George and Roberts kept their word and never wedgied anyone again. Actually, they got the chance to redeem themselves. A few days later, after they served Thomas supper, they sincerely apologized to him. As soon as they did, Thomas threw his arms around them, "I thought you'd never say sorry. I forgive you both." A weight seemed to be lifted off their shoulders, "Thanks, Thomas." Hearing this, Ben lifted his wine glass and proposed a toast to comradeship. We all joined in, raised our glasses, and drank to it. I felt great!
I think we all learned a little something from that experience. I learned that you should never doubt anyone's ability to do something, no matter who they are. Thomas learned that a little self-confidence and pride in yourself and your dignity can go a long way. George and Roberts learned to follow the Golden Rule: Treat others the way you wish to be treated.
In the end, Thomas still may have been the youngest, but he did get a little bigger then.
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Something else I ought to mention.
George actually put the Golden Rule into practice by getting the other seamen to treat Thomas different. He once told me, "Depending on what you or they do, redheads can be either one." So, a few days later, before he went out in the woods, he rubbed Thomas' head for good luck. We didn't even know he would do it. He just called to Thomas, "Hey, Thomas, lad! Can you come 'ere?" and rubbed him on the head. Thomas was a bit confused, "Why d'ya do that?"
"Oh, they tell me if you rub a redhead's head, it's good luck."
"Really? I didn't know that." That actually started a new game we all picked up. It was to see if who could be the most lucky just by rubbing the head of a redhead, myself included. It was actually decided we all got the most when Thomas stood up to Ratcliffe. We decided from then on that Thomas was a sure thing to ward off any bad luck.
Most of us, of course, didn't believe Thomas was any kind of bad luck. Back in England, they tell me that King Arthur himself was a redhead. So, a redhead could lead a country in times of trouble. So, considering what eventually happened concerning Ratcliffe, I think it's safe to say that's true: Thomas is a sure thing to ward off any bad luck.
THE END.
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In the 'Lon' run, It'll Get Better
FanfictionSo, user87856197 has inspired me to make my own wedgie-based story. Thomas is going to get wedgied, but it'll be Lon who helps him to stand up for himself and find better confidence in himself. If you've read my stories, you probably have an idea o...
