A DEEP OCEAN OF SECRETS
Chapter Twenty-Two
Rose and Jack ran as fast as they
could up the slanted floor of the first class smoking room. They were both
soaking wet and terrified, but refused to give up. Thomas Andrews stood at the
fireplace, staring up at a painting, lost in thought. An ashtray rolled off the
table and broke into a million pieces. Rose and Jack ran straight through the
room, but suddenly Rose stopped and walked back slowly. Mr. Andrews didn’t even
acknowledge she was there. His lifebelt was laid on a table, not in use. Rose
looked at him sadly.
"You won’t even make a try
for it, Mr. Andrews?" she asked softly. Jack tugged at her arm, but she
ignored him. Thomas Andrews looked at her, his eyes dimming.
He choked up. "I’m sorry I
didn’t build you a better ship, young Rose," he managed.
"We have to go," Jack
said softly. Rose turned to go, but Mr. Andrews stopped her and handed her the
lifebelt on the table.
"Good luck to you,
Rose," he said, a tear rolling down his cheek. "And tell
Elisabeth…tell Elisabeth…tell her I said good luck as well." He seemed to
not find the right words to say.
Rose smiled softly. "You
love her, don’t you, Mr. Andrews? By the way you stare at her, by the way you
talk to her?"
Mr. Andrews had a faraway look on
his face. "That I do, Miss Rose," he said after a pause. "That I
do." He smiled softly. "But who wouldn’t? What would an old man be
doing lovin' a young girl? That I cannot even figure out." Rose nodded
gently. "Tell her I wish her all the luck and the best. See that she is
safe for me."
"I will. I will, Mr.
Andrews." Rose nodded. Jack waited patiently, tears welling in his eyes.
"Good luck to you,
Rose."
Rose reached up at hugged Mr.
Andrews. "And to you," she said softly. She put the lifebelt on and
Jack grabbed her hand. He nodded to Thomas Andrews, who nodded back, and he and
Rose fled from the room.
Back on deck, the orchestra had
finished their tune. "Right, then," Wallace said. He took a step away
from the orchestra and began to play the haunting hymn Nearer My God to Thee.
His orchestra looked at one another, then quietly joined in. The music seemed
to stop time, and everything was in slow motion. The hymn was in everyone’s
ears and drifted all over the ship hauntingly…
Nearer my God to thee
Nearer to thee
E’en though it be a cross
That raiseth me
Still all my song shall be
Nearer my God to thee
Nearer to thee.
Captain Smith looked like he had
inwardly collapsed. He looked around at the marvelous ship being evaporated by
the sea, his eyes showing no emotion. Slowly, he turned around, ignoring all
the loud sounds of the death of a titan, and walked into the empty wheelhouse.
He closed the door, locking himself in. Water was already swirling through
underneath the door, and it was visible through the windows. Smith was alone, a
lost man, waiting to go down with his ship…
Though like the wanderer
The sun gone down
Darkness be over me
My rest a stone
Yet in my dreams I’ll be
Nearer my God to thee
Nearer to thee.
In the first class smoking room,
Thomas Andrews was like a statue. He wasn’t crying or showing any emotion. He
was just still, staring at the painting. Ashtrays and china rolled off the
tables, crashing around him, but he didn’t notice. He took out his pocket watch
and checked the time sadly. 2:12. He opened the clock on the fireplace mantle
and changed the time. Everything must be correct…
Then let the way appear
Steps unto heaven
All that Thou sendest me
In mercy given
Angels to beckon me
Nearer my God to thee
Nearer to thee.
In the DeWitt Bukater suite, the
water was rising fast. Rose’s beautiful paintings floated under the bluish
water. Degas’ colors ran. Picasso’s image was transformed by the cold Atlantic.
Monet’s water lilies seemed to come to life. Everything was quiet, the hymn
filling up the ship in a mournful state…
Then with my waking thoughts
Bright with Thy praise
Out of my stony griefs
Bethel I’ll raise
So by my woes to be
Nearer my God to thee
Nearer to thee.
In a first class cabin down the
hall, an elderly man and woman lay side-by-side on a double bed. The woman had
tears running down her face and the man was stroking her cheek lovingly. Then
he kissed her and wrapped his arms around her. Water poured into their cabin,
right underneath them in the bed. They were waiting…
Or, if on joyful wing
Cleaving the sky
Sun, moon, and stars forgot
Upward I’ll fly
Still all my song shall be
Nearer, my God, to thee
Nearer to thee.
A young Irish mother was in her
cabin, tucking her two children into bed. She told them a tale, and they curled
up underneath the warm blankets. They were so peaceful, but death was written
all over the young mother’s face. They also were waiting…
There in my Father’s home
Safe at my rest
There in my Savior’s love
Perfectly blest
Age after age to be
Nearer my God to thee
Nearer to thee.
A huge china cabinet, stacked
with plates and cups, tilted with the angle of the ship. The china was thrown
out of the shelves, landing on the carpeted first class floor, crashing into
tiny, sharp pieces. The noise was loud and screeching, but the hymn seemed to
flow right over it…
Nearer my God to thee
Nearer to thee.
A room was completely filled with
water. But in the middle, floating, was a beautiful first class girl. Her hair
was golden, floating around her pale face and closed eyes. Her dress was
beautiful, the skirts floating around. She tilted the way of the ship and the
hymn seemed to be mourning for her. The Titanic was her burial ground…
Nearer my God to thee,
Nearer to thee
Still all my song shall be
Nearer my God to thee
Nearer to thee.
Up on deck, the water was
swirling. In Collapsible A, Cal was sitting next to the child, completely
forgotten, scared, backing away from the water. He had no idea what to do, and
he didn’t want to mess with Elisabeth. Elisabeth was standing up, her skirts
wet, her hair matted to her head, curls gone. Her skin was pale, and her eyes
were wide in fright. Her small hands were wrapped around the davit ropes,
looking like she was hanging on for dear life. Men around her were trying to
cut loose the collapsible so the water wouldn’t drag them under. People tried
to swarm it, and Elisabeth was close to tears. Not knowing where Rose, Jack, or
William were, all she could do was pray and wait…
Nearer my God to thee
Nearer to thee.
Jack and Rose were running up the
Grand Staircase. Everything seemed to be in slow motion for them. Rose was soaking
wet, as was Jack. He was holding her hand tightly, not going to let her go
anytime soon. They reached the A-Deck foyer and more people were running around
them in an unorganized manner. Water was threatening to break the beautiful
dome overhead. Jack whispered words to her and they charged up the steps to the
deck.
Still all my song shall be
Nearer my God to thee
Nearer to thee.
In the wheelhouse, Captain Smith
was waiting. Waiting for death, waiting to be saved…the windows revealed water
passing its limit. The ship groaned and creaked with the pressure. Smith looked
around in bewilderment like a soul on judgment day. He looked around, and
suddenly the windows broke, water and glass slamming into him with a mighty
force. Soon he disappeared in a vortex of foam, swallowed by the icy Atlantic.
Nearer my God to thee
Nearer to thee.
William was in Collapsible B,
trying to help cut the ropes from the boat. Water was nearly washing into the
boat, and women were screaming frantically, children wailing. Suddenly the
waves crashed and the boat was submerged partially. William was thrown down
into the water. He broke the surface and climbed back into the boat.
Nearer my God to thee
Nearer to thee…
In Collapsible A, as the bow
plunged, waves hit the lifeboat with such force that many people were thrown
out. Men tried desperately to cut the lifeboat free of the davits. Over one
hundred people were thrown into the freezing water, their heads bobbing like
corks in the waves. It seemed like they had no chance. The hymn washed over
them, as if a prayer for their souls. Cal grabbed an oar and tried to hit the
people that tried to get into the boat.
"Get back! You’ll swamp
us!" Cal cried. Elisabeth couldn’t believe her eyes.
"Cal, stop!" she
screamed. But he didn’t listen.
The orchestra ended Nearer My
God to Thee and looked at one another sadly. Wallace Hartley lowered his
violin, and said sadly, "Gentlemen, it’s been a privilege playing with you
tonight."
The rush of water filled
everybody’s ears afterward, waiting for death.