Photo by the author, Deeann D. Mathews
“Well, whoever that was shoulda known that was going to be a situation – how do you just let your paperwork get swapped out on something that weighs all those tons and I don't even know how much a ton is but those ocean-shipping ships are real big so how do you just slide it out of a whole harbor in Hawaii under somebody's nose – how does anyone even have a nose that big anyway? I mean, if I'm the captain on that thing, don't you think I would notice that somebody went out and hung a cardboard sign over the name of the ship?”
The thing about eight-year-old Edwina Ludlow: she just picked up drama and ran, and the phone conversation her grandfather was having about how a ship with the Ludlow Bubbly on it had been quietly stolen and all their soda drunk up before getting anywhere near Japan had her going.
Six-year-old Grayson Ludlow considered the information presented to him, and then said, “Cardboard at sea for a sign? That would be a very bad sign.”
“Yeah, and I would notice that!” Edwina said. “Why would you add something to the ship you are stealing that soaks up water like that?”
“I don't do ship engineering,” Grayson said, “although I think it is called nautical engineering, but I know that whoever has Papa on the phone talking like this isn't very smart.”
“I mean, you're trying to the steal the ship, not sink it – I mean, how many chains are you going to need to add to a sunk ship to drag it across the bottom to steal it instead of letting it float?” Edwina said.
“Chains are not it,” Grayson said. “What kind of engine are you going to need to tow it?”
“Yeah, that too!” Edwina said. “The whole thing is dumb and they need to repay us for our soda and get smart!”
“I think this is why Papa says 'all money ain't good money,' though,” Grayson said. “Do we really want to let those people know where our bank is?”
“You know what?” Edwina said. “Yeah, they might try to rob that too, and then I'mma have to break bad, because you need Legos and I need glitter and that takes money!”
“I wasn't thinking of that,” Grayson said. “I was thinking they might change the name of the bank, and cardboard signs last a while on land.”
“And then we couldn't even find our bank while they were getting the money out – yeah, no, all money ain't good money,” Edwina said. “We're gonna have to let this go because like Glendella says, 'Because, no!'”
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