Aquifer: A Novel (51 page)

Underwater at the strainer net which spanned Blue Spring’s exit stream, the swift current whisked a tiny stunned hatchling toward the electrified straining net. It had not yet fully recovered from the stunning affects of the explosion and weakly attempted to swim, though it mainly floundered in the swift current. Just before it made contact with the net, however, the tree trunk that had fallen into the spring passed the hatchling, rammed the nylon net and bounced off, poking a small hole in the strainer net. The river’s current whisked the hatchling through the hole and on toward the Current River.

=/\=

C
HAPTER
F
IFTY
-T
WO

Blue Spring

On the shore line of Blue Spring, Clayton had been transferred from the scuba plane to a stretcher which rested on the ground near Sheriff Akers’ command console. Opal rushed to his side and began attending to his wounds.

Forty feet away, Tina stood at the rim of Blue Spring. A tear rolled down her cheek as she softly whispered Johnny’s name. She tried to be stoic as she stared blankly at the calm, but murky spring before her. Larry kissed her tenderly on the forehead and pulled her close, wrapping his arms protectively about her.

From his stretcher Clayton looked up at Opal who was kneeling beside him, “I'm sorry Opal, your grandson . . . Johnny . . . he was in the cave,” his voice trailed off.

Opal inhaled quickly, raising a trembling hand to her mouth. She glanced at Tina, crying on Larry's shoulder.

A deputy approached Gimp Foot’s smouldering carcass and picked up an object wedged in its webbed foot. He raised Johnny's crushed and scorched helmet with the words “J
OHNNY
E
XPLORER
” clearly visible. Tears welled up in Opal's eyes. “No! Not my Johnny. Please dear Lord, not Johnny,” Opal begged, barely above a whisper.

She closed her eyes and sobbed. Clayton clasped her hand tight.

Tina was still sobbing on Larry’s shoulder as Sheriff Akers reluctantly approached. “Uh, Larry . . . We're sending in divers to make sure that none of the aliens survived. We'd appreciate any assistance you can lend us.”

Larry nodded his head in agreement. Tina was unresponsive, staring at the scorched helmet which had been placed on the ground near the Sheriff’s command console and then back at the spring. Larry held her close and brushed a lock of her hair behind her ear. He gazed into her face but quickly became alarmed as he watched her face change from grief to terror. Her bottom lip began to quiver.

Larry turned his head to look where Tina had been focused. Something was swimming underwater toward them in the now murky spring. Quickly two deputies rushed forward with flame throwers, prepared to incinerate whatever surfaced.

“Stand back!” shouted one of the deputies.

At that moment the heads of Johnny, Austin and Frankie broke the surface, gasping for air.

“JOHNNY!” Tina shouted in disbelief.

She and Larry rushed to the water's edge and excitedly helped the boys to climb out. Tina grabbed Johnny, lifting him into the air as she hugged him and twirled around with him in her arms.

Opal rushed to Johnny's side and hugged him with tears of joy. “We thought you were killed!”

“How did you escape?” asked Larry incredulously.

“There was this big boulder we hid behind. It protected us from the explosion . . .” Johnny started to explain.

“The blast made the tunnel big enough for Frankie to get through,” interrupted Austin. “And when the dust settled we swam out through the spring.”

“Yeah, we saw the light coming through the water so we dove in and swam toward the light,” concluded Johnny.

Everyone laughed joyfully.

Beaming, Opal returned to Clayton's stretcher, while wiping tears of joy with the back of her hand. “And now young man, let's tend to you.”

Clayton's shirt was bloody from the chest wound he received. Opal carefully unbuttoned his shirt and started to peel it back. Suddenly she stopped. Her eyes riveted on the gold chain around his neck and the infant ring dangling from it. She removed the chain from his neck to get a better look at the tiny ring. She raised it to eye level and turned the ring to read the inscription on the inner rim. “Hope Never Fails.” As she finished turning the ring she saw a symbol etched into it right after the inscription: “=/\=.” Opal was at first surprised, then a look of desperate hope combined with anxiety filled her eyes.

“Where did you get this ring?” inquired Opal, barely able to contain herself.

“From my birth mother . . . when I was born,” Clayton explained.

Opal choked with emotion and could hardly speak. Tears welled in her eyes and began to stream down her cheeks. “Do you know the meaning of this triangular symbol?”

“I haven't a clue,” he replied.

Opal lowered the ring to Clayton’s level and propped up his head with her arm. She transferred the ring to his right hand, tucking it horizontally between his upraised thumb and forefinger. She positioned the ring so that he could see the “=/\=” symbol. He studied it quizzically for a moment, then raised his eyes to search Opal’s face for answers.

Opal met his gaze with a smile then turned her head toward the spring while pointing with her outstretched arm and index finger at the bluff wall on the far side.

Clayton turned his head to follow her gesture. Then both their gazes focused on the bluff wall on the opposite side of the spring. The triangular grotto came into focus with the two parallel lines of white limestone near its apex. The grotto opening and veins formed the same “=/\=” symbol. The ring in Clayton’s hand lined up perfectly with the symbols on the bluff wall. His eyes widened as the meaning sank into his mind.

Opal placed her hands behind her neck and reached inside the collar of her blouse. She unclasped the lock of a gold chain and removed it. Dangling from it was another gold ring, larger than the one Clayton held. She turned it in her fingers and placed it next to the one Clayton held. Both rings were engraved with the same “=/\=” symbol. Opal tapped the ring in Clayton’s hand with her index finger.

“I gave this ring to my son the day they took him from me, fifty-two years ago,” said Opal.

“Then you must be my . . . Mother?” gasped Clayton.

Opal sobbed joyfully as she pulled his head to her breast and stroked his brown hair.

Clayton rested his head for a moment then he gently pushed her back and questioningly looked directly into her eyes.

“But you're Opal Chitwood. My mother was Valoura Sutton,” he said skeptically.

Opal wiped her tears with the back of her hand. “My name is Valoura Opal Sutton. When I left the farm to start a new life I switched to using my middle name, Opal. Years after you were born I met and married Arthur Chitwood. . . . When they took you from me that day I thought I would die.”

For a moment Clayton was stunned. He stared at the kindly woman before him and reflected upon the years of anguish he had felt, not knowing the identity of his mother. Then suddenly and inexplicably, the pain of the years of loneliness and questioning were washed away. The void was immediately flooded with a profound love for this backwoods country woman he had gotten to know. All of Clayton’s pent-up emotions rushed to the surface as he clasped Opal’s face between his hands. He lovingly caressed her cheeks while gazing deeply into her eyes. He smiled broadly as his eyes too filled with tears of joy.

Then he softly spoke the words which, for the previous fifty-two years, Opal had longingly ached to hear.

“Mother . . . I'm home.”

=/\=

C
HAPTER
F
IFTY
-T
HREE

Valoura

The next Sunday, the family was again gathered around the Chitwood dinner table. This meal was a particularly joyous occasion. Opal was seated at the head and Clayton, as usual, was seated on the side of the table next to her. Each person was holding the hand of the person on either side, except for Opal. She clasped both of Clayton’s hands between her own as she beamed with happiness. Their heads were bowed. Lillburn was saying grace.

“We thank Thee Dear Lord for our brother whom Thou hast brought back into our family . . .” began Lillburn.

Though filled with more happiness than she could ever remember having felt, tears freely fell from Opal’s eyes. She could not remember having ever felt so much happiness. Both she and Clayton reflected upon their lives and the events that had brought them back together. Opal’s thoughts drifted back to the events of fifty-two years earlier . . .

*

The rain had stopped at Valoura’s childhood cabin. The first glimpses of morning light were just beginning to break through the low clouds. Doc’s green DeSoto pulled away from the rickety old cabin and made its way down the muddy road.

*

Two young country girls, Valoura and Ellen Sutton, sat at the edge of Blue Spring, their feet dangling in the water.

“It's been two weeks now, and you still haven't smiled,” chided Ellen.

“This is the hardest thing I shall ever do,” replied Valoura sullenly. “I didn’t know you could ever love another person as much as I love my son. I miss him terribly. My heart is breaking, but in my head I know my son will be better off with his new family. They’ll give him all things I never could. I just hope they’ll love him as much as I do.”

*

Clayton’s thoughts drifted back to his adoptive childhood, living in his luxurious home in their exclusive gated community. His parents had given him every material comfort imaginable. He wanted for nothing, except for the things that really mattered. His childhood memories were filled with the ball games his parents missed, the birthday parties they hadn’t attended, the coldness and distance between them, and his feelings of always being in the way.

Though he would always be grateful for the opportunities his adoptive parents had provided him, Clayton’s interaction with Opal’s family allowed him to understand the meaning of the loneliness and the ache he had always carried in his heart. Love, time shared doing things together, closeness, acceptance and support - these were the ingredients of a happy family.

*

“No, they’ll give him a much better life than I ever could here,” The young Valoura sadly stated to her sister as she glanced back over her shoulder at the ram-shackled, run-down, Ozark cabin which looked like a good sneeze would destroy. “But inside, in my heart, I feel like dying every time I think of him. I will always love him,” lamented Valoura as she silently began to cry. “I'd like to be alone.”

Ellen nodded, patted Valoura’s hand and stood to leave.

Moments later Valoura descended the path along the face of the bluff on the far side of Blue Spring. Reaching the bottom she turned to her right, toward the triangular grotto with the parallel white limestone veins near the top.

*

After completing their Sunday afternoon dinner, Clayton and a jubilant Opal went to Blue Spring. They descended the steep path along the face of the bluff on the far side of the spring. Reaching the bottom of the trail, they turned to their right and headed for the grotto.

Entering, they sat upon the ground with their backs against the rock wall.

“And now,” said Opal, “I’ll tell you all about your family.”

=/\=

– The End –