LET’S LEAVE THE PAST BEHIND
Chapter Seventeen
Back in Chippewa Falls
It was the morning of Fabrizio’s
funeral. The only people in attendance for the burial were the Dawsons. They
stood in the Dawson section of the cemetery as the coffin was lowered into the
ground. Rose tightly gripped Jack’s hand, noticing how sadness clouded his
usually laughing blue eyes.
"Is there anyone here to
share memories of this lost soul?" Reverend Carter asked the small group.
Jack stepped up.
"I’d like to thank all of
you for coming today…even though you didn’t know Fabrizio, or know him as
well…this means a lot to me and to him. What can I say about Fabrizio? He was
one of the funniest men I knew. Always had a joke for everything, even though
sometimes he could be a worrywart." Jack laughed lightly. "He was
always there to talk to. We went through good and bad times together. He was
there when I first laid eyes on Rose and he was there when I decided to win her
heart. He encouraged me not to listen to society’s boundaries and to pursue the
woman of my heart. His one big goal was to come to America and become a
millionaire. But sadly, that wasn’t to be. He came to America…but not in a way
either of us was prepared for."
Jack dug into his pocket and took
out an American dollar bill. "This dollar represents Fabrizio’s dreams
unfulfilled." Jack walked to the coffin and laid it on top. "I’m sorry
Fabri…I never…" Jack looked up at all the sympathetic faces and could not
take it anymore. He had to get out of there. "I’m sorry…I…I have to get
out of here."
"Jack!" Rose tried to
go after him as he just walked out of the cemetery, but Richie stopped her.
"He needs time alone right
now, Rose," he said sadly, knowing that the last thing he wanted was for
Rose to see him breaking down.
"But he needs someone!
He’s…he’s so upset!" Rose turned to her brother-in-law.
"I’ll go," Jacquelyn
volunteered. "I’m his sister…he won’t mind me seeing him like this."
Rose only nodded and watched
worriedly as Jacquelyn went after her brother.
*****
Jack sat staring out at Lake
Wissota. He leaned his head back against the tree he was sitting against and
closed his eyes, feeling the tears coursing down. He was so absorbed in his own
guilt that he didn't hear the footsteps approaching.
"Jack? Are you okay?" a
feminine voice asked. Jack looked up, and his eyes widened in surprise.
"Kimberly. What are you
doing here?"
"I come here sometimes when
I need to think. Are you okay? You look so upset. Are those tears?"
Kimberly knelt down next to him.
"I just got through burying
my best friend, Fabrizio. He died a couple of months ago."
"Oh. I’m sorry. Judging from
the tears, you must really miss him. He must have been very special."
Jack nodded. "He was. We
went through a lot together. From running away from a bar full of angry, drunk
men to trying to catch up with a sailing ship. He would sometimes act like he
was angry with me, but he never was." Jack smiled at the memory of
Fabrizio declaring that he had bet everything they had.
"How did he die?"
Jack’s eyes widened as he looked
up at her. He couldn’t. He couldn’t tell her about Titanic. He wasn’t ready for
anyone but family to know that. "He died in a terrible accident. He didn’t
know what hit him." Jack avoided her eyes.
"Oh Jack." Kimberly
laid a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"Kimberly Smith! What on
earth are you doing?" Her mother appeared out of nowhere, her eyes
widening in horror at finding her daughter with Jack.
"I was just talking to Jack,
Mother. He was upset, and…"
"I don’t care to hear it. I
gave you strict instructions to stay away from Jack Dawson, and I expect you to
obey!" She grabbed her daughter’s hand.
"Nothing inappropriate was
going on here, Mrs. Smith. There’s no need to yell at Kimberly." Jack got
to his feet. Linda Smith swiftly turned her angry glare on Jack.
"And what do you know about
what’s inappropriate or not? You’ve been a thorn in my side for too long, even
when you weren’t in Chippewa Falls. Stay away from my daughter!"
"Jack?" Jacquelyn came
running up. "What’s going on here?"
"If you were wise, Miss
Dawson, you’d keep your brother away from Kimberly!" Linda grabbed
Kimberly’s arm and dragged her away.
"What was that all
about?" Jacquelyn placed her hand on her hip, glaring at Jack.
"I came here to think.
Kimberly came up and asked me what was wrong. Then her mother came up and got
upset. We were doing nothing inappropriate, Jacquelyn. She just had her hand on
my shoulder." Jack sighed. "Where’s Rose, by the way?"
"Probably heading back to
the house with ma, pa, and Richie. She was worried about you, but I said I’d go
check to see if you were okay."
"Well I’m fine. I just lost
it there for a while, but I’m fine," Jack reassured his sister. "Come
on. Let’s go home."
Jacquelyn nodded and followed her
brother.
Rose was up in their bedroom
laying in bed, her eyes closed, not hearing Jack come in until he laid down
beside her and wrapped a warm arm around her waist.
"Jack." She smiled,
snuggling closer to him.
"How did you know it was
me?" Jack grinned.
"No one has arms like
yours." She turned around and smiled up into his eyes. Her smile faded.
"Are you all right? You were pretty upset at the funeral."
Jack sighed and laid his head on
a nearby pillow. "I’m okay. It just kind of hit me that I’ll never see him
again. I hope it was quick for him, Rose. I hate to think of him in pain."
Rose reached up and stroked his
hair. "It probably was, darling. He probably felt no pain at all."
Jack just smiled and closed his
eyes. Soon he had drifted off to sleep, leaving Rose to look at him, wondering
when Titanic would ever stop haunting them.