8 January 2026, @mariannewest's Freewrite Writing Prompt Day 2976: is that right?

Photo by the author, Deeann D. Mathews

“OK, so, I get what you mean about Rob – that conversation went to a whole different level when he watched the CPR class!” ten-year-old Glendella Ludlow said to her cousin and new adopted big sister eleven-year-old Eleanor. “He was trying to be helpful, and that went allllllllllllllllllllllllllllll the way left – if he got mad, oh no!”

“Yeah, that's the thing about Rob,” Eleanor said about her ffive-year-old baby brother, Robert Edward Ludlow III. “And then, I love George but he's nine while Rob is five and Rob is running him in circles – I'm telling you, Rob can get anyone younger than us to just be doing stuff because he's Papa's mini on the sunshine side – but the sun can burn you, too, and that's what Rob is like when he gets mad.”

“I'm just trying to picture jump rope CPR, though,” Glendella said. “It's like – well, Rob is five but he's a chunky little five-year-old and that's muscle with the leftover baby fat, too – I mean, is that right?”

“Yeah, Rob is a little muscle man at five years old,” Eleanor said, “because he works out with Papa and Cousin Harry and then comes out every other day and hula hoops and jumps rope with us. I mean, we're all kind of athlete builds, but Rob is going for Junior Olympian – next week, though.”

“And he's serious about that – I mean, can you be a Junior Olympian at five, though?” Glendella said.

“Darned if I know, but I do know that if I were to mess up and give Rob the number to the committee, he would be on that phone talking about 'because, see, I already am doing the weightlifting and stuff, and, see –' and trying to get up in there! And there's a chance they would give him some type of position, because it is very hard to tell anyone named Robert Edward Ludlow no. They don't understand it. Even my dad, Robert Jr. – he needed to get off those drugs, but, no.”

“That's deep, Ellie,” Glendella said. “I mean, at least No. 3 is trying to use his powers for good!”

“Exactly – Sr. and No. 3 understand what it is for, but you saw Papa wolfing down twice as much salad yesterday, because No. 3 was dead serious yesterday, but doesn't quite get it.”

“No. 3 saves your life, but breaks your ribs doing it – because Robert Edward Ludlows do what they say they are going to do,” Glendella said. “I mean, Grumps my biological grandfather called here to threaten your grandfather's business, and your grandfather and now my Upgrade Papa had the Ludlow Winery shut down in just two hours!”

“It would have been an hour and a half,” Eleanor said, “but when Papa called our company attorney, he was helping his mom with something and had to call back thirty minutes later.”

Glendella put her head in her hands.

“Wow,” he said. “This is why we gotta be real good big sisters to No. 3, Rob, because that's lot of power that is going to hit the world, and the world is not ready for Robert Edward Ludlow III as he is right now.”

“Nope,” Eleanor said. “That boy already broke the Lofton County Chamber of Commerce Virtual Conference – folks laughed so hard on Zoom at him straight up telling them that if they pay the Ludlow Bubbly like they are supposed to, we'll get their orders right out – they blew a couple of servers and couldn't get the thing back up for hours!”

“I heard about that – that's who Grumps was talking about!” Glendella said. “He was talking about how his presentation was up next and how could they let that blond brat do all that because he was a Ludlow, but not like us!”

“Robert Edward Ludlow apparently has been getting in his way for a minute,” Eleanor said. “Just two different ones.”

“Well,” Glendella said, “I guess if you act a fool long enough, a grandfather and his twin might be dispatched to shut you up and sit you down.”

“Yep,” Eleanor said. “Like Grandma Jubilee says over at the Trent house, 'got to be more careful.'”



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(Edited)

Ah, it's been a while since I read one of your stories from this universe. Is Ludlow (the grandfather) the captain? Or am I thinking of someone else?

This phrase

he's Papa's mini on the sunshine side

Love it. Did you make that up or is that a saying where you're from?

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Capt. Ludlow is the grandfather, and he has recently adopted his ten-year-old cousin Glendella, making eight (grand)children.

I made that up ... I was the mini of both my grandmothers, and later, I observed the phenomenon in others ... generational traits are fascinating to observe ... so, in the Ludlow family, there are four minis ... Lil' Robert, the closest physical and personality mini of his grandfather, but on the sunshiny side ... Edwina, who is her grandfather's warrior mini and also the mini of his grandmother "Grandee" Lee ... Grayson, who is the mini of Capt. Ludlow's father, master builder Edwin Ludlow, and so always building in the Lego pile, and Andrew, "Lil' Captain," who is the little calm commander of the Ludlow grandchildren at need, steering them out of all the trouble he can.

This is also a reference on the fact that if you know elders well, you will see what they have passed on to their descendants. I was raised close to my grandparents and great aunts and uncles, and I am still in a church full of elders who I also know well and have taught Sunday School to their grandchildren and great-grandchildren ... and so I have insights to their personalities because I see the echoes.

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For sure, minis of elders are fascinating. It's been awhile since I observed it close up, but it's always entertaining. ... I have to admit I'm proud I remembered the captain correctly, given how sporadically I drop in on the saga. I should definitely get brownie points. :)

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