Moon Water

by Pam Webber

  “I asked him. He thought he and Alise might need it one day.”

  “Where do you think they’ll live?”

  “I don’t know, but I bet he keeps his job.”

  “I hope they stay on the hill. New owners might not want us around.”

  “If they do, I’ll bet they’ll remodel. Just to make it theirs.” Win stretched out in the grass. “How did your talk with Anne Johnson go?”

  “Not well. She wasn’t interested in accepting my apology.”

  “Does that surprise you?”

  “No. Still, it was the right thing to do. I hope her better angels are whispering in her ear as hard as mine were whispering to me. If she listens, who knows what will happen?”

  “You know she’s going to Sweet Briar.”

  “Everybody in the world knows she’s going to Sweet Briar.”

  “Have you told your parents what you decided?”

  “Last night. Once I explained that I wanted to go to nursing school and that Sweet Briar didn’t have a program, they were okay with it. They were especially glad when I told them you were doing the same thing and that we were going to apply to Virginia schools. In-state tuition is a lot less. Even with a tuition break, I’ll have to get a part-time job.”

  “We both will. We also have to get our driver’s licenses and buy cars before college starts.”

  “It’s mind-boggling, isn’t it? So much has happened, yet things are still changing.”

  “I agree. All we can do is deal with it as it comes.”

  The fading yellow-orange layers of sunset allowed them to see without headlights as Andy turned onto the dirt road and wound his way through honey-colored sheaves of hand-raked hay. Stopping the car, he turned to Nettie. “You’re sure you want to do this?”

  “Positive.”

  “You’re not worried?”

  “Worried? No. Afraid? Yes. That’s why I had to come.”

  “If you’re sure.” Andy put the car in drive, then inched into the darkening, knotty woods bordering the river.

  Nettie closed her eyes and leaned against his shoulder. Rocking with the ruts and turns in the dirt road, she concentrated on the crisp air, the sound of the river lapping the shoreline, and the back-and-forth song of whip-poor-wills. In the distance, low-pitched, repetitive croaks of bullfrogs trying to find a mate competed with a few remaining chirping crickets attempting to do the same. They’d all be gone soon; the first frost couldn’t be far off.

  She opened her eyes as Andy stopped and turned off the motor. In front of them lay River’s Rest. The view had evolved as if in a kaleidoscope. From the new greens of spring to the lush colors of summer to the dark, lurking shadows of that night, it now overflowed with rich golds, rusts, browns, and corals. Its beauty settled in before anything less had a chance to.

  “Okay?”

  Nettie nodded.

  Opening his door, Andy helped her slide from behind the wheel. Doing a slow turn, she took a deep breath. Summer’s perfume had given way to the sharp, mind-clearing scent of fall, with a hint of ripe apples. The low canopy swayed in the evening breeze, causing a myriad of colorful leaves to drift and spin down around them. Nettie kicked off her shoes and tunneled her feet under the leafy carpet to the lush moss below. Andy did the same.

  “It still feels like velvet. Like it did when we were here last time.”

  “We’ll give it some time before we take that step again.”

  “I agree.”

  Andy pulled her to him. “There’s no reason to rush. As long as you’re close, I’m good.”

  Choosing to ignore her remaining qualms about being so near a river, Nettie took his hand and kicked a path through the leaves toward the tangled roots of the old riverbank trees. Reaching their favorite sitting spot, she eased herself down onto the smooth bark.

  Andy settled behind her, cocooning his arms around her as she leaned back.

  “I’m glad we came,” she said.

  “Me too,” Andy said. “It’s like we never left. Almost.”

  “We came so close to losing this—us.”

  “Too close. At least we know how not to get to that point again.”

  “Do you suppose we’ll still be coming here fifty years from now?”

  “I don’t know.” Andy rubbed her arms as the evening chill moved in. “Fate brought us this far; I don’t imagine it’s going to let go of us now.”

  As evening turned to night, the benevolent face of a new full moon appeared on the seemingly still river.

  “The water’s like a mirror,” Andy said.

  Nettie remembered the night of the dance in Oak’s Landing. “Nibi called it manosa mani, moon water. It means the light and dark energies of the earth are in balance.”

  “Maybe they’ll stay that way for a while.”

  “Maybe.”

  Nettie lay awake for hours, watching her dreamcatcher lilt in the breeze, shadow-dancing with moonbeams. The amethyst spider mother glinted as she went busily about her work. Nibi had guided them through such an incredible journey. One missed step, one wrong turn, one missed cue, and she, Andy, and Win wouldn’t be here. More important, they wouldn’t have been able to help save Wade and Skip, the legacy of an ordinary people in an extraordinary place now lost in time. Then again, maybe it hadn’t been Nibi at all. Maybe everything unfolded the way it did by chance, fate rolling the dice at every turn. Nettie wasn’t sure, but if fate was responsible, it seemed to work best when someone had eyes willing to see and ears willing to listen to what it had to say. Nibi’s soft laugh followed her to sleep.

  Acknowledgments

  Historical novels are seldom written in isolation. To accurately capture the time, place, people, and events requires learning from those who lived it, as well as those who were left behind. It also requires immersing yourself in the records of the historians. To that end, I would like to acknowledge the contributions of the following people and organizations:

  Victoria Last Walker Ferguson (Monacan), Monacan Life Interpreter and Exhibit Manager for the Living Exhibit at Natural Bridge in Natural Bridge, Virginia. I am indebted and grateful to my friend, and Virginia treasure, Vicky Ferguson. This extraordinary Native American embodies the wisdom of the Monacans. She did her very best to help me understand Monacan history, lifestyle, traditions, and their relationship with the natural world. If anything in Moon Water misrepresents the Monacans, rest assured the responsibility lies with me; either I misunderstood or needed creative license in crafting the story.

  The Virginians who died in the flood and those who were left behind. On the night of August 19, 1969, remnants of Hurricane Camille drowned the Rockfish Valley of Virginia. The moisture-laden clouds traveling north from the Gulf of Mexico dropped an unprecedented 630 million tons of waterfall-like rain on a sleeping valley in about six hours. Reported rainfall amounts varied between 26 and 46 inches, depending upon location. The resulting flood caused massive landslides that scarred the Blue Ridge Mountains, washed away towns, villages, roads, and bridges, and killed 176 people who never saw it coming. Many of the physical and emotional scars are still visible today.

  I was a freshman at Amherst County High School when this biblical flooding hit. I remember little about the storm; however, Amherst, which is less than twenty miles from Rockfish Valley, saw only a fraction of the rain Nelson County did. A friend who lived across the street lost twenty-two members of her extended family that horrific night.

  My father, Gene Bayliss, was a Virginia State Trooper stationed in Amherst County at the time. He played a supporting role in the recovery effort. His friend and colleague, Trooper Ed Tinsley, was stationed in Nelson County and played an essential role in the rescue and recovery effort. I recently had the privilege of reconnecting with Trooper Tinsley. His vivid recollection of the event and the days following are documented in a personal diary titled Portrait of a Disaster: The Flood of 1969. He graciously shared memories, thoughts, and a copy of his diary with me.

  Nelson Count
y Historical Society and Oakland Museum, Nelson County, Virginia. This museum’s exhibit on the impact of Hurricane Camille is powerful and humbling. Their dedicated volunteers helped access records, photographs, and maps describing the environmental cost of the historic flood. However, the museum’s collection of personal accounts of survivors, their families, and those charged with rescue and recovery proved to be invaluable and unforgettable.

  While Moon Water is a work of fiction, inspiration was drawn from numerous, and at times conflicting, accounts of the event. Two books about Hurricane Camille and its catastrophic impact on Nelson County and other regions of Central Virginia were particularly valuable:

  • Torn Land by Paige and Jerry Simpson (1970). Printed by J. P Bell Company, Lynchburg, Virginia. This book, which was commissioned by the Nelson County Chamber of Commerce to record the events surrounding the flood, provided firsthand accounts of survivors, rescuers, and others who were on the front lines of recovery.

  • Roar of the Heavens by Stefan Bechtel (2006), Citadel Press/Kensington Publishing Corporation. This book provided a more scientific, meteorological look at the unprecedented rain event the Weather Service calculated as being on the upper end of what was considered theoretically possible.

  Additional, heartfelt thanks to:

  • My wonderful husband and best friend, Jeff. His unwavering love and support helped make writing possible.

  • David R., Jeff B., Lisa M., and Jim D. We made each other better and laughed a lot along the way.

  • The readers who wanted more.

  Also by Pam Webber:

  The Wiregrass

  Order The Wiregrass (soft cover, e-copy, or audio version) at any of the following:

  Amazon: http://amzn.to/2cKd7Co

  Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/2cytIXp

  Books A Million: http://bit.ly/2cZ5cjM

  Winchester Book Gallery: http://bit.ly/2cKdvR6

  Book Group Discussion Questions

  1. Nettie’s journey toward adulthood has many twists and turns. Do any of them resemble your young adulthood? If so, how?

  2. Nibi and Win can see the unseen and know the unknown. How is this gift double-edged?

  3. How did your perception of Nibi evolve over the course of the narrative?

  4. How do the events surrounding Ethan and Cal’s family situation parallel the storyline?

  5. In what ways does Alise Allen’s self-imposed isolation parallel Piccolo’s life?

  6. Nettie and Anne’s antagonistic relationship begins long before their interest in Andy. Have you experienced similar relationships? Would you have done what Nettie does? If yes, why? If no, why not?

  7. Nettie pays a price for being honest regarding her doubts about faith. Have you ever voiced similar doubts? If so, what was the reaction of those you told?

  8. Nettie’s gritty behavior and language challenge her relationship with Pastor Williams. What is unique about how both react to these challenges over time?

  9. Mr. Danes reflects the duality of good and evil in the same person. What about Nettie makes her an easy target for his evil side? His good side?

  10. In what ways has Nibi prepared Win and Nettie for what they ultimately have to face?

  11. Andy is not a typical teenager. In what ways is he different? How do these differences influence the storyline?

  12. How does Chief Brannon help bridge the gap between Native American traditions and contemporary Christianity? In what ways do his views influence the storyline?

  13. Describe the symbolic parallels between the dreamcatchers, the engraving found in the church, and Christianity.

  14. Take a few minutes to read about the history of the Monacan Indians of Virginia at www.monacannation.com. What about their history makes Nettie and Win’s friendship special?

  15. In the end, what has Nettie discovered about love, hate, life, faith, and reconciliation? What did her journey help you discover about yourself?

  Selected Titles from She Writes Press

  She Writes Press is an independent publishing company founded to serve women writers everywhere. Visit us at www.shewritespress.com.

  The Wiregrass by Pam Webber. $16.95, 978-1-63152-943-6. A story about a summer of discontent, change, and dangerous mysteries in a small Southern Wiregrass town.

  I Like You Like This by Heather Cumiskey. $16.95, 978-1631522925. When social outcast Hannah captures the attention of a handsome and mysterious boy who also happens to be her school’s resident drug dealer, her life takes an unexpected detour into a dangerous and seductive world—and she is forced to reexamine what she believes about herself and the people she trusts the most.

  How to Grow an Addict by J.A. Wright. $16.95, 978-1-63152-991-7. Raised by an abusive father, a detached mother, and a loving aunt and uncle, Randall Grange is built for addiction. By twenty-three, she knows that together, pills and booze have the power to cure just about any problem she could possibly have . . . right?

  Arboria Park by Kate Tyler Wall. $16.95, 978-1631521676. Stacy Halloran’s life has always been centered around her beloved neighborhood, a 1950s-era housing development called Arboria Park—so when a massive highway project threaten the Park in the 2000s, she steps up to the task of trying to save it.

  Fire & Water by Betsy Graziani Fasbinder. $16.95, 978-1-938314-14-8. Kate Murphy has always played by the rules—but when she meets charismatic artist Jake Bloom, she’s forced to navigate the treacherous territory of passionate love, friendship, and family devotion.

  Bridge of the Gods by Diane Rios. $16.95, 978-1-63152-244-4. An evil is rising in the land. The country is under attack, and all creatures, man and beast, must hide. As twelve-year-old Chloe struggles to survive, she discovers an ancient magic that still exists deep within the forests—and learns that friendship doesn’t always come in human form.