Image by Lars Peter Witt from Pixabay
Both Captain R.E. Ludlow and Sgt. Trent remembered President George W. Bush talking about “the coalition of the willing” … he surely did not mean what was about to happen between them, but, hey, concepts were available to be used!
Sgt. Trent was guardedly but pleasantly surprised when his neighbor came within six feet of his porch and stopped.
“I came without the grandchildren to hide behind, Sgt. Trent,” he said. “I did not make the best start with you and your family, and I'm sorry.”
“Apology accepted, Captain Ludlow. God knows we all need second chances.”
Turns out the two men had noticed what they had in common – temporarily single fathers (grandfather, in Captain Ludlow's case) handling a house full of children, waiting on wives to get home, and with big issues to deal with even after they were home.
“Frankly, Captain, I don't know how you do it,” Sgt. Trent said. “Your grandchildren are young and you are a decade senior to me – I have three small ones, and do not know what I would do with seven.”
“It is a situation, Sergeant – but the three oldest are a lot of help with the four youngest, and with the light household tasks. They are a tight-knit bunch.”
“I'm working to get mine there – we relied so much on their mother before she became ill, and that was so sudden.”
“My wife is a traveling nurse, so we may be able to be of some assistance to you in your wife's recovery, although of course, this social distance thing.”
“Right, and I appreciate the idea; thank you. My kids love your grandkids, so consider us another set of eyes to watch them all as you and your wife get a little breather.”
“Thank you; I appreciate that.”
Silence, because there was a question hanging in the air, and finally Sgt. Trent asked it.
“So, what changed your mind about me?”
“Sir, you are a man with your family, and there is so much love here. I was angry at first because I was raised as a racist, but … at bottom, I wished my two children, who have given me these seven children, had lived to come out as well as you have. Racism is often a lot of jealousy, with warped history thrown in.”
“I am sorry, sir, for your loss.”
Captain Ludlow had surprised himself with that admission, but … oh well. For a man like him to have to take on seven young children in old age constituted an emergency, and indeed, Sgt. Trent had guessed as much.
“Quiet as it as kept on my side of the color line,” Captain Ludlow said, “you cannot walk with God and stay a racist. God will not have it. Do not let anybody tell you otherwise.”
“Oh, I know – and because God won't have prejudice either in his sons and daughters, that's also why I went on and accepted your apology.”