A FIRE IN THE WIND
Chapter One
Rose DeWitt Bukater was in shock. Her mouth
slightly ajar, her pale blue eyes staring into the cruel sensation of nothing.
No noise. No ship. No Jack. Why hadn't she'd stayed on the sinking ship with
him?
Just four hours ago, the possibilities of her
life had seemed endless compared to the cliché lifestyle she was expected to
live with her mother and Cal. Just four hours ago Rose could answer questions
like what path in life do you want to go down. Now it was back to "What
color do you want the bridesmaids gowns?"
In her gut, Rose knew that Cal had survived.
"I have an arrangement at the other end of the ship." Cal's words
echoed through Rose's head continuously. She knew that Cal had used his
checkbook to get his soul on a lifeboat. What am I talking about? Rose thought,
Cal has no soul.
Every once in a while Rose's mind would
linger. What if Jack had survived? As quickly as she could she would come to
grips with reality. Jack hadn't survived.
Rose's face hadn't been so full of emotion
since her father's death. All through out Rose's childhood her mother had told
her time after time to keep her composure. Over the years Rose had developed
quite a talent for acting. This was no time to let in the pain.
Around Rose sat people very much like
herself. Their faces clearly were showing it too. Rose cried for the two girls
close to her wrapped in their mother's arms for warmth, eagerly waiting for
their father, not knowing they'd never see him again.
Rose knew she was crying for herself too.
Back to a time when she was just as naive as the two girls. Back to the night
her father died. Nine years ago, almost to the day, Rose's mother came into her
room in a mess of tears. Rose knew something had to be very wrong. She had
never seen her mother cry before. "Rose!" Ruth called out in a
devastated voice. Ruth motioned for her daughter to come to her, and then
followed an unbearably painful talk.
Around 3:30 AM a loud "Boom!" came
out of nowhere along with an enormous light. Murmurs began being exchanged. It
was indeed a ship on its way to save the dreary Titanic survivors.
A few hours later, two young gentlemen were
assisting Rose into the Carpathia.
"Here you are miss!" said the one
on the left, extending an arm.
Rose grasped it but lost her balance and
landed in a heap on the ground.
The other one helped Rose back onto her feet.
"That's what a whole night in the cold will do to ya. You'd better get
some rest."
Rose nodded in appreciation with a slight
smile. "Thank you," she said, almost frightened at the sound of her
own voice.
Rose moved to the side, not quite sure of
what to do. For a few minutes she watched others get out of the boat. Some in
tears, some in relief, some asking themselves, "What next?" Rose
thoroughly understood them. The same two little girls smiled at their mother
and asked if they could go find their father. Their mother grabbed the two
girls' hands and began the same talk Rose's mother had had with her nine years
ago.
Of course Rose's thoughts always wandered
back to Jack. What kind of cruel death had he faced? Why didn't she go back on
the ship? "You jump, I jump." Rose had forgotten. What was she
thinking? Would Jack have lived if she had jumped? Would it have even made a
difference?
"Rose!"
Roses' thoughts were interrupted by an
unpleasant voice. She instantly regained her composure.
"Sweetpea! Your mother and I have been
worried to death about you! We thought you'd never turn up. Come on."
Rose was very familiar with Cal's tone of
voice at that moment. It was so unemotional. Rose knew that Cal was absolutely
furious with her and he would show it the very next time they were truly alone.
Rose followed after Cal like a pathetic
obedient dog. Cal pushed his way through the crowd with his usual haughtiness.
Pushing newly made widows and sobbing children out of his path with no mercy
whatsoever until they reached a small corner with a few benches and Margaret
Brown, the Countess Rothes, Lucille Duff-Gordon, and Ruth. After seeing Rose,
Ruth moved away from the group.
"Rose! Come here. Are you all right? You
look famished. Have some tea."
Rose took a seat next to Molly Brown as a
steward poured her some tea. Ruth sat back down and engaged herself back into
the conversation. Molly gave Rose a sad smile, yearning for Rose to tell her
what had happened after Rose had refused to get on the boat. Rose only smiled
sadly back, trying to keep her composure.
Jack was dead and she had to face the fact.
Rose didn't know if there was anyway that she could pull off the wedding. It
was in three weeks. Rose sighed as she thought of a cruel future without Jack.