MEMORIES
Chapter Four
The Pier
Smiling, Rose laid that picture
down and moved on to the next. The picture of her on a horse, riding in the
surf with the roller coaster towering behind her. Of course, when Rose looked
really hard at the picture, she saw the faint image of Jack sitting behind her,
his arms around her waist. He smiled into the camera again, his eyes full of
pride.
She caressed the picture
lovingly. This was one of her most precious memories…the time she really felt
she had accomplished something.
*****
It was a beautiful summer day. It
had been a month since Rose had left Chippewa Falls. Rose had found a steady
job as a waitress at a local café that overlooked the pier. Each day, she would
look out the window and long to be out there among the churning crowd, doing
all the things she and Jack had talked about doing together. Or she imagined
Jack sitting on a bench with his portfolio in hand, sketching portraits for ten
cents apiece. Maybe that would’ve been what he would’ve been doing right now if
he had lived. She, of course, would have been working here, and he would have
been out there sketching portraits for ten cents apiece, maybe even twenty,
with inflation on the rise.
"Oh, Jack." Rose sighed
to herself.
"No regrets for what
could’ve been, Rose. Remember your promise. Live for both of us," a voice
spoke into her ear.
Jack. He was with her, even now
while she worked. Keeping her company.
"I love you, Rose."
The next day, Rose had the day
off, and she made that the day she went to the pier. It was time to fulfill her
and Jack’s dreams. First things first. The roller coaster.
She stood in line for fifteen
minutes, and when it was her turn, she took the ticket and slid into the car.
She could feel Jack next to her all the time, holding her hand, telling her not
to be nervous, that it would be like flying aboard the Titanic, only faster.
Rose screamed and held up her hands as the car went faster and faster, speeding
around the curves and plunging down the tracks. Finally, it was over, and Rose
immediately ran to some bushes, where she threw up.
"I did it, Jack!" She
laughed. "I rode the roller coaster ‘til I threw up! Mission one
completed."
"I’m proud of you, Rose. I
knew you would do it."
Rose smiled at his encouraging
words. How would she get along without him? Just the fact that he was still
with her after all that had happened was amazing. But would there be a time
when she’d have to do without him? Would she be able to handle it if there was?
Pushing that thought from her mind, Rose pushed ahead. She was determined to
fulfill her promise to Jack.
Next was the horse. She wanted to
ride one in the surf with one leg on each side. She found what she was looking
for when she went down to the beach and found an old man walking a beautiful
black mare along the shore.
"Excuse me, sir!" Rose
ran down to the man. "Are you offering horseback rides?"
"Well, miss, it’s not
actually a horseback ride, but I let you sit on her in the surf for fifty cents
for five minutes. I walk her along the shore, or in the surf, mind you, for an
extra ten cents. And I take a picture for an additional five," the man
explained.
"I’ll take it." Rose
smiled.
The man was surprised when the
young lady hopped up on the horse and swung her other leg to the other side.
Quite unladylike in his opinion, but he knew to keep his opinions to himself.
Rose relaxed as the man led the
horse out into the surf, keeping tight hold of the reins. She sighed with
pleasure as she felt Jack slip on behind her, his arms wrapped tightly around
her waist.
"I’m right here, Rose. We’re
doing this together."
She closed her eyes and smiled,
relaxing even more. Jack was with her and she was safe. He’d never let anything
hurt her.
"Ready for a picture?"
The man’s voice interrupted her thoughts.
Rose nodded eagerly as he
adjusted the horse’s position to take a perfect picture. The young lady was
indeed lovely, smiling atop the horse with the roller coaster looming behind
her.
"Smile!" The man took
the picture.
Present Day
That day had been one of the best
days of Rose’s life and her first real accomplishment as Rose Dawson. Jack had
been so proud of her. She had felt his pride splashing over her like waves. She
remembered not being surprised when she had noticed the faint image of Jack
behind her on the horse with his arms wrapped around her waist, a big smile on
his face. They had accomplished what they had talked about doing together, even
when he was long dead.
Rose smiled at the picture. Such
a wonderful memory. All of them such wonderful memories.