Synopsis: As The Water Falls

This is the synopsis and insights to "As The Water Falls"  if you have not read "As The Water Falls" , then please do so before reading this.
 
 
Synopsis:
 
Although the beginning of this story mentions Kansas City as the setting, the majority of this story takes place in Georgetown Colorado. The time frame is around Aug or Sept of 1999. The reason for this is that in May of 1999 a tornado struck Wichita Kansas, killing 5 people. This is eventful to the story as the main character’s wife is killed in this storm. The actual setting, Georgetown, is where the bulk of the story takes place. The setup is built around the idea that his parents like to travel a lot since they’ve retired. This provided for the main character to be alone at their cottage while he was “house sitting.” This was done so that he could assume the supporting “ghost” character was actually alive and the owner of the land that contained the waterfall. This lead the “Twist” at the end of the story when the main character found out that he was actually visiting with a man who died in 1846. The story revolves around a waterfall that brings two men together. Both have a tragedy in their lives. One being the death of the main character’s wife and the other being the supporting “ghost” character’s own death. As it turns out, the supporting character comes from the past when Georgetown was a small mining town. His mystic appearance lays way for the recovery of the main character as he attempts to come to terms with his wife’s death.
 
 
Insights:
 
The waterfall is the mainstay of the story. It in itself holds several meanings. The focus of the story is not about an angel or ghost coming back from the past but rather a comparison between the beauty of the waterfall and the beauty of life. The waterfall represents the emotional message. The meaning is that life must go on in the face of a tragedy and that the memories of our long past love ones are reaffirmed and maintain their value by the fact that we continue on with life. (Basically: The best way to remember and honor a dead relative is to continue living). At the end of the story, the main characters states “That waterfall is magic.” This not only implies that the waterfall was the magic that brought the "savior ghost" back to help the main character but also that the magic is in what the waterfall represents. The main character is realizing something about his own-self. He realizes that the “magic” is actually in his own heart as well as in the memories of his lost wife.