14 November 2025, @mariannewest's Freewrite Writing Prompt Day 2921: no reduction for you

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“OK, so consider this, Rob: we have a lot to do to make the warp drive of math actually work in the real world, but in the meantime, where is the rib shack of math?”

Ten-year-old Andrew Ludlow simply was not of a mind to give up on redirecting his baby brother, five-year-old Lil' Robert Ludlow, from thinking that counting “one, two skip-a-few,” and then picking a number was the best thing instead of really learning to grapple with big numbers.

“Actually, I want to know this too!” nine-year-old George Ludlow said, “and maybe we can figure it out before dinner!”

“Wait – there's a way to get a rib shack out of math?” nine-year-old Milton Trent said. “The way my dad and Pop-Pop barbecues, we really need to know because we are so on this math!”

“OK, but y'all really gotta make up your minds so I can get my interior desigh stuff together or get the spacesuits together – can you please pick a math formula and stick with it?” eight-year-old Edwina Ludlow said.

“Um, is this addition, subtraction, or something else?” seven-year-old Amanda Ludlow said.

“All I'm saying is, you don't know unless you get into the skip-a-few and find out what it is,” Andrew said.

“If there are really ribs in there, we do need to know,” Lil' Robert said. “I mean, going to other planets is good, but ribs!”

Mrs. Thalia Ludlow, looking out of the kitchen, gently chuckled.

“That boy still has never eaten a whole rib, but he is trying hard to get there!” she said.

“Rob's eyes are so much bigger than his stomach it is ridiculous,” Capt. R.E. Ludlow said about his baby grandson and namesake. “I just think he sizes up my plate and thinks he is eating one just like it, every day!”

“He does,” Mrs. Ludlow said, “and is plenty mad if his little plate doesn't look full like yours!”

“When he figures out scale for real, we are going to have such a problem with him!” Capt. Ludlow said.

“I know!” Mrs. Ludlow said, and they started laughing as their grandchildren, now finished washing up, came in for lunch.

“It's so nice to be in a place in which people are happy to be together,” ten-year-old Glendella Ludlow said to six-year-old Grayson Ludlow, “even if it does get a little wild around here sometimes.”

“Well,” Grayson said, “I've heard it said that there's a price for everything, and even though Jesus did pay it all, there's still rent.”

Capt. Ludlow put the tray of sandwich wedges he was about to bring to the table back down on the counter so he could safely laugh silently at that.

“Well, it's worth it,” Glendella said as Grayson pulled out her chair. “Thanks so much!”

“Any time, sis,” he said.

“OK, so, the skip-a-few is important, but not right now, Grandma – I need all my sandwiches!” Lil' Robert said as he climbed into his chair.

“No reduction for you through the skip-a-few; got it,” Mrs. Ludlow said, and smiled like she had eyes in the back of her head, looking at Lil' Robert grinning happily because he knew everything was going to be all right.

“I get it again, Andy,” he told his big brother later. “A lot of things we don't want to skip – we gotta count the things that really do count.”

“That's all I'm trying to help you understand,” Andrew said, and smiled as he shared a warm hug with his baby brother.

“I get it now, Andy. I get it.”