JOHN AND ROSE
Chapter Thirty-Seven
June 14, 1931
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Rose sat beside John in the crowded
auditorium, watching the graduating high school students file across the stage
to receive their diplomas. Cradling Peter in her arms, she sat up straighter,
watching with a mixture of pride and sorrow as Christopher marched across the
stage and accepted his diploma.
Her little boy was all grown up, a high
school graduate. Hadn’t it been only yesterday that he had reluctantly started
kindergarten, arguing the whole way? Where had the time gone?
Look at him, Jack, she thought, watching the tall, blonde-haired young
man step down from the stage and sit with his classmates. Our son is all
grown up. It’s hard to believe. It seems like no time has passed since I found
out I was pregnant with him, and yet it’s been nineteen years. Nineteen years
since the Titanic sank, taking you from me and leaving me to raise our precious
child alone. And now he’s eighteen years old, a young man, ready to set out on
his own.
He’s so much like you, Jack. Not just in
looks—although he does look almost exactly like you did. He’s got that same
wandering, questing spirit—I just hope that life is kinder to him than it was
to you. I’d like to see him live a long time, settle down with a nice woman and
have some children—the sort of life we might have had if you hadn’t died.
You told me that I would go on, that I
would have lots of babies, and I have. And now our baby is all grown up, and
ready to start his own life. He wants to take to the road like you did, to
wander around and see everything there is to see. And he’ll make it. I know he
will. He’s strong, and he’s smart, and he’ll be just fine. He’s not our son for
nothing.
That night in the Renault—who would have
thought that we would bring a child into the world, a child who inherited the
best of both of us? Christopher isn’t an artist, like you were, but he has his
own talents. He’s as smart as either of us, and he’s handsome, and he can
act—just like me.
Jack, I wish you were here to see this. I
think you would have been proud at how Christopher turned out. There was so
much against him—he was illegitimate, born into poverty to a young woman who
was only then learning to get along in the world without servants and wealth.
But he turned out just fine—and maybe he’s stronger and has more character
because of the hardships I faced raising him in his early years. I did the best
I could, but I didn’t do it alone. I was so lucky to have people who were
willing to help me, to give me a chance. And eventually everything worked out,
even with all the hardships along the way and the uncertain times that we face
now.
It’s been a joy and an honor to raise him,
the child of our love, and I thank you for him, Jack. As hard as it will be to
see him go out on his own, I’m proud of him. He’s turned out to be a fine,
decent young man, and if you were here, you would be as proud of him as I am.
*****
Later that night, the family sat around the
living room, congratulating Christopher on his graduation. He had gone out with
his friends for a while afterwards, but at his mother’s request had come home
at 9:30 to celebrate with his family.
Now, after cake and gifts, the adults were
gathered together to talk. Jane and Peter were asleep upstairs, but Nadia was
there with them, home from college for the summer. Mary had been unable to come
home, as she had been in the middle of filming, but everyone else was there.
Rose sat on the couch beside her husband,
looking at her son as she quietly asked the question she had been dreading.
"When are you leaving?"
Christopher hesitated a moment before
answering. "Tomorrow afternoon, Mom. I thought I’d go to California first,
see my old friends if they’re still there, and then move on."
"How do you plan to get there?"
John wanted to know.
Christopher looked a little sheepish.
"Mary sent me a train ticket. She says that she has connections that could
help me."
"She probably does," Rose
interjected. "So do I."
"I know, but…I don’t really know yet
what I want to do with my life. There’s so much to see and do, even in hard
times like these. I won’t be the only one wandering around, trying to make his
way in the world—there are a lot of men on the road these days, all looking for
something, and women, too. It may be a hard life, but I can’t just stay in one
place forever and never see what’s out there. I mean, some people stay in one
town their whole life, and never see anything. I want more than that. I’ve
already seen a lot—but there’s so much out there that I want to see and
do." He grinned. "You can just call me a tumbleweed blowing in the
wind."
Rose’s eyes widened at the familiar words,
but she didn’t say anything. Instead, she just nodded and told him,
"Remember to write to us. And if things shouldn’t work out as well as you
hope, or if you want to come back to visit, just let the wind blow you back to
Cedar Rapids. You’ll always have a home here if you need it."
Christopher looked uncertain for a moment,
looking around his familiar surroundings as though he wasn’t sure he was ready
to leave, but then nodded. "I will, Mom. And I’ll write as often as I
can."
"I know you will. I do have some advice
for you, though."
Christopher groaned under his breath, looking
exasperated. He knew that his mother wouldn’t let him go without some
well-meaning advice, whether he listened to it or not.
"Don’t look down on anyone because they
aren’t as fortunate as you—you may be in their shoes one day. Work hard and do
the best you can at whatever you decide to do. Nothing is worthless unless you
don’t learn anything from it. Think for yourself—you have a good head on your
shoulders, and I didn’t raise you to follow someone else unquestioningly. Be
civil to others—it’ll save you a lot of trouble, even when other people won’t
be civil back. And remember that what you see on the surface isn’t always
what’s underneath. You can’t judge someone just from looking at them."
"And," John added, "if
something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If someone tells you that
something is easy, will make you a lot of money, and has no drawbacks—question
it, especially if they want money to start with. Con men abound, especially in
times like these, when people are looking for hope. Don’t trust something like
that, and don’t try to get other people to trust it—you know better."
"Yes," Nadia agreed, looking at her
stepbrother. "That goes for anything. If someone says something can’t
possibly happen, it can. Don’t sail on any unsinkable ships."
Christopher sighed. "I won’t. I’m not
completely ignorant of the world, you know."
Rose leaned forward, touching her son’s arm.
"Christopher, whatever happens, remember that we’ll always be there for
you. If you need to come home, if you need a job, if you need advice—we’ll help
you in any way we can. It’s a hard world out there—but there’s a lot of good in
it, too. Look for the good in the world, and add to it. Do what’s right, no
matter how hard it is."
"I will, Mom."
"And one more thing, son."
"What’s that?"
"Make each day count."