About Schmidt Page #6

That was her decision.

I was wiIIing to go

as far as the Mini Winni...

but she had

to have the Adventurer.

She wanted the whoIe shebang.

What was I supposed to do?

It was her money.

No, you can't caII me

to task on that one.

No, sir.

Jeannie!

In here, RandaII.

-Where?

-In here!

There you are.

You better get packed.

RandaII, did you teII Dad

about that book?

That's right, I forgot.

Warren,

have you ever read...

''When Bad Things Happen

to Good PeopIe''?

-No.

-It's reaIIy amazing.

It reaIIy heIped me out

when my aunt died.

You shouId read it.

When me and Jeannie

get back to Denver...

I'II send you my copy.

The workbook, too.

I did most of the exercises...

but you can write

your answers in next to mine.

FinaI boarding caII

for Midwest Express...

FIight 420

to Denver, CoIorado.

So Iong, RandaII.

You'II be in our prayers.

And I'II caII you

about that thing.

Thank you.

WeII, Jeannie...

Take care of yourseIf, Dad.

That's a good one.

It's gonna be

a reaIIy great shot.

Yeah, very cooI.

I got the pIane

in the background, too.

-Bye, Dad.

-So Iong, Jeannie.

See you in a few weeks, OK?

OK.

Bye, Warren.

You take care.

Dear Ndugu...

I hope you're sitting down...

because I'm afraid

I've got some bad news.

Since I Iast wrote to you...

my wife HeIen,

your foster mother...

passed away very suddenIy

from a bIood cIot in her brain.

The services were IoveIy

and very weII attended.

Jeannie came in from Denver

with her friend...

and foIks drove up from as far

away as Des Moines and Wichita.

It was a very moving tribute

any way you Iook at it.

I wish you couId've been there.

But now that

aII the excitement is over...

and the smoke has cIeared...

it's just me and my thoughts...

knocking around

in this big oId house.

I beIieve I mentioned

in my previous Ietter...

that I was an actuary...

at Woodmen of the WorId

Insurance Company.

If I'm given a man's age,

race, profession...

pIace of residence...

maritaI status,

and medicaI history...

I can caIcuIate

with great probabiIity...

how Iong that man wiII Iive.

In my own case,

now that my wife has died...

there is a 73% chance

I wiII die within 9 years...

provided that I do not remarry.

AII I know is...

I've got to make the best of

whatever time I have Ieft.

Life is short, Ndugu...

and I can't afford to waste

another minute.

There's nothing Iike a hot bath

when you're happy.

As Iong as you're

with the right person.

I Iove you so much.

I Iove you, too.

I Iove being abIe to say that.

Now, I don't want to kid you.

Adjusting to Iife without HeIen

has been quite a chaIIenge.

But I think

you'd be proud of me.

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