by J. J. Kapka
~~~
August 14—Evening
All through dinner on the deck of their favorite local restaurant, which was a microbrewery offering a delightful mix of Asian-influenced food, Becker and Maddie scanned the scudding clouds and prayed that the ominous weather would pass. Their hearts sank when rain started pouring down and reverberating on the corrugated tin roof above their heads. Disappointed, they drove back to their hotel in their rental car as darkness settled in around them. The clouds showed no sign of breaking up.
Passing through the lobby, they shared their disappointment with the concierge and took the opportunity to say goodbye. He’d put them on to the good restaurants in town and had always made sure to check back with them afterward to see if they’d had a good time. They decided they might as well go back to their bungalow, start packing, and turn in for the night, because they had an early flight the next day.
When the phone rang a half hour later, Maddie picked up, wondering why anyone would be calling. It was the concierge, telling them that the tail end of the rainstorm was just about to pass over, and there was already clear viewing over the ocean.
Maddie and Becker grabbed a beach towel and raced out of their bungalow. Breathlessly, they ran toward the stretch of beach that overlooked Roebuck Bay and the mudflats there. Before they even had time to throw their towel on the ground, the phenomenon of the Stairway to the Moon began. It occurred only a few times between March and October, through the rare combination of a full moon, low tide, and good weather. The pools of water left by the receding tide reflected the full moon, giving the illusion of multiple moons climbing stairs up to the moon itself.
Seeing the full, white moon reflected some dozen times, shimmering under the night sky, made Maddie and Becker gasp in awe. The sight was at once peaceful and majestic. One step led to another, creating a big picture that was larger than the sum of its parts. It was all about being in the right place, at the right time. Together.