DAWSON’S TRAVELS
Chapter Eight
April 29, 1912
Dearest Leah,
I know it’s been an extremely
long time since I wrote last. Two years, in fact. I’m sorry, but my life’s been
a whirlwind since I last wrote. I’m sorry about the shaky writing…but the past
weeks I’ve been through…gosh, it’s even too hard to write about. Well, I’m
writing to tell you I’m coming home. Be looking for me at the train station.
Has Chippewa Falls changed that much? Does anyone besides you remember me? Do
they remember my parents? Does anyone visit my parents’ graves? I don’t know
where I’m going to stay when I get there, but I guess I’ll think of something.
I’ve been in New York for the
past couple of weeks. Laying low, planning my next move, and coming home seems
to be the most logical decision. No use wondering aimlessly around the country
when my whole view of life has changed. I just want to get somewhere warm and
remain there. God, I can’t even feel warm anymore. Everywhere I go seems to be
freezing…sorry. I’m rambling again. I’ll stop now. I’ll see you in a couple of
days, I guess.
Jack
May 1, 1912
Leah Calvert stretched her neck
as she waited for her best friend to disembark the train. He had said he’d be
there in a couple of days, from what his telegram had said. She frowned as she
thought about that letter. It had had a heavy, sad air to it. Not like her Jack
at all. But Jack had said that his whole view of life had changed. She wondered
what had changed it. It had been two years since she had heard from him. It
could’ve been anything.
"Looking for me?" An
all too familiar voice spoke up from behind her. She turned and gasped.
Standing before her was a man of twenty, with shaggy blond hair and the
brightest blue eyes. Eyes that were older than they should have been.
"Jack!" Leah gasped.
"Leah. You sure have grown
up. The last time I saw you, you weren’t this tall."
"Of course I wasn’t. It’s
been five years." Leah giggled. "And you…you’ve changed a great deal.
You’re so tall, and your hair…"
"I know. I need a
haircut." Jack ran a hand through his blond hair.
She looked behind him, as if she
was expecting someone else.
"Looking for someone
else?"
"Where’s this Fabrizio you
wrote me about? You said he wanted to come here and become a millionaire in
your last letter."
Leah regretted mentioning
Fabrizio when unshed tears shone in Jack’s eyes.
"H-he’s not coming, okay?
Um…things happen…can we go? I mean, not to sound rude or anything…"
"Oh, sure. Come on. Follow
me. I talked to Mama and she said you’re welcome to stay with us. We added
another room last year, so you’ll be staying there. Mama went all out getting
it ready."
"Thank you." Jack
forced a smile, the tears in his eyes still there. "This means a lot. I
don’t think I would be able to remain out there like I was…"
"Hey, it’s okay, Jack. We
understand. All of us do." Leah took his hand. She looked into his eyes
and felt her heart break at all the pain and heartache she saw there. Something
awful had happened to her best friend. She wondered what, but she didn’t dare
ask. It was still so raw for him, obviously.
"Come. Let’s go. Mama’s
probably climbing the walls by now. How did you pay for the train?"
"I didn’t. I stowed away in
the cargo department." Jack laughed at the shocked expression on Leah’s
face. "I do it all the time."
"Still, Jack, you should
have told us you needed some money to get home. We would have wired you
some," Leah scolded. "Hopping trains is dangerous. You could have
been killed. Then where would I be?"
Jack shrugged. "Waiting for
a ghost?"
"Ha ha. Very funny. Come on.
The car is waiting outside. Oh, Jack, you have to see it. Papa bought it with
our tax refund check."
Jack stopped in his tracks and
tears came to his eyes when he stepped out to see the new Renault town car the Calverts
had bought just two weeks ago.
"Isn’t it beautiful? You
have check the inside. Jack? Are you okay? You look awfully pale." Leah
looked her friend over.
"I-I’m fine," Jack
stammered. He closed his eyes as the memories washed over him. He could still
smell Rose’s perfume, feel her soft skin under his hand. The beating of her
heart…
"Jack?"
"Coming." Jack snapped
out of his daydream and followed Leah over to the car.
"Nice, huh?"
"Hmm." Jack nodded,
forcing back the memories the car brought up.
Ten long minutes later, they
finally reach the Calvert house. Irene and Joseph Calvert stood on the stairs
waiting for Leah and Jack’s arrival.
"Jack! Jack Dawson!"
Irene grinned from ear to ear, embracing her late best friend’s son.
"You’re a sight for sore eyes. And my, look how you’ve grown, and
handsome, too. I bet you left a ton of broken hearts."
"Hello, Mrs. Calvert."
Jack smiled.
"It’s good to see you back,
Jack. You were sorely missed around here." Joseph shook his hand.
"Come in. Irene has a feast waiting for you."
"You didn’t have to go to
any trouble." Jack followed the family inside.
"Oh, it’s no trouble at all.
Besides, you must be starving." Irene grinned.
Freezing, actually, Jack thought to himself, but he only
smiled.
Leah only saw how Jack was
rubbing his shoulders, as if he were cold. He had been doing that since he came
back. "Let me get you some hot chocolate," Leah said. "Mother
makes the best."
"Leah, it’s spring. We don’t
have hot chocolate in spring." Irene laughed.
"I was just trying to make
Jack comfortable. Well, at least give him a steaming hot plate, anyway."
Leah went to the stove and began dishing out a steaming hot plate of mashed
potatoes, fried chicken, creamed corn, and buttered bread. "Here you go,
Jack."
"Leah, this is way too
much." Jack laughed. "I haven’t eaten like this since…well…earlier
this month."
Leah laughed. "Yeah, right.
Life out there on the road has got to be hard. Even though in your letters you
make it sound like there’s nothing to it."
"Oh, it’s hard, all right.
There were times when I had to sleep in ditches and under bridges."
"Tell us, Jack…from your
letters, you were overseas. How did you get home?" Irene curiously asked.
"Uh…by ship. I won a ticket,
and I came back home."
"Oh. Hopefully you didn’t
have to go by the area where that one ship…what was the name of it, Joe?"
"Titanic, dear."
"Yes. Hopefully you didn’t
have to go through where the Titanic went down. All those poor people…but you
know it’s their own fault. Flying in the face of God like that. Saying that not
even God could sink that ship…"
"Uh…if you’ll excuse me, I
need some air." Jack got up and rushed outside. Leah found him staring off
into the distance.
"Hey, are you okay?"
"I’m fine. It’s good to be
back." Jack forced a smile.
"Jack…something’s wrong.
Tell me. What happened to you out there? What was so horrible that you can’t
even go ten minutes without looking like you’re having a total meltdown?"
"It’s nothing you should
worry about, Leah. Okay? I’m fine. I’m here, alive, healthy for the most part.
I’m fine. Okay?"
"Jack, we used to be able to
tell each other everything. You used to be so open with me. Why are you
shutting me out? You are obviously in pain about something. Is it Fabrizio?
Does it have to do with him?"
"Hey! What’s going on out
here, you two?" Irene stuck her head out the door.
"Jack needed some air,
Mama," Leah explained.
"We’re coming in right
now." Jack chose that moment to dodge any more of Leah’s questions,
thinking that maybe coming back to Chippewa Falls wasn’t such a good idea after
all.