I-Men: The Black Widow Trial

GILMORE BLACK was awakened by the screams of his second wife: “Gilmore! Gilmore!” He opened his eyes and saw his wife, held on both hands by two police officers, being dragged out of the room. “Olga!” he called out as he looked around to figure out what was going on. Inside the room, he saw his friends and extended family; all dressed in black and were looking at his second wife with contempt.

“Olga!” he again shouted as he looked for his wheelchair. He did not find his wheelchair. What he saw were wreaths and bouquets of flowers. Then he noticed, he was in a shiny and beautifully crafted coffin, and it added to his puzzlement. “I’m dead?” he paused to ponder. He could not help but be convinced, by the looks of it, he was dead: the flowers; the coffin; his family mourning.

“Is this how it’s like being dead?” he mused. It is quite different from what he was made to believe. He was supposed to fly away and follow the light that would lead him to the other side. Yet, there he was, lying in a coffin, fully aware of what was happening around him.

He could hear his friends and family talking. They were accusing his second wife of murdering him. His heart wanted to explode. They were totally wrong. His death was an accident. He could not believe that his wife could do him such harm, she loved him dearly. But there was no way for him to explain to them, they could not see nor hear him. With heavy heart, he lay back down his coffin.

----

GILMORE didn’t know how long he had been sleeping, but he was awakened, one night, by a howl. It sounded to him like a howl from a woman. He had been buried, he realized, as he saw, through the full-mooned night, the dark shades of the headstones that stood around him.

As he looked for the howling woman, he caught a glimpse of the undertaker, standing near the gate of the burial ground. It appeared to him that the undertaker, darting his sight around, was also trying to find out who was howling.

The howl sounded perhaps three or four times -- Gilmore did lose count -- when he saw what looked like a white flame that appeared from the ground, beneath the only tree in the cemetery, near the edge of the hill. The white flame grew larger and then took the form of a young woman.

Gilmore was amazed. He could not believe his eyes. He saw the woman smiled at the undertaker but the smile was soon turned into a frown. The undertaker ran away, gasping for air. The young woman was disappointed; she sat on a stone bench beneath the old tree, apparently mulling. Gilmore could clearly see; the young woman was pretty.

Later that night, as moonshine faded, the young woman likewise gradually vanished. It was then that Gilmore realized; the full moon had something to do with the strange thing that he had witnessed.

----

GILMORE made a decision to howl at the moon too. As he waited for the moon, he noticed that not a member of his family took time to visit him in his grave: not his son, not his sister, and neither his niece. He felt bad thinking about it. He was envious of the woman who was buried next to him -- Margaret Burns, he read her name was -- her husband would come every morning and brought her red roses.

One evening, Gilmore saw men come up the graveyard in twos, in threes and more. He watched the men and learned that they, recognizing a leader named ‘Doctor O’, gathered up the graveyard to howl at the full moon. Indeed, when the full moon appeared, the men howled in unison.

Then, Gilmore heard the young woman howl again. Her distinct howl mixed with those of the men. When she had howled three times, she once again appeared, formed by what seemed like a white flame. Just like him when he first saw the flame and the young woman, the men were amazed by what they saw, and, just like the undertaker, the men scrambled to run, finding their way between the graves.

With what he saw, Gilmore began to have second thoughts on whether to howl or not. He did not like the thought of people running away from him, scared. But then, he realized. There was no one else around but the young woman. She was walking towards the grave at the highest portion of the burial ground.

So, Gilmore took a deep breath and then sounded a howl. To his pleasant surprise, he also heard howls from different part of the graveyard. Encouraged, he sounded another howl which mixed with the howls of the others.

As he was about to howl for the third time, he was distracted by police officer who suddenly appeared from behind the headstone of the grave where the young woman went near. The police officer, with his hands covering his ears and screaming in fear, ran out of the graveyard, stumbling down several times.

Bothered, Gilmore hesitated to sound one more howl. He waited and see if the others would howl some more. No more howl sounded. The others, he presumed, were bothered too.

Gilmore watched the young woman as she walked back to the bench beneath the old tree. Her somber face hinted her disappointment. Before long, the young woman vanished.

----

Soon, the full moon once again came. Gilmore still has not made up his mind if he would howl that night. He was sitting on his grave, waiting for the young woman to howl and then appear. He had waited for quite a while, yet no howl sounded. He began to wonder. “Where could she be?” he muttered as he looked around and saw no one.

Then a smile formed on his face. There was no one else in the burial ground. It would not harm anyone if he howled. He looked up, studied the moon, and then he howled. He howled once, and twice, and then thrice. After his third howl, he examined him self to see if something has changed. He noticed no change. He again howled, believing that he needed to howl some more. Still, no change did occur.

As he was trying to figure out why no change had occurred, he heard a howl that sounded like that of a woman. Yet, it sounded different from the howl of the young woman. The second howl came, it sounded closer than the first. And then the third howl came, it sounded much closer.

When the third howl faded, Gilmore saw a white flame, like the ones that he had seen before. The white flame did rise from the front edge of the grave next to him, and it transformed into a woman, but, this time, an older woman.

“Hello, Mr. Black,” the woman greeted Gilmore as she sat on one edge of her grave, “I’m Mrs. Burns … Margaret Burns.” She pointed the name that was written on her headstone.

“You can see me?” Gilmore asked. He was relieved.

“Yes I can,” Mrs. Burns replied, “I heard your howls and I saw you appear from a white flame.”

“I can feel the ground!” Gilmore pressed his hands on the grassy ground on which he was sitting. “Amazing, hah!”

“Amazing indeed…,” Mrs. Burns seconded.

“Much thanks to the young woman,” Gilmore then spoke with sincere gratitude. “Have you seen the young woman?”

“No… not tonight,” Mrs. Burns answered as she looked around, “I wonder where she could be.”

Another howl sounded. Mrs. Burns stared at Gilmore with puzzlement. “Sounds like a young child,” she guessed. Gilmore nodded.

After the third howl, the two looked around to see if someone would appear from a white flame. They saw no one and no white flame.

“That’s strange,” Mrs. Burns sounded. “No one has shown up.”

“The mystery would not end,” Gilmore exhaled.

Convinced that there was nobody to show up, Mrs. Burns turned to Gilmore. “What’s keeping you here, Mr. Black? …If I may ask.”

Gilmore went quiet for a while, and then finally spoke. “I can’t rest in peace. My wife is being blamed for my death…. It bothers me deeply. They do not understand. My death was an accident….”

“My husband wouldn’t let me go,” Mrs. Burns broke Gilmore’s passing silence. The tone of her voice gave away her sadness. “I can feel his loneliness … his sorrow. Each morning that he comes, I can see tears fall from his eyes. He doesn’t want me to go.”

“Hey look!” Mrs. Burns suddenly exclaimed, as she pointed towards the old tree near the edge of the hill. “There’s the kid! It’s a boy.”

Gilmore caught a glimpse of the boy’s face that immediately disappeared behind the tall tree.

“Come…” Mrs. Burns urged Gilmore. “Let’s go meet the boy.”

“I can’t...,” Gilmore replied, “I can’t walk.”

“O yeah?” Mrs. Burns was surprised. “But you’re dead now… you should be able to do anything you wanna do.”

“I don’t know…,” Gilmore shrugged his shoulders, “I haven’t been able to walk for more than ten year. I’ve forgotten how it is like … walking.”

“Well then,” Mrs. Burns rose and headed towards the tree. “I’ll go fetch the kid.”

Gilmore watched Mrs. Burns make her way to the tree. Halfway to the tree, however, Mrs. Burns vanished. He looked up at the moon. He found that the moon had gone, covered by thick clouds. He too had gotten invisible once again, he believed.

----

Gilmore did finally meet the young woman when the next full moon came. After hearing the young woman howl, he howled too. Eventually, they became visible to each other. The young woman was very much delighted to meet someone like her: someone who would howl at the moon and then become visible. She came up to Gilmore and introduced her self. She was Wendi Sue, used to be one of the tellers of the Bank of Monty.

Wendi Sue convinced Gilmore to go sit on the bench beneath the tree near the edge of the hill. With Gilmore’s right hand on the young woman’s shoulder, the two slowly made their way towards the bench. Beneath the tree, they then conversed.

As Gilmore was narrating to Wendi Sue the awful predicament of his second wife, five men arrived at the cemetery. Wendi Sue recognized the men; they were at the graveyard two full-mooned nights ago. She greeted the five and then introduced them to Gilmore. They were Eli Olsen, Jack Straw, Troy Green, Dan Forman and Johnny Wembley. Gilmore was able to recognize the men too. Indeed, he saw them at the graveyard two full-mooned nights ago.

Gilmore then resumed narrating what happened to his second wife: that he felt terribly bad for her and that she was being wrongfully accused of causing his death.

“What’s your wife’s name, Mr. Black… ah, Gil?” Troy Green was curious.

“Olga,” Gilmore answered with a tone of sadness. “…a lot of people call her the ‘black widow’.”

“My son, Luke, visited me in my grave this morning,” Gilmore added. His glum was multiplied. “He talked about testifying against his stepmother tomorrow.… He doesn’t know … he doesn’t understand. My death was an accident.”

“Why don’t you go and talk to him?” Johnny Wembley suggested. “Well, you see … we can talk to you.”

“I think you should, Mr. Black,” Wendi Sue seconded. “Tell your son what really happened.”

“I don’t know…,” Gilmore was hesitant, “I can’t walk. I can’t go back to my house.”

“We’ll help you,” the five men, almost in unison, assured Gilmore.

Gilmore was then convinced. Stealthily, the men and the young woman made their way to the third biggest house in the town. Gilmore, being carried on Jack Straw’s back, led the group to a secret passage at the back of the house. Without being noticed, the group was able to get into the room of Gilmore’s son. Jack Straw laid Gilmore on one edge of the bed and then joined the others behind the wall curtain.

“George Lukas, son, wake up,” Gilmore spoke softly as he shook his son’s shoulder. “Luke, wake up.”

Gilmore’s son woke up in shock. His eyes were wide open, evidently horrified.

“Don’t you recognize me?” Gilmore again spoke. “Luke, I’m your father.”

“Ahhhhhhh!” Gilmore’s son screamed as he crawled away.

“Let’s go! Let’s go!” Eli Olsen sounded as he motioned Jack Straw to again carry Gilmore, worried that the scream had woken up the household. Rapidly, they retraced their way out of the house.

Behind the hedge plants at the back of the huge house, the group sat quietly. Even with only the moonlight, Wendi Sue and the five men could see from Gilmore’s face his utter disappointment and they didn’t know what say.

“I’d like to go to the courthouse,” Gilmore finally ended the silence. “I want to see my wife’s trial tomorrow.” He tried to stand up, holding on to some branches; but his legs were yet weak. He fell down again.

“I’ll bring you to the courthouse, Mr. Black,” Jack, the biggest among the five, went near Gilmore and then carried him again on his back. The others quietly followed Gilmore and Jack to the courthouse. Shortly after reaching the courthouse, the moonlight faded and Gilmore and Wendi Sue also vanished. From the courthouse, the five then returned to their shanties in the woods.

----

The next day then came and the black widow trial was set to begin. Gilmore was amazed by the public’s immense interest on his wife’s case. Mixed with the crowd inside the courtroom, he saw Troy and Dan. There was no sign of the other three. He crawled towards Troy and Dan. “Lost wind…,” he heard some of the crowd utter, as he crawled through them.

Finally, a voice rose above the talks and chatter of the crowd. “All rise! … The Court is now in session, Honorable Judge William A. Maxwell presiding. Silence is now observed.” Everyone in the courtroom rose and kept their silence as they watch the judge take his seat.

“”You may take your seats,” the judge said as he banged his gavel once.

“Bring out the accused,” the judge then addressed the court bailiffs.

The court bailiffs complied. From the adjoining waiting room, they brought out a blond woman in her late twenties.

“Oh nelly!” Gilmore heard Troy puff out. “She’s hot. She is hot!”

Gilmore couldn’t help but smile. Once again, he was reminded. He was a very lucky man. He could still remember, with his young wife on his side, he used to be an object of men’s envy. He had no doubt about it, in all his seventy-one years, the two years with his second wife was his happiest.

“Mr. Prosecutor,” the judge’s words snatched Gilmore out of his reminiscing, “are you ready with your witness?”

“Your Honor,” the prosecutor replied, “as previously manifested, we are supposed to present this morning, George Lukas Black, the son of the deceased. Unfortunately, I found out this early morning that he could no longer be conversed with sensibly. Something terrible must have happened to him last night … all he says now is ‘Luke, I’m your father’.” Gilmore was saddened to learn what had happened to his son.

“Nevertheless, Your Honor,” the prosecutor added, “we have other witnesses to present.”

“Very well…,” the judge replied, “swear-in the first witness.” The first witness was then sworn-in by a court officer.

“Madam Witness,” the prosecutor addressed the witness, “kindly state your name, age, and other personal circumstances.”

“I’m Gilmarie Black-Peere,” the witness replied, “Sixty-eight years old, a widow … sister of the deceased.”

“Madam Witness,” the prosecutor again asked, “kindly tell what you know about the death of your brother.”

‘That evil witch did it!” the witness raised her voice as she pointed her finger at the accused. “She bewitched my brother with her dark hocus pocus.” The crowd seemed to agree with the witness. Encouraging cheer filled the courtroom.

‘Silence! Silence!” the judge ordered, banging his gavel until silence was attained. “Madam Witness … will you limit you testimony to the circumstances surrounding the death of the deceased.”

“I’m telling the truth!” the witness again raised his voice, “That witch stole my brother from us!All she’s after is my brother’s riches.”

“Next witness!” the judge, appearing irritated, interrupted the witness. “You are excused, Madam Witness.”

“Let the witch rot in jail!” the witness cried out as she was being led out of the witness stand. “No… burn her on a stake!” The crowd again sounded their cheer.

The crowd was given their last warning. One more uproar and they will all be sent out of the courtroom. The next witness was then sworn-in. “I’m Ann Marie Peere, Forty-two years old …. I’m divorced … niece of the deceased.”

“Please tell this Honorable Court what you know about the death of the deceased,” the prosecutor asked.

“She … um, the accused killed my uncle,” the second witness narrated between sobs. “I saw her push his wheelchair into the pool and she left him in the pool to drown.”

“Madam Witness,” the judge was puzzled, “the Police Report says there was no water in the pool.”

“Ooh ….” all the second witness could reply. She was blushing red.

“Next witness!” the judge, holding back his anger, again ordered.

“Meekly, the prosecutor rose and said, “Your Honor, we have no other witnesses to present.”

“Really ….” the judge exhaled. “There having been no witness presented to prove the guilt of the accused, this court hereby orders her release. So ordered.” The judge then addressed the accused, “Madam Black, you are free to go.” There followed some subdued rumblings of disbelief from the crowd.

Looking down, Madam Olga Black slowly made her way to the door. She avoided the condemning stares of the crowd. With the back of her right hand, she wiped the tears on her cheeks.

Gilmore was ecstatic, his wife was acquitted. He crawled towards the door. He wanted his wife to pass through him on her way out. With all his strength, he stood up and faced his wife. And, indeed, his wife passed through him.

She still loved him, he felt it. It made him want to fly, high up the sky. And then he saw the light….

-- Happy Hearts’ Day --
(02-14-07)

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- A Few Invincible Men
- Something About Wendi Sue
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- The I-Men: Reloaded