A LIFE SO CHANGED
Chapter Twelve

A purple sky, shot with orange, in the west behind Titanic sailing on. It captures the ship so beautiful.

Jack walking to the entrance door. A steward nods and smartly opens the door to the First Class Entrance.

"Good evening, sir."

Jack nods. He steps in and his breath is taken away by the splendor spread out before him. Overhead is the enormous glass dome, with crystal chandelier at its center.

Sweeping down six stories is the First Class Grand Staircase, the epitome of the opulent naval architecture of the time.

And the people in "her" world the women and the girls in their floor length dresses, elaborate hairstyles and abundant jewelry...some were wearing undergarments. The men and the boys are in the same suit that Jack is wearing.

Jack descends to A deck. He stops near a pillar, crosses his arms and leans on it. Quickly scanning the crowd, several men shook his hand, and small chitchats. He notices that the girls are staring at him and laughing.

Four girls went up to him. Tina Parrish, Kelly Bates, her sister Trish, and Belle Walker.

"Are you the guy, who saved Rose?" asked Belle.

"Yes, I am." Shyly.

"Well, I heard the other way around," said Tina.

"No, she accidentally slipped, and I helped her."

Cal and Ruth are coming down the stairs. They did not notice Jack talking with the girls. Jack didn’t either.

"Where’s Rose?" asked Ruth.

"Oh, she’ll be along. There is Vicki."

"Good evening, my wonderful friends," said Vicki Palmer, with a smile. Vicki is one of Rose’s best friends.

Rose is on the top of the stairs getting ready to come down. She saw Jack being crowded with the girls. She smiles. "Wow, they are in love with him already!"

"So, you’re her hero, right?" asked Kelly.

"Actually, I’m her savior."

"What do you mean by that?" asked Belle.

Jack ignored her, because he is caught in the act by Rose, who is coming down the stairs, watching him, amazed. He catches her from the corner of his eye and rudely turns to walk to her, not saying, "Excuse me" to the girls.

She is a vision in a purple dress, with purple sequins above her waistline and in the end of her dress, and end of her sleeves. Her low cut dress showing off her neck and shoulders, but wore a white lace undergarment with a spiral diamond head band all around her bun-like hair. Lea has loan it to her.

Rose smiles as she approaches Jack. He imitates the gentlemen’s stance, hand behind his back. He extends her hand and kisses the back of her fingers. Rose flushes, beaming noticeably. She can’t take her eyes off of him.

"I saw that in a nickelodeon once, and I always wanted to do it." In a whisper, and laughs. Rose laughs too.

He raises his right arm to her. She takes his arm and comes down the stairs. She is visibly impressed by him. Jack smiles at her, and raises his nose as if to mock the first class upper-crust attitude he emulating. Rose snickers, still taken with him.

They passed the girls, who watched the act between them, wishing that Jack could have done that to them. Jack and Rose came behind Cal and Ruth.

"Dad, surely you remember Jack Dawson?"

"Dawson? Jack!" Caught off-guard. "Amazing. You could almost pass for a gentleman."

"Almost." Matter-of-factly.

Jack looks at Rose. She is embarrassed of what Cal said, but soften when Jack looked at her smiling.

They are in Chapel. They have Chapel, have lunch and dinner afterwards. They have Chapel after breakfast.

Standing before the seats. Rose whispers in Jack’s ear.

"We have Chapel and then dinner."

Jack nods.

"We can’t sit together. Girls on the right. Boys on the left. You can sit across from me. Okay?"

"Okay."

Rose sat next to Lea as always. She smiles at Jack, and he smiles back.

They had singing, announcement, singing, offering, singing, and then preaching. Pastor Walker is preaching on "What we shouldn’t do that the world does." He preached the same story line, that Rose told Jack. Only more to it. No touching before marriage. Rap music and others, only Christian music.

Rose looks at Jack all this time during Chapel and Jack did too. For he now knows why she wanted to end her life. He did not laugh or make fun of her.

When Chapel was over. Jack went over to Rose, gave him his arm again, and left to go to dinner.

While they were on the staircase to go to D deck. Rose stares at Jack. He catches her looking, they both laugh. As they reach the bottom. Rose decides to brief Jack on those around them.

"There’s Vicki. She is one of the sweetest people in my life. That’s Jerry Lee, the richest man in the church. He even helped us out to get first class." Nodding toward a couple. "And of course, there is Jenna. My best friend. And over there, we have the Bates. They are very good friends with my parents. But I have to warn you, you go near her daughters, and she’ll rip your lungs out." The Bates and Cal and Ruth were few feet from them. They waved. Rose waved back.

"Your daughter has a date with her," said Rob, smiling at Rose.

"No, he is not!" said Cal.

Lea, looking beautiful in her blue beaded dress, she grins when she saw Rose and Jack together. She comes up to them.

"Care to escort another lady to dinner?" With a smile.

"Certainly." Holding his other arm out to her. She took it.

"Sweetpea?" asked Cal, looking behind her to get her attention. "Sweetpea?" Of course Rose ignored him.

Rose, Jack, and Lea strolls towards the dining saloon.

"Ain’t nothing to it, Jack? Remember they love it. So act like you’re saved and you’re in the club," said Lea. They all laughed. "Mr. Foster!"

"Well, hello, Lea!" said Peter Foster. He and his wife, Amanda Foster beside him. They have been married over six months. They are both thirty-nine.

"Mr. and Mrs. Foster, I’d like you to meet Jack Dawson." Then she whispers in Jack’s ear to tell him their first names.

"Good to meet you, Jack." Shaking hands.

"My pleasure," said Jack, after he shook hands with Amanda.

"Are you one of the Boston Dawsons?" asked Peter.

"No, the Chippewa Fall Dawsons, actually."

Peter nods as if he’s heard of them, then looks puzzled. "Oh yes."

Amanda appraised Jack and whispers girlishly to Rose. "Too bad he’s your age. I could take him in a flash."

"Yeah, but too bad he’s mine." They both laughed.

Like a ballroom at the palace, alive and lit by a constellation of chandeliers, and beautiful music from bandleader, Wallace Hartley’s small orchestra. They are playing religious music for them.

As Rose and Jack enter and move across the room to their table. Rose introduced Jack to Vicki, and Jack kissed her hand. Vicki blushed.

Rose: "He must have been nervous, but he never faltered. They assumed he was one of them...but still a new member of the club. My dad, of course, could always tell he was trouble from the beginning."

"Tell us of the accommodations in steerage, Jack. I hear they’re quite good on this ship," asked Molly.

Jack is seated opposite of Rose, who is flanked by Cal and Thomas Andrews. Also at the table are the Bates, Bruce Ismay, the Parrishes, Pastor Walker with his wife, Pearl, Ruth, Jenna, and the Fosters.

"The best I’ve seen, ma’am. Hardly any rats." With a smile. They all laughed.

"Jack Dawson is joining us from third class. He was some assistance to Rose last night," said Cal.

"It turns out that Jack is quite a fine artist. He was kind enough to show me some of his work today." Smiled shyly and determined not to let Cal ride Jack.

"Rose and I differ somewhat in our definition in fine art. Not to impugn your work," said Cal.

Jack takes that comment in stride with a wave of his hand. Jack looks down at the table while Ismay is talking about Titanic.

"Are these all for me?" asked Jack to Molly, who sat next to him. Vicki was on the other side.

"Just start from the outside and work your way in."

"She maybe mine on paper, but in the eyes of God, she belongs to Thomas Andrews. He knows every rivet in it, don’t you, Thomas?" asked Ismay.

"Your ship is beautiful, Mr. Andrews, truly," said Rose, with a smile.

"Thank you, my dear." With a smile.

"What would you like to drink, sir?" asked the waiter to Jack.

"A Budweiser." Rose cleared her throat to Jack, and shook her head. "I mean Coke."

"And where exactly do you live, Jack?" asked Cal.

"Well, right now, my address is the RMS Titanic. After that, I’m on God’s good humor."

"And how is it you means to travel?" asked Cal.

"I work my way from place to place. You know tramp steamers and such. But I won my ticket here in a very lucky hand of poker. A very lucky hand." Looking at Rose. She smiles.

"All life is a game of luck," said Peter.

"A real makes his own luck, right, Jack?" asked Cal.

Jack nods to his agreement.

"And you find that sort of rootless existence appealing, do you?" asked Ruth.

"Well, yes ma’am, I do. I got everything right here with me. I got air in my lungs, and few blank sheets of paper. I mean, I love waking up in the morning, not knowing what’s going to happen, or who I’m going to meet." Looking at Rose.

"Where I’m going to wind up. Just the other night, I was sleeping under the bridge, and now here I am on the grandest ship in the world having dinner with you fine people. I’ll take some more of that." To the waiter.

"I figure life’s a gift, and I don’t intend on wasting it. You never know what hand you’re going to get dealt with. You learn to take life as it comes at you."

Cal is looking for something in his coat pocket. Jack thinking he’s looking for a lighter.

"Oh, here you go, Mr. Black." Cal catches it. "To make each day count."

"Well, said, Jack," said Molly.

"Here. Here," said Peter.

Rose raises her glass up in the air, looking at Jack. "To making it count."

"To making it count," said everybody, who raised their glasses in the air, including Cal and Ruth, who thought it would be rude not to join them.

Oh my, Jack sure did out did them. They all like him now, all except Dad and Mom. He sure did out do me. She thought.

Dessert is being served and Molly is telling a funny story.

"Rob and David had no idea that the woman was going to be naked, when she opened the door. Ha, ha, ha. So they had to look down, while they witnessed to her." They all laughed.

Rose being low to Jack, and smiles. "I know somebody, who looks at naked women all the time." He smiles back. "Next the men are going to have a religious meeting."

"Well, it’s time for the meeting, gentlemen," said Pastor Walker, who rises up from his chair.

"Now they retreat themselves on being Masters of the Universe," said Rose.

"Ladies, thank you for the pleasure of your company," said Ismay.

"Rose, may I escort you back to your room?" asked Cal, holding her chair.

"No, I’ll stay here."

"Here you go, Vicki." Handing back her pen.

"Joining us, Brother Dawson? You don’t want to stay out here with the women, do you?" asked Pastor Walker.

"No thanks. I got to be heading back."

"Probably best. It’ll be all business and that sort of thing. Wouldn’t interest you. Besides you needed to hear that preaching, but Jack..." said Cal, throwing Jack’s lighter back. "Good of you to come."

Jack caught his lighter and puts in his pant pocket. Cal and the others left. Jack walks over to Rose.

"Jack, must you go?" With a tiny smile. Please stay.

"Time for me to go row with the other slaves." With a smile. She laughs. "Good night, Rose."

Ruth turns from talking to Jenna, and saw Rose and Jack talking. Her face shows that she does not like this at all.

Jack leans over to take her hand, insert a tiny folded note into her palm. He kisses the back of her fingers again, looking deep into her eyes.

She watches Jack leave. She felt something in her hand. She saw it and surreptitiously opens the note below table level. It reads: "Make it count. Meet me at the clock." Rose looks up at the dining room door, and she is fill with excitement in her eyes.

Rose got up and walked over to Ruth, telling her that she wanted to return to her room.

Rose crosses the A deck foyer, sighting Jack at the landing above. Overhead is the crystal dome. Jack has his back to her, studying the ornate clock with its carved figures of Honor and Glory. It softly strikes the ninth hour.

She hesitates, draws a breath, as if trying to decide if she’s doing the right thing. She goes up the sweeping staircase toward him. He turns, sees her. He smiles.

"So, you want to go to a real party?"

Chapter Thirteen
Stories