Raymond had “a packet of cash” on his bank account, and he did not know what to do with it. When Christian Chevallier, the mayor of La Chapelle-sur-Aveyron (Loiret), came to see him at the retirement home to tell him about the advanced degradation of the village church, the old man did not take long Deciding: “I give you a million,” he said to his visitor. One million euros, cash and non -taxable.
At the time, Christian Chevallier had trouble believing it. He was not the only one. By receiving their summons to evoke the subject, the members of the municipal council asked the mayor if “[was not] wrong with one or two zeros”. Same amazement at the local Treasury local antenna, who hastened to call the town hall secretary, in November, to verify that there had been “error” when he saw the jack on the account of the account small town (650 inhabitants).
Aged 89, Raymond is neither a winner of the lottery nor one of these rich hobereaux having bought forest and castle in this corner of the Gâtinais. Former farmer, the retiree has nothing, either, an illuminated Catholic. Built at the end of the 12th e century, the Saint-Loup-et-Saint-Roch church is just “its” bell tower. It was under his roof that he was baptized and that he made his first communion; Under his roof, too, that the funeral of his parents and those of his older brother, Roger, died in 2020, were celebrated.
The “roof” in question has been in bad shape for a long time. The tenons and the mortises are busy, the carpenter Couine. Four years ago, a net had to be stretched over the central nave in order to protect the parishioners from the plasterboard which stand out from the vault. “Everything will collapse one day, fears Mr. Mayor. I don’t want it to be done under my mandate.” He had a quote for work. Its amount (1.2 million euros) is far too high for the municipality’s annual investment budget (138,000 euros). “Raymond is my Savior”, bows the elected official.
a life “almost in autarky”
A million euros in economy is a lot with regard to a peasant life. Raymond inherited twice: the first time of his parents, Roger’s second time. Singles without children, the two brothers held the family farm until their retirement, twenty-five years ago, before renting their land (63 hectares) in fermenting. They had animals (cows, sheep) and cultivated cereals and beets. Above all, they lived chichement: “Almost in autarky, as their parents had accustomed them to live”, says Christian Chevallier. “We only spent what we were forced to spend: a little food and equipment, that’s all,” recalls Raymond, evoking the only “big purchase” made during their professional activity: “a combine harvester. A small. “
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