On August twentieth, Jack and Rose boarded the train to New York. As the train left the station, Rose shed a few tears, not wanting to leave the boys, though she knew she wouldn’t be absent for long. She could see their tiny figures waving to her as the train sped away from the station.
Rose began to feel sick from nerves as the train moved towards New York. Just the thought of seeing a ship made her sick.
The train pulled into the New York station. The feeling of fresh air was amazing after so long on the train. Rose breathed in the cold New York air for the first time in ten years. Then her stomach churned violently and she felt the urge to be sick.
Jack could see the whiteness of her face. He hadn’t even dreamed she would react this badly to the ship. After boarding it, Rose’s stomach seemed to settle a little. She felt a lot more secure after seeing the rows and rows of lifeboats.
The ship wasn’t even half as large as the Titanic had been. Their stateroom was second class and just enough for the two of them, not too large or too small. They had heat in their room, so Rose sat warming her hands over the small radiator. The windows were somewhat small, but at least they weren’t portholes like they had been on the Titanic and they were above sea level. The sitting area was spacious, with a couch and a bookshelf. The sleeping area was pretty small, with a double bed and a small wardrobe, but they didn’t have many belongings.
“Do you want to go up on deck, Rose? Get some air and see the ship set sail?”
He was sure his question would be followed by a no, but she nodded a little, a slight smile on her face. He knew how nauseous she felt and hoped it would clear within the week or so they would be aboard the ship.
He led Rose through the narrow corridors. They were filled with people dragging their suitcases and finding their way to their cabins, which would be their homes for the duration of the trip.
The ship set sail at two PM. Rose remembered the last time she had set sail from here. She had been sixteen years old and had been on Cal’s arm as he had accompanied her to Paris, where she would start finishing school. That had been in January of 1911. She shuddered at the memory and clutched Jack’s hand more tightly.
There was a mass of people gathered, waving good-bye to loved ones. Everyone seemed in high spirits, even Jack. It seemed it was only Rose who felt weary and as though something bad would happen, but she knew it was just her imagination. She couldn’t wait to get to Italy, not just to see Maria, but to be off the ship.
*****
“Oh, my! You are seasick, my dear.” The young maid who cleaned their room rushed to rub Rose’s back as she heaved into the toilet. She could barely breathe and gasped for breath before she emptied her stomach once again.
“Oh, God…” Rose sat next to the toilet. She put her hand over her stomach, trying to steady her breathing.
“Wherever is your husband?”
“He went to get some breakfast, but I don’t think I can eat.” Rose tried to stand up. The young maid helped her. “Thank you.”
“You should try to eat something. I come across quite a few passengers who have been seasick, but I must say, you are the worst, ma’am.”
Rose flushed the toilet and found her toothbrush.
“First time aboard a ship, perhaps?” the maid asked.
Rose nodded a small yes in answer to the maid, who went back to her work. She felt the tightness of her stomach. She wondered just how badly affected she was by the ship. Jack appeared to be fine, even though he had voiced his fear a few times. He had promised Rose that they would be all right, and she trusted him.
After brushing her teeth, she felt the tightness in her chest from throwing up.
Jack entered the room with a brown paper bag in his hand. “I got us some croissants, darling,” he told her, but put the bag on the bed after seeing her paleness. “Rose, what’s wrong?”
She came to him and he pulled her to his chest. The maid looked from the corner of her eye and guessed this was her cue to leave them alone to have time together.
For some unknown reason, the ship was affecting Rose more than she had thought. The door clicked behind the maid as she left and Jack looked over his shoulder to see her gone.
“I’ve been sick since you left. The poor maid…” Rose felt her stomach churn again.
“Oh, Rose. I wish I could help you.” She felt weak and fell against his body. “Maybe you should try eating something.” Jack indicated the croissants that he had brought back for their breakfast.
Rose was hesitant, but she took the brown bag from Jack, looking at the food as if it was poison. She could feel her stomach churn just looking at it, but she knew she had to eat. She couldn’t starve herself because of seasickness.
She took one small croissant and hesitantly bit into it. Jack sat on the bed beside her, stroking her back with his right hand. He looked at her with his eyes full of concern. Her eyes met his. She rubbed her stomach, still feeling it churn, although it had settled slightly.
“I cannot wait to dock, Jack,” she told him, tossing the food to one side.
“I hate to see you so ill. I didn’t know you would react so badly to the ship.”
“Neither did I.” Rose sighed and leaned her head on Jack. She hoped her sickness would subside soon. She didn’t want the whole trip to be spent with her head in the toilet.