Mrs. Melissa Trent heard the unmistakable and rare sound of Capt. R.E. Ludlow on his porch late in the evening, gently but thoroughly laughing, his basso profondo merriment carrying across three yards.
The two did not often interact – both were more often in the house and did less watch duties outside in their respective homes – but both she and Sgt. Vincent Trent were curious, and both were delighted to see the captain break up laughing all over again when asked.
“Y'all know my baby grandson, Robert Edward Ludlow III,” he said. “Our darling Lil' Robert is always working on his future, and of course, applying the power of the skip a few … .”
The Trents broke out laughing, because that baby boy had decided there was no need to count to big numbers when instead he could simply say, “One, two, skip a few and BOOM – the number!” Of course, Lil' Robert Ludlow being the genius he was, he applied that logic to everything, skipping a few details when necessary!
So, Lil' Robert had dressed for bed the previous day, and then thought again, and then bopped out in a tank top and his little boxer shorts because –.
“I've decided I want to be a magician, because, see, it's fun, and they always say, 'There's nothing up my sleeve,' so, see, I got that figured out!”
“This boy was three when he was watching David Copperfield reruns with us and heard David Copperfield say that – so here he comes two years later and solves the problem of not having stuff up his sleeves by not having sleeves and pants legs!” the captain said. “And of course his grandmother said to me right after we finally got him dressed properly and back to bed, 'Well, at least he didn't strip naked and throw a glass of water on his head like that time Milton and Gracie were trying to show how to keep cool while running!' So of course I had to get out of the house because me cracking up in the house was going to have all eight little Ludlows getting up and trying to share in Papa's fun!”
“Which would not have been fun for you and Grandma!” Mrs. Trent said.
“Nope!” the captain said, “but, it still didn't work because I broke out laughing in my sleep because I dreamed that boy dressed in tank top, shorts, top hat, bow tie, and with the magic wand, and so he and the rest all piled in on us anyway!”
“Like magic!” Sgt. Trent said, and delighted as the captain broke out laughing again, which feat caused all his grandchildren to magically appear yet again.
“Boy, he has changed from when he first moved here!” Mrs. Trent said.
“That's a growing, healing man, doing his work, and reaping the rewards,” Sgt. Trent said. “When a man does this, his whole family prospers.”
“Don't I know it!” Mrs. Trent said, and gave her husband a kiss on his cheek.