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Hidden Door September on Echo Creek The Hangin' Oak Essay Short Story

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Wild Blue Yonder

POW

September on Echo Creek

A single ethical concession, requested by her fiancé, forces Gaylynn Nelson to take a trip that ignites a series of dizzying events changing the lives of friends and family in her Manhattan home and in the rural mountains of western North Carolina. In September on Echo Creek, a character driven novel, the affluent socialite protagonist is confronted by her conscience and her life style in this story of cultural clash and betrayal. During a period of thirty days she is forced to accept the fact her future is threatened, not by an acknowledged adversary, but by those who profess love for her. With the help of friends, old and new, Gaylynn faces redefining whom she is—and survives an attempt on her life.

A story of a woman who breaks her family-imposed bonds to become her own person, September on Echo Creek is a novel that illustrates how everyday events lead people to become enmeshed in circumstances that rock their worlds. It also illustrates how answers and hope come from the words of others such as from those of an old fisherman met on Echo Creek:

Gaylynn turned her head back to the fisherman. "You sound so sure of yourself, not confused. Being confused is terrible."

"Are you sure about that?" The man put one hand on the log on which he sat and leaned forward slightly.

"It being terrible? Oh, yeah. I hate it. I’m more confused than…well... since I’ve been an adult." Gaylynn sighed and motioned to the waterfall with one hand, "I hope those waters will speak to me."

"I’m sure they will, if you listen real close." The old man paused, looked at her very seriously, and said, "You know being confused is never comfortable, but it’s not necessarily bad. It means you’re thinking of different alternatives, of different paths for you to take. Maybe you’re questioning some things for the first time in your life. That thing you’re calling confusion is just your brain speaking to your heart. It’s saying, ‘listen to me, here’s some things you need to consider.’ Let the water help you think. Let it wash away everything but one issue at a time. Let it help you line up all the good and the bad. Then make a decision—and don’t look back."

"I don’t know if can do that, I mean ignore my heart." She shook her head, "I don’t think I can."

"I didn't say that. Don’t ignore your heart. It’s the most important thing. Just be sure it’s your heart that you consider." He smiled at her. "Try. You can do it."

The novel portrays how Gaylynn comes to grips with life and makes her bargain with it, even though she knew she had major trials left to face:

Her paints mixed and lodged on the pallet, Gaylynn set upon the task of making each stroke, each daub of paint a perfect reproduction of what her eyes saw. Her feelings for the spot would not allow her to do otherwise. She wanted to remember every rock, every fern, the exact structure of the rock formation creating the falls, the way the water cascaded down to the clear pool below. These objects, stable as the streambed Echo Creek’s waters flowed through, were dear to her, reverent parts of a new life she hoped for. The place and its people were fresh and honest—symbolic of the life she sought.

In attempting to make the painting precisely what she saw, the scene on the canvas and the murmuring waters revealed another truth. As there had been changes within Gaylynn during her September on Echo Creek, there were subtle changes to the stream’s surroundings. Summer’s lush green was evolving into fall’s old olive with the first hints of, gold, tan, red, and orange to follow, appearing in the foliage. The best she could do was catch a fleeting image and record it, for Echo Creek was a never-ending work in progress. These changes would continue until time ceased to exist for this magical spot. The falling waters told Gaylynn she must understand life is the same. And content in that knowledge, Gaylynn resumed painting, her heart holding the brush.

Or how inspiration and direction can be found in the words of a song:

"I survived before you came, I’ll get by when you leave. It’s in between I have to learn to stand, on my own two feet."

Those words—they told her what she must do. She must learn to stand alone. To find the love she wanted, she craved, Gaylynn knew that she must have a mind of her own. She must find out who she was and what she wanted, then she could find the man who would fit the person she would become. The waters of Echo Creek and the old fisherman had told her she needed a new life’s course and the song provided a compass for its direction. She listened contentedly as the singer repeated the refrain.

"Because it’s only love, it doesn’t have to be the end of me. It doesn’t have to take my dignity. It cost me a little affection. And it taught me all about rejection. But I’ve been taking my heart too seriously, now I can see it’s only love."

Melissa, the singer, finished the song beautifully, melodically as Gaylynn listened, contented for as that song ended, a new life began for Gaylynn.

This novel features the original lyrics to It's Only Love by Melissa Wade and Wild Blue Yonder and is incorporated in the plot line as shown by the previous passages. The book comes with a CD containing It's Only Loveis and 10 other original Wild Blue Yonder songs recorded especially for the publication of September On Echo Creek.

September On Echo Creek has won several awards including a literary novel award from POW (Promoting Outstanding Writers) and a "book of the month" award from a Knoxville news network. Get a copy for your reading and listening enjoyment.