FROM NOW UNTIL ETERNITY
Chapter Two
After practice was over, and not
really ready to go home, Rose decided to take a drive around town. She just
needed some time to breathe and think. Leaving her car at the school, she took
one of the L trains and got lost in her thoughts. Tomorrow she was going to ask
Jack Dawson to go to the dance with her, and she didn’t know how she was going
to approach him. He had barely even said two words to her all year. Sighing,
she leaned back and drifted off into dreams of her and Jack dancing. He was
dressed in a tuxedo and she wore a sequined red and black gown. They seemed to
be having the time of their lives. Jack was just about to lean down and kiss
her when there was a screech and a shudder. Rose sat up abruptly from her dream
to find that the train had stopped in the seedier part of town. People were
disembarking, including the driver.
"This is my break,
folks," the burly man said to the remaining passengers. An elderly woman
and herself. "I’ll be right back."
"Oh, dear." The woman
wrung her hands. "I just knew I should have had Jack pick me up. Now I’m
going to be too late to make dinner. Hopefully the boy will know to order
something for himself and brother and sister." The woman looked over at
Rose and smiled. "I do believe you’re about my Jack’s age. You’re awfully
pretty."
Rose blushed. "Thank
you."
"Well, I suppose I could get
out and walk…even though it is a bit of a ways. I do hate walking alone."
Looking out, Rose saw that it was
dark out. Much too dark for an old woman to walk by herself. Even though Rose
didn’t live on this side of town, she knew anything could happen. This, of
course, was Southside Chicago. "I could walk with you if you like."
Rose swallowed. "I don’t feel comfortable with you walking by
yourself."
"Oh, will you? I’ll have my
grandson drive you home when we get there. This means so much to me. I hate
missing cooking for them."
Rose smiled. She had a feeling
that this was the right thing and that it would lead to something good.
Together, Rose and her new friend
got off the train and began their journey. It was a bit of a ways, about a
mile. Rose couldn’t help being nervous as she saw crowds of people standing in
groups, a couple staring at her as if she was some specimen at the Field
Museum. Diverting her eyes ahead, Rose continued to walk, listening to the
woman’s idle conversation about her grandkids and her husband, who was now
retired and bedridden. Finally, they reached the woman’s home. A small,
two-story house with a garden. A light shone through the window, illuminating
the yard. A familiar Saturn sat in the driveway.
"Come in. Come in!" The
woman beckoned, unlocking the door. "You can have dinner with us! And you
can meet my grandson!"
"Oh, that’s not
necessary," Rose stammered. All she really wanted to do at this time was
get back to her car and get back to her side of town.
"No, I insist. This was out
of your way, and you were kind enough to walk with me. By the way, my name is
Mae. Mae Dawson."
"Rose DeWitt-Bukater."
Rose nodded.
"Grammy!" Two blonde,
blue-eyed children raced towards them as Mae opened the door. Mae laughed and
hugged the boy and girl. "I hope you’ve been good for your brother."
"We saw news." The
little boy nodded.
"Grandma!" A familiar
voice rang out, making Rose’s eyes widen with surprise as it came from the
living room. Rose looked away from Mae and the small children to look towards
the opening of the living room to see Jack Dawson standing there, worry dimming
his blue eyes. "There was a shooting on an L that was stopped just a few
minutes ago. I was worried that you were on that one. The driver was taking a
break and two gang members boarded to rob the train. One of the passengers
refused to give in. The police are down there now."
"Oh, dear. Well, Rose, it
looks like we did the right thing getting off that train when we did. Fate was
looking out for us." Mae nodded to Rose, who couldn’t help but openly
stare at Jack. Mae laughed, seeing that Rose indeed had a crush on her
grandson. This was nothing new for Mae. Jack dated a lot of girls, and even the
ones he didn’t date soon developed crushes on him. "Oh, Jack, dear, meet
my new friend, Rose. She was kind enough to walk me home."
"You’re in some of my
classes, aren’t you?" Jack held out his hand.
"Four of them,
actually." Rose blushed, taking his hand. They both gasped at the electric
shock that coursed through them. Rose had never felt anything like it before.
Looking into Jack’s eyes, she knew that she was getting lost. His eyes were the
most beautiful blue she’d ever seen.
"Jack, let go of her hand.
That’s impolite." Mae laughed. The attraction was obviously mutual.
"Come inside, Rose. I’ll make dinner, and Jack can show you his portfolio.
Then, after dinner, he can drive you home. Jack, show the girl your
portfolio."
"Yes, ma’am." Jack
swallowed, leading Rose deeper into the house.