THERE YOU’LL BE
Chapter Nine
The world was white and icy. Snow
was falling everywhere. It was Christmas Day 1912 and festive spirit was upon
everyone.
Work and care had been
universally thrown to one side and all that mattered now was family. Christmas
carols were trolled in every street, masquerades and plays took possession of
houses and churches indifferently.
At the Dawson house it was no
different. The tree was decorated beautifully with baubles and tinsel. Candles
and the orange glow from the fire lit the house and kept it warm. Branches of
ivy and holly was scattered around and a musical box from the mantelpiece
played Holly, Holly, O! in perfect tune.
Two stockings hung from either
side of the fireplace, each filled with presents to be opened on Christmas
morning.
On the streets of New York, carol
singers knocked on doors and sang to give good will and peace to neighbors over
the holiday season.
On Christmas morning, the
community gathered in church to join the early morning service before they
rushed home to their families to enjoy presents and a roast turkey dinner.
Newlyweds Jack and Rose Dawson
were up at the crack of dawn on Christmas day. They enjoyed the church service
and called in on their neighbors to wish them a happy Christmas before heading
home to enjoy their own Christmas. This was their first holiday season
together.
It had been a hard year, from the
very start. To the day, nightmares still haunted them from the dreaded night
they almost lost each other, they could still feel the chill, the moaning of
the ship as she went down and the screams of over fifteen hundred people
wanting help before slowly dying a dreadful death.
That night would most certainly
haunt them until their deaths too.
The night of April fifteenth had
rarely been spoken about between Jack and Rose, the pain had been almost
unbearable. Nightmares would come flooding night after night. They hadn’t even
made love since that night, Rose always flinching and pushing Jack away when he
had tried to soothe her. Gradually and bit by bit, time had begun to slightly
heal their pain. Things had began to piece together, and they had even found
they can enjoy life again.
Neither had expected to live the
life they were living. But they always said who knows what’s around the corner?
After lighting the Christmas candles
on the tree. Jack and Rose began to exchange gifts.
Sitting beside the tree, Jack
dressed in his Sunday best, handed Rose a small package. Giving him a gleeful
grin, she slowly began to unwrap the gift. She loved this part. Inside was an
apron, a pincushion and a thimble. Rose squealed with delight. She had begun to
sew over the past few months and complained bitterly about the fact she kept
pricking herself with the needle.
He handed her another package,
this time somewhat larger and harder. Looking at Jack’s face, she noticed his
face was deadly serious.
"I wonder what’s in
here." Rose teased, smiling.
"Open it" Jack nudged.
Pulling back the wrapping paper, Rose came to find a black box. Opening the box
slowly, she gasped in shock when she saw what was inside.
A very small gold sapphire and
diamond pendant, just like her engagement ring.
"Wow" Rose gasped,
smiling. She began to touch it delicately, afraid she would break it if she
touched it.
"Its not much…" Jack
started. Proceeding to take it from its box and position it around her neck so
she could admire it in the mirror. "But I just want you to know how much
you mean to me. I don’t want to buy you. Its just something I thought would
bring out the color of your eyes."
"I honestly don’t know what
to say, Jack." Rose admired it in the mirror around her neck, it certainly
was beautiful and she knew in her heart that he didn’t want to buy her. It was
just something inside her was telling her it wasn’t right. But it was a gift,
from her husband on Christmas day.
"I know moneys tight, and
things are hard especially with our baby on its way very soon. I just thought
you deserved something special. I haven’t been around much during your
pregnancy, I’ve been working hard. I know I have to support you and I will
thoroughly forever its just I felt as thought I could have done more for you
with how hard this year has been." Jack confessed. He sat on the sofa, and
placed his head in his hands. Placing the necklace carefully back in its box,
Rose eased herself beside her husband. Placing one hand on his shoulder, he
raised his head.
"Darling, you’ve done more
than enough for me. You’ve saved my life, you’ve taught me what its like to be
free, to fly, to hold my head high and be proud. You taught me how to love and
feel loved. You made me feel like I was the only person in the world. You make
me feel special. You gave me our baby who’s going to love you just as much as I
do." Feeling tears in his eyes, Jack began to speak but Rose hushed him by
placing a finger on his lips.
"I don’t need a necklace to
prove you love me. I have this." She indicated to her wedding ring.
"This proves to the world and each other that we belong to each other
forever."
Raising from the sofa, Jack
walked to the window and looked out. There were children on the street,
building snowmen, throwing snowballs and sledging.
Walking to the window to join her
husband, Rose too saw the children and felt something stir inside her. She
gently touched her husbands shoulder and he turned to face her. Her copper
curls fell just below her shoulder and her eyes shone with tears of happiness.
"This time in a few years.
We’ll be out there, on that street. Pulling out children on a sledge, helping
them build snowmen and moaning at them to keep out of trouble." Rose
smiled, looking back out of the window.
"We’ll save the necklace…For
this daughter you’re so intent we’re having. So when she’s older. She can look
at the necklace and see her daddy and just how much he loves her."
Jack placed his hands on his
wife’s waist and pulled her close to him. Then his hands moved to her swollen
middle where he felt his baby kick inside of its mother. He was dying to meet
his child. They both were.
It was going to be a good new
year, they could feel it.
"Merry Christmas
darling." Jack spoke, no more than a whisper, before kissing his wife’s
cheek and turning back outside the window and smiling contently.