From: dgrellier@douggrellier.com
Date: November 17
To: grellier4farms@chiefsworld.net
Jimbo—
When I fled Kansas for Chicago, I didn’t expect the valley to catch up with me here! I’ve talked to Mimi about letting young Schapen stay with us. I agree, he sounds very different from Arnie and Myra, but I don’t know how well a Full Bible fundamentalist will cope with our secular world. I haven’t been in a church for thirty years, except for Gram’s and Chip’s funerals, and even though Mimi is Jewish she’s not like those red heifer loonies. Also, Nate’s only eight, and Mimi doesn’t want him getting weird ideas from Robbie. Still, she’s willing for him to come for a trial visit to see how it goes. I can understand why it would be a disaster to have him live with you. Aside from Lara, it would be hard for Robbie to have his father and Myra across the road.
Did you know Clem Burton called me? You know he shot Junior Schapen at the football game last week, right? You do hear some local news, don’t you, O see no evil? He says it was because the DA was going to put Eddie in a group home in exchange for Eddie pleading guilty to setting the fire at Fremantles’. Clem was furious that Junior got off the hook by framing Eddie when Eddie was just infatuated and willing to do whatever his hero wanted. I’ll be coming down next week for the initial arraignment, so I’ll take a look at Robbie then and maybe bring him home for a few weeks.
Cheers,
Doug
From: dgrellier@douggrellier.com
Date: December 11
To: grellier4farms@chiefsworld.net
Jimbo,
Yes, Clem has retained me to defend him on assault and attempted murder charges, so I guess I’ll be spending a fair amount of time back in Kansas. Any chance you could put up my associate when she comes down to take depositions next month?
Having Robbie Schapen here is working out pretty well so far. We’ve persuaded University High to let him take their entrance exams to see where he places. I think it helped him coming to someone who knows the land and the people, even though Chicago is quite a big jump for a country boy. He’s taking guitar lessons at the Old Town School of Folk Music. His music seems to keep him grounded. He misses his cows, but he doesn’t miss the four-thirty rise and shine, that’s for sure.
Mimi being Jewish is another hurdle for him, although after everything he went through last fall he’s kind of shying away from religion these days. Mimi was afraid he might want to convert her or Nate, but that never comes up.
I’ve hired a detective to try to track down his mother. If we find her, and her life is in the right place, that might be the best solution for him in the long run. But, for the time being, he’s welcome with us.
Right now he’s playing “Noah Built Himself an Ark” on his guitar for Nate—seems nonsectarian enough. He also writes reams of C & W love songs to Lulu. I’m starting to get gripes from Mimi about why don’t I ever write love songs for her!
Doug
http://www.schapenfarm.com/newsandnotes.html
Pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall. The inerrant Word of God teaches us that, but some of our neighbors have a long way to go before they learn it. They thought they could bring us low. They thought they could break our spirit when they stole our miracle calf. They thought they could destroy us when they shot the apple of our eye, our beloved Junior.
Well, we just got word that our milk is considered blessed by the Lord for its extra rich creaminess, and that we are the supplier of choice for Christian Cream and Ice Cream. The miracle heifer may not have fulfilled her destiny in bringing us the Lord of Hosts in glory, but she guided the Schapen family to a better place.
And Junior’s injury brought him the national attention his play has always deserved. The Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles are both scouting him. His coach says his recovery is astounding. He should be back to his full strength by summer.
Pride, pride the sin by which the angels fell. When will our neighbors finally find themselves cured of this heinous sin? They are trying to lead our younger boy, Robbie, out of the path of righteousness, but the Lord loveth whom He chasteneth.
From: dgrellier@douggrellier.com
Date: January 23
To: grellier4farms@chiefsworld.net
Dear Jimbo,
Yep, I got Clem released on an I bond. I don’t know if that’s good or bad as far as Ardis is concerned, having him home again. Although Clem is mighty peeved at the news about Junior, it will help our defense in the long run.
Robbie did get into U High, although they’re making him go back to ninth grade to catch up on his math and science. Still no word on his mother.
I guess it’s true that only the good die young. I saw the story in the Douglas County Herald, about Nabo holding an Advent Revival at Salvation Bible and bringing in five thousand people over the seven days of the meeting! And then Arnie gets to capitalize on his heifer and Clem shooting Junior by becoming the martyr of the Christian farm movement. His milk is commanding a premium, I read in the Wall Street Journal. Oy veh, as we say up here in the big bad city.
Love to Susan and Lara. I know Robbie wants to see Lara, but I think you’re right to let that particular fire cool down. I’m glad Susan’s better. Lulu wrote Robbie that’s she’s taken up tile making, trying to replicate the Venetian tiles from the old Fremantle house. Sounds promising.
Peace,
Doug