”
That was Capt. R.E. Ludlow, gently confronting his eldest grandchild eleven-year-old Eleanor about getting ready for the day in her winter clothes.
All younger siblings eight-year-old Edwina, seven-year-old Amanda, six-year-old Grayson, five-year-old Lil' Robert, and their friends next door nine-year-old Milton and eight-year-old Gracie Trent heard was expressed by Gracie.
“Wait … facts and risks wear masks?”
“But first, what's a risk, anyway?” Lil' Robert said.
“That's a really good question,” Grayson said. “I'd like to know, too.”
Milton, the oldest present, took charge of the situation.
“You know how we would jump the porch stairs every time if our adults would let us do that, Robert?”
“Oh, absolutely!” Lil' Robert said.
“That's a fact – we would definitely do that, but we could fall and really hurt ourselves, and that's the risk.”
Lil' Robert thought about that.
“OK … but I would think the bigger risk is that after Papa told me no, and I kept doing it, was that one day he was going to catch me and send me straight to Heaven.”
“Your grandpa does sort of seem like he might,” Gracie said, “but the way you and George are always getting grounded, there's no way you'll ever get through the sky, and that's a fact.”
“Oh yeah,” all four Ludlow grandchildren said, dazzled by Gracie's sincere attempt at wisdom.
“OK, but if they aren't people, but stuff that happens, how and why are facts and risks wearing masks?” Edwina said. “Are they trying to join the circus, or rob a bank, or something?”
“Well, it is pretty risky to rob a bank,” Milton said. “If you know it's a fact that you are not supposed to steal, and then God is out here mad at you because you did it anyway, then anything can happen after that.”
“Oh, that's a big, big risk,” Grayson said. “It's not fun if someone calls and doesn't even live here and gets Papa mad, so I can't even think about someone bigger than Papa, being mad.”
“OK, but, a mask wouldn't help you with that,” Amanda said. “Papa already knows who we are, so putting on a mask wouldn't help us. It would be kinda nice if it worked, though, because then we could make one for George, and one for Robert, and then they wouldn't get in trouble any more!”
“Nope, wouldn't work on either one – mouths too big,” Edwina said.
“But we could cut them to fit, Eddie!”
“I mean, they are too loud, Mandie.”
“Look, no matter what it is, I'm doing it and I don't care if you know I'm doing it because it's what I'm doing – I don't need to hide what I'm doing because … wait, what are we doing? said Lil' Robert.
“We're still trying to figure out why facts and risks are out here, wearing masks,” Gracie said.
“I got it,” Grayson said. “They wear masks because you don't know them, and can't see them. It's like when George is doing something, he doesn't know that risk is standing right there and is going to lead Papa straight to the spot to ground him. He keeps doing it because the risk is standing right there but has a mask on.”
“Oh yeah,” all the other children said.
“It's one of those invisibility masks – got it!” said Milton. “We need to get a couple of those for ourselves, I'm telling you! If they're good enough for facts and risks, they're good enough for us!”