by D. S. Ryelle
Article VIII
Miscellaneous
In the event that any of my property or all of it, at the time of death is found by a court, or determined by the executor, to be community property under the laws of the State of New York, then my will shall be construed as referring only to my community-property interest in an item of property.
Simultaneous Death: Any beneficiary named herein who does not survive me by 24 hours shall be deemed to have predeceased me for the purposes of this will.
If any portion of my will shall be held illegal, invalid or otherwise inoperative, it is my intention that all of the other provisions hereof shall continue to be fully effective and operative insofar as it is possible and reasonable.
The term “bequest” as used in this will shall refer to a gift to a beneficiary of either real or personal property.
As used in this will, “per stirpes” shall mean a system of distributing a bequest under which other beneficiaries shall take equally among themselves the share which the original beneficiary would have taken, had he or she survived the testator.
If (and only if) I have not made an effective disposition of the residuary of my estate, the executor shall distribute it to my heirs at law, their identities and respective shares to be determined according to the laws of the State of New York relating to intestate succession in effect on the date of my death.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I, the testator sign my name to this instrument this 25th day of January 2000. Being first duly sworn, I do declare to the undersigned authority and below-named witnesses that I sign and execute this instrument as my last will; that I execute it as my free and voluntary act for the purposes expressed herein and that I am over the age of eighteen, of sound mind and under no constraint or undue influence.
Norman E. Osborn
Norman Edward Osborn, Testator
We, the witnesses, sign our names to this instrument, being first duly sworn, and do hereby declare to the undersigned authority that the testator signed and executed this instrument as his last will. He has signed it willingly and each of us, in the presence and hearing of the testator, hereby signs this will as witness to the testator’s signing. To the best of our knowledge, the testator is over the age of eighteen, of sound mind and under no constraint or undue influence.
January 25, 2000
Michael H. Laurier
Michael H. Laurier, Witness
Laurier, Fitzwilliam & Morris
107 W. 75th St.
Manhattan, NY 17502
Mendel W. Stromm
Mendel W. Stromm, Witness
Mendel W. Stromm
1315 E. Parkington Ave.
Manhattan, NY 17502
Witness Affidavit
State of New York
County of New York
Each of the undersigned, being duly sworn, deposes and says:
The will to which this affidavit is annexed was subscribed in our presence and sight at the end thereof by Norman Edward Osborn, the within named testator, on this 25th day of January, 2000.
Said testator at the time of making such subscription declared the instrument so subscribed to be his last will. Each of the undersigned thereupon signed his name as a witness at the end of said will, at the request of said testator and in his presence and sight and in the presence and sight of each other.
Said testator was over the age of eighteen years and, in the opinion of each of the undersigned, of sound mind, memory and understanding and not under any restraint or in any respect incompetent to make a will. Said testator, in the opinion of each of the undersigned could read, write and converse in the English language and was suffering no defect of sight, hearing or speech, or from any other physical or mental impairment, which would affect his capacity to make a valid will. The will was executed as a single, original instrument and was not executed in counterparts.
Each of the undersigned was acquainted with said testator at such time and makes this affidavit at his request. The will to which this affidavit is annexed was shown to the undersigned at the time this affidavit was made, and was examined by each of them as to the signatures of said testator and of the undersigned.
Michael H. Laurier
Michael H. Laurier, Witness
Laurier, Fitzwilliam & Morris
107 W. 75th St.
Manhattan, NY 17502
Mendel W. Stromm
Mendel W. Stromm, Witness
Mendel W. Stromm
1315 E. Parkington Ave.
Manhattan, NY 17502
Subscribed, sworn to and acknowledged by me on this 25th day of January, 2000.
Mina L. Harker
Mina L. Harker, Notary Public
My commission expires March 22, 2002
Glossary
Amadán: (Irish) idiot [Oma-dawn
[1] ]
Amor: (Spanish) love [Ah-more]
Atelier: (French) workshop. In the fashion industry the atelier is where the designer works on his or her collections. [Ah-tell-yay]
Athair: (Irish) father [Ah-hir]
Bleachtaire: (Irish) detective [Blaick-tur-ah]
Brisbane: a city in eastern Queensland (Australia), bordering on the Pacific Ocean. Ophelia’s first home was in Brisbane, where she lived from ages fourteen to twenty-three. [Brizz-bin]
Cariño: (Spanish) dear, honey [Car-een-yo]
Carnegie Hill: named after Andrew Carnegie, it is traditionally considered the most prestigious neighborhood in the Upper East Side and is the location of the Osborn mansion.
Commack: a hamlet on Long Island, New York. Osborn Scientific opened (what became) the Mendel W. Stromm Research and Development Facility there in 1974.
Corazón: (Spanish) sweetheart [Cor-ah-sewn]
Deartháir: (Irish) brother [Dra-haw-er
[2] ]
Divan: (Persian) a long, low couch or sofa [Div-ahn]
Esposo: (Spanish) spouse [Ess-poss-o]
Fear: (Irish) man [far]
Filial duty: duty to one’s parents
Garda: “Peace Guard of Ireland”, the police force of the Republic of Ireland. [Gar-da]
Officially: Garda Síochána na hÉireann or An Garda Síochána
Plural: Gardaí [Gawhr-de]
Note: Ophelia uses Garda and the related terms to refer to all law enforcement.
Gion: (Japanese) one of the geisha districts in Kyoto [Ge-on]
Hood: a term in the academic world to indicate the completion of a graduate program. “Hood” comes from the practice in which those who receive a master’s degree also receive a ceremonial cloak of sorts to wear over their graduation robe.
Knackered: (Irish slang) tired
La Alhambra: a Moorish citadel located in Granada, Spain; the site of Ophelia’s wedding. [La Ahl-ahm-bra]
Manhattan: the borough that fronts New York Harbor, located in the northwestern part of New York City. Osborn Scientific’s N.E. Osborn Executive Tower, which opened in 1979, is located in the heart of Manhattan.
Máthair: (Irish) mother [Maw-hir]
Mi padre, mi hermano, mi novio, mi amigo mejor: (Spanish) “My father, my brother, my boyfriend, my (male) best friend.” [Me pa-dray, me air-ma-no, me no-vee-oh, me ah-me-go may-hor]
Mo chroí: (Irish) darling
[3] [Mo kree]
Mo dheartháir! Mo stór!: (Irish) “My brother! My dear, sweet brother!” [Mo dra-haw-er mo store]
Muirnín: (Irish) darling, beloved, sweetheart
[4] [Mwir-neen[5] ]
New Rochelle: located about thirty-one minutes from central Manhattan, New Rochelle is home to OsCorp’s newest and largest building, the Ophelia R. Osborn Laboratory Complex, which opened in 1991.
Ozashiki: (Japanese) a word geisha use to refer to the banquets at which they work [oh-zah-she-key]
Plastered: (slang) drunk
Psychometry: the ability to ascertain information by merely touching an object. Psychometric information usually comes by means of a vision or other images.
Ring: used here as Irish/British slang, replacing the American term “call”.
Shade: an old term for “ghost”
Slainté: (Irish) “cheers!” [Slawn-cha]
Solicitor: Irish/British term for an attorney
Yukata: (Japanese) a lightweight robe that is used while lounging around pools and occasionally as a school uniform, such as geisha and maiko might wear to class. [You-kah-tuh]
Acknowledgements
Thank you to my friends and family for being my tireless cheerleaders all these years; especially to my mother, who never gave up on me and to Tana Siemaszko, who kept me sane—most of the time.
I owe an enormous debt of gratitude to Yvonne Redmond, for correcting my Irish grammar and being my glossary of Irish slang—you taught me things my dictionary never could.
A special extra thank you to Sarah Kim Fine, the Biological Sciences program manager at Columbia University for helping me double-check Ophelia’s graduation times for this edition.
To Jamie, who inspires simply by being himself. Te amo.
* * *
[1] Soft “o”, more of an “uh” sound.
[2] Run the last 2 syllables into each other, like “hawr”.
[3] Used for your romantic partner. (An alternative would be “grá geal” [grawg-yal])
[4] Used for your child.
[5] Stress the first syllable and keep the "neen" shorter.