EE-4-t
[Envelope labeled “Confidential” to Hazle Newell from Otis Newell]
May 8, 1978
Hello Ma how are you all doing. I know I shouldn’t ask that but, Mama living here in this surrounding and just thinking about the way you guys are living over there, get headaches tonight. I’m on the back gate right after Sunday night service. My headache’s something terrible, Mama, the people here they are something else, everybody here Mama is looking out for number one, I get so sometimes I just be going through the motions, my mind be over there with you all. Oh, and while I’m thinking of that I don’t know when I will be seeing you all, I wish I could say soon, but Alice is talking like she still not ready to go, by the way we have Marcus with us too now so things are starting to look pretty good, but Mama I miss you so much, some nights I just lay up and think about the way we used to be, and now all I could think about this when I will see my Mama & brothers & sisters, Mama you don’t know how it is, I never knew what pressure felt like, Mama, find the home coming to the church to [illegible word] & people there be talking crazy, then I go home and Alice is talking crazy like she can’t handle all three [of] the boys, now since Elihue [Ellihue Dennis] left, Erwin have me working with him on the buses & cars for the past month we’ve been back & forward from the Valley for weeks [illegible word] and Alice get upset about that and then when I tried to spend time at home with the kids the people down at the church be asking me where I’ve been, Mama, sometimes I find myself just going in circles. I walk now so the heel of my right foot is sore & tight from walking so much. I went to the doctor for it he took x-rays and told me to put ice on it and to stay off of it and I couldn’t do that for people talking shit. [Illegible name] coming over to the house like I was lying to him, the week we went to LA to get Marc, I saw Cleve he is still talking that same shit getting drunk, and tried to get me to go over, Mama, with him. I wouldn’t go he said [illegible name] is back out there, but he’s still talking about how much you and him had and what everybody gave to the Cause and left him with nothing, you know how he is, you can’t tell him no different, but that enough about over here it ain’t helping my head knowing what is everybody doing, tell Herbert he’s just like everybody else he gets over there and know what it’s like over here and don’t get a letter from anybody, Mac [Jim McElvane] & I have enough people over there where every time the letters come back here we should at least have two or three letters a piece and we don’t get none, what is Swee-Pee doing, tell and to write me and give me his size of pants & shoes so I can bring in something whenever I come. Mama, I had to let this out some kind of way and I know I can always talk to you and this was just one of those times when I need you, so I’m not going to say goodbye but like always so long for now and hope to see you all soon, tell everyone I said hello and Father loves you.
Sincerely Yours
Otis Lee Newell, Sr.