TITANIC: A STORY TOLD
Chapter Forty
The gymnasium on Titanic resembled an
Edwardian nautilus room. There were machines still in use in the late twentieth
century, and machines that had long since been cast aside.
A woman pedaled a stationary bicycle in a
long dress, looking ridiculous. Thomas Andrews was leading a small tour group,
including Rose, Ruth, and Cal. Cal was working the oars of a stationary rowing
machine with a well-trained stroke.
"Reminds me of my Harvard days," he
told them, rising.
T.W. McCauley, the gym instructor, was a
bouncy little man in white flannels, eager to show off his modern equipment,
like his later counterpart on an "Abflex" infomercial. He hit a
switch and a machine with a saddle on it started to undulate. Rose put her hand
on it, curious.
"The electric horse is very popular. We
even have an electric camel." He turned to Ruth. "Care to try your hand
at the rowing, ma’am?"
"Don’t be absurd. I can’t think of a
skill I should likely need less."
Andrews gestured to the group. "The next
stop on our tour will be the bridge. This way, please."
*****
Jack, walking with determination, was
followed closely by Tommy and Fabrizio. He quickly climbed the steps to B-Deck
and stepped over the gate separating third from second class.
Tommy shook his head. "She’s a goddess
amongst mortal men, there’s no denying. But she’s in another world, Jackie,
forget her. She’s closed the door."
Jack moved furtively to the wall below the
A-Deck promenade, aft.
"It was them, not her." Jack
glanced around the deck. "Ready...go."
Tommy shook his head resignedly and put his
hands together, crouching down. Jack stepped into Tommy’s hands and got boosted
up to the next deck, where he scrambled nimbly over the railing, onto the First
Class deck.
Tommy watched him go, still shaking his head.
"He’s not being logical, I tell ya."
Fabrizio shrugged. "Amore is ‘a not
logical."
*****
A man was playing with his son, who was
spinning a top with a string. The man’s overcoat and hat were sitting on a deck
chair nearby. Jack emerged from behind one of the huge deck cranes and calmly
picked up the coat and bowler hat. He walked away, slipping into the coat, and
slicked his hair back with spit. Then he put the hat on at a jaunty angle. At a
distance he could pass for a gentleman.
*****
Harold Bride, the 21-year-old Junior Wireless
Operator, hustled in and skirted around Andrews’ tour group to hand a
Marconigram to Captain Smith.
"Another ice warning, sir. This one from
the Baltic."
"Thank you, Sparks."
Smith glanced at the message, then nonchalantly
put it in his pocket. He nodded reassuringly to Rose and the group.
"Not to worry, it’s quite normal for
this time of year. In fact, we’re speeding up. I’ve just ordered the last
boilers lit."
Andrews scowled slightly before motioning the
group toward the door. They exited just as Second Officer Charles Herbert
Lightoller came out of the chartroom, stopping next to First Officer Murdoch.
"Did we ever find those binoculars for
the lookouts?" Lightoller asked Murdoch.
"Haven’t seen them since Southampton,"
Murdoch replied, shrugging.
*****
Andrews led the group back from the bridge
along the boat deck.
"Mr. Andrews, I did the sum in my head,
and with the number of lifeboats times the capacity you mentioned...forgive me,
but it seems that there are not enough for everyone aboard."
"About half, actually. Rose, you miss
nothing, do you? In fact, I put in these new type davits, which can take an
extra row of boats here." He gestured along the deck. "But it was
thought...by some...that the deck would look too cluttered. So I was
overruled."
Cal slapped the side of a boat. "Waste
of deck space as it is, on an unsinkable ship!"
Andrews ignored him, turning to Rose.
"Sleep soundly, young Rose. I have built you a good ship, strong and true.
She’s all the lifeboat you need."
As they were passing Boat 7, a gentleman
turned from the rail and walked up behind the group. It was Jack. He tapped
Rose on the arm and she turned, gasping. He motioned and she cut away from the
group toward a door which Jack held open. They ducked into the gymnasium.
Jack closed the door behind her, and glanced
out through the ripple-glass window to the starboard rail, where the gym
instructor was chatting up the woman who was riding the bike. Rose and Jack
were alone in the room.
Rose tried to walk away. "Jack, this is
impossible. I can’t see you."
He took her by the shoulders.
"Rose, you’re no picnic...you’re a
spoiled little brat even, but under that you’re a strong, pure heart, and
you’re the most amazingly astounding girl I’ve ever known, and--"
"Jack, I--"
"No, wait. Let me try to get this out.
You’re amazing...and I know I have nothing to offer you, Rose. I know that. But
I’m involved know. You jump, I jump, remember? I can’t turn away without
knowing you’re going to be all right."
Rose felt the tears coming to her eyes. Jack
was so open and real...not like anyone she had ever known.
"You’re making this very hard. I’ll be
fine. Really."
"I don’t think so. They’ve got you in a
glass jar like some butterfly, and you’re going to die if you don’t break out.
Maybe not right away, because you’re strong. But sooner or later the fire in
you is going to go out."
"It’s not up to you to save me,
Jack."
"You’re right. Only you can do
that."
"I have to get back; they’ll miss me.
Please, Jack, for both our sakes, leave me alone."
Rose ran out onto the deck. Jack watched her
go, through the rippled windows of the gymnasium...like a figure underwater.