JASMINE
Chapter Sixteen

Jack and Rose Begin To Understand Each Other

Rose was a bit shaken by the mishap that had happened to me at the dinner. She was quite shocked, and didn't know what to make of it. She had always known that there was something that wasn't right about Cal, but she had had no idea that Cal would resort to dirty means to protect his image. She had always viewed Cal as a gentleman, but his showdown with me had revealed to her that he was nothing but an evil person.

It was early morning, and Rose stirred out of bed. She looked around her. Good, she thought to herself. Cal is gone! It was becoming more and more clear to her, by each passing day, that Cal never paid attention to her, and honestly, couldn't care less if she rotted out in some gutter somewhere! A lump formed in Rose's throat, as it always did, when she thought about that disturbing thought. Her mind was a flurry of thoughts that were entering and exiting her mind at warp speed, confusing her in the process. Suddenly, Rose felt as though her brain was going to explode, and she thought to herself in desperation, Oh, bother. I think I'll get dressed and go outside to lounge out, as usual. She sighed with resentment as she thought about the last two words of her thought: as usual. As usual, my life is dreary and boring! she thought to herself in frustration. She thought, Most people envy me because I can afford to live a life of leisure, but honestly, sometimes my life is so empty and so lacking in purpose that it feels like torture. Sometimes, I wish I was like Jasmine and had to work my fingers to the bone for a living, because at least then, I would feel as though my life had some purpose, and I would feel a sense of accomplishment that I was making worthwhile contributions to society and earning my own living instead of having everything handed to me on a silver platter. Sometimes, it’s a curse to have everything handed to you, because you’re constantly reinforced with the niggling negative feeling of guilt that you’re not earning what you possess, and you’re not earning your livelihood!

In any case, Rose decided to get dressed. However, it was at this point in time that she was faced in a quandary. On the one hand, she liked fancy clothes, and on the other hand, she realized that they were fake. Besides, she knew that she had to wear fancy clothes, because she was still viewed by those in important positions as being a high society girl, and therefore, she had to project the proper image. She sighed, and thought to herself, At least I can dress down a little! She then put on a nice, long, black satin skirt, and a white, starched, muslin shirt. She threw a black knit woolen cashmere shawl over the top. She had black kid gloves on her hands, so that she could look like a lady. She moved towards the door, and she placed her hand on the door knob. She turned the doorknob, and thus, opened the door. However, she moved into the doorway, and then, she turned about face, so that her back was to the outside hall, and she was looking at the room. She felt a sense of pain tearing away at her heart as she surveyed her room, for what, to her, appeared to be the last time. This was the last time she would view her room as Rose DeWitt Bukater. From now on, she would be undergoing a profound spiritual metamorphosis that would completely change the way she viewed the world, and in the process, render her a different person. She sighed in a sense of resignation as she looked at the room. The room began to become blurry, and when she looked at the bright white light that emanated from the light bulbs, which were powered by electric power, the light pierced her eyes with such intensity that it blinded her! She found herself placing both of her palms in front of her eyes in a gesture of shielding herself from the potent power from the artificial lights, which, right now, seemed to be accosting her eyes with intense ferocity. Why, if she didn't know any better, she would swear that the lights were trying to destroy her! She shuddered at the thought, because it had never occurred to her that the room that she was staying in was part of the trap to keep her subjugated to her current position. It was now dawning on her that if she ever wished to experience freedom, she must sever all ties and attachments to her present life, which included this room. She could feel a supernatural and choking force surrounding her lower rib cage and tightening its grip around her, until she swore she was suffocating! She realized that there was some unseen supernatural and evil power emanating from the room that was trying to keep her in her present state. She thought to herself, If I ever want to escape from my life, I can no longer associate with anything in my present life, and I must make any thoughts and memories that I have associated with this room distant! It was then that she walked out of the door, taking great care to close and lock the door behind her. Then she walked out into the hallway, and onto the upper deck.

She walked onto the upper deck, and she felt happy and healthy. The sun was shining, rather weakly, considering that the Titanic was in the middle of the North Atlantic, where sunshine is not very strong at any time of the year. However, she could feel the faint rays from the sun bathing her body in warmth. She looked up at the yellow sphere that was burning bright in the sky with a ferocious intensity, and she squinted her eyes, because the rays from the sun were amazingly bright! She could feel the slight and chilly nip from the wind briskly nipping at her cheeks, perking them and her soul up in the process.

Jack and I were up by one of the turrets, and we were cleaning the turret, as our superintendent had instructed. Upon seeing the two of us, Rose's eyes lit up with such a white and intense light that I swore some sort of supernatural spirit was causing her eyes to shine. I also note that her entire face lit up with a warm and light yellow light that reflected happiness. In this way, it made her entire face look quite sunny and healthy in appearance. She called out to us, picking up her feet and running towards us quite briskly along the way, "Jack, Jasmine, how fare you?"

I called out to her, "Nothing. We're just cleaning this damn thing." I felt quite resentful, because it did take quite an effort to bring the cleaning supplies up to the post of the turret, and I have a small frame, so I got tired easily. Therefore, Jack had to help me, or else my body would have given out.

She looked directly at Jack, and she said, "How about if I were to climb up on the turret, and help you clean?"

Suddenly, Jack's eyes narrowed, and I could sense a dead serious look, which reflected the thought of, Oh, my God! Did she just say what I thought she did? She’s nuts. We’ll get in trouble if we let her do it!

I nodded my head at Jack to signify to him that I agreed with him. Meanwhile, a lump had formed in my throat and I felt as though I was choking as I thought to myself, Well, for all of Rose's sayings about growing up and realizing life's not a game, she's done it again! She hasn't learned, and she still thinks life is a game! I mean, does she realize that we’re going to get in trouble if we’re caught by the superintendent with her up on the turret?

However, Rose was down on the deck calling out, with her blue eyes dancing with a mischievous type of glee and joy. "So, when are you going to lift me up?"

I noted that she zeroed in her gaze on Jack and placed special emphasis on the word you as she was talking to us. Jack asked me, with a tone of desperation in his voice, while his eyes were reflecting resignation and a sense of frustration, and his shoulders were slouched inwards, slightly, to reflect his current mood of frustration and resignation, "So, what do we do?"

I said, in a sarcastic tone that was meant to reflect a type of sarcastic jest and frustration, "Well, we could just ignore her…"

Then, Jack caught my right wrist in his hand, in a firm and dead serious grip. This tone of seriousness was reflected in his eyes, which snapped with intensity, and in his voice, which reflected an iron hard steeliness to it, "Are you kidding? I mean, we'll look like lunatics. We have to oblige to her wishes…" He sighed, and I noticed his voice was trailing as he said the last part of his sentence.

I sighed to myself in frustration as I thought, How is it that Rose can get away with having all of her wishes fulfilled? I mean, there's no way anyone would do for me what we're doing for her. I knew that there was no point in griping about an unfair system, because life is meant to be equitable and not fair, but I do feel resentful when I've got to dance to someone else's tunes all of the time!

I saw Jack getting ready to shimmy down the turret. He said, "Jasmine, you clean. I'll handle this!"

I sighed, and I said, "As you wish, sire."

I saw Jack shimmy down the turret. He was on the deck, and I saw him approaching Rose. I could sense something profound and magical happening as he was approaching Rose. For the first time in their lives, Jack and Rose were beginning to see each other eye to eye, and were beginning to see each others' souls for what they really were! I smiled to myself, because I realized that this is a profound spiritual milestone that few humans in this world can cross!

I was still keeping my promise to Jack not to delve into constant meditations. However, I did turn up my extrasensory powers a notch, and I used these powers to sense what was going on between Jack and Rose. Rose smiled at Jack, and she lowered her eyes in a sign of affection and demureness. I saw Jack smile when he saw Rose, and I could sense him thinking, Boy! It was worth shimmying down the pole for this experience! I saw him smile, and I sensed a look of happiness come over his face, and most notably, his eyes! He gasped to himself in happiness, out loud. He puttered around a bit, in shyness, as though he was in love with Rose, and felt bashful about the feeling, and didn't quite know how to express it. He said, "So, Rose, you look quite beautiful today…" I sensed that these words echoed off of every cell in Rose's brain, thus touching her heart and soul in her process, because the brain is the chemical control room for the soul. I sensed a sense of relief coming over Rose's face as I sensed that she was smiling. I could see the rose flush of love wash over her face, and I could sense that her eyes were drifting up towards her head, and I could sense that her eyes were lighting up with the bright electricity of love. She was feeling a sense of relief and deliverance wash over her whole body, and it was at this point in time that she knew that she had found her soul mate. Suddenly, this experience had triggered a chemical wash over her entire brain. The process was slow and subtle, but it was conspiring to rewire her entire brain chemistry, thus rendering her to become a new person. She sighed deep sighs of relief and contentment, because she was understanding that she was reaching Nirvana, the eternal state of bliss!

"Jack," she said. "I love you. I know you think I'm some sort of naive fool who thinks life is nothing but a game…" Then I sensed her eyes burn with an intensity that reflected seriousness as she finished her sentence. "…but I know better! Of course life is not a game. It's just that I've been thinking about my life, and I've realized that there is no purpose to my life. I mean, I may live a life of leisure, but I feel as though I don't exist. I mean, I feel as though my lifestyle actually leads to ennui and sloth! I now feel that living a life of leisure may be a crime, spiritually speaking…"

Suddenly, I found myself gasping as she said the words spiritually speaking, because it was beginning to dawn on me that, far from being a girl who never changes, she was actually a girl who was realizing the true essence and order of life! She was learning the most fundamental rules, lessons, and essences of life, and I was happy for her! I found myself smiling, and I could hear every word that I said when I said to myself, Yes. She’s finally getting it! I then lowered my right hand forcefully, in a gesture of victory.

Rose continued, "I mean, I feel as though I've got no purpose to my life the way I'm living it now…" It was at this point in time that her eyes reflected a sense of loss and helplessness which reminded me of the way that a suffering baby will look. I could see the sense of desperation reflected in her eyes as she said, "I mean, I wanted to help you clean the turret, because I realize that far from being useless to society, you're actually valuable workers to society. I mean, it's your work that gives you a sense of purpose in life, and that's all I wanted, a sense of purpose. I thought I may gain it by doing honest work!" I noticed that she has both of her hands raised in front of her chest and clenched together in an upside down V-shape, as though she's praying, or begging!

It is then that Jack's persona and the expression on his visage changes. As he approaches Rose, he realizes that he has entered a different astral plane. In the ancient world, it was common knowledge amongst educated people that the world is split up into numerous vertical and horizontal planes. Each of these planes were composed of infinite number of points, and the points were really clusters of energy which emanated from God. In this way, the clusters of energy intersected all living things. And therefore, all living things had the potential to be touched with the energy from God and the spirits. Jack's orientation and perception of the physical realm was changing. Suddenly, he was no longer on the Titanic. His entire perception of reality had changed, and suddenly he saw and sensed that he was a prince! He thought to himself, Yes. I am no longer a dock boy! Instead, I am a real gentleman! He could feel the orbs of happiness rise up throughout his body. He could feel these little points of light energy, which glowed with an invisible golden-white glow, becoming activated in his body, thus elevating him to a transcendental state. He smiled in happiness, and his entire face reflected a golden glow which looked like the light from the sun. He gently picked up Rose's right hand in his left, and he raised it up to his lips. It is at this point in time that he gently pecked his lips on her hand. Rose shuddered in happiness when she felt this. Somehow, she could feel a very gentle and pleasant state of calm, bliss, and happiness, which she sensed was colored with a golden hue, and was lit up with many of the magical points, washing over her. His kiss, to her, felt as though a strong spiritual and supernatural force emanating from God was reaching down and brushing her hand with its fingers.

It was at this point in time that I shuddered, because the experience Rose was having reminded me of the experience that Prita had when she met Siddharth and was put on her path to spiritual self-discovery. Prita swore when Siddharth had given her hand massages that somehow God, and not Siddharth, was reaching out to her.

Jack's facial expression became quite tender--it was as though, somehow, the spirit that was waking up in his heart was being reflected on his face! I was so shocked by this that somehow I felt as though I had been jolted out of my present state of consciousness by some supernatural force! Jack said, in a very kind and tender voice, which I knew was meant to touch Rose's heart, "Rose honey…you look smashing! I'll take you up on the turret if you want!" I could sense that Jack had a very tender look in his eyes. His eyes were glowing with a soft yellow light which reflects true love.

Rose said, "Let's go up on the bow."

I must comment that when the two were talking to each other, their voices seemed to echo with a deepness and distantness that made it sound as though the voices were coming from another dimension. Now, passersby simply noted that a deck boy was talking to a high society girl! Jack's eyes reflected a sense of mesmerism and hypnosis. He said in a very soft voice, "Okay--"

Jack and Rose walked over to the bow, which was exactly parallel and opposite to me in physical orientation and direction. In fact, it was to the right side of me. Since I am a right-handed person, it was in the direction of my innate tendency to look over and notice things. So, I simply shifted my gaze right. I decided to look and sense now, instead of simply sensing. I saw that Jack was helping Rose get up on the rail. "Here, honey," Jack said, as he took Rose's right hand, and helped her up by lifting up her body while using her right hand as a fulcrum upon which to gently balance the rest of her body mass on. I noted that while he was doing this, Rose had rested her feet in some of the crannies on the bow, so that she could position her body in such a place that it would be moving with the force of gravity, and with the force of the Earth's orbit around the sun. After Rose and Jack were on the bow, and they had moved towards the front of it so that they were facing the North Atlantic, Jack placed his arms around Rose's waist. He said, "Darling…don't you simply feel as though you were free here?" Jack leaned his face in so that his eyes were meeting Rose’s. Jack's eyes were wide, blue, and expressive, and were full of love and affection. It was this expression that touched Rose's heart, and reminded her of the expression that little puppies will give their masters. It was then that Rose spread her arms out wide, and sank her chest deeper into Jack's, taking deep breaths all the while. When I looked at Rose's body position, I realized that Rose had spread her arms out, so that her fingertips on each hand were pointed out into the opposite direction. I realized that this is how birds position their wings when they are flying. Indeed, when I looked at Rose, I saw that she was in a state of deep relaxation and enlightenment! I could see the sun washing its rays over her face, lighting it up with a slight golden hue as it did so. I also noted that Rose's head and body was firmly positioned up against Jack's chest, and I noted that she was smiling. A spiritual sensation came over me, and suddenly, I could see an invisible spirit who looked exactly like Rose, except for it was a holographic image, come out of her body and begin to spread her wings as though she was flying!

It was then that I felt a sudden jolt, as though somehow I had been zapped by an electric current. My mind flew back to the picture that I had seen that Jack had painted of him and Rose on the bow! Why, I thought to myself. That picture looks exactly like this scene, down to the finest details! I concentrated on that picture as hard as I could, and I could see the entire picture becoming brighter in its hues and more realistic in its appearance. I could especially see the golden light from the sun as the atoms and molecules in the sky and the clouds were reflecting the light energy photons from the sun, thus serving to disperse the photons all throughout the sky and give the sky a very divine and surreal blue color with a golden hue. Suddenly, the light from the sun became so bright that I swore it was real! The sunlight projected itself out of the picture and began to project itself into the room in a perfectly parallel rectangular shape that was exactly identical to the shape of the picture, for infinity! It was at this point in time that something clicked, and the picture became real. I saw that the bow and the ship in the picture were real! I could see that Jack and Rose were talking to each other, and their voices were making distant and hollow echoes. Now, what was happening in that picture was an exact mirror reflection of what was happening between Jack and Rose on the bow.

I concentrated on the picture, and I could see Rose opening her eyes and turning towards Jack. She had a smile on her face, and she said, "Jack, I feel as though I were in paradise. For the first time in my life, I feel as though I was free!" I noted that her voice echoed with a deep and a soft and sweet tone as she spoke.

I saw that Jack leaned his face in, so that his eye gaze met hers at a one hundred thirty-five degree angle. His eyes shone with a very soft yellow light. He said, in a very tender and gentle tone, "I wanted you to experience this. I wanted you to experience freedom! You've spent your entire life trapped up in cages!" He was still talking to Rose, but it was at that point in time that I felt a lump forming in my throat! I felt as though Jack had told me, "Jasmine, you've spent far too much time in cages, and trapped up in your own world. It's high time you escaped!"

I then shook my head in disbelief. Jack's words had left quite an effect, in terms of chemical change, on my brain, even though he hadn't spoken to me! "No…" I heard myself saying out loud as I rested my head on my right hand. "This can't be happening to me!"

Jack continued his conversation with Rose. "I know you are a lady-in-waiting, and I wanted to wait for the opportune time to tell you that. I mean, I know that a divine power has brought us together. Under normal circumstances, there is no way that a commoner would meet a fine woman like you." It was at that point in time that Jack lowered his lips and kissed the right side of Rose's neck. He continued, "I just wanted to find the best time to show you something you've never experienced before."

I sensed that Rose was sighing in intense pleasure and happiness. She looked straight into Jack's eyes, and she said, in her sweet and innocent voice, whose tone was so distant and far away, and echoed so much that I thought it was coming from another dimension, "Jack, when can we be together? I love you, not Cal."

Suddenly, Jack gulped, and I could sense that his eyes looked as though they were becoming frozen. I could see the look of panic creep over his face. He winced, because it felt as though cold and strong iron hands, with their freezing, ice-cold grip and strong hold had taken a hold of his heart, and were holding it in their wake. A lump formed in Jack's throat, and he said, in a very small and dismal tone, "Rose…" He was about to say it wasn't meant to be. But determination entered his eyes, and he decided that this was how they were meant to be together, so he said, "We are together now, and we will always be together!" I smiled to myself. How ingenious!

Rose felt as though she was a bird who was finding her rightful path in life through her spiritual guide and her soulmate! Then, something interesting happened. Rose and Jack's lips met, and they were kissing! I stared in shock! I mean, I knew they were good friends, but I had never dreamed they were lovers. I shook my head in disbelief, because I knew that lip kissing signified true love. Then, I could feel another jolt from the spiritual realm. I could see Rose and Jack in the picture, and they were looking at each other with a golden light in their eyes, as they knew that they were soulmates.

Anyway, both of them were on the bow, but then, I heard Rose say to Jack, "Jack, let's fly away."

Jack smiled at her, and he said, "Okay."

Then, the picture lit up with a golden light, and both of them immediately developed angels’ wings. These wings were long, white, and shone with a slight golden hue. First, Jack flapped his wings, and he was flying in the air. Then he extended his index finger on his right hand out to Rose, and smiling at her, he said, "After you, my lady."

Rose smiled, and she flapped her wings. She took a hold of his right index finger, and the both of them started to fly. It was at this point in time that a very intense and powerful white light flashed over the painting. Suddenly, I could see that Jack and Rose had turned into holographic images, and both were wearing blue, body length shapeless gowns. They were flying in the air, and Rose looked straight at me, and she was smiling as she said, "Thank you, Jasmine, for helping me to liberate myself. Now, it's your turn."

Jack nodded in agreement. Then, Rose blew me a kiss. Strangely enough, I noticed that the entire picture simply vanished! At that point in time, I was stunned. However, I would find it when I retired that night, hung up on the north wall of our bunk, even though no one had hung it there!

At this time, I shook my head in disbelief, and I thought to myself, What's going on here? Even I don't get it! I found myself staring, with a desperate look into my eyes, into the spiritual eye that is capable of looking into different dimensions. Well, I thought to myself. Now that Jack and Rose have changed, I guess the rest is up to history and destiny!

Chapter Seventeen
Stories