Diamonds in the Water: A Furnace Forges a Good Human Being

By Daniel McCrimons MD

Six years have come and gone since New Year’s Eve in 1965. Now Dr. Windsor Langford Waterbury III faces yet another entangling twist of fate in the form of an additional, more devastating secret about himself and his true identity.
In his lifetime, Dr. Waterbury has already been confronted with a previously unsettling secret his grandfather kept from him to protect him until he was mature enough to understand it. But as a new chain of events unfolds, the intentions behind this new secret may not be as genuine. As it is unleashed to deliberately cause embarrassment, and psychological and emotional pain, Dr. Waterbury must attempt to move forward by maintaining a greater awareness of himself. As his internal strength and time-tested principles provide stamina, the unexpected secret finds its way through his heart, inviting him to fulfill a destiny predicted four generations earlier by his great-grandmother, Sallie Ann.
Diamonds in the Water concludes a life story told through the generations that reveals an unexpected yet deceptive secret with the power to cause emotional suffering and allow the truth to conquer all.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press
• Release date: Jan 19, 2021
• ISBN: 9781982261306

Daniel McCrimons MD

Daniel McCrimons M.D., a Harvard College and Columbia University trained physician, is a practicing pediatrician who has had a dedicated interest in blending his 38 years of clinical experience and discussions on family values to integrate science, history, philosophy, and spirituality and create a life story worthy of investigation, assessment, and an analysis of plan for therapeutic self-improvement.

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Copyright © 2021 Daniel Mccrimons, MD.

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional and spiritual well-being. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, which is your constitutional right, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the Holy Bible, King James Version (Authorized Version). First published in 1611. Quoted from the KJV Classic Reference Bible, Copyright © 1983 by The Zondervan Corporation.

ISBN: 978-1-9822-6129-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9822-6131-3 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-9822-6130-6 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021900322

Balboa Press rev. date: 01/18/2021

Contents

Disclaimer

Foreword

Acknowledgments

Prologue

Part I

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Part II

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Epilogue

Post-Epilogue

Endnotes

About the Author

Disclaimer

All characters appearing in this work, whether they truly lived or were originally fictitious, are mentioned in historic context only, and not with the intention of character defamation or praise, but rather a perspective taken by the analysis of the fictitious narrator.

Any resemblance of opinions to real persons, from the author’s perspective, living or otherwise able to take legal action against him, is purely coincidental.

List of Fictitious Characters

◆ Windsor Langford Waterbury III and family members (Elizabeth, Hugo, and Pamela)

◆ Hope Lightener

◆ Soulange Micheaux

◆ Talize Morningstar

◆ Dorothy Crumwell and family members

◆ Windsor Langford Waterbury Sr.

◆ Elizabeth Adams Cameron Waterbury (Mumsie)

◆ Sallie Ann Williams

◆ Thaddeus Waterbury

◆ Cora Brewster Donelson Waterbury

◆ Victoria Donelson Waterbury

◆ Popcorn Brown and family members

◆ Rose Brewster Waterbury

◆ Jasper Hardy

◆ Minnie Bel Mar

◆ Starlet Bright

◆ Clemson Corazon

◆ Jack Germain

◆ Elizabeth Charlotte Waterbury

◆ Sallie Ann Waterbury

◆ Harrison Bentley

◆ Sterling Bentley

◆ Herbert Horace Huntington (HHH)

◆ Elisha Goldenweiser

◆ Tavish McPhee

◆ Charlotte Williams McPhee

◆ Windsor Langford Waterbury IV (Winn)

◆ Eugenia Brewster Duke

◆ Windsor Langford Waterbury II (Deuce)

◆ Dr. Palmeter

◆ Tillman Merritt

◆ Esther Talize Waterbury Rhodes

◆ Herbert Huntington Waterbury

All the other names in the story are real people who lived and were quoted accurately—except for their interactive commentaries with fictitious characters.

Foreword

Recently I had the pleasure of a personal conversation with the author, Daniel McCrimons, where we were able to sit down and discuss his new series of books, Diamonds in the Water: A Furnace Awaits You, Diamonds in the Water: You Shall Remain Standing, and Diamonds in the Water: A Furnace Forges a Good Human Being. During our discussion, he explained that he had been researching and writing the series for the past fifteen years. The idea originally came to him one Sunday morning in the early nineties while he was in church listening to the minister, and in the middle of the sermon, something the preacher said caused Daniel to stop listening and turn to his inward thoughts. It was then that the idea was envisioned to write about a seventy-year-old man looking back and gaining an awareness and appreciation of his life through an introspective view of what he was given as a human being. The character, later to become Windsor Waterbury III, was to be a privileged, accomplished, and educated man who had the understanding that he must review his own humanity to navigate his life. Daniel had decided to present seven events each decade of Windsor’s life, and as Windsor lived through the challenges of those events, a secret would be revealed to him that would turn his world upside down and initiate the introspective review of his life.

During our insightful discussion of the three books, I asked Daniel to explain the significance of the furnace mentioned in the subtitles of books I and III and indirectly in book II and how it relates to the series. He explained it so clearly:

The first thing that comes to mind would be the challenges, the adversity, the suffering, and the setbacks anyone faces, yet the importance is so clearly brought to our attention through two examples in the Old Testament in the Bible. We need to know how to accept these challenges and what is necessary to overcome them.

In chapter 3 of the book of Daniel, we see Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego in the fiery furnace, but they are protected by the angel. In Isaiah 46:10, we hear God speaking to Isaiah: I have not rewarded you with the silver spoon. I have tested you in the furnace of adversity (paraphrased). The pain and suffering and the setbacks are not experienced in vain. There is a strengthening process, a power to acquire a lesson to learn through the portal of the furnace and overcome the pain and suffering through our faith, our tenacity, and our patience.

Good and evil and the furnace can be viewed as a leveling ground for these two forces to be examined consciously. In the middle of the intense heat, we must realize that there is a good and evil presence. The goodness is the useful lessons from the furnace, and the evil is the impurity that is part of the experience that has no desired purpose yet remains a necessary part of our being.

Daniel uses the analogy of the forging of the samurai sword to describe how we as human beings are tested daily with events in our lives and how these tests shape us. Just as the sword is placed into the furnace to make it able to be shaped into a polished tool, human beings also must endure the furnace to become a good human being, a diamond in the water.

I hope you enjoy the Diamonds in the Water series as much as I have. It is rare to find a historical fiction book with the fictional characters woven into actual historical events. Furthermore, the story line is extremely engaging, edge-of-your-seat controversial, and a very clear explanation of what is required of us to be good human beings. Thank you, Daniel, for sharing the behind the scenes peek into the Diamonds in the Water series.

—Fred Cooper

Acknowledgments

Here I am, at the third and final installment of the Waterbury family saga—six generations encompassing 127 years of history, countless challenges, and notable triumphs, but through it all, good human beings sharing their life experiences and leaving their precious imprint behind to emulate and resonate over time.

Books I, II, and III have unfolded a thirteen-year journey of detective work, creative work, personal interviews, and an overall labor of love interest. My created friends certainly touched me in ways I cannot put into words. In their creation, I was privileged to rub shoulders with many of the world-renowned and honorable human beings of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. All the life lessons they brought to my consciousness, the patience they taught me, a deeper meaning of civility, a greater awareness of philosophy and spirituality, and a more meaningful relationship with God and my fellow mortals. For the gift of completing this literary project, I am truly grateful.

And gratitude is something to clearly recognize. Gratitude captures one’s lucid understanding of what we are given, both apparent and transparent, throughout our lives. It is the yardstick, measuring the intensity of radiance felt from our inner eternal light, in all our circumstances; the more grateful we are, the more brightly our internal illumination shines.

Our essence, our well-being, is defined by the level of gratitude and appreciation we express for our daily living. Take time to be more grateful. We will discover a cogent reason for how we can open our eyes every morning with greater anticipation and delight. Reverend William Mackergo Taylor sums up the potency of gratitude:

We can set our deeds to the music of a grateful heart, and seek to round our lives into a hymn—the melody of which will be recognized by all who come in contact with us, and the power of which shall not be evanescent, like the voice of a singer, but perennial like the music of the spheres.

I would like to acknowledge all my wonderful friends who helped make this third book such a fitting end to Diamonds in the Water. To the late Drs. Sondra Wilson and Michael Brown-Beasley, whose significant input to the content and flow of the story line throughout all three books was so masterful, I could never forget either of you. To my endearing Selma, Alabama, comrades, including my late godmother, Irene Johnson, her sister, Athelstein (Tina) Parrish, and to Tina’s friends, Hazel Ferebee, Jean Jackson, and Reverend Frederick Reese, who graciously told me their personal involvement in the events leading to the Bloody Sunday tragedy in 1965 during several interviews as Selma was initially recovering from the dreaded effects of Hurricane Ivan in September 2004. To Jim Kobasic, a true friend, who gave me personal information about the Green Bay Packers and Vince Lombardi in 1960. To Dr. Gloria Hobbs, one of my mother’s close friends and lifetime supporter of my endeavors, who suggested the intimate French names given to Soulange and Deuce in the story. To Dr. L. Todd Dudley, dear friend, who suggested the Shakespearian quotation spoken by Oliver from As You Like It. To my longtime friend and supporter for the publication of this book, Curt Greer, my deepest appreciation.

And to my inner circle of confidantes, once again, performing their magic and offering their time to build the story line, character development, do the editing, the book cover design, the careful, time-consuming detail to format the entire project, and the opportunity to get all three books completed while still performing my pediatric duties in my clinic and the hospitals—Dr. Jerome Wright, Jack Metzen, Fred and Lori Cooper, and Marcia Sund.

I would like to add a big thank you to my family who were kind enough to accept my long and exhausting hours away from home to complete my project. My sons, Michael and Samuel, their mother, Sandy, and new daughter, Kate, are quite pleased with the outcome of this work. I have recently become a grandfather for the first time, and I am hoping that my grandson, James, will teach me as much about life lessons as the principal character learned from his grandchildren.

And finally, to my friends at Balboa Press, including publishing associate Mary Oxley and the editorial staff, who put this book into a magnificent presentation to spread my thoughts and words to you, the reader.

Prologue

My family has had many moments of setbacks and suffering as well as moments of lingering unhappiness. My paternal great-grandmother, grandfather, father, and I were placed in dark situations. Grandfather had to face confrontation and sacrifice to gain freedom in addition to raising an antagonistic, misguided, undisciplined son. My father married a status-driven, arrogant, and controlling woman who offended him continually and deliberately orchestrated an interfering scheme against me. In the midst of this despair, however, we also had opportunities presented to keep us moving forward.

I knew my circumstances were disheartening and unjust, but I was realistic in my understanding that there were others, like Job from the Old Testament, whose plight was much more devastating than mine. In truth, I did feel like I was on the verge of defeat by the whims of the winds blowing me down into some street corner gutter. However miserable I was, I would not accept a losing attitude or allow the debris to push me further away from the principles and points of wisdom I was blessed to learn.

But my patience was wearing thin in 1955, and I needed some kind of booster, some kind of sunray to pierce through those gloomy thunderstorm clouds. Frustration had followed me for so long, almost twenty-seven years, and my numbness was compounding, until the tranquil thought of my friend, Hope Lightener, penetrated the darkness momentarily, and I was gratefully revitalized. I had such peace and contentment when I met her, but my ties to Victoria had not been severed, and I could not expect Hope to wait. Victoria eventually died. Hope was in Paris with a new husband. She kept in touch and soothed my aching heart with uplifting letters, especially at the time when I was about to break down into small, cracked fragments.

I prayed for peace of mind, and Hope offered so much spiritual support. She nourished me with the wisdom of hope. The British theater critic, Jeremy Collier, brilliantly stated:

Hope is a vigorous principle. It is furnished with light and heat to advise and execute, it sets the head and heart to work, and animates a man to do his utmost. And thus, by perpetually pushing and [offering] assurance, it puts a difficulty out of countenance, and makes a seeming impossibility give way.¹

She as well as Grandfather were on my mind when an unexpected turn of events developed in July 1955 that unfolded answers and ended my confusion.

Part I

Chapter 1

The Emergence of Elizabeth and Hugo

July 1955 (Event 40)

Nighttime produces many opportunities for reflection. Twenty-seven years have passed, and I am no closer to understanding the mysterious disappearance of my beloved Talize and our child. I had searched for countless hours with the hope that one day we would be together. As I laid in my bed, Grandfather’s inspirational words resonated in the back of my thoughts. His guiding wisdom had helped me get through many situations. His reference to a quote from the greatest samurai warrior, Miyamoto Mushasi, brought needed comfort and reassurance but no peace:

Aspire to be like Mt. Fuji, with such a broad and solid foundation that the strongest earthquake cannot move you, and so tall that the greatest enterprises of common men seem insignificant from your lofty perspective.²

He had told me we must face each of life’s battles with a katana sword to defend ourselves and march forward with courage and honor.

When I was twelve years old, I was very unsettled about an incident at school where one of my classmates judged me inappropriately and misunderstood my intention to help him. The classmate’s response that I was just a spoiled, rich kid who thinks he’s so smart was very painful. That evening, I talked about the day’s event with Grandfather. He mentioned the history of the sword, the forging process, and its relevance to my setback. Grandfather’s words were always filled with solace and relief.

The katana sword was a reliable guard, a physical representation of the warrior’s being. It was not considered a weapon. It was his civic code, his principle for living. The sword, indeed, had such a powerful presence that a newborn who was destined to become a samurai would have a sword placed next to him at birth, and at his death, the sword was by his side to protect him in his next realm.

For the sword to maintain a sharp edge and remain durable to prevent breaking while dueling, the craftsmen amalgamated four metal bars—a soft iron bar, two hard iron bars, and the Tamahagane steel for a sharp, keen edge. The forging process required several weeks for a long deliberate folding of the soft and hard metals to occur. The process was analogous to the creation of a diamond. The bars were heated at temperatures of 2,000–2,500 degrees Fahrenheit. The metals were repeatedly placed in and out of the furnace and hammered down to a slender bar, resulting in the blade.

Parts of the blade were slowly cooled down by water to create a more resilient steel. The inner core of the blade contained carbon particles from clay, which helped form the classic curved shape. At the end of the process, a polisher finished the work of art with grinding and polishing stones to give a mirrored surface to the blade. The Shinto priest blessed the sword and the swordsmith during the manufacturing process. The warrior would now be ready to face any challenge.

Once a sword was made, it would be used as it was directed by its owner. The sword has two sharpened edges and could be personified as a trusted friend, a loyal companion. When it was used in this manner, its owner possessed confidence and assurance; it walked by his side, helping him through life’s lessons while on his journey. But the sword could also be personified as a cunning, ruthless adversary, with evil intent. It was perceived as a powerful, deadly weapon. Its owner was fully aware of its capability to harm and destroy.

We have to make a choice. Grandfather said, "We must remain true warriors and wear our swords with dignity. A true warrior learns how to face his greatest challenges. But he must endure emotional and physical pain and trauma, as the forging process for the sword had to occur to make it invincible. Our lives are like these swords and the diamonds that Mumsie gave you. We need to take time to examine the work put into each product. Then, and only then, do we appreciate the full power those products possess. The power that we are truly made of. It would be prudent to follow the timeless advice of history’s greatest samurai warrior, Miyamoto Musashi. In the early seventeenth century, he stated,

Aspire to be Mt. Fuji, with such a broad and solid foundation that the strongest earthquake cannot move you, and so tall that the greatest enterprises of common men seem insignificant from your lofty perspective. With your mind as high as Mt. Fuji, you can see all things clearly. And you can see all the forces that shape events; not just the things happening near to you.³

Although Grandfather’s words rang in my head, You must endure emotional and physical pain and trauma like the forging process for the sword, I still needed peace of mind and a feeling of hope. Hope was what and whom I needed most, and I would eventually find endurance in her.

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Everyone came back to a fully lit house after experiencing a temporary blackout the previous evening. Pamela was very discontent after our discussion was so abruptly interrupted by the unplanned electrical outage. She said, All of you were fully aware of the details about Talize except me. I was listening, the lights went out, and the punch line was not delivered. I felt like an avid New York Giants baseball fan listening to the radio broadcast of the 1951 National League playoff. And just before Ralph Branca’s ninth-inning pitch to Bobby Thompson, and the winning home run, the radio battery unexpectedly dies. That was bad timing! I couldn’t wait!

I told Pamela I was sorry, but I didn’t arrange for the fuse box to have a temper tantrum. I continued my story.

I had spent all those countless hours looking for clues, any possible lead to reunite with Talize and our child. I had resigned myself and given up my search until Soulange, after admission to Harlem Hospital for pneumonia, informed me that Talize was her doctor. I thought she was having a delusional moment, but the next time I saw her, she remarked again that Talize was taking care of her. Soulange added, She didn’t recognize me, so I wasn’t going to ask her if she remembered visiting us on Central Park West.

I looked at Soulange in bewilderment.

She said, Why don’t you see for yourself? Be here when she comes for morning rounds.

The following morning, I arrived and waited until the door opened, and as she turned to greet Soulange, I was stunned to see a woman who was a carbon copy of Talize as she appeared in 1928. She looked at me and smiled, telling me her name was Dr. Elizabeth Crumwell and that Soulange was improving clinically. I asked her where she went to medical school, and she said, State University of New York—Downstate Medical Center. She had just started her internship a few weeks ago. I inquired further by asking what her mother’s name was. She said Dorothy Crumwell.

I continued to stare at her in disbelief. I was too embarrassed to ask any more questions.

Elizabeth said, Father, you have no idea how nervous I was with you looking at me as if you saw a ghost.

I did think I was seeing a ghost.

Soulange