27 april 2025, @mariannewest's Freewrite Writing Prompt Day 2719: advertise in the local paper

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“Now, what I suggest you do is advertise in both the Lofton County Free Voice and the Big Loft Bulletin, but advertise in your local paper too. Don't despise the Tinyville Times – remember that people are at home now and bored and local newspapers will be read more often and the Tinyville Times has a good webmaster now, so it's going to get some eyes. Always respect home until home does not respect you.”

“That last bit – wow,” 21-year-old Melvin Trent said to his days-from-18-year-old sister Vanna Trent as they were doing quality eavesdropping on their grandfather, billionaire Thomas Stepforth Sr. “Pop-Pop is deep in his business advice, because I hadn't even thought about that last part.”

“He's right, though,” Vanna said. “We see that in Big Mama Velma – when she got tired of Pop-Pop having time for everything else but her, she walked away and left him with all his stuff.”

“You know – and she walked back when he got it together,” Melvin said. “There's power in that, for real!”

“We also see that in you,” Vanna said. “All your friends started flipping out when you started doing beats on a higher level, but they didn't know you were going to flip the script, block them all out, and keep it moving. Now, some of them are getting it together because they know they can't lean on you.”

“This is true,” Melvin said. “I thought my homeboys were going to be with me for life, but I'm out here by myself now. It doesn't feel good at all sometimes, but, I'll make the friends I'm supposed to have on the way. Grandma Jubilee always says that God and what He has for us is with us and also always in front, and He always has more in front, because He has eternity in front of us.”

Vanna considered this.

“Most of the people we are going to meet are definitely ahead of – I mean, our ages, but then when you put the ages to come up in there – I mean, it hurts when things are not going well with friends and family, but when you think about all that, that helps a lot if you believe it.”

“It surely does,” Melvin said, “and I do now have the professional colleagues to prove it.”

“We just gotta keep going,” Vanna said. “You know I kicked a lot of my so-called friends to the curb too … way too much drama over and over again … but we'll keep going and see what God has for us.”

“Yeah,” Melvin said, and then he and Vanna went out on the porch and found out they were the subjects of quality eavesdropping from ten-year-old Glendella Ludlow, who was in tears.

“God, I believe!” she cried, and then ran into Melvin and Vanna's arms. “Thank you for teaching me – I had to run away to get here because God had better in front of me, and now I understand!”

Melvin and Vanna's younger sisters eleven-year-old Velma and eight-year-old Gracie were likewise doing quality eavesdropping on this scene.

“It is so beautiful when you see your new friends getting the most of what you teach them,” Velma said as they started toward Glendella and Melvin and Vanna.

“Ain't it the truth,” Gracie said. “Another great moment in quality eavesdropping.”