THESE ARE THE TIMES
Chapter Seventeen
Four Weeks Later
Rose sat in the entertainment
room, watching CNN, listening to an updated report on the cleaning of ground
zero. It was now October, and Rose had yet to go anywhere except school and
home. She’d been too nervous to go anywhere else. She knew she wasn’t helping
matters by staying in, but every time she thought of what had happened and saw
the Winstons’ empty driveway, it just drove her back inside, where it was safe
and no terrorists could reach her. She even refused Jack’s request to go out to
a movie or take a walk through Central Park. Instead, they would just spend the
day at Rose’s house, in her room or down in the entertainment room.
But today was going to be
different. Jack was determined to drag Rose out of her depression and outside.
Make her live life again. He stood in the entrance to the entertainment room,
just watching her, wondering what was the best way to reintroduce her to the
outside world.
"Hey, Rose." Jack
entered the rest of the way.
"Jack, hi. I wasn’t
expecting you today." Rose took her eyes off the television to greet her
boyfriend.
"I know. I was thinking we
should take a nice walk in the park. We can stop by Burger King or Subway and
have a picnic lunch."
Rose glanced down at her hands.
She knew what Jack was up to, and she really did want to go, but she was so
scared. What if the terrorists hit Central Park? Or what if they planted a bomb
at the restaurant? Nowhere was safe anymore. She wished she could make Jack
understand that.
"Uh…Jack, not today, okay?
I’m pretty tired, and I have so much homework to do…"
"Rose, you’ve said that each
and every time I’ve suggested leaving this house. This isn’t healthy, Rose. You
need to get out of this house."
"I do. I go to school."
"And then you come back here
and mope." Jack sighed, walking the rest of the way downstairs and taking
her hands in his as he sat next to her. "Rose, I know the world is a scary
place right now. And I wish that I could make it safe and normal for you again,
but I can’t. No one can. We’ve been hit by terror, and we’ve been hit hard.
Neither the city nor the country will ever be the same again, even after this
war is over. But we can’t just tuck our heads in the sand and never leave our
rooms again. That’s just what those terrorists want us to do. We have to show
them that we’re made out of tougher stuff, that they can’t come to our country
and tell us when and where we can go, or anything else. We have to continue
making it count, Rose. Or else all those people died in vain." Jack gently
stroked her face. "Do you understand what I’m saying?"
"Yes, Jack. I do. But I’m so
scared."
Jack smiled. "Believe it or
not, so am I. That’s why it’s important to take this step together.
Hand-in-hand. We’ll fight our fear together."
Rose sighed. She knew she was
going to say yes the minute he had taken her hand in his. There was no fighting
Jack when he was being so gentle and loving. "Okay. Let me get my jacket
and do something with my hair. Then we can go to Central Park. Happy?"
Jack grinned. "Definitely.
I’ll be in the living room, waiting."
Looking back at Jack, grateful
for his love and strength, Rose darted upstairs to prepare for their date,
ready to conquer any fears that might arise.
And love is not the easy thing
The only baggage that you can bring
Love is not the easy thing
The only baggage you can bring
Is all that you can't leave behind.
And if the darkness is to keep
us apart
And if the daylight feels like it's a long way off
And if your glass heart should crack
And for a second you turn back
Oh, no, be strong.
Oh, oh
Walk on
Walk on
What you got, they can't steal it
No, they can't even feel it
Walk on
Walk on
Stay safe tonight.
You're packing a suitcase for
a place none of us has been
A place that has to be believed to be seen
You could have flown away, a singing bird in an open cage
Who will only fly, only fly, for freedom.
Oh, oh
Walk on
Walk on
What you got, they can't deny it
Can't sell it, or buy it
Walk on
Walk on
You stay safe tonight.
And I know it aches
How your heart, it breaks
You can only take so much.
Walk on
Walk on.
Home, hard to know what it is
If you've never had one
Home, I can't say where it is
But I know I'm going home
That's where the hurt is.
And I know it aches
And your heart, it breaks
And you can only take so much.
Walk on.
Leave it behind
You've got to leave it behind.
All that you fashion
All that you make
All that you build
All that you break
All that you measure
All that you feel
All this you can leave behind.
All that you reason--it's only
time
All that I'm feeling on my mind
All that you sense,
All that you scheme,
All you dress-up,
And all that you see,
All you create,
All that you wreck,
All that you hate.