10 May 2025, @mariannewest's Freewrite Writing Prompt Day 2732: my other castle

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“OK … I think what we can say is that while Grandma and I do not expect to see such behavior from five of y'all seven again in terms of you thinking you need to defend yourself while she and I are right here, we understand why all of you were triggered when Glendella's grandmother came and acted out like that. So, she and I have decided to adopt one of George's brilliant ideas that he made up with dear Milton from next door: we're just all going to voluntarily co-ground tomorrow and talk, pray, read, write, draw, and do what we need to do to figure all of this out.”

“We're going to eat too, right?” five-year-old Lil' Robert Ludlow said.

“And even have snacks,” Mrs. Thalia Ludlow said, and smiled as her baby grandson totally relaxed.

“Oh, well, then, it's all good,” he said.

“What have we learned so far today?” Capt. R.E. Ludlow said.

“That it is a really bad idea to roll up over here; don't come for us unless we send for you,” ten-year-old Glendella Ludlow said.

“Just got adopted today and you've already figured it out, sister – my sister!” Edwina said as she gave Glendella a hug.

Capt. Ludlow called on all the command composure he did to not start laughing and crying at the same time as six-year-old Grayson said, “But next time, you gotta keep it together so the reinforcements can get there – adults are kinda big but they are no match for military technology.”

Grayson (6), Lil' Robert (5), Andrew (10), and George (9) had taken Grayson's little red wagon and built a Lego tank complete with turret in five minutes.

“I also learned that homemade spit paintballs exist,” Eleanor said.

“Oh yeah – you just gotta wrap them in Saran Wrap so they stay wet, and then unwrap them when you need them,” George said.

“But see, this is why I hate emergency builds,” Grayson said, “because if we had to time to do a blueprint, the tank cannon coulda been hollow so we could launch those things.”

“Yeah, but, a real army has cavalry and infantry,” Andrew said. “You run 'em down with the tanks and then the infantry moves in to throw stuff, because we don't have gunpowder and stuff.”

“That's not safe,” Amanda said. “I was getting ready to call an ambulance because it was about to go down, but we weren't going to just let Glendella get snatched up! And, I'm not supposed to know about this, but, um, you can do a lot with water balloons to launch stuff.”

“Yeah,” George said. “Have water balloons ready to attach to back of the hollow turret and launch those spitballs out through the front – yeah!”

“No,” Capt. Ludlow said, and his grandchildren again remembered he was right there. “But what I would like to know is, where did you get the paint for the spitballs, George?”

“Well, the thing is, when you are left alone way too much, you can figure out a lot of things, like, when the printer says the ink cartridges are empty, that's a lie. There's plenty in there. There's also the itty-bitty ends of color pencils when you really can't sharpen them any more – you can work the color out and they are really fantastic, and spit and chew time is free.”

“And we pay all the dental bills,” Mrs. Ludlow said.

“But that's the point, y'all,” Capt. Ludlow said as he mentally held on to being calm with both hands and both feet. “Life in Crazy Town is hard.”

“Yeah, it is,” George said.

“But we don't live there any more,” Capt. Ludlow said even more gently, and let the eight little ones in front of him consider this. “Way, way back in our family history, there was a Lord Leonard who inherited a castle he did not like and so built another one, but when he moved, his family and his servants did not seem to be getting used to having enough space and enough light, so he had to remind them: 'That way worked in my other castle, but not this one.' You have to learn how to live in your new castle, y'all, and your new castle is not in Crazy Town.”

“Yeah,” George and Edwina said.

“Yeah, you are right,” Andrew said.

“It makes sense, but can I see the blueprints, though?” Grayson said.

“I'll see if I can have a copy made from the family archive,” Capt. Ludlow said, “but don't miss the point, Grayson. I mean, don't forget that we have a new kind of life and we don't need to live ready to fight.”

“Well, that kinda depends on how the castle is built, though,” Grayson said. “If you do it right you can have moats and stuff.”

“Can we do all that after dinner?” Lil'' Robert said.

Mrs. Ludlow put her hand over her husband's hand … the two youngest of course didn't really get it, and the older five needed a break.

“Well, we have all of tomorrow, so why not?” Capt. Ludlow said. “We still have our slider celebration dinner for adopting Glendella.”

“Yay!” all eight said.