20 January 2026, @mariannewest's Freewrite Writing Prompt Day 2988: chips with everything
“It is actually so nice to see Capt. Ludlow enjoying his life,” eight-year-old Gracie Trent said to her eleven-year-old sister Velma because of the good laugh his eight-year-old granddaughter Edwina had given him and their grandfather, Mr. Thomas Stepforth Sr.
“Yeah, that laugh was years in coming,” Velma said. “I mean, we don't know how it feels to have kids that are the parents of our grandkids so losing them means your grandkids lose their parents, so all y'all are messed up.”
“Ain't it the truth,” Gracie said. “Ain't the kind of thing anyone wants to know about – but it's good to see him enjoying life more like Rob does rather than fighting his way through like Edwina. Eddie is healing too, but, it can't come too soon.”
“Basically,” Velma said, and then looked up at the phone ringing and her mother, Mrs. Melissa Trent, picking it up.
“Hello, Trent residence – good morning, Maman Dubois! What now? Oui, Madame – merci beaucoup!” – hey y'all, somebody canceled a big muffaletta order this morning and Maman Dubois wants to know if we want the sandwiches!”
“OUI OUI!” came the baritone and basso harmony from the porch.
“Tell Madame Dubois I've got the check!” Mr. Thomas Stepforth said. “No losses among our friends!”
So the Dubois on the Road truck was swiftly dispatched, and three full households had muffaletta sandwiches, cajun chips, and coleslaw for breakfast.
“This is here is what we need – chips with everything!” five-year-old Robert Edward Ludlow III was saying as he got a full plate (although sized appropriately for him by Madame Dubois). “Chips with breakfast, and lunch, and dinner, and also have some as snacks, because, see, I haven't tried the sandwich and slaw and I'm sure they are great, Grandma Dubois, but the chips, because, see, I already know, and, see –!”
“Rob,” Capt. Ludlow said. “Concentrate and get to the table so the line can keep moving.”
“Yes, sir,” Lil' Robert said and immediately obeyed … his reward was that his grandfather slid a few more chips onto his plate, and the two, being mirrored across two generations, grinned, their big blue eyes and abundant hair bouncing – one in gold, one in silver – as they both bit down on a chip.
“God is good and so are these chips!” Lil' Robert said.
“Amen, Robert, amen,” Capt. Ludlow said.
“See, that's what the older generational twin needs more of,” Gracie said to Velma.
“More chips?” Velma said.
“Well, yes, of course, because nobody makes chips like Maman Dubois,” Gracie said, “but also, being able to enjoy simple things and just chill with us.”
“Which is why we are doing the sale soon,” Velma said.
“And see, I just wish Grayson, Amanda, Edwina, and George had come talked to us before having to go all deal or no deal because we woulda told them how to hardwire the stuff they wanted in by making grown folks think it was their idea,” Gracie said.
“Yeah, but, young Ludlow minds are definitely different – and when I say young I mean George down,” Velma said. “They all have their own ideas and they aren't going to spend the time getting their thoughts into other people's brains quietly. ”
“Ain't it the truth,” Gracie said. “We still have so much to catch them up on. It's hard when you don't have parents – but we got them.”