Fractal art by the author, Deeann D. Mathews
“So, what I've learned about life from watching both Pop-Pop and Uncle Vincent is that you just can't tell your wife that you love her once and it keep going. You have to proclaim your love or at least put a reminder out there, so this is why I'm working on starting the layaway for my engagement ring for Louisa, and then I'll just send her a picture every month until her hands grow into it.”
“Well,” Col. H.F. Lee said with a straight face to nine-year-old Vertran Stepforth, “you have the right general idea.”
The most watched romance in Lofton County – at least by the Stepforth and Dubois families – was La Romance de Vertran et Louisa, which commenced when Vertran Stepforth, then just three months from being nine, proposed to Louisa Dubois Chennault, granddaughter of the Dubois family, in town to be taking gifted classes set up by Vertran's grandfather, Thomas Stepforth Sr. She said yes, setting up a nine-year engagement … and of course, both having seen nothing but models of long, successful marriages, thought that of course all best friends ended up getting married, so of course...
Col. Lee had been briefed by his Army mentor, Major J.P.P. Dubois, so he was not caught by surprise.
“See, I learned from Pop-Pop in business and in life, when you see what you need, don't let it get away,” Vertran said to Col. Lee about that when they met.
“I get it. I'm a new groom myself – not yet seven months married, wasn't planning on it 18 months ago,” Col. Lee said. “But, I'm also 46 years old, Vertran. A bit more urgency at my big age.”
“Yes, but, see, you're a grown colonel,” Vertran said. “Lots of women like military men. But it's like Gracie my cousin says: I gotta hang onto Louisa because there's just no other marriage material out here for nine-year-old grand-mogul thousandaires like me.”
“I suppose that field is kind of thin,” Col. Lee said. “And I thought I had difficult standards to meet!”
Col. Lee's new bride Maggie had fallen onto the sofa in the Ludlow home, totally helpless from laughter by this time!
“Well, you do understand, though, because by assets, you can get why Pop-Pop and Grandma got back together, because at a certain level, you just can't trust that people are not going after you for your money,” Vertran said.
“I see you pay exceptionally close attention to who pays attention to Lofton County founders of businesses and what happens to their companies,” Col. Lee said.
“Oh, Pop-Pop keeps up with all of that, and I keep up with Pop-Pop's reading,” Vertran said. “Besides that, the Mortons are Black too, and Pop-Pop really keeps up with Black businesses from Virginia that have billionaire status. My Pop-Pop and Mama Vallie Morton went to school together, although he was a senior and didn't really know her well – because you know, back then, you and I couldn't have gone to the same school together.”
“That was still a problem when I was in high school in the early 90s,” Col. Lee said.
“I know – but you did the right thing, and that is how you got to know Mr. Victor Morton and his sister Vanessa, the first Mrs. Lee,” Vertran said, “which now is why, by assets, you understand what Pop-Pop and I understand.”
“Morton Technologies, the first Mrs. Lee's brainchild, has indeed done pretty well,” Col. Lee said.
“$10 billion,” Vertran said. “You own a third. It is just interesting to finally have you as a neighbor because it's the first time I've been where another person who really is on Pop-Pop's level lives next door. But also –.”
And Vertran reverted from grand-mogul to loving little boy and surprised the colonel with a bear hug.
“I don't know what I would do if Louisa died, so, that's for Mrs. Vanessa Lee, because money doesn't do anything for that kind of loss.”
“It most certainly does not,” the colonel said, very nearly driven from his composure with this surprise, “but I find that Vanessa's friends and admirers are all wonderful people, and I have much comfort everywhere with them. Glad to meet another one.”
“Oh, the joy's all mine, Colonel,” Vertran said. “As fellow moguls go, you're super down-to-earth.”
“I try, Vertran,” Col. Lee said. “Money does not make the man. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. foresaw the day in which, at least among those who live righteously, we would be judged by the content of our character – so since I'm choosing to live right, and I think you are too, there it is.”
“Right on, Colonel, right on – you are one of the few white moguls Pop-Pop actually likes, and I see why!”
“Content of character, Vertran. Content of character. The compliment is also returned to your grandfather, who gives me encouragement in how he worked it out with the woman who was for him.”
“Oh, Pop-Pop is an inspiration to us all!” Vertran said. “He's actually about to get Grandma a new ring, and so that started me thinking again about my layaway plan, because since I've got nine years and plenty of YouTube and Hive revenue coming in, I ought to be able to buy just about anything I want at the jewelry store.”
“Just gotta work out the plan, eh?” Col. Lee said.
“Yep – and it's such a relief to be with moguls who think like moguls, because money is never an object. You just gotta get the right people and the right plan together, Pop-Pop always says.”
“Given that much time,” Col. Lee said, “you could have a ring designed.”
“You know,” Vertran said. “Let me get my crayons and my markers – that's a great idea!”
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I bet Vertran can design a beautiful ring, who knows he might have a new business plan.
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