“So, um, I've called this meeting because Vertran explained to us about shark tanks, and I just need to make sure we are not going to do anything that is going to harm sharks because they didn't ask to be dragged up here into our business.”
Seven-year-old Amanda Ludlow had done what no grown man could do and live. After asking her brother Andrew to put two chairs on the yard, she had dragged her grandfather, Capt. R.E. Ludlow, into the yard with the words, “I need you to sit here!” and then gone into the home of her best friend Gracie Trent and pulled out her grandfather, billionaire Thomas Stepforth Sr., with the same words. Both men literally could have killed a man who tried to manhandle them with their bare hands, but sweet, shy Amanda's audacity was just stunning.
“Um, Vertran?” Mr. Stepforth called, and nine-year-old Vertran came out of the Trent home. “Can you brief us on what you told Amanda?”
“There's no real sharks in a shark tank in business,” he said. “It's just a metaphor, Amanda, a way to understand how rich humans treat poorer humans who need money for their businesses.”
Amanda considered this, and then turned pink.
“Well, that's no good either – because real sharks need to eat but humans don't need to be doing all that – so, Mr. Stepforth, I know you have more money but don't you dare, because you're a nice person and you don't need to be all wicked because you have money and we don't even need you like that for you to be doing all that.”
“At ease, Amanda,” Capt. Ludlow said. “We don't do business with wicked people.”
“And I don't do business like that – I hate shark tanks,” Mr. Stepforth said.
Amanda considered this and smiled.
“Oh, OK, that's all I needed to know. You are now free to move about the country, like they say on that airline commercial – bye – oh, and, Papa, can you take the chairs back in because Andrew was trying to be tough and all, but they really are kinda big for him. Thank you! Bye!”
And she just ran off back into childhood, leaving the two grandfathers and Vertran.
“Well, I guess we're all clear now,” Vertran said.
“I guess so,” Mr. Stepforth said.
“I guess I'm just going to move these chairs,” Capt. Ludlow said, “and I will speak with Amanda later about laying hands on folks. She has a real problem with any kind of abusive situation, so, she doesn't do well with certain metaphors.”
“Got it,” Vertran said.
“Everything we read in Investopedia is not for the seven-year-old crowd, Vertran,” Mr. Stepforth said.
“Got it, Pop-Pop.”
But afterward Vertran had gone on about his business, Mr. Stepforth started laughing.
“I have Gracie, Milton, and Tom to contend with, and you would think you have enough to deal with handling Edwina, George, and Lil' Robert – but here comes Miss Amanda out of left field!”
Capt. Ludlow put his head in his hands.
“Amanda and Grayson will turn into me at the least opportune times,” he said, “throwing off their mellow disguises and just wrecking shop! At least with the other three – wait a minute, what in the – George, DON'T YOU DARE!”
“MILTON, WHERE ARE YOU?” Mr. Stepforth said.
Milton was with George, of course, signing up to be grounded for the rest of the day … and, since the two grandfathers were occupied, Andrew, Amanda's ten-year-old big brother, came out and put the chairs away.