“Listen, they already know what they need to do to that guy – don't make me go up to City Hall and take care of the business! Throw him under the bus, the jail, and all this bad building he has done – how are we just letting people like him run their mouths? We need to get you a press conference on the news instead, Grayson!”
“Naw, I'm good, Eddie. If you build stuff right, you don't have to really be on the news.”
“Well, yeah.”
Eight-year-old Edwina and six-year-old Grayson Ludlow were doing quality eavesdropping on the news report about one of the people who had worked on several of the communities that Hurricane Mneme had washed away. Said architect was out talking about how acts of God should not be blamed on any builder, and two hurricanes coming through in a month was not what anyone planned for.
But then, things got bad …
“You don't see anybody else out here whose buildings are still standing making excuses!” somebody yelled.
“Edwin Ludlow's buildings are all still standing – what's your excuse?”
“Uh oh!” Edwina said. “Great-Grandpa has entered the chat from the great beyond!”
“You know its bad when a guy who has been in Heaven longer than you have been building is out-building you,” Grayson said.
“And, here come the tomatoes,” Mrs. Thalia Ludlow said in the next room, and Edwina got up and started pumping her fist.
“Yeah! Yeah! Get 'em!” she said. “Ain't nobody trying to eat all these tomatoes we grow in Lofton County anyway! Get 'em!”
“I don't know about all that when Grandma can be making spaghetti and Papa can make slices for burgers,” Grayson said.
“Well, yeah,” Edwina said as she sat back down. “But then again, Grayson, since nobody wanted to waste a book to throw at him, a couple of overripe tomatoes will do. They need to spare the pineapples, though, spare the pineapples.”
“Yeah, spare the pineapples,” Grayson said. “I know the man messed up and can't build right, but, let's not get out of hand.”
