5 march 2025, @mariannewest's Freewrite Writing Prompt Day 2666: equipped for the future

“Grandma, can you call the store real quick? I'm ready for my muscle shirt.”

Mrs. Thalia Ludlow looked kindly down at her baby grandson, five-year-old Robert Edward Ludlow III, also known as Lil' Robert.

“What changed from yesterday, Rob?” she said gently as she looked into the refrigerator for the fruit she had prepared to get ready for breakfast.

“Well, see, now that we have parent-age cooking and grandparent-age cooking because, see, Cousin Harry and Cousin Maggie are here and then you and Papa are here, and, see, Uncle Sarge and Aunt Melissa Trent are back but the Stepforths are still here, too, and, see, I am getting my workouts done with both Papa and Cousin Harry, so, see, I can eat like six meals a day, fill up my hollow legs, and really start growing!”

And that baby boy smiled and started rubbing his little hands together …

“I was good until he did that!” Mrs. Maggie Lee said as she tried to explain to her husband, Col. H.F. Lee, why she was laughing in a heap in their home after dropping off some of the food she and Mrs. Ludlow had gotten ready for the morning.

“It wasn't the prospect of trying to feed Lil' Mr. Universe six times a day?” Col. Lee said.

“So,” Mrs. Ludlow said to her baby grandson, “you think that this situation is really going to have you equipped for the future, huh?”

“If equipped for the future means getting tall and being ready for my muscle shirt, yes!”

“Hello, Amazon?” came the super-deep and melodious voice of retired army captain Robert Edward Ludlow Sr., Lil' Robert's grandfather, from the next room. “I need a muscle shirt for my five-year-old – no, don't call it extra-extra-extra-extra small, because my grandson has a real tall soul and is really my twin, but you know, stuff happens at hospitals!”

“Yeah – tell 'em, Papa!” Lil' Robert said as he beamed with happiness.

“OK … how is Amazon out of stock with all that stuff y'all have? Well, that's true, real tall souls are not common – but you'll have it when?”

Capt. Ludlow walked into the kitchen and put his hand over the receiver of the phone.

“They'll have it next week, though,” he said.

“Next week, though!” Lil' Robert said. “That's good because six times seven is 42, so they can knock all those extras off – I'mma eat 42 meals and have even more muscles!”

“My grandson is going to bulk up, so you can send us the regular five-year-old muscle shirt size,” Capt. Ludlow said to the phone. “Next week, though? OK, that will work. Let me get my payment details for you.”

He walked out, and Mrs. Ludlow smiled at Lil' Robert.

“Wanna help me make the first of those 42 meals, Rob?”

“Yes. Yes, I do!”

“Hello, U-Haul?” Col. Lee said to his phone while Mrs. Lee screamed laughing. “I know you just drove our stuff up here, but you may need to come take our stuff back because, see, there's this five-year-old neighbor in a muscle shirt who just knocked my wife down ... .”