“But basically, monk mode is unnecessary for those of us who had good fathers – we ain't gotta pretend girls don't exist. We just gotta watch how our dads did right by the ones they are or were with.”
“Exactly, my young bachelor friends. My father and I differ, in life, by exactly one woman: my mother, and they have been married almost 60 years.”
16-year-old Tom Stepforth, his 21-year-old cousin Melvin Trent, and 52-year-old Maj. J.P.P Dubois were talking about bachelor life because the major had dropped off a huge Dubois on the Road order for the Trents, Stepforths, Lees, and Ludlows. Maj. Dubois was a veteran and still a bachelor at 52 years of age. He had considered becoming a monk, but had gone to West Point instead.
“My family started Catholic,” the major said, “as many in Black French Louisiana were and are, but some things happened when myself and my big sister Jeanne were small. My father would not share for years, but the local parish kept sweeping things under the rug, so, he and my mother left. Many other Christian sects do not have monkhood as a life path, so I considered going back to the Catholic Church to do that. My favorite monk in history is St. Francis of Assisi, and I was very moved by his life story. But then I realized I could do what the Lord said on every other path of life, and study military law instead.
“You do not need to be a particular type of Christian to control your desires for women's bodies. You just have to turn yourself over to the control of the Spirit of God, and He will lead you in two specific ways: one, to see women as people that He deeply loves and intends for you to honor, respect, and protect from evil men, and two, to avoid tempting media and personal situations because the urges of the body and ego are indeed very strong.
“Now you would think that's a simp's path the way they talk in high school,” Tom said, “but then again, no one ever talks about what happens if you're on child support payments from age 16. No one ever talks about how you not knowing how to work any kind of custody system or anything will have you not able to even see your child. No one ever talks about getting STDs in your teen years and not even living to 40.”
“And nobody talks about the crazy grandparents like ours that will set up a shotgun wedding situation for a young man in a minute,” Melvin said. “Our grandparents are Trents, Stepforths, and Jubilees. They will jack up a young man *quick, fast, and in a hurry.” You are about to have your whole life either wrecked or ended, because you didn't want to keep your pants up.”
“And above all that,” Maj. Dubois said gently, “when you don't do things the way the Creator of Mankind said they should be best done, all kinds of things are bound to go wrong. Now don't get me wrong. My parents have eleven children. Everything was not always good times. Doing things right doesn't put you in Heaven and having kids out of wedlock won't put you in Hell – but life is complicated enough for men in the world, and especially Black men in the United States of America. You are wise, young gentlemen, to flee from temptation and avoid messing up your lives, especially since the kind of young women who would do wrong with you already know who your grandfather is.”
“Yeah, they will be trying to get their piece of the three billion-dollar rock,” Tom said.
“No thank you,” Melvin said. “Ain't no five minutes of pleasure anywhere worth messing up a legacy.”
“Hey – I know what that word means!” five-year-old Lil' Robert Ludlow said as he came running by.
“Were you doing quality eavesdropping again?” Melvin said gently as he picked his little neighbor up.
“No, I just wanted to say hi to Maj. Dubois – hi, and thank your parents for the great food!”
“You're welcome, Robert. Tell me what legacy means.”
“Legacy means the stuff you leave in the world to show you did a good job that your people will continue! Because, see, my name is Robert Edward Ludlow III, and my Papa is Robert Edward Ludlow Sr., and see, we don't go for unfairness, kids being mistreated, folks not having enough to eat, and stuff like that, so, see, when he goes to Heaven 100 years from now, I'mma just keep up the good work, because, see, that's legacy!”
“By golly, he does know!” Tom said.
“Tell me something, Robert,” the major purred as Melvin handed the little boy to him. “You have a lot of siblings and friends here – would you pick any more that didn't understand how important what you and your Papa are into?”
Lil' Robert had to think about that for some minutes … that was a real big thought for a five-year-old.
“No,” he said. “It's like getting with people who don't know how to use papier-mache. It's a mess for everybody, and I'm not going for it.”
“By golly, he does get it!” Tom said.
“And so do you gentlemen,” the major said. “All of you just have to remember the legacy you are carrying from your earthly fathers and grandfathers up to your Heavenly Father, and walk in a world full of His beautiful daughters always thinking of Him, and what He would have you do, and how you have seen your fathers and grandfathers model what to do. Just don't forget.”
