in the paranormal. Each believed in spirits, orbs, ghosts, and the ability to communicate with thought transmission. Neither had had an opportunity to test whether they could communicate this way with another person. Bill suggested that if they had time after classes they might try some experiments. Billie agreed.
The instructor arrived and the class began. There was a break at 10:30 lasting twenty minutes. After visiting the restrooms the two new friends found there was still enough time to purchase a Coke at the vending machine and continue discussing their beliefs before class resumed. They found that what they were saying to each other was so exciting that by the time classes resumed they were bubbling with enthusiasm for having met the other person.
There was another break in mid-afternoon and classes ended at four. Bill asked if Billie was in a hurry to get home and she said no. "There's a new Panera Bread not far from here," he said. "Would you like to have dinner there with me?"
"That would be wonderful," she said. "We have so much in common. There is so much we can talk about. My car is in the parking garage. Shall we use my car for years?"
"Let me do the driving," he suggested. "After dinner I'll bring you back to the garage."
After they had been seated and were enjoying Panera Bread's famous cantaloupe salad, Bill asked, tell me how you feel about orbs?
"I think they are spirits," she responded. "I feel there are beings all around us wanting to help people and to give them energy and health whenever they need it. All we need to do is know that they exist and how to tune in to their generosity."
"I believe exactly as you do," exclaimed Bill. "And you said you believe in thought transmission. Would you like to try some experiments with me?"
"What do you suggest we do? I can't wait to start," she replied?
"Why don't I send you a short message by thought, no more than a dozen words," he began, "and you can try to receive them, say at 9 o'clock this evening. Then, about a half hour later, you'll do the same with me. Each of us can tell in a few words how our meeting today has affected us. Nothing mushy, just some thoughts. Let's write them down, then tomorrow just before class starts, each of us can read what the other has written."
"I like your suggestion," she said. "It should be fun."
After dinner, they returned to the garage, and each drove to their respective homes.
The next morning, each was seated at their seat a half hour early. They eagerly exchanged slips of paper. Then they began laughing. "Look what we said to each other," said Billie. The slip that she had handed Bill, read. "I was pleased to meet you yesterday." The slip that Bill had handed to Billie read, "Yesterday I was so happy to have met you."
"That was too easy," said Billie. "We could have guessed what the other person was going to say. We need to do something harder."
"Yes I think you're right," responded Bill. "I have a suggestion. Tonight, let us send each other two lines of text. Let's use T-Mail, Thought Mail. This can be anything you want to say, but let us both try to say the same thing."
"That would be a very rigid test," commented Billie. "And would tell us a lot. Let's do it. And I have a suggestion for tonight. I like Jake's Diner a lot. Shall we have dinner there. My treat!"
"Let's make it Dutch treat!"
"Sounds OK, but only this once. We can sit in a corner where we can talk and get to know each other better."
The next morning, the two were even earlier than the day before. They handed their slips to the other person. As they read from the papers, Bill's face became a mask of astonishment. Billie's froze to profound immobility. Then they stared into each other's eyes.
Bill and Billie had written identical messages! They were:
"Alas, my tongue must fail, I fear,
to say how fond I am of you, my dear."
"What does this mean?" stammered Bill?
"You know what it means," mumbled Billie quietly.
"We were made for each other!"
"And did you think of making the second line different?" she asked.
"Of course," he replied. "The second line has five beats. It should have four.
Let's say them together the way they should have been written."
They spoke these words:
"Alas, my tongue must fail, I fear,
to say how much I love you, dear!"
I Married A Ghost
They were sitting face-to-face in the pastor's quarters. "What brings you here Millie," asked Pastor Harold Cooper gently. He was well acquainted with Mildred Allen. She and her fiancé, Frank Baxter, had been talking to him about an upcoming marriage. All talk on this subject had disintegrated upon word that Frank had been killed by an IED in Iraq. His rank had been Sergeant when he died. In March, his body had been buried with military honors in Wellhaven Cemetery.
"Frank has been coming to me, as a ghost, for several days, Pastor." Mildred spoke quietly and calmly, as if her words could be considered commonplace. The fact is the good pastor was instantly shaken.
"Frank came to you as a ghost?" Pastor Cooper repeated, as if he had not correctly heard what she had said.
"I know this is an unusual thing for you to hear, Pastor," she said. "But it's true
. When Frank comes, I see him as clearly as I'm seeing you now. He is dressed in an ordinary soldier's uniform. He is clean and neat and well shaven. He smiles at me, and we talk."
The pastor could not find any words with which to reply.
"We talk about him and me, and the plans that we had been making for getting married. He tells me that he loves me dearly. The most astonishing thing he says is that he wants to marry me. I know people don't get married after they had died, but Frank keeps repeating what he says about marriage over and over. He really means it. And I want to marry him too. Pastor, is it possible that you can marry us?"
Pastor Cooper, astonished at the request, was silent for several minutes. Mildred waited patiently knowing that what she had requested was probably an impossibility.
Finally Pastor Cooper found his voice, and said, "I do understand what you are asking, but I don't see how your request can be granted. I don't know of any case where anything like this has ever been done. I know that people are being married under unusual circumstances these days; same-sex marriages are common. But a marriage between a dead person and a live one, I just can't imagine it happening!"
"It would not have to be an elaborate marriage," she said. "If it were done in your chambers, I'm sure that Frank would be happy with that, and my objective at this time, is to make him happy. Can't it be arranged in some way?"
"I could do a dedication ceremony without any trouble," said the pastor. "I would expect that Frank would be present, at least spiritually, if not literally. Would this be acceptable?"
"A dedication ceremony is not a marriage." Mildred said firmly. "And he wouldn't appear invisibly. I would be able to see him though other wouldn't. I would expect that he would have on his best uniform and would be wearing his medals."
"During this wedding, would people be able to see him?"
"I don't think so. I see him very clearly. But when he came to the wedding, I think I would be able to see him but you would not."
"Would you expect to, ah, I don't know how to say this, consummate the marriage?"
"No, Frank is a spirit. He has no solid substance. But for me, this would not be an important consideration. I know that under certain circumstances, people get married without expecting the marriage to be, as you say, consummated. But for me and for Frank the marriage would be real. And I would become Mrs. Baxter!"
"You would be happy under these circumstances?"
"Yes, because I would know that one day I would a spirit just as he is now!"
"I don't know of any mechanism by which I can legally grant your request," said the pastor. "Let me do some thinking, and some inquiring around, and I'll see what might be possible."
"I couldn't ask for anything more!" said Mildred.
After Mildr
ed had left, pastor Cooper sat at his desk, writing down some possibilities. He wrote,
same-sex marriage
current laws
special law
Then he picked up the phone and dialed the number of Congressmen Wilkinson, whom he knew well.
"Jim," he began, "I have the weirdest request that you may never have heard. One of the members of my congregation, wants to get married to a dead person, a fallen soldier in Iraq. She says that he is a ghost who is requesting the marriage and she wants to comply. I want to do whatever is possible, but I don't know what is possible! Is there any way that a marriage can be conducted legally under these circumstances?"
The Congressman did not immediately ridicule the request or declare it to be impossible. He said, "Right off the top of my mind, the only thing I can think of is for Congress to pass a law allowing the marriage, on a one-time basis, with the two people that are involved. It would be a request unheard of in history, but for the sake of the serviceman, I think there a chance that it might be passed. Let me check it out."
"Thank you Jim. Let me know as soon as you can. In the meantime I'll call the young woman and tell her that we're working on it and will get back to her."
They hung up.
The pastor sat motionless for a few minutes, then he dialed Mildred's number. "Millie, I've just talked to a Congressman that I know and he will see what can be done. I'll get back to you when I know more. Don't expect a lot. And don't expect my answer to come right away. But I will call!"
There is much that happened within the next several months. There were the