Legend of the Blue Moon
He was quite old, though no one knew his age exactly. A quiet man, normally only responding when someone asked him a question. I first met him when he came into The Shipwreck one night and ordered a beer. It was a Sunday night and the only other customer at the bar was me. Our conversation began with me asking him where he was from.
We made an odd pair, him being so quiet and I so talkative. However, we immediately hit it off and eventually, over time, became quite close. Though he and I discussed many things about life, philosophy and politics I knew virtually nothing about his past except he lived here when he was a young man. The girls who tended the bar all liked him, telling me there was a kindness about him that captivated them. He had no living family that anyone knew of making me me the person he was closest to. One evening several of us were discussing the Blue Moon which was supposed to arrive in several days.
He seemed preoccupied and didn’t enter into the conversation. Later that evening he said he wanted to talk to me in confidence. He told me he had written a letter which was on the desk in his house and if anything ever happened to him he wanted me to have it. I asked him if he would be at the Shipwreck on the night of the Blue Moon. He gave me a strange smile and said, “If I’m not, check on me because there will have to be a good reason.”
Well, he never did show, and because he was so reliable, I feared something was wrong. I had never been to his house before but he had given me his address so I went to see if he was OK. When I arrived I knocked on the door several times and waited. After a few minutes I tried the door and it opened. I called his name and when hearing no response I walked it. I found him lying in his bed with the most peaceful look on his face, but no life in his body.
On his desk there were two envelopes with one having “Open me first.” written on it in the most beautiful cursive. In that letter were instructions on what to do with his body and where his money was hidden which should be enough to make all the arrangements concerning his remains. I was to keep any money left over. I opened his desk drawer, found the latch to the false bottom and inside found a stack of gold and silver coins that looked to be very old. Knowing a little bit about the value of gold and silver in today’s market I realized it was in excess of $40,000 dollars.
I then opened the second envelope and here is what was written:
Mic,
It was August 31, 2012 when I saw her last. I felt agitated that night as I always do during the rare occasions of the Blue Moon. I was opening the door to my truck when I heard a movement coming from the woods and so turned to see what was there. She was standing next to the back of the truck with the moon shining down on her, casting a moon shadow into the woods. She was as beautiful as ever with her flowing raven black hair and sparkling emerald green eyes. She wore the most beautiful smile as she said, “Hello, Mon Cher.”
I began to shake uncontrollably and said, “Have you come to take me home?” She responded, “No, he says it is not time. You need to stay a little while longer for you are not yet done. Just a few more years…” She then walked up to me, put her arms around me and lifted her head staring into my eyes. As I bent down and kissed her I felt the magic and the electricity fly all around us as our souls melted together.
She then stepped back, looked at me and smiled that beautiful smile saying, “There are some things I need to tell you.” She talked to me for quite a while.
Finally she said “It is time for me to go home to Him.” Then Ma Chère turned and walked back into the trees. I tried to follow but she had disappeared once she entered the woods. When I got home I made a drink, sat on my porch, observed the Blue Moon and let my mind wander into the past.
How long had it been? The last time I saw her was just shy of 150 years ago.
During the War of Northern Aggression I had served as a confederate sailor on several ships with the last one being the CSS Jackson. It was burned by the Yankees on April 16, 1865. I was captured and finally set free in December 10 of the same year, about 6 months after the war was over.
On January 30th, 1866 I finally arrived at my farm in the Brazos Valley. That night there was a blue moon which was special to me because it was under The Blue Moon of August 30, 1860 that we had gotten married. As I approached, I saw a number of horses in front of the house. Wondering what was going on, I dismounted and quietly approached the door. It was open and as I entered I saw five men in the process of raping my wife.
I quickly drew my Walker Colt, shooting and killing four of them with 5 shots. The fifth man, realizing I was out of bullets leapt at me with his Bowie. I drew my Arkansas Toothpick and quickly dispatched him. As he fell I ran to my true love, picked her up and carried her outside to where the well was. As I washed her sweet face, she came to, smiled at me and said, “I knew you would come.” I bent down, kissed her and then said, “It will be all right Ma Chère, we are together again.”
She gave me a sad smile and said, “No, I see Him and He is calling me home. Be good so that when the time comes you will be able to come to me and we can be together forever. I will be waiting.” She then died in my arms. That night I buried her in our garden under the Blue Moon.
I checked the bodies of the dead men and saw that they were ex-union soldiers. In a rage and full of hate I burned the house down with their bodies in it. I then mounted my horse and headed to the Big Thicket in East Texas.
Over the years I waylaid all travelers I came across, and there were many. If they were from the south I would let them go, but if they were Yankees I would rob and kill them. Quickly a price was put on my head, increasing in amount as the years passed and my victims increased in number. Many a bounty hunter entered the Big Thicket looking for me. None ever came out.
Then the night of December 30th 1876 arrived and it was a night of the Blue Moon. As usual, I was feeling agitated as I always did when there was a blue moon. Noticing a campfire I quietly snuck up on it. By the light of the moon I saw four brutes beating up this young boy; yelling at him, “Where did you hide your money? We know you have some somewhere!” Then one of them said, “These damn southerners are so stubborn, let’s just kill him, take his horse and saddle, and move on.”
In less than a heartbeat I leapt into the light of the fire, drew my Colt Walker and killed all four of them. As I was robbing their bodies I heard the young boy say, “Don’t do that.”
I looked at him and saw tears in his eyes. I said “What are you doing here boy? Only a fool comes into these woods unarmed and alone.”
He responded, “I was looking for you; she sent me to find you and give you a message.”
I began to shake and said, “She?” But I knew who she was so I softly asked, “What is her message?”
He answered, “She told me to tell you that you will never be with her again if you don’t turn away from hate. Because of her love for you the Creator is giving you another chance. For every evil deed you have done, you have to do a hundred good deeds and this will take many years because you have done so many evil deeds. When you have completed your work, you will be able to go home to her.”
Then he, his horse and all his gear disappeared leaving me alone with the four dead men and their horses. Well, I went back to my cabin to shave off my beard. I had worn it for almost ten years and when it came off I was surprised to see that I had not aged. When I got back to civilization no one recognized me because, though I was near forty years old, I looked like a man in his twenties.
For the next hundred years I would never live in a place longer than ten years, always trying to do good and stay away from evil. I had to move because I would not age. In those years I learned many trades and obtained a number of degrees, always moving on and starting over. Whenever there was a blue moon I would be agitated, though I also felt I was surrounded by her love.
On January 31st 1980 when I was outside observing the Blue Moon a young boy road up to me on his bike and stopped. I was astounded in that he looked just like the boy I had saved in the Big Thicket over a hundred years ago. He smiled at me and said “You have done well and now you will begin to age.” I started to speak but before I could say a word he turned his bike and rode off. He was right; I did begin to age and now I look like the old man I am.
What was it that she told me on that night in 2012?
Among other things she said this, “I want you to write down your story to be passed on, telling the people of the power of the Blue Moon. It is special to the Creator because it represents the love only a young man and woman can share: sweet, innocent and oh so overwhelming. The first full moon of the month represents the young woman as she waits for her love and the Blue Moon represents him and her united, making their love complete. This is a special gift He gives us humans because of His love for us. So whenever people, who are truly in love, kiss under the light of the Blue Moon they will feel The Creator’s love and have his peace envelop them.
She continued, “More importantly, Mon Cher, let them know this also; that your life is proof that no matter how bad we think we are and no matter what evil we have done that He will not give up on us. We just need to turn our hate into love and share our love with others. This is the first and most important step in coming home to Him.”
Mic, I have written this down and have left it for you to disperse because while I am a reserved, quiet man; you are not. Share it and spread it so people will know about the power of the Blue Moon and how it is connected to people in love.
You see Mic, this is what the Blue Moon is all about.
Goodbye my friend,
An old confederate Sailor
CSS Muscogee but we called it the “CSS Jackson
August of 1860
July 30 of 1863
Jan 30 of 1866
enough