Splendor In The Moonlight

“What is it about Moonflowers that brings such joy to my heart?” Janice asked herself in a soft curious tone. It was a question she was not expecting an answer to so when the voice came, she started and looked about anxiously.

Said the voice, “Moonflowers remind you of joy, warm nights with clear skies and a beautiful, glowing full moon in all its silvery wonder, hanging mystically against its starry background. And oh, how we use to dance my love in the splendor of the moonlight.

 Janice knew the voice but knew it was impossible. The owner of that soft rich voice had passed many years ago and his ashes were now the only part of him that remained, mixed with the rich soil of the Moonflower garden.

When she saw no one there Janice shook her head and stood from her chore of weeding the garden. “My. My, I must have tea. I must have been thinking about you, Fredrick. You have been on my mind a lot lately.” She whispered, half expecting a reply, but none came. She shrugged her shoulders then went inside the house to the kitchen and made herself a tea then took it to the garden patio and sat in the shade of the Cherry tree she and Frederick had planted when they were first married and bought the cottage that they had spent their life together in, only a decade, but the most beautiful Fairy Tale years a woman could ever ask for. And with that thought in mind, even after another decade had passed, she bowed her head and wept in loneliness.

The night came in a sudden explosion with a brilliant harvest moon overhead that seemed so close one might believe they could reach out and touch it. Janice opened her eyes, her tea still warms in her hands though it had been morning when she made it.

“Dear me. How could this be she marveled as she glanced about then cast her gaze on the moon then let her eyes drift to the garden where the moonflowers were open in full bloom as though reaching their petals, like fingers out to the moon.

“Oh. A dream. A beautiful dream and the kind that seems so real. So real that I can smell the flowers and the cherries upon the tree and feel that harvest air upon the breeze.” She said aloud.

“We had ten nights just like this one together my love.” Frederick’ voice came again, then he came into the garden under the arbor from the walkway along the side of the cottage.

“My, what a dream this is and welcome to my heart for I have truly missed you all these years,” Janice said joyously as she stood and walked gracefully toward the moonlit image of her beloved.

“Shine on. Shine on harvest moon.” Fredrick sang in a soft melodic voice and then, as if beckoned, the music came to Janice’s ear as she stepped into Fredricks's arms and they began a graceful, swirling dance that took them hither and there around the garden along the cobblestone path that wound through the beds of Moonflowers, as they had long ago.

All the while they danced the moon hung high in the sky and the music whispered warmly among the branches of the cherry tree and swept down to wisp through the moonflowers that seemed to shimmer with its touch.

“How I loved you my dearest, Janice. I was filled with sorrow when I left you and my spirit soared to the ether world, but once there the love was so much sweeter and stronger and the memory of you grew brighter as the years moved on. I have come every year on this night to look in on you, but you never saw me, or heard my voice when I sang to you.”

“Oh, but I did hear you, Frederick, though I thought it was only in my mind. I never dreamed it was really you, whispering in my ear or that the music was playing upon the night breeze.”

“It is the way of the spirit world, my love.” Replied Frederick.

“But here we are this night. Together, dancing, touching, talking.” Janice said softly curious.

“Come to my love. Make me a tea if you would.” Frederick requested as he led Janice inside to the kitchen. And while she boiled the water and spooned fresh tea into the steeper there came a dream within a dream.

“I will love you forever Janice. No matter what. My heart will always be yours.”

“Now Frederick. Do not boast such things if they are only moments fancy.”

“No, my love. It is not for the moment. It will be forever. On this night, the harvest moon I kneel before you and ask if you will be my bride. Will you marry me?”

“It was a beautiful moment in our life together.” Frederick’s rich voice eased into the memory playing like a dream in Janice’s mind.

“How strange it is to have dreams upon dreams and they both seem so real.” Replied Janice.

“Because they are really my dear, but don’t, please do not dwell on the ponderance of such things. Just let them flow, let them be what they are so that we may have this moment together, a rare moment when our spirits meet in a reunion on this special night.” Frederick urged.

“Yes. I understand.” Janice replied then allowed herself to be swept into Fredericks's arm to accept a kiss of such love and passion she nearly swooned. And the music played with the intensity of the moment until Frederick released her and swept her once again in a dance around and around the table until the teapot whistled.

There now. Tea is ready and how I have missed our teas by the morning light.” Said, Frederick. Then carrying the tray out the door to the patio then came into a bright harvest morning day and sat by the cherry tree, just newly planted with paling leaves and not yet rich with fruit.

“Oh my. This is the morning after we planted the cherry tree and the moonflower gardens.” Janice said wistfully, “And we made love, there, on a blanket in the grass.”

“Hoping.” Replied Frederick.

“A hope never realized, and I guess it was well that it wasn’t.” Said Janice with a hint of sadness.

“I think my dear, it was as it should have been. Our love was radiant like the moonflowers in the light of the full moon. It was never meant to be forever in our mortal shells.”

“But I am still in mine and my love for you lingers on and it will forever or at least as long as I remain here.” Replied Janice.

Beneath the harvest moon, Frederick took his beloved once again in his arms and kissed her, this time with the tenderness of age and maturity. The air filled with the sweet smell of moonflowers and the gentle music of harvest moons. A breeze rustled the leaves of the cherry tree and the lovers began to swirl and whirl riding playfully on an autumn mist.

In a single breath, they gazed into each other’s eyes and whispered. I love you, Janice, I love you, Frederick.” And then Janice was once again kneeling before her moonflower garden gently caressing each bloom. Her hands were white and wrinkled and her hair was streaked with shades of gray. Another harvest moon had come and gone and as Frederick promise on that first visit, he came to visit on each one…

And the years had passed, and the gardens of moonflowers shone brightly, Janice believed because his spirit shines with our love on them.

It was tea time on the morning of the full harvest moon. The moonflowers had curled in for the day and the cherries were looking ripe for the picking. Alice came from the kitchen bearing a tray with a pot of tea and two cups. She had taken her position as a young girl when Janice had grown old and weary but refused to leave the cottage.

“Come, dear Alice. Sit with me for tea.” Janice invited as she had every morning for a decade.

Alice took her place at the table and poured the tea.

“Alice my dear, I am very old and tired,” Janice said wistfully, then handed Alice an envelope scented with moonflower. “Give this to Mr. M, my solicitor who will join you tomorrow morning for tea.”

“You will be here too.” Replied Alice, but her words fell on unhearing ears.

Sometimes things happen that cannot be explained and indeed should not be. Suddenly the full harvest moon rose to its height in the sky and the moonflowers opened in bloom, their sweet scent filling the air. And as Alice watched on flickering sparks of blue-white light rose from the center garden and there before her eyes formed the figure of a young man. At the very same moment, a glimmering image rose from Janice’s body, Janice herself, a young and beautiful Janice.

Gently Janice drifted with a breeze into the arms of her spirit lover. They wrapped each other in a warm embrace and kissed, like old souls too long parted.

Then a sweet music came and the spirits sang Shine on, shine on harvest moon as they began to swirl and twirl ascending the sky, raised aloft on a silvery cloud of moonflower petals until they were gone, slipping away into the ether sky but before all was done Alice heard them say in warm sweet unison, I love you, Janice, I love you, Frederick,,.