DAWSON’S TRAVELS
Chapter Ten

It was late morning when Jack woke up and went downstairs. The house was full of people, probably waiting to welcome him back home. But he wasn’t ready for that, so he slipped out, unseen by anyone but Leah. Excusing herself, she followed Jack to the burned rubble of his old house. No one had even tried to rebuild.

"Too much work, was the vote." Leah spoke up after five minutes of watching Jack look at the ruins.

Jack sighed. "You know, this reminds me of my life right now. Nothing but a bunch of rubble. Where once there was light and love and hope for the future, there’s now nothing but darkness and smoke and hopelessness. Unbearable grief for two best friends lost."

"For someone who doesn’t want to talk about it, you sure do give a different impression."

"Because I changed my mind. I do want to talk about it. I want to tell you about what happened only a few short weeks ago. I thought about it all last night, and that’s the only way I’ll be able to move past it."

"So you’re going to tell me?" Leah was surprised. She had thought she was going to have to pry it out of him.

"If you have a couple of hours." Jack smiled sadly.

"I have plenty of time for you, Jack. Come. We’ll go sit by Lake Wissota and you can tell me everything."

Jack smiled and nodded. "Okay."

"But first let me sneak back into the house and round us up some breakfast. Okay?"

"Fine by me."

A half hour later, they were seated next to a tree right beside the lake. Jack sat there, just staring out at the blue water. "It’s a shame, you know. Something so beautiful as a lake or the ocean can be so deadly."

Leah only nodded and patiently waited for Jack to begin his story.

Jack took a deep breath, leaned his head against the tree, and closed his eyes, seeing all the familiar and beloved faces that had been lost. Fabrizio, Tommy, little Cora Cartmell…Rose. His beautiful, wild Rose.

"It was April tenth. Southampton, England. Fabrizio and I were in the throes of a hot poker game. Two third class tickets aboard…Titanic were up for grabs."

"Did you say Titanic?" Leah’s eyes widened. No wonder he was so sad.

Jack nodded. "You heard right. Titanic. I was optimistic, and Fabri was worried because I had bet everything we had in the whole world. But, of course, the ol’ Dawson Luck held out and I won us two tickets aboard Titanic. I was so happy. I was finally going home, and Fabri’s dream was going to come true. He was going to America to become a millionaire. We had to run with everything we had in order to catch the boat. We did everything when we got on that ship, from exploring the third class area to standing out at the bow of the ship watching dolphins race against us. I even had the nerve to stand on the railing and declare myself king of the world." Jack laughed at the memory.

Leah snickered. "I can picture that."

"It was the twelfth when I saw her standing up in the first class section of the ship."

"Rose?"

Jack nodded. "I was drawing a picture of a father showing his little girl the dolphins. Fabri had gotten into a conversation with an Irishman named Tommy Ryan. He was commenting on how typical it was for first class dogs to take a …well, you know…down in steerage. Me, being the optimist, said aw…that’s how they let us know how we rank in the scheme of things. He just laughed and asked me if I made any money off the drawings. That was when I saw her. I looked up at the first class deck, and there stood the most beautiful angel I’ve ever laid eyes on. Her fiery red hair was pulled up in a bun, and wisps of it framed her face. Her eyes were like emeralds, her lips like rubies. She wore this lacy green dress. She looked back at me, and she had the saddest look in her eyes. Like she was ready to cry at any moment. Then a man, her fiancé, I was soon to find out, came and took her back inside. I never thought I’d see her again. She was first class and I was third. Plus, she was engaged."

"What happened next?"

"That night, I was out on deck, laying on a bench and looking up at the stars. Thinking about my life up to that point and what I was going to do once I got back to America. That was when I heard the running feet. I sat up and saw a blur of red and black heading for the stern. I, of course, being curious, followed. There she was, my angel, standing on the wrong side of the railing. She was going to jump and end her life. I wondered what could have happened to make her want to end it. She was obviously a girl who wanted for nothing. Money, food, and so I thought, love. I couldn’t let her do it, so I told her don’t do it.

"She turned to me, her red curls flying in the wind, her mascara running as tears streamed from her eyes…eyes filled with misery and hopelessness. But still there was a spark there. Something told me that this girl did not want to die. Not really. That maybe things were just too much to handle, but she didn’t really want to end her life. She threatened to jump if I came any closer. And, of course, I said no you won’t. She was rather indignant and told me so. I finally talked her into wanting to live again by telling her about that one time when I fell through the ice…"

"Oh, yes. I remember that." Leah nodded.

"It was the fear of the freezing water that got to her, I think. We exchanged names. Jack Dawson. Rose DeWitt Bukater. Then she took my hand, and she was about to come back over when her foot got caught and she lost her footing. I held onto her hand, her screaming all the way. I finally got her back over, and we landed in a rather compromising position. The crewmen came up and thought I was attacking her."

"Oh, Jack!" Leah gasped. She was totally enthralled by Jack’s story now.

"Well, anyway, she got me out of trouble and got an invite from her ass of a fiancé, Caledon Hockley. The next day, she came down to the third class general room and asked me to walk the deck with her. So we walked and talked and talked. Finally, she broached the subject of why she had wanted to jump. She told me it was jitters from the wedding, but I saw through that. I asked if she loved her fiancé. She got indignant. She was about to leave, but didn’t. I showed her my art. Then we talked about my travels and about my time at the Santa Monica pier. We talked about going there, and I said we’d do all these things like riding the roller coaster, drinking cheap beer, and riding in the surf. She made me promise to show her how to ride like a man and to spit like a man, and I couldn’t resist. So I did."

"Oh, Jack…" Leah shook her head.

"Well, Molly Brown …you may have heard of her…she let me borrow a tuxedo to wear, and I met Rose at dinner. After dinner, I took her to a steerage party to show her a good time. She was something else, for such a reserved first class girl. She downed a beer in one gulp, she smoked a cigarette, and did this trick by standing on the very tips of her toes. She wasn’t very ladylike at all.

"I think that was when I realized I loved her, when I walked her back to her room. The next day, I went down to tell her that, but her fiancé’s valet told me to leave, and I was escorted back to third class. So I sneaked back up to the first class deck and swiped this hat and coat off someone’s chair…"

From there, Jack told his story of how Rose had refused him, then joined him on the bow, having changed her mind. How he taught her to fly and drew her nude in her stateroom. Their flight from Lovejoy and her vowing to get off the ship with him. Then the iceberg, being framed and locked down below to die. Of Rose rescuing him and of busting through a locked gate. About Rose refusing to get in a lifeboat without him and her jumping back on to be with him. Of running away from Cal, who was shooting at them, and of running through the ship, fighting for survival. Clinging to each other as the ship went to its watery grave. Finding Rose in the icy waters and pulling her to the board. How he stayed in the water and she got on. Making her promise. Of falling asleep and waking up on board the Carpathia.

"When I looked at the list of survivors…her name wasn’t on it. No Rose DeWitt Bukater could be found on the list. I felt horrible. She died because of me. Because she loved me. If she hadn’t, she would have been on a lifeboat. Sure, she’d be Cal’s wife, but that’s better than having died an icy death. But what I don’t get is why she didn’t keep her promise. She promised me that she’d survive. That she wouldn’t give up, no matter what happened. What made her change her mind?"

"Maybe it was Cal. She thought if you two were rescued, and he found you, that he’d force her to go back with him." Leah shrugged. "Or maybe she realized she made a mistake by choosing you over Cal and decided that the poor life was too hard."

"That doesn’t sound like Rose, Leah." Jack just looked at her.

"Well, do you have a better explanation of why she wasn’t on the list?"

Jack just shook his head. "No. Not really."

"How about Fabrizio?"

"He didn’t make it, either. I don’t know what happened to him."

"Oh, Jack." Leah hugged him. "I am so sorry for your pain. And whatever reason Rose didn’t keep that promise…it wasn’t your fault. You tried your best to save her…risking your life again and again…"

"She’s probably in a better place now." Jack sighed. "Doesn’t have to worry about Cal, or her mother. Not in pain from the freezing waters…"

"Jack…you have to go on. You have to rebuild your life. Pick up the rubble and rebuild what’s left."

Jack looked at her and nodded. "You’re right. I’ve spent almost a whole month depressed over the tragedy of Titanic. It’s time to pick up the pieces and move on. For Rose, if not for myself."

"For Rose." Leah nodded, a tear in her eye. She didn’t know if she’d ever have a chance with Jack now. He might never be able to mend his heart after this Rose DeWitt Bukater. But she was going to be his friend and be there for him as he picked up the pieces of his shattered life. "Well, come along, Jack. Mama wants to reintroduce you to the folks of Chippewa Falls."

Jack sighed and smiled. "Lead the way."

Chapter Eleven
Stories