@mariannewest's Freewrite Writing Prompt Day 2129: splurge

Image by Rosy from Pixabay

“I wonder if he knows,” nine-year-old Milton said to eleven-year-old Velma Trent his elder sister.

“I hope so – I hope Capt. Ludlow didn't forget to tell him,” Velma said.

Both children grinned as Col. H.F. Lee stepped outside the Ludlow home to make an announcement.

“While the Ludlow grandchildren are under the care of myself and my wife, all the old rules and practices remain in force, including the all-important 'Y'all go ahead and come on!' rule when it comes to all musical activities.”

“Yaaaaaaaaaaaay!” Milton and Velma and their baby sister eight-year-old Gracie said as they ran across their yard into the Ludlow yard and into the garage to join their seven Ludlow friends in their music lessons with Col. F.V. Wozniak. Soon, Capt. Ludlow's own voice was heard on Zoom, warming all ten children up with their favorite take on “Old MacDonald Had a Farm”:

“Old MacDonald learned to sing – ah, ay, ee, oh, oo!
And soon he could sing anything – ah, ay, ee, oh, oo!
With a singer's vowel here and a singer's vowel there,
Soon he could sing anywhere!
Old MacDonald learned to sing – ah, ay, ee, oh, oo!

“Old Mac's neighbors joined the song – ah, ay, ee, oh, oo!
And everyone can sing along – ah ay, ee, oh, oo!
With a singer's vowel here and a singer's vowel there,
Soon they could sing anywhere!
Old Mac's neighbors joined the song – ah, ay, ee, oh, oo!”

“Everyone can learn to sing – ah, ay, ee, oh, oo!
And 'round the world their voices ring – ah, ay, ee, oh, oo!
With a singer's vowel here and a singer's vowel there,
Soon we'll be heard everywhere!
Everyone can learn to sing – ah, ay, ee, oh, oo!”

“Lil' Robert still doesn't know how to blend,” Mrs. Melissa Trent said, “but his tuning is improving, and for five years old, that's amazing.”

“Edwina and Amanda and Gracie are working that harmony with Mrs. Lee, though,” 21-year-old Melvin Trent said to his almost 18-year-old sister Vanna just before Sgt. Vincent Trent came with the ice cream. “Thanks, Dad!”

Sgt. Trent and Capt. Ludlow had quietly made a deal around “Y'all go ahead and come on,” and Col. Lee had been let in on it: since the ten Ludlow and Trent children all loved music, Sgt. Trent quietly picked up the cost for his three to have lessons with Col. Wozniak, and Capt. Ludlow allowed his grandchildren to come learn folk singing from Mrs. Trent's father, baritone billionaire Thomas Stepforth.

This gave the adults in each house a break for a while, and time for a welcome treat.

“Because we all know once these kids find this, there will not be a drop of ice cream left,” Sgt. Trent said. “If y'all have never seen Velma scoop ice cream for her siblings and her friends – that sweet little girl can scare you sometimes!”

“Look, Velma is just like Grandma Velma,” Vanna said. “She's sweet, and quiet, and can eat you alive without ever breaking a sweat. She does everything the exact same way – she scoops ice cream like she reads these books and does her art, so get out of the way because she is coming through.”

“Which is why we are going to get this ice cream out of the way while all of them have a good time singing,” Mrs. Trent said. “Sometimes we grown folks have to splurge and reward ourselves, and after all, Melvin and Vanna, we don't get enough time to check in with y'all, so this is your time with us.”

“Just in time – they already got to the honey-roasted peanuts,” Sgt. Trent said.

“What?” Melvin said. “How are they – never mind, Dad. Sometimes just asking Gracie to explain the how is too much.”

“Y'all remember the gymnastics they were going to do in the yard and the summer salts incident?” Vanna said.

“I remember the Winter Olympics and how Milton and George next door tried to make a winter wonderland out there with baking soda and how much Capt. Ludlow and I had to pay to keep our leases here by having that cleaned up, quick, fast, and in a hurry,” Sgt. Trent said. “That's why some of these cabinets are child-proofed now, but I don't have the food set up like that. Back to the drawing board – but not now. Ice cream it is with the salted peanuts.”

“AH, AY, EE, OH, OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” came the triumphant five-note chord from the Ludlow house, and every child satisfied with the sweetness of the day on their end.