TITANIC: A STORY TOLD
Chapter Twenty-Eight
The third class general room was the social
center of steerage life. It was stark by comparison to the opulence of first
class, but was a loud, boisterous place. There were mothers with babies, kids
running between the benches yelling in several languages and being scolded in
several more. There were old women yelling, men playing chess, girls doing
needlepoint and reading dime novels. There was even an upright piano and Tommy
Ryan was noodling around on it.
Three boys, shrieking and shouting, were
scrambling around chasing a rat under the benches, trying to hit it with a shoe
and causing general havoc. Jack was playing with 5-year-old Cora Cartmell,
drawing funny faces together in his sketchbook.
Fabrizio was struggling to get a conversation
going with an attractive Norwegian girl, Helga Dahl, sitting with her family at
a table across the room.
"No Italian? Some little English?"
"No, no. Norwegian. Only."
Helga’s eye was caught by something. Fabrizio
looked, did a double take...and Jack, curious, followed their gaze to see Rose
coming toward them. The activity in the room stopped...a hush fell. Rose felt
suddenly self-conscious as the steerage passengers stared openly at this
princess, some with resentment, others with awe. She spotted Jack and gave a
little smile, walking straight to him. He rose to meet her, smiling.
"Hello, Jack."
Fabrizio and Tommy were floored. It was like
the slipper fitting Cinderella.
"Hello again."
"Could I speak to you in private?"
"Uh, yes. Of course. After you."
He motioned her ahead and followed. Jack
glanced over his shoulder, one eyebrow raised, as he walked with her, leaving a
stunned silence.