18 May 2025, @mariannewest's Freewrite Writing Prompt Day 2740: knowledge

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Five-year-old Lil' Robert Ludlow went to the big living room window in the home to which his family had “vacatio-vacuated,” as his big sister eight-year-old Edwina said, and sighed. He had no idea that the storm in question was why his family had needed to get out of the way and thus out of their house just a half-mile from where thirty years of bad decisions were being avenged by the order of Creation. All he knew was that it was raining, and he had lots of thoughts about that to share with his cousin-become-adopted big sister ten-year-old Glendella Ludlow, who went and wrapped her arms around him.

“It's not going to rain forever, Rob,” she said.

“I know,” he said. “But, see, I'm kinda OK with it, see, because, I don't like it because I can't go out and play but then Edwina said that we need rain so that food grows, and I love to eat, so, I'm gonna put up with it like I gotta put up with a lotta things like bedtime because Papa, and Grandma, and, see, I keep trying to stay awake anyway but it never works because otherwise I wouldn't go for it, but, see, at least that gets us to breakfast faster, see, because, breakfast is the best meal of the day until lunch and dinner, and snacks are good too.”

Glendella kissed Lil' Robert on the forehead.

“These are good days for hot chocolate and marshmallows,” she said, and he smiled.

“It's kinda warm for winter stuff, but I'm gonna go with it if we can get some, see, because chocolate, and marshmallows!”

“Yep,” Glendella said. “Oh, look, there's the sun peeking out.”

“Because you came over and it loves you, like I do,” Lil' Robert said, and kissed Glendella's chin as he turned around to return her big squeeze.

Ten minutes later, Glendella went to find her big cousin Robert – Capt. R.E. Ludlow Sr., who with his wife Thalia had adopted her as they had their seven grandchildren.

“Glendella, what's the matter?” he said and instantly knelt down when he saw she was starting to cry.

“I got a problem, Big Cousin Robert,” she said. “I think I'm in love with Lil' Robert, and he's my cousin!”

Capt. Ludlow smiled inwardly at this … Lil Robert treated all his big sisters like he saw his grandfather treating his grandmother, so all of them but Edwina adored him, and Edwina just didn't because they were too much alike and sort of occupying the same space in the house as their grandfather's double, with Edwina on the stormy side and Lil' Robert on the sunny side … but Edwina was figuring that out and the conflict Lil' Robert didn't even know was going on was cooling down.

What this meant in practical terms for Glendella was that Lil' Robert was the more accessible miniature of the big cousin who was her hero, and the child was trying to sort out all the feelings she had about being rescued from her own biological family and finding herself in what to her was practically heaven, with loving grandparent-figures and siblings and friends. Lil' Robert had started out taking good care of her at his level, and, as a quite precocious five-year-old sure he was his grandfather's long-lost twin, he was not that far from her not-as-precocious-but-over-exposed ten-year-old level.

“Well,” the adult Robert said gently, “let's talk about Lil' Robert being your cousin. He is, and so am I, but although your biological grandfather talks about Tarquin and Tancred Ludlow as though he knew them personally, that is by no means the case. You and Lil' Robert only have one common ancestor: Tristan Ludlow, and you come from Tristan's elder son Tarquin and Lil' Robert comes from younger son Tancred … but Tarquin was born in 1687 and Tancred in 1692. There are eleven generations between you and Lil' Robert and them.”

“Whoa – whoa – whoa – wait, what?” Glendella said.

“Yes, I know you thought you might meet your greater-grandfather Tarquin on any day, the way your grandfather talks about him and how great he was,” Capt. Ludlow said. “You probably also heard that your greater-grand uncle Tancred just loved getting his hands dirty, and that's why your grandfather and I don't get along. That's broadly true: Tarquin's family kept the noble habits and Tancred's family liked to work and explore and build and came to Virginia just to not to have to do all the other stuff – but that started in the 1700s, not in the 1900s. After the end of slavery in 1865, the two branches of the Ludlow family in Virginia did have to join forces and work together more closely, and there are already some Double-T Ludlows who are the result of cousin marriages, but not in the lines your grandfather and I come from.”

“I'm just trying to figure out how Tarquin and Tancred have like eleven greats in there and I for sure thought they had just died in maybe 2009 or something!” Glendella said. “But what don't you talk like that?”

“All the people I love are in front of me, like you are,” he said. “I understand the importance of Tancred and Tarquin Ludlow to the family history in Virginia, but they've been gone quite a long time and can't help me or us.”

Glendella considered this and sighed.

“It's bad when you realize some people love folks who have been dust a long time more than they love you,” he said.

“It is not quite as bad as that – not quite,” Capt. Ludlow said gently. “Sometimes, if people are not sure that their name will count for anything and be remembered, they put on another name that they look up to in hopes of being carried up with it.”

“That's actually just as sad,” Glendella said. “Gramps is 68 years old. If he wants the name Astor Ludlow to count for anything, he's got to stop worrying about the past and get busy.”

“In the meantime,” Capt. Ludlow said, “we choose what our names will stand for in the world, and thus can let the names of the past stand where they are.”

“I'm totally with that, Big Cousin Robert – and I'm so relieved because now I can be Glendella, but also Mrs. Robert Edward Ludlow the Younger, like Big Cousin Thalia is also Mrs. Robert Edward Ludlow the Elder!”

“In 13 years, it will be possible, yes, because Mr. Robert Edward Ludlow III more than a distant enough cousin to you,” he said. “However, since I know Mr. Robert Edward Ludlow III so well, I think that I should tell you that there is one more piece of knowledge you need.”

“What?”

“If you marry him, you have to feed him.”

Glendella threw up her hands.

“Never mind – I'm keeping him as my brother – I don't even see how y'all feed him! I'm good on all that – because, no!”

Ten minutes later, Mrs. Robert Edward Ludlow the Elder came out of the bedroom where she had been laughing into a pillow...

“Robert,” she said, “you just threw away your chance to have some Double-T Ludlow great-grandchildren!”

“And put it in the shredder before throwing it in File 13 – because, no,” he purred, with a chuckle.