THE AFTERMATH
Chapter Three
Rose looked past Cal and saw
Patrick Ryan, Tommy’s friend, who had watched with awe as Rose had risen onto
her toes that night in steerage. "Hello, Patrick," Rose addressed
him, smiling. "I would appreciate it greatly if you taught this fine first
class gentleman how to mind his manners."
"A fight?" Patrick
looked surprised that Rose was instigating a fight after all that had happened.
"No," she said. "I
just want you and your friends to return him to first class, where he belongs.
Don’t you dare fistfight after last night."
Patrick nodded and motioned for
two of his friends to come over. The three of them overpowered Cal before he
knew what they were doing. They dragged him, kicking and yelling, back to first
class.
The crewman who had spoken to Cal
before was indignant that three rough and tumbling Irishmen were manhandling
one of the most affluent survivors. "What’s going on?" he cried.
"This nice gentleman here
was botherin’ a young lady who didn’t want his attentions. We’re just takin’
him back to first class."
The crewman stood aside and let
them pass. Rose laughed when she saw Cal being dragged up the stairs.
*****
It began to rain, not much, but
enough to need an umbrella. The Carpathia docked in New York and Rose saw the
Statue of Liberty. "Look, Jack. Look how tall she is," she whispered.
An official came up to her and
asked, "Can I take your name, please, love?"
Rose thought for about ten
seconds about changing her life forever and confusing the passenger list beyond
belief, and then said, "Dawson. Rose Dawson." Rose barely heard the
official thank her. She stepped backward and stumbled into someone behind her.
"I like the name," a
voice Rose had dreamed of hearing again breathed into her ear.