“My thing is, there's already too much suffering in the world, so I just think that Brussels sprouts should be abolished.”
“Ain't it the truth, Mandie, ain't it the truth.”
Seven-year-old Amanda Ludlow and eight-year-old Gracie Trent were learning about the concept of abolition … at their size.
Gracie's paternal grandmother, Gladys Jubilee Trent, smiled at Gracie's maternal grandmother, Velma Stepforth, as she overheard this.
“Does anybody even like Brussels sprouts, though?” Mrs. Jubilee Trent said.
“Nobody under 15, and not too many over,” Mrs. Stepforth said. “Now, the sprouts can be made good, but you just ask yourself is it worth the trouble and then just go get some cabbage or collards and make something better.”
“Ain't it the truth, Velma,” Mrs. Jubilee Trent said with a chuckle. “So, our grandchildren and their friends are learning about the history of abolition through the horror of Brussels sprouts.”
“It really happened because Amanda's brother Grayson can already spell all these words,” Mrs. Stepforth said, “and the Ludlow grandparents leave the dictionaries where all the little Ludlows can get them. Meanwhile, Velma over here is always reading anything we put down, so, with two households with such voracious literacy, they are constantly getting hold to bigger-than-average concepts for their age group and just learning them organically.”
“And here we are as grandparents for the bigger-than-average questions – I love it,” Mrs. Jubilee Trent said. “But I also see why you and Tom are glad enough to have eased back on down the street to your home.”
“Yeah, because Gracie and Milton are a handful,” Mrs. Stepforth said. “I mean you have to constantly be on point – Gracie will have you running through your own house in an absolute panic because she had an idea.”
“Yeah, I heard about the downspout coffee and the help for Mr. Sandman with the kitty litter from the clean side of the box,” Mrs. Jubilee Trent said. “And of course Milton and his best friend George are going to get us into space with solar sail technology made out of aluminum foil.”
“Yeah, about to hit the ground again, as in grounded,” Mrs. Stepforth said.
“Not this time, on this thing,” Mrs. Jubilee Trent said. “The thing about Gracie and Milton and also George: they need things to do that are constructive, because otherwise, they will find their own projects.”
“But how did you stop Milton from getting the foil?” Mrs. Stepforth said.
“I was just talking to his mom about how we are about to use it in a way that is interesting to him,” Mrs. Jubilee Trent said. “Solar sails are good, but homemade Silver Star action figures are better.”
Mrs. Stepforth cracked up.
“Hours of fun – no grounding needed!” she said. “Like little Amanda said, there is already too much suffering in the world!”
“Ain't it the truth, Velma, ain't it the truth.”
