LOVE LASTS FOR ETERNTIY
Chapter Two
Rose's POV
I sat huddled in a corner of the
third class dining area, sipping soup from a bowl and occasionally dipping a
piece of bread in it. All around me, I was surrounded by grief, sorrow, and
sadness. Women sat clutching handkerchiefs, sobbing into them heavily, grieving
for their loved ones. Children sat solemnly, leaning against their parents or
weeping into each other, overcome by what had happened to them. I felt like I
should be one of them. After all, the tragedy had hurt me just as much. The
cruel ocean had snatched the only man I'd truly loved from me. Jack. I wasn't
crying. I was too overcome with grief to feel anything. I felt numb inside,
like no emotions could possibly reach me. I sipped the last few drops of my
soup and left the room.
I strolled along the deck of the
ship, the light wind blowing in my face. I had kept the blanket that was
wrapped around me as soon as I boarded the ship. I needed it to hide my
features from anyone who came looking for me, especially Cal. I shivered at the
very thought of him and what he had done. Now I truly knew him for what he
was--a coward, trying to bribe his way off a sinking ship. A heartless devil,
pushing people away from the last remaining lifeboat and using a small child to
board it. A cruel beast, framing Jack for a crime he didn't commit and leaving
him locked in a sinking ship to die. I thanked the Lord I had met Jack, the man
who saved me, in every way that a person could be saved. He saved me from
suicide, from Cal's evil clutches, from the sinking Titanic, giving his life to
unlock my chains so I could be free. I was just sad that my freedom had cost
his life and our happiness. I felt tears prickling in my eyes. I told myself
firmly that crying wouldn't bring Jack back, but I couldn't help it. I
collapsed onto a nearby bench and buried my face in my hands, overcome with
sadness. I sobbed my heart out. I sobbed until I suddenly stopped at the sound
of a familiar voice.
"You--let me through
here."
Oh, no. it was the voice of Cal.
He had come looking for me! Without a second thought, I whipped the blanket up
over my head to hide my hair and shuffled towards a group of three people,
making it appear I was one of their family.
I heard the steward say,
"Sir, I don't think you'll find any of your lot down here. It's all
steerage."
Nevertheless, I heard Cal stomp
down to the deck. I heard him strolling along the wooden deck, gazing around
and looking for me. I kept my head low, huddling closer to the family, who
looked at me oddly, but had no objections. I guess they thought that I had lost
everything and everyone and that I just wanted to be near people. I at last
dared turn my head in his direction. His face was pale, his usually sleek black
hair ruffled and out of place. His once perfect black tuxedo was tattered and
torn. But his eyes were as calm as they had been this time yesterday. His eyes
suggested that this awful tragedy hadn't occurred. He was glaring around the
deck at everyone. I cupped my face in my hands and pretended to be sobbing
heavily when he looked in my direction. I was very convincing, because the
young woman from the family I was huddling with put a gentle arm around my
shoulder. Thank God for this. It made me look one of their family.
Cal gave up, stomped back up the
deck, and disappeared back to the first class section, his face a mixture of
fury, rage, and shockingly, a hint of grief. I wondered if he had indeed loved
me in his own twisted way. Could he have actually cared about me in his heart?
I had read some romantic novels of men controlling their wives' lives, for they
were scared of losing them. I wondered if maybe...just maybe...could Cal be one
of those men?
I thought of the time before
Titanic when we were in Europe. He had proposed in one of the most expensive
restaurants in Paris, his eyes full of love and desire. He charmed me,
flattered me. If I so much as complimented a dress or piece of jewelry, he had
already pulled out his permanently bulging wallet. He had treated me like
royalty. Now that I looked back at it, I was thoroughly relieved that I hadn't
become a horrid spoiled brat.
Then I thought of the days
leading up to and on the Titanic. He had threatened me, controlled me, told me
what to do, ordered my food for me, told me what to wear, where to go, what to
do, as thought I was incapable of deciding for myself. He'd slapped me for
arguing or disobeying, never let me do what I wanted or go where I wanted, and
constantly pressured me for sex. He seemed set on taking my virginity, but I
was equally adamant that he wouldn't. Thank God he never would. Jack now had my
virginity and I his. I had been quite surprised when I found out that he was
still a virgin. I felt sure after seeing his portraits of naked women that he
must have been seduced by one or two.
After reliving the horrid memories
of what Cal had done to me, I was now certain that Cal was a control freak who
wanted me for no other reason than to show me off like a trophy. And now he
assumed his prize show horse was dead. With a bit of luck, I would never see
him again. Good riddance.
I pulled down my blanket and
lifted my hands from my face. The woman who had been comforting me looked
puzzled when I emerged dry-eyed, but still looked at me kindly. I smiled at her
and nodded kindly in a form of good-bye. I tried saying good-bye properly, but
she shook her head and shrugged her shoulders, indicating that she couldn't
speak English. She looked vaguely familiar to me. She had a thin face with
thick, wavy, pale blonde hair falling past her shoulders and into her sky blue
eyes. She had a somewhat Scandinavian look about her. Her face was
tear-stained, the skin around her eyes slightly red. I wracked my brain and
suddenly thought of someone. No. It couldn't be, could it? I decided to ask her
as best I could.
"Helga? Helga Dahl?" I
asked clearly, pointing to her. Amazingly, she nodded, puzzled. I then pointed
to my chest and said, "Rose. Rose Dawson," I said, emphasizing my
fake last name. I used Jack's name, hoping she'd make a link between him and
me. She had known Jack though Fabrizio.
Her eyes widened. She pointed at
me and then said "You, Rose Dawson. Know Jack Dawson?" she asked
slowly, wracking her brain for the little English she knew.
I nodded eagerly.
"Fabrizio?" I asked her. I'd hoped to find Fabrizio. If he was alive,
he had a right to know about his closest friend's death. However, at the
mention of his name, Helga broke into tears. I crouched behind her and put my
arms around her.
"Don't...know…" she
stammered. Suddenly, I felt someone touch me from behind. I turned my head around
to see Helga's mother, an older version of her daughter with gray eyes. She
asked me something, shockingly, in French. I was sure they was Scandinavian! I
understood what she'd asked. "Do you know my daughter?" I had been
taught French at finishing school in France and was fluent.
I replied, "Yes. My
husband's friend Fabrizio was her beau. Am I right?"
She nodded sadly and said,
"True, true. The Italian man. We don't know where he is. This makes my
daughter very sad."
I told her sadly, "I lost my
husband, also. They were great friends." She nodded sadly.
"I am sorry. Many people
died. My husband also. Helga, my sister, and I were in a boat."
We talked a little, and soon
Helga stopped crying. When she saw that I spoke French, she asked me,
"Have you seen Fabrizio? Do you know where he is?"
It broke my heart to say,
"No, I don't. I'm sorry. I haven't seen him."
She cried a fresh flow of tears
then and all I could do was comfort her as best I could.
I suddenly felt someone tap me
softly on the shoulder. It was an officer, carrying a clipboard and pen. He
asked me softly, "Can I have your name, please?"
I had already given my name twice
already, to two different officers. It seemed that they were taking down lists
every day, updating them again and again with each new survivor discovered. As
I had done twice before, I said, "Dawson. Rose Dawson."
I was one hundred percent sure of
my name choice. I had taken Jack's surname for two main reasons. One was
because I didn't want Cal and Mother to discover my survival. If they did, I
would be hunted down and forced into a loveless marriage with him. I couldn't
let that happen. Jack had died to save my life and freedom. To give up and go
back to a life of imprisonment would be dishonoring his memory. The second reason
was also because of Jack. He was the one man I truly loved with all my heart. I
had said to him, moments before the iceberg hit, that I would leave the ship
with him. I was willing to give up everything I had and knew for this man. I
loved him so much. I was ready to marry him when he was cruelly taken from me.
I decided to take his name as proof of our everlasting love. I was sure I would
never love again, not anyone besides Jack Dawson. This was why I had told
Helga's mother he was my husband, because in my heart, he was.
So I told the officer I was Rose
Dawson, and in my heart, I was. I was no longer Rose DeWitt Bukater. She had
died with the Titanic. After all, couldn’t one exchange one life for another? A
caterpillar changed into a butterfly. If a mindless insect could do it, why
couldn't I?
I was a new person, I was young
and free to do whatever I wanted with my life. And one thing was certain. Rose
Dawson would not waste her life. She would make each day count.