LOVE LASTS FOR ETERNITY
Chapter Fifteen
May 1, 1912
Rose's POV
I awoke the morning of my
birthday the same as I had every morning over the past week or so--with a
sickening feeling in my stomach. I wrapped my arms around my stomach, willing
the nausea to stop. Come on, I thought. Give me my birthday off from
being sick. Then I realized. Oh, yes! It was my birthday! I had completely
forgotten about it. So much had happened recently.
After we decided to settle in
Chippewa Falls, Jack and I had both started looking for jobs. Jack had found
one quickly enough with the local newspaper, illustrating some of the articles.
I had taken more time to find one.
Having never been allowed to lift
a finger in my life, I had basically no skills that I knew of. I experimented
with different skills and trades until I finally found one. I'd answered an ad
in the paper from the local theater company. I now worked for them, taking part
in some of the performances and also helping to teach an acting class on
Tuesday and Thursday evenings. I loved the job. I loved acting. It felt like I
could jump into another person's life whenever I wanted. I was also allowed to
improvise with the roles. I could invent lines off the top of my head and use
the script only as a guide. I also enjoyed helping to teach the acting class.
Most of the people there were children, ranging in age from around seven to
fifteen. It was fun working with them, and they seemed to like me, too. I
earned a fair wage there, too, which was an added bonus.
When I finally remembered that it
was my eighteenth birthday, I felt as excited as I did when I was little. Maybe
the extra hormones of pregnancy had something to do with it. I leaped out of
bed and threw open the curtains. Bright sunlight poured into the room.
I suddenly felt something soft and
furry brush against my legs. I looked down to see Honey rubbing herself against
me. I knelt down and picked her up. She yapped at me and I could almost swear
she smiled. It was as though she was wishing me a happy birthday. I cuddled her
close and she licked my nose. This always made me giggle. I carried her back
over to the bed and dropped her onto the duvet. She pawed the fabric for a
moment, getting herself comfortable, and settled down for a morning doze before
breakfast. I lay there, watching her for a moment, trying to contain my
excitement. When I could contain my excitement no longer, I leaned over and
shook Jack awake.
"Jack! Wake up!" I said
excitedly.
"All right. I'm up," he
said when he was awake. He sat up and kissed me. "Happy eighteenth birthday."
I kissed him back. "It is
now," I said, smiling.
When we went downstairs for
breakfast, I found that Mrs. Ryan had baked a small birthday cake for later. It
was my favorite, chocolate cake with cherry jam in the middle. She had written Happy
Birthday, Rose! in pink icing as well. It looked far too good to eat.
"Thank you so much, Mrs.
Ryan," I said, giving her a hug.
"It was nothing, dear. Just
think of it as a birthday present. Now, what have you two got planned for
today?"
Jack and I had decided to go out
to the country with Honey for a picnic that day. The man who now owned Thunder,
Jim, had agreed to lend us the horse and one of his other horses to ride. Jack
said he would try to teach me the basics of riding today. I was quite excited
about it. Finally, I could learn to ride like a man!
A few hours later, Jack, Honey,
and I walked up to Jim's stables to get Thunder and the other horse. Jim
greeted us at the gate to the barnyard with Thunder held by the reins with one
hand. With the other hand, he held the reins of a beautiful gray mare speckled
with white and a thick black mane and tail. Her name was Shadow and, according
to Jim, she was calm and easy to manage.
"She won't give you any
trouble. She's used to first-time riders," Jim assured me.
Using the technique Jack showed
me, I successfully mounted Shadow's smooth gray back and slipped my feet into
the stirrups. It felt much more comfortable riding with a saddle, but I was a
bit worried about the reins hurting the horse. The bit in her mouth looked a
little uncomfortable to me.
"Nah. She doesn't mind
it," Jim explained. "If anything, she seems to enjoy chewing on it.
Believe me, if it was causing her pain or discomfort, I would have disposed of
it years ago."
Reassured by his words, I had a
go at guiding Shadow with the reins. It took a while to figure out, but I
finally got the hang of it. We set off on the horses towards the countryside,
me carrying the food, Jack with Honey balanced on his horse. I was a little
nervous at first as we rode down the path, convinced I would guide her straight
into a tree or a ditch, but I soon relaxed and let Shadow find her own way down
the path. It was simple enough. She seemed to know where to go naturally, and
she just followed Thunder. She stuck to him like glue, her nose almost brushing
his tail.
After about twenty minutes of
riding, we reached our destination, one of the most beautiful places I had seen
since we arrived, a beautiful meadow full of lush green grass and yellow
buttercups. We let the horses graze in the meadow freely and began to set up
the food. Mrs. Ryan had packed the cake she baked for me as well as a variety
of other foods--sandwiches, lemonade, chicken, cookies, and a slice of
blackberry pie each. It was all delicious.
"So, how's your birthday so
far?" Jack asked me when we'd finished the food and were taking turns
giving Honey the chicken scraps.
"Wonderful," I replied.
"Better than my last, anyway."
"Why? What was that
like?"
I shuddered. "Horrible.
Simply horrible," I said. "It was with Cal. That's why. He insisted
on organizing this big, posh gala and insisted I wear this horrible, frilly
dress that I could barely breathe in. And you know what he got me? This huge,
gaudy, moss green emerald necklace. I'd told him beforehand that I didn't want
anything too big and flashy, and he went and bought the biggest, flashiest
emerald he could find. It was dreadfully heavy, too, and it hung from a short
gold chain, so the feel of it around my neck constantly irritated me. I knew
refusing it was out of the question. Even back then, Cal had a temper. But it
was that night that was the worst. He came into my room when I was getting
changed, catching me when I was just in my undergarments, and tried to seduce
me. I felt shocked. I had just turned seventeen and he was pressuring me to
come to his bed already! And what if I had become pregnant? I was too young for
children."
Jack listened to my tale. Then he
said, "But if you felt that way when you had just turned seventeen, and
you became pregnant when you were still seventeen, don't you still feel the
same way?"
I realized what he meant. I
regretted saying that I didn't want children yet.
"No, I don't," I said
quickly. "I mean, yes, I do still feel I'm a bit too young for children,
but that doesn't mean I won't love our baby with everything I've got. Believe
me, no matter how old I am, it would be impossible for me to love our baby
anymore than I do now."
Jack smiled. "Okay. I
believe you," he said, smiling. "Well, after hearing what a dreadful
birthday you had last year, let's try to make this one better, starting with
these." He pulled two small wrapped boxes out of the picnic basket, hidden
at the bottom. He handed me the bigger one, a longer one, and I began to open
it eagerly. Below the paper was a velvet jewelry box. I felt a bit uneasy for a
second, but when I opened the box, I found a beautiful silver locket, simple
and perfect.
"It's beautiful!" I
gasped, taking it out of the box and holding it to the sunlight. The locket
shone in the sun, making it stunning.
"So, you like it,
then?" Jack asked.
"I love it!" I replied,
throwing my arms around him. I fastened it around my neck straightaway, loving
the feel of it hanging loosely on my chest. Jack handed me the other present
and I opened that one, too, excitement swelling inside me. I found another
jewelry box, small and square this time, and inside, a beautiful ring. It was
white gold, with a red rose in the center and a tiny, sparkling diamond in the
center of the red petals. It was the most beautiful ring I had even seen, much
better than the ring Cal had given me, which had a rock the size of a nickel in
the center. This was much better.
"Oh, this is perfect!"
I said delightedly. "I love it!"
"Well, before you put it on,
there's something I need to ask you," said Jack. I looked at him, puzzled
for a moment. Then I knew what was coming next. "Rose, will you marry
me?"
In response, I threw my arms
around him again. "Yes! Yes, yes, yes!" I squealed.
We broke apart and Jack took the
ring out of its box and slipped it onto my finger. It fit perfectly. I'd never
felt so happy in my life. I had used the name Dawson as a disguise, but now it
would become my real name. I would be Rose Dawson for real.
"Jack, this is the best
birthday I have ever had," I said, my jaw aching from smiling.
"Glad you're enjoying it,
soon-to-be Rose Dawson," he said back.
He pulled me close and we kissed
passionately. We were lost in our own world...until a sharp yap brought us back
to reality. We turned our heads to see Honey sitting opposite us, her tail
thumping slowly against the glass, her head cocked in curiosity at us. We
couldn't help laughing. The look on her face seemed to ask, What are you
doing? Can I join in? It was hilarious. She looked a little hurt at us
laughing at her, so we pulled her over into our laps and began kissing again...until
Honey decided she should join in, too.
*****
"That's it! You've got
it!" Jack shouted as I galloped around the meadow on Shadow, finally able
to steer her correctly. We had been practicing for over an hour and I finally
knew how to guide the horse. It was a wonderful moment. I swelled with pride,
knowing that I could ride a horse like a man. I was so happy. Jack rode Thunder
over to me and we stopped, the horses side-by-side.
"I can do it!" I said
happily. "I can ride a horse!"
"Yep. You're doing
great," said Jack. "But I bet I'm faster than you."
I grinned playfully. "Is
that a challenge?" I asked. At the same time, we both set off at top
speed. I rode as fast as I could, but Jack, having had more experience and a
bigger horse, was faster.
"Ha! I win!" he jeered.
"Only because you took off
slightly before me."
"That's just an
excuse."
"Oh, really?" I
suddenly took off unexpectedly, racing back across the meadow to the other
side. Jack, caught by surprise, raced to catch up, but I still got there first.
"Now who's faster?" I
asked, trying not to laugh.
"Okay. You won this time. Do
you want to go for a ride through the forest?"
"Yes. That sounds fun."
We rode back to the spot where we
left the picnic things and Honey, who was sleeping under a tree. We woke her up
and I lifted her up into my lap. She was used to riding on a horse by now and
settled down comfortable between my legs. Then we set off through the meadow
and back onto the pathway.
We spent the warm afternoon
casually riding through the forest and fields, past several farms and farmland.
They were all beautiful, except for one patch of land. The fields were brown
and dull. On the edge of the land was large building, grim and dull with smoke
billowing from the large chimney.
"Mr. Thompson owns that
place," Jack explained. "He’s the biggest food supplier in this part
of the state. He doesn't care about the condition of the fields. He just cares
about his profits."
"I can tell just by looking
at the place," I said.
We rode on, further up the lane,
until the farm was out of sight.
"Okay. It's nearly sunset,
so we should take the horses back soon," said Jack as the sky began to
deepen slightly in color. "But there's one more place I want to show you
before we do."
"What's that?" I asked.
He looked a bit uneasy, but then
said, "My parents' old house."
I wondered why he wanted to go
there now. I didn't ask. I just followed him up the path towards the farm.
When we finally approached, I saw
a medium-sized barn close to the house and some open land along the road. They
were all empty of farm animals like sheep, cows, and such. There were a few
birds in the trees, but that was all, unusual for a farm. It was clear that no
one lived here.
At the end of the path was a
lovely farmhouse, red brick with a red slate roof. A wooden porch was built
over the front door and there was a chicken coop built along the side of the
house, but no chickens. I noticed that just behind the house was a small
stable, able to house three or four horses. There was no garden at the back,
but who needed one with all this farmland? It was a beautiful place, despite
its emptiness.
"So, this is where you
lived?" I asked Jack.
"Not technically," he
replied. "The actual house burnt down in the fire that killed my parents,
but this is almost exactly what it looked like, give or take a few
details."
"It's lovely," I said.
"Yeah. I guess it is. I did
draw a few pictures of it, but they were in the folder that went down with the
Titanic."
"Really? I didn't see them
in there."
"I kept them at the back,
inside a hidden part. I did have a couple of my parents in there, too, and one
of Max."
I didn't remember him mentioning
anyone called Max. "Who's Max?"
"Max was our sheepdog. He
died, too. He seemed to know the sheep inside the barn were in danger and he
died herding them out."
"It sounds like he was one
brave dog."
"Yeah, he was."
A short silence followed. I
wondered what the house would look like inside. "Do you think we'd be
allowed inside?" I wondered aloud.
"I think it should be all
right," Jack replied. "After all, the house is technically mine now,
since my parents still owned it when they died and no one has bought the land
since then." He dismounted from Thunder and tied the reins to a fence.
"Come on. Let’s see if we can get in."
I dismounted from Shadow and tied
her next to Thunder. Jack and I walked up to the front door and tried to open
the door. Unsurprisingly, it was locked.
"Hmm…I wonder if that key's
still there..." Jack muttered.
I followed him around the side of
the house to the stable. The stable was obviously older than the house and
barn. It seemed to have been unaffected by the fire. Jack walked into the empty
stall next to the wall and moved a loose wood panel to the side. It was
attached to the wall by a single nail and could slide from side to side. A
small space was hidden behind it, perfect for hiding things. There was a
slightly rusty key behind the wall, which Jack removed.
"Why would you keep a key in
here?" I asked him.
"Just in case we ever needed
it."
I smiled. I remembered a similar
thing I had done in my childhood. I had secretly brought home injured animals,
birds with broken wings, stray kittens, and such, and hidden them underneath
the trapdoor under my bed. I'd made it comfortable enough for them, until one
day when Mother heard the kitten I was fostering at the time yowling and all
hell broke loose.
We ran back to the house with the
key, unlocked the door, and walked inside the house.
The inside of the house was quite
spacious, with a joint parlor and dining room, a kitchen, and a small
downstairs washroom. Upstairs, there were three bedrooms, a bathroom, and a
ladder leading up to the attic.
"That wasn't there before,"
Jack pointed out. "We didn't have an attic before."
"Let's see what it's
like," I suggested, and started to climb the ladder. At the top of the
ladder was a trapdoor, which I opened and climbed through. It was a fairly
large attic, covering the whole length of the second floor, with a slanted
ceiling from the roof. It would be perfect for storing things. There was plenty
of space.
The house was almost fully
furnished, except the attic, which was empty. It was practically ready to move
into. We climbed back down through the trapdoor and went outside again to check
on the horses. Honey was sleeping by the fence and the horses were leaning over
the fence and eating the grass on the other side.
"So, what do you think of
it?" Jack asked.
"It's lovely," I replied.
"It looks like a nice place to live."
"Well, that's kind of why I
brought you here," Jack continued. "I was thinking that if we stayed
here permanently, we could live here. It's a good-sized house, furnished, ready
to move into, and we won't even have to buy it as it's technically mine anyway.
What do you think?"
"I think that sounds like a
great idea," I said, smiling. "I'd love to live here. So, when shall
we move in?" We mounted the horses again and began riding back down the
path.
"As soon as you want. It's
all ready."
I considered. "How about
tomorrow?" I asked. I couldn't see any reason to wait any longer.
"Okay, then," Jack
replied. "Tomorrow it is."
I was so excited. This time
tomorrow, we would have our own home and farm. That was something I'd never
really had. A home. Yes, I had lived in a large mansion in Philadelphia, but
I'd never felt at home there. It was more like a prison than a home. The farm
we were about to move to felt more like home than Philadelphia already.
My eighteenth birthday was
definitely one of my favorite days of my life. I had learned how to ride a
horse, got a beautiful Labrador as an early present, got engaged to the man I
loved, and finally found a home.