Thoughtful six-year-old Grayson Ludlow popped his little blond head out on the porch, and, seeing that there was no one there, went out and sat down on the front steps to think.
Eight-year-old Gracie Trent next door saw him there 20 minutes later and came to see what he was thinking about.
“I heard that people were taking all the problems from Covid – I think it's 19 problems or something – and they are being kicked down the road. I think that's a good idea, actually.”
Gracie considered this.
“Well, it gets the problems away from the house,” she said, “but we need to add one more thing. Let me see if I have a small box.”
Gracie went through the recycling at her house and found a small match box, an act that got her father's attention.
Capt. R.E. Ludlow got a text from the sergeant ten minutes later: “This is Alpha paging Bravo. This is Alpha paging Bravo. Anti-Covid-19 action taking place imminently on our front porches. Reinforcements requested, over.”
This tickled the captain, who then found all his seven grandchildren out on the front porch where the three younger Trent children were sitting, with 11-year-old Velma writing things down.
“And see, that's another problem,” five-year-old Lil' Robert was saying. “Put that on there, too.”
“I think we have more than 19 problems with Covid,” Velma said, “but I'll just turn the page over when we fill it.”
Mrs. Ludlow and Mrs. Trent came out to watch and learn about the frustrations the little ones had with the whole Covid situation … and to watch them put the paper in the little box and start kicking it around the cul-de-sac, all the way down to the road, and then down the road, and then out to the intersection. Then, 10-year-old Andrew kicked the little box right into the middle of the intersection.
“See, it's not enough to kick the problems from Covid-19 down the road,” Gracie said. “We need to get them run over.”
“Serves Covid right!” Lil' Robert said.
“I thought it was a good idea,” Grayson said.
“And it was!” seven-year-old Amanda and eight-year-old Edwina Ludlow said about it as they kissed him.
“Felt good kicking it,” nine-year-old George Ludlow said.
“Ain't it the truth,” nine-year-old Milton Trent said.
“I'm not sure that's what 'kicked down the road' actually means,” eleven-year-old Eleanor Ludlow said, “but it seems to be working.”
“Sometimes,” Velma Trent said, “we just have to make do until we can get something better.”
And both families waited until the box had been run over several times.
“Well, that takes care of that,” Andrew said. “Now, we just need to trash it. Litter and such.”
Sgt. Vincent Trent was 15 years younger than Capt. Ludlow, and so went out, picked up the crushed box out of the intersection, and put it into the trash can.
“Now,” Gracie said, “we just need everybody to finish the job. Kicking stuff down the road is a start, but eventually, you gotta get your problems run over and trashed, and that takes working together and getting stuff done.”
“We adults are trying to get there, Gracie,” Sgt. Trent said.
“We're just old and slow,” Capt. Ludlow said, a twinkle in his blue eyes.