"But the thing is, I can afford to talk with them anyway I like, because I have made the appropriate investments in my security – but has Capt. Ludlow made those investments?”
Mrs. Selene Slocum-Lofton was on the phone with her grandson Col. H.F. Lee talking about the hottest man in Lofton County: Capt. Robert Edward Ludlow Sr., who had come out of publically nowhere to let the people who hated his father, his elder brother, and everyone not in their good old boys club know that their hate was no longer going to be running things in Lofton County.
Obviously, that hate had focused on the captain, and Mrs. Slocum-Lofton was concerned and was willing to come out of pocket to help out because her late husband had loved working with the captain's father, Edwin Ludlow, and with his eldest son Edwin Jr.
Col. Lee listened to this in happy astonishment, marveling at the change in his grandmother since she had come to Christ for real. She long had observed drama situations to see where she might take material advantage, and even precipitated drama to her purpose – but now, she was remembering the people in them as people.
“These people would gladly take Capt. Ludlow and his grandchildren off the map, for spite,” she said. “They are probably too cowardly and stupid, but ever since we discovered who murdered Isaiah Hamilton, we cannot pretend it is not a possibility.”
“Cousin Ironwood and I have discussed this,” Col. Lee said about Maj. Ironwood Hamilton, the murdered councilman's son who had returned to Lofton County as a police captain in Tinyville and had sussed out his parents' murderer. “We are Cousin Robert's security.”
“Well, one less thing for me to be concerned about – they had best not touch anything you are concerned with,” she said, and the colonel heard the slight tremor in her voice.
Mrs. Slocum-Lofton would never forget what she had done to her own grandson, and what he had very nearly done to her in return – but Christ had made the difference for them both, and they were no longer mortal enemies to each other.
“They had best not,” he said, “but, Grandmother, you know that Christ and I have forgiven you, and I thank God that Christ and you have forgiven me.”
“I was actually thinking that I know how wicked and petty these people are because I was the same kind of person,” she said. “I feel so much horror at what I was, and so much gratitude to be redeemed and have time and health to make what amends I can. I would wish that these people who are so mad at everyone else for catching them in the folly they chose to do would also now what it is to be free of living that way – but at the same time, Henry, while we pray for them to be freed by coming to repentance and faith, we also need to be ready to free them from the idea that they dare harm Capt. Ludlow, and I know you know how to do that sort of thing!”
“I will not weary you with the details, Grandmother, but just know: the freeing of certain people of that idea has begun!”
“Most excellent, Henry – on to lighter topics, then! How is Maggie, and my great-grandbaby laughing it up with her in her womb?”
“Maggie is still having a good time living so close with our little Ludlow cousins, and we just did our first pre-natal check… so far, though it is very early along, so good.”
Col. Lee paused and then added, “Thank you for asking, Grandmother. I do not take it for granted that Christ has brought us together in love and concern for each other; the former things truly are passed away.”
She would have hardly been more happy with his Italian American wife than she was with his African American wife way back when … they both knew that … but the former things were passed away. Both of Col. Lee's grandmothers adored his second wife so much that she had been able to precipitate their reconciliation!
“Everybody loves Maggie,” he often said to himself with a laugh about how Maggie Lee moved through life.
But it was more than that.
“I know I cannot make up for how cruel I was to you about Vanessa,” Mrs. Slocum-Lofton said. “I do not take it for granted that Christ has brought us together in love and forgiveness such that you even are involving me in your family affairs. The least I can do is do the best I can, with God's help.”
“And I appreciate that you do that, Grandmother,” the colonel said.
“And I appreciate that you permit me, Henry,” the grandmother said.
She was silent for a long time, and then said, “I truly do wish that the people we are plotting against for plotting against Capt. Ludlow could know how unnecessary all the trouble they are about to have is.”
“So do I, Grandmother. I know the Lord can change the code of hate written in their hearts because He changed it in ours, and I do pray for that. But I am a Lee, not a Slocum-Lofton.”
“That's right – pray for them one day, find them still on the battlefield opposing and send them on to Heaven or Hell the next day,” she said. “But just know I have added prayer to my skills, so we can both pray today, and then … .”
He cracked up laughing.
“Actually, we are too much alike – I'm glad we're both saved now!” he said, and she cracked up laughing too.
Mr. John Worley, Col. Lee's step-grandfather, smiled as he watched … the wound in his wife's heart for her first husband's loss had at last been healed by reconciling with the grandson who reminded her of the best of him … but, in reality, grandmother and grandson were quite similar in how they went on defense against their enemies … they were both great people to know after the code in their hearts had been changed through redemption!