A LIFE SO CHANGED
Chapter Four
After several days of thinking
about how to ask Rose about what had really gone on aboard the Titanic, Sarah
found that now was the right time to do so.
When Sarah and Rose were on a
train ride from Brooklyn to Boston, she was indeed told a story, only she
didn’t think that it was fully told. It went something like this.
Rose was engaged to Cal. Cal and
Rose boarded the Titanic to go to America for their wedding and to return home.
Rose was on the stern of the ship, where she was looking at the propellers, and
nearly fell overboard, but by pure chance, Jack Dawson was there to save her.
Over the next few days, Rose and Jack fell in love, even though both of them
knew full well that they shouldn’t. The Titanic hit an iceberg. Jack was
arrested for something--although Rose failed to specify what for--and she,
through all the chaos, went to save him. She refused to get in a lifeboat
without him, even though both Jack and Cal urged her to. She resisted. The ship
sank and Jack died, with both Rose and Cal living, obviously.
As lengthy as that story was,
Sarah found it all quite fascinating. She was just disappointed that it wasn’t
the real version, although the real one probably was much more depressing than
the fake one.
*****
Sarah joined Rose, who was
washing her face in the bathroom. Sarah let down her now dry hair from her hair
clip. Her normally straight hair seemed more wavy.
"You have beautiful hair,
Rose," Sarah said.
Rose smiled. "Thank you. I
never did like the color."
"You should. No one else has
it. I’m sure many women would love to have your hair, myself included."
She waited until Rose was in bed.
Sarah lay down next to her. "Can I talk to you about something?"
Rose nodded. "I’m not that
tired, anyway. I’d love some company."
Sarah took this as a good sign.
She gathered the courage to ask her a question.
"You remember what you told
me about when you were on the Titanic?" Sarah asked.
Rose nodded.
Sarah was never good at beating
around the bush. She cursed herself for that. "What did Cal do to you
then?"
Rose’s green eyes questioned her.
"I’m sorry?"
"Rose..." She didn’t
know what to say next. They were both silent. "I had a dream. It was when
you and Cal were at breakfast. He was yelling at you to not go running around
with Jack. It was the morning after you went to that party with him. And when
Jack was being arrested by the Master-at-Arms, they pulled something out of his
pocket. It looked like a piece of jewelry. And then it was just you and Cal in
the room and he hit you and called you a slut." She realized that maybe
she had laid it on too heavily. But she was just saying what she had seen.
Sarah never was good at being coy.
Rose’s eyes were still on hers.
"I don’t know what you’re talking about."
"Of course you’re going to
deny it. I would, too, Rose. And you did absolutely nothing wrong. Trust me. I
lived with the man my whole life. I know his tactics."
Rose wouldn’t say anything. She
knew that this was both a tough and untouched subject.
"I haven’t told that to
anyone. No one, Sarah. People who have known me for fifteen years haven’t the
slightest idea. You’ve known me for two months, and it seems like you know my
whole life story."
"I only know the important
things. And this is important. What Cal did was horrible. No one deserves that.
Especially not someone such as yourself."
Sarah hoped that Rose had enough
trust in her to confide in her now.
"Why do you have to be so
smart?" Rose asked with a sigh.
Sarah shrugged. "It’s a
gift," she said with a smile.
Rose turned serious again.
"Those were the worst days of my life. I want to forget the Titanic. But I
want to remember Jack."
"You can and you will,"
she said. "Jack is always going to be connected to you. And that’s a good
thing."
"But I can forget the
Titanic," she reassured herself.
"Well, not
completely..." Sarah trailed off. "My birthday’s April 15, 1912. I
was born at 2:20 AM."
Rose looked surprised.
"That’s a coincidence."
"I know. Looking back, I
think that that’s the only reason Cal adopted me. So he could have something to
remember you by."
Silence.
"You know, in a sick way, I
think Cal loved me," Rose said. "He thought that if he controlled
every aspect of my life so it would be perfect, I would love him back."
"He’ll never hurt you again,
Rose," Sarah said softly.
Rose nodded. "I know. I’m
past him now, thank God." She saw a necklace dangling from Sarah’s neck.
"Why do you always wear that?"
"This?" Sarah touched
the gold necklace with a heart pendant. "It was the last thing Cal gave me
before he died. I half think that it was for my golden birthday, but I also
think that he picked this out for a reason. After he...you know, died."
Rose nodded again. "It’s
beautiful. He had a thing for hearts."
"What do you mean?"
She shook her head.
"Nothing."
Silence.
"So, I can assume that you
didn’t tell me some of the story of the Titanic with full truth?" Sarah
asked.
Rose nodded. "Some things
are meant to be secret until you figure them out."
"Like what?"
Rose smiled. "You’re gifted.
I’m sure you’ll have no problem figuring them out."
"Oh, so you’re going to make
me wait, are you?" she teased.
"I do believe I am,
Sarah," she said in her mock mothering voice. "Now, go to bed. Let’s
see if you can figure it out."
Sarah remained in Rose’s bed.
"Go to bed," she said
again in her mock mothering voice.
"I am," Sarah replied,
a smile upon her face. "I want to sleep here, though. With you." She
knew she sounded childish, but she just wanted to tonight.
"Why?" Rose asked.
She shrugged. "I don’t know.
Can I, though?"
Rose nodded and stroked Sarah’s
hair. Sarah had never had a mother to do this for her. She had never had a
mother figure in her life. Maybe that was why she wanted to lay beside Rose
that night. But maybe she felt like she wanted Rose to be safe, even though
there was nothing to worry about anymore.
Sarah didn’t dream about the
Titanic that night. She didn’t dream at all. She just slept, looking forward to
tomorrow when she could finally see Joey again.