April 6, 2016
Grinnell, Iowa
Four days after returning from New Mexico, Ramsey’s experiences and revelations about Adam Gwillt being the source of the healing power of the shrine were becoming more unreal and even improbable. Rather than clarifying his long search to understand the geographical power behind sacred places, the New Mexico adventure—as he was coming to think of it—had only muddied the water.
Rather than confronting his old mentor Roger Orensen, as he had planned to do right after returning from his confrontation with Grossinger, Ramsey decided to concentrate on his work. A project his company had been working on for over a year was coming to a critical point. It involved a trip to Blue Island, Illinois, a nearly all-black suburb of South Chicago. It was described in geographical literature as a social and food desert.
For months Ramsey’s partner, Ron Grange, had worked to convince the Philip Thornton Foundation to partner with some Blue Island community members to create a pilot project for rehabilitating the beleaguered town. Grange had convinced Illinois’ junior U.S. Senator that his company’s geographical perspective would bring remedies to the problems where others had failed. Success would be a feather in the Senator’s cap if he got behind it. The result was that state troopers would accompany Ramsey and Grange on a tour of the beleaguered city.
Over the last few days Ramsey had worked feverishly to bring himself up to speed on Blue Island. He only traveled from his house to his office, sometimes sleeping overnight there. New Mexico and Adam Gwillt receded from his mind.
The day before the planned visit, Ramsey met his partner at the Marriott Inn’s four-star restaurant for dinner and to go over their plans for the visit.
At dinner Ramsey asked, “Who’s meeting us?”
Grange replied, “Janet Furlong from the Philip Thornton Foundation. She worked with us on the low-income co-op deal in East Lansing three years ago. The Illinois Highway Patrol has assigned two state troopers to drive us around. We’ll be met on site by Reverend Small from the city’s largest Baptist church. He’s the most highly respected man in town.”
“Will we get to speak to the residents?”
Grange paused, a piece of apple pie teetering precariously on his fork. “I am told it might not be safe.”
Ramsey pursed his lips. “We need to learn how the people of Blue Island see the world.”
“You’re right,” Grange agreed. He washed down the pie with a swallow of coffee. “I’ll have the reverend set up a meeting at his church. That should be safe.”
Ramsey looked at his partner in a renewed sense of how brilliant Grange was at establishing a baseline of community-shared values that form the nexus for understanding family structure, neighborhoods, law enforcement, and social services—and their relation to the state and federal governments.
“Ron, I don’t think I’ve told you enough how much I appreciate your genius for understanding and bringing sensitivity to how geographically isolated groups are trapped by their mental boundaries.”
Grange gave a thumbs up in appreciation. “It only works because of your capacity to see how a place restricts opportunity or empowers people to escape those mental boundaries.”
“We’re a good team.”
“Indeed.” Grange set his fork down. His eyes narrowed slightly. “I see by our bank account that you completed the New Mexico project. Did you find what you were looking for?”
Ramsey thought to himself that Beecher had paid up just like he said he would. “It’s a long weird story I’m still digesting. On the bright side I got to spend time with Pete Miami.”
Grange chuckled. “Bet that was weirdly interesting.”
“Lately that seems to be the way everything’s going.” Ramsey took the first bite of his dessert—New York cheesecake drizzled with an apricot brandy sauce. It was exceptionally good.