Image: Bishop St. post re-gentrification.
This week’s task centres around: Great-Uncle Ludicis is the most eccentric member of your family. And the best tale weaver of the lot. Given his fantastical tales, while he rests, you decide to explore his attic.
Great Uncle Luds was a funny man, mysterious and peculiar for all the right reasons.
I loved visiting him; his house was as unique as he was.
He would sit opposite me his wire rimmed glasses perched on the end of his impressive beak watching me as I ate, curious about the questions I asked always forthcoming with suitable answers all of which I am sure he laced with as much fancy as he could muster.
Great Uncle Luds, we called him that rather than try and stumble our way around his real name, Ludicis, had lived in his house all his life. It was a house full of Ludisms, Lud memories and most of all an attic that from time to time over the years he had taken me into.
When I was twelve I decided to venture into his attic alone rather than wait for Great-Uncle to take me.
From previous visits I knew what I wanted to explore. In the far corner of the attic was a chest. An old chest, with decaying leather handles and ornate metal inlays. It had from my perspective the makings of mystery and wonder.
Great-Uncle being an old man would nap each afternoon leaving me to my own devises. This day I ventured up the stairs to the attic and made my way to the old chest.
It had gathered its fair share of dust by now but like everything else in Lud’s house it was unlocked. He once explained that to me as being of necessity as locking anything meant a key and a key could and often did get lost. Not locking things meant a whole less grief when he wanted to find something.
Inside the chest was a whole bunch of photos. Old photos taken long ago of people who in those times couldn’t smile for the camera.
Under the photos I found a bundle of letters, wrapped in a purple ribbon.
Each letter I read gave me a whole new perspective on Great-Uncle Luds.
They were all written to and from a Miss Amy Summons.
Great–Uncle Luds and Amy were lovers.
The letters told of their plans to meet, plans to marry, their dreams and aspirations. I read each one but the last one was the most telling.
Dear Mr Ludicis Hampton,
Mr Hampton it has come to my attention that my daughter, Amy, and yourself have been engaging in a series of communications that I was not aware of.
It is clear from my daughter that you have both made plans for a future assignation of which I cannot allow to occur.
As a parent of a young woman on the verge of entering society I have to say that her best interests are always at the forefront of my mind.
You Mr Hampton do not enter into that area of my mind. Any union with a man such as you would be doomed to failure both socially and professionally.
I have plans for my daughter to marry into the family of adjoining landowner, Mr Jackson Smythe, whose son, Gladstone, will make a perfect match for her.
I therefore urge to desist in your approaches to my daughter. I have made arrangements for her to journey to Paris in the next week for an indefinite time.
Trusting you will abide by my wishes
Sir Anthony Summons
Casin’s Castle Estate
Wollindilly.
This amongst the many letters this was the only one that showed evidence of being crumpled.
I descended the stairs aware of the reason Great-Uncle Luds had remained a single man all his life.
Written for: https://mindlovemiserysmenagerie.wordpress.com/2015/04/09/tale-weaver-prompt-8-great-uncle-ludicis-attic/
Morpethroad 
Poor Uncle Lud and what a cow of a mother. Sadly does this happen, parents taking control…I know, sometimes for the better..sometimes not. Good story Michael.
Thank you Jenny, yes sometimes parents do have a lot to answer for.
Poor Great-Uncle Lud. That is so unfair. He really must have loved Amy. to have stayed single all his life. I can’t stand these snooty ne’er-do-wells who want their children to marry for social standing and money. Too bad Lud didn’t crumple Sir Anthony rather than just his letter. Great take on the prompt, Michael 🙂
Thank you Lyn great comment and a strong opinion on such subjects….
A very sad story, but one that would undoubtedly have been quite familia in the times when Lud was a young man. Social standing and profession meant everything to those upper-class families. I love the way you present Uncle Luds, and the information in the letter allows us to see the sorrows he’s held all these years. I need a hanky now … 🙂
Thank you Millie, some folk did have it tough there’s no doubt about that……
A beautiful story and well told. There is always a bigger story in a letter. It won’t be the same for future generations trawling through spam emails to get to the juicy stuff!
So much sympathy for Uncle Luds, My husband and I faced some opposition from his father. I love old letters. love letters especially. I have read through my grandmother’s letters what I can since she had a habit of using short-hand and overly curly letters
It sounds like a true Romeo and Juliet story, Michael. My first wish was that Luds and Amy could have run away and lived happily ever after. Unfortunately, that wasn’t how the Romeo and Juliet story ended. I guess it’s better he stayed around to entertain with his stories.
Oh – poor Uncle Luds…
Hi RoSy, yes indeed, life is cruel for some.
Such a great story! I am blown away.
A tragic tale that has played itself out so many times. Arranged marriages, to me, are sad. Both parties might have other loves. Love they can not pursue. Parents contract for their children for a variety of reasons. Especially in the past, it was for money, social standing and power much of which benefited the parents too.
In some cultures, the parents still have total control over the marriage process. There are some rebels who say no, and marry for love alone.
I wish that Ludicris had rushed to Amy’s side, swept her up in his arms, and taken her away. Sigh. I am both a cynic and a romantic.