HANDELL'S TWICE-TOLD S.

SANTAMARIA, DEC. 5 1975

DEAR MOTHER,

I DECIDED TO LEAVE MANY YEARS AGO, BUT SOME TIMES WE FORGET ABOUT IMPORTANT THINGS. MAYBE YOU’LL BE SURPRISED TO LEARN THAT KILLING MYSELF WAS THE FIRST THING I DID AS AN INDEPENDENT PERSON. OF COURSE I PREVIOUSLY MADE SOME PHONECALLS AN ATTENDED A COUPLE OF RENDEZ-VOUS IN ORDER TO KEEP EVERYTHING TIGHT. NOTIFICATIONS CAME ON TIME, A MARBLE TOMBSTONE FINEMENT TAILLÉ, A SOLEMN MASS IN A FANCY CHURCH, A NICE NOTCH IN AN UPTOWN CEMETERY, AND AN IRONED SUIT IN THE CLOSET READY TO BE WORN. DON'T WORRY IF YOU FORGET BRINGING BLOSSOMS TO MY ULTIMATE NICHE. WE ALSO FORGET ABOUT SIMPLE THINGS. PLEASE, GIVE AWAY MY BOOKS, I KNOW YOU HATE THEM ALL, DON'T WANT YOU TO BURN THEM UP. PLEASE, GET RID OFF ALL OF THOSE PORTRAITS OF MINE, TOO. TRY TO BE INDEPENDENT AS WELL. MAKE YOUR OWN WAY. IN EVERY WHICH WAY YOU LOOK WIND BLOWS SMOOTH AND HARSH. YOU DRIFT AS FARTHER AS YOU CAN. WELL, I'M GETTING TIRED OF TYPING THIS LETTER SO I'M GOING TO END BY SAYING THAT YOU WERE MY MOTHER AND I APPRECIATE IT. TAKE GOOD CARE OF YOURSELF. I FORGOT TO CALL UNCLE JOHN.

TRULY,
YOUR SON H. D.

P.S. I'm serious about my books.

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THE TRUTH JOURNAL Dec. 06 - 1975

YOUNG PEOPLE KEEP DEPARTING

By H. VILLAMIZAR. Photo by H. V.

THE EIGHTH SUICIDE VICTIM THIS MONTH WAS FOUND IN HIS APARTMENT LAST NIGHT. AGAIN, CAUSES ARE UNCLEAR. NONETHELESS, AUTHORITIES BELIEVE THESE DEATHS ARE LINKED TO DRUG CONSUMPTION WHOSE RATE ENCREASED NEARLY 75 PER CENT THIS YEAR ENDING. MARRY ANNE LOUIS, YOUNG H. D. LOUIS’ MOTHER CLAIMS TO BE “A GOOD WOMAN WHO RAISED A GOOD CATHOLIC BOY”. TWENTY-TWO-YEAR-OLD H. D. LOUIS RAN A WELL KNOWN CLEANING COMPANY. THIS RELATIVELY SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSMAN ATTENDED TO HOLY SANTAMARÍA COLLEGE WHERE THE PREVIOUS SEVEN SUICIDE VICTIMS USED TO GO TO. Mrs. LOUIS WILL SPEND A MOURNFUL CHRISTMAS AND A GLOOMY NEW YEAR AS WELL AS OTHER FAMILIES INVOLVED IN THIS SUICIDAL WAVE. MAJOR S. T. CHRISTOLES AS WELL AS ARCHBISHOP McKIDLOVER ARE PLANNING NEW STRATEGIES “TO CALL A HALT TO THESE SORROWFUL DEATHS”. SANTAMARIANS EXPECT THIS DARK STAIN IS WIPED OFF THEIR TRANQUIL COMMUNITY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.