TITANIC C3
“I’ve been on my own since I was 15, since my folks died. And I had no brothers or sisters, or close kin in that part of the country. So I lit on out of there and I haven’t been back since. You just call me tumbleweed blowing in the wind.” Jack told her.
It’s their third day sailing of the Titanic in the middle of the entire ocean. Rose had actually called out Jack to talk to him for what he has done last night. They’re chatting like they’ve known each other for so long.
“Well, Rose, we’ve walked about a minute around this boat deck, chewed over how great the weather’s been and how I grew up, but I reckon that’s not why you came to talk to me, isn’t it?”
“Mr.Dawson, I—“
“Jack.” He corrects her.
“Jack.. I want to thank you for what you did. Not just for pulling me back, but for your discretion.”
“you’re welcome”
“look, I know what you must be thinking: “Poor little rich girl. What does she know about misery?”..”
“No. that’s not what I was thinking. What I was thinking was what could have happened to this girl to make her think she had no way out?”
“Well, I.. It was everything. It was my whole world and all the people in it. And the inertia of my life, plunging ahead, and me, powerless to stop it.” She showed him her hands making Jack see clearly her beautiful ring on her finger.
“God, look at that thing. You’d have gone straight to the bottom.”
“500 invitations have gone out. All the Philadelphia society will be there. And all the while, I feel I’m standing in the middle of a crowded room, screaming at the top of my lungs, and no one even looks up.”
“Do you love him?” he asked out of the blue. She was shocked.
“pardon me?”
“Do you love him?”
“You’re being very rude. You shouldn’t be asking me this.”
“It’s a simple question. Do you love the guy or not?” she burst a tiny laugh inside her.
“this is not a suitable conversation.”
“Why can’t you just answer the question?” she laughed harder than the first one and started to walk away from Jack.
“This is absurd! You don’t know me and I don’t know you, and we are not having this conversation at all. You are rude and uncouth and presumptuous and.. I am leaving now. Jack! Mr.Dawson, it’s been a pleasure,” they shakes their hands lustfully. “I sought you out to thank you and now I have thanked you—“
“and you’ve insulted me.”
“Well, you deserved it.”
“Right.”
“right!” he notice their endless shaking hands.
“I thought you were leaving?”
“I am.” She walked a little but she abruptly came back as if she remembered something she forgot “You are so annoying.”
“Haha” he laughed.
“wait!” she touched her temples. “I don’t have to leave. This is my part of the ship. You leave”
“Hohoho! Well well well! Now who’s being rude?” they both laughed. She looked at Jack’s hand, carrying his sketch pad.
“What is this stupid thing you’re carrying around?” she started to open and browse inside’s picture.
“So, what are you, an artist or something?” she sat at one of the deck’s free chair. “These are rather good. They’re—they’re very good, actually.” She keeps on browsing sketches. “Jack this is exquisite work.”
“They didn’t think too much of them in old Paree.” He sounded cold.
“Paris?” she asked. He just nodded.
“you do get around for a.. Well, a person of limited means.”
“Go on, a poor guy. You can say it.” Jack said directly, expressing what she really means.
“well, well, well.” She saw a sketch of a naked woman. “And these were drawn from life?”
“That’s one of the good things about Paris. Lots of girls willing to take their clothes off.” Jack turn the other page of his sketch and he let her see his another drawing.
“You liked this woman. You used her several times.”
“well, she had beautiful hands, you see?”
“I think you must have had a love affair with her.” She smirked.
"No, no, no, no—just with her hands. She was a one-legged prostitute. See?” he showed her the picture. Rose was shocked and unbelievable face was caught on her.
“She had a good sense of humor, though. And this lady,” he also showed another picture of an old fat lady “she used to sit at this bar every night, wearing every piece of jewelry she owned just waiting for her long lost love. We called her Madame Bijoux. See her clothes are all moth-eaten.”
“Well, you have a gift, Jack. You do. You see people.”
“I see you.”
“And?” Rose’s smile grew bigger.
“You wouldn’t have jumped.”
**
“But the purpose of university is to find a suitable husband. Rose has already done that” Ruth said in proud way while having their tea time at the same afternoon.
“Look, here comes that vulgar “Brown” woman.” The countess said almost whispering when she saw Molly coming toward their way.
“Quickly, get up before she sits with us.” Ruth whispered also to the other countess. It’s like they’re avoiding Molly.
“Hello girls. I was hoping I’d catch you at tea.”
“We’re awfully sorry. You missed it.” Ruth said in her most plastic tone. “the Countess and I were just off to take the air on the boat deck.” She was referring to the mistress of the richest man in the ship, Ms. J.J. Madeleine.
“What a lovely idea. I need to catch up on my gossip.” Molly said very happy. They walked away heading to the outside deck. They passed the table where the captain E.J Smith and Mr. Ismay were chatting silently about the ship.
“You’ve not yet lit the last 4 boilers?” Mr. Ismay started.
“No, I don’t see the need. We are making excellent time.” Captain said.
“The press knows the size of Titanic. Now I want them to marvel at her speed. You must give them something new to print. This maiden voyage of Titanic must make headlines.”
“Mr. Ismay, I would prefer not to push the engines until they’ve been properly run in.”
“of course, I’m just a passenger. I leave it to your good offices to decide what’s best. But what a glorious end to your final crossing, if we were to get into New York on Tuesday night and surprise them all. Make the morning papers. Retire with a bang, eh, E.J.?” he said, the captain just nodded. “good man”.
**
“Well after that, I worked on a squid boat in Monterey. Then I went down to Los Angeles to the pier in Santa Monica and started doing portraits there for 10 cents a piece.” Jack stated.
They were still chatting after their picture seeing session a while ago.
“Why can’t I be like you, Jack? Just head out for the horizon whenever I feel like it. Say we’ll go there sometime, to that pier even if we only ever just talked about it.”
“No, we’ll do it. We’ll drink cheap beer, we’ll ride on the roller coaster till we throw up.” She laughed. “then we’ll ride horses on the beach, right in the surf. But you have to do it like a real cowboy, none of that side-saddle stuff.”
“You mean, one leg on each side?”
“yeah.”
“can you show me?”
“sure if you like.”
“teach me to ride like a man.”
“and chew tobacco like a man”
“and spit like a man!” she continue laughing harder and harder.
“What..? they didn’t teach you that in finishing school?”
“No!!”
“Come on I’ll show you. Let’s do it.”
“what?”
“I’ll show you how, come on!” he grab one of her arms and went to the side.(A/N: This part is so gross, yet funny at the same time.)
“Jack, no.”
“Come on.”
“No, wait, jack.”
“come on.”
“No, jack. I couldn’t possibly, Jack.”
“Watch closely.” He started to clear his throat to make his phlegm and saliva out and then spit freely.
“That’s disgusting.” She exclaimed and shock was all over her face, after she followed Jack’s disgusting spit went to the water.
“All right, your turn.” She looked both size before trying what he teaches her. She spit but a little bit only.
“That was pitiful come on, you really gotta hawk it back. Get some leverage to it, use your arms, arc your neck.” And he spit his second disgusting saliva. “You see the range on that thing?”
He looked at Rose currently trying her best to do that again “hmm mm!”
“Okay, go.” She spat her second try.
“That was better. You got to work on it.”
“Really?”
“really try to hawk it up and get some body to it. You gotta..” she unexpectedly saw her mother coming to their way with her colleagues. Jack’s third try suddenly stopped.
“Mother! May I introduce Jack Dawson?”
“charmed, Im sure.” She said in her quiet frank tone. Molly pointed Jack’s side lips to remind him he has some saliva on it. He squeeze them by his hands.
The others were gracious and curious about the man who’d saved my life. But my mother looked at him like an insect, a dangerous insect which must be squashed quickly.
“Jack, sounds like you’re a good man to have around in a sticky spot.” Molly said. The sound of trumpet made them noticed that it’s dinner time.
“Why do they always insist on announcing dinner like a damn cavalry charge?” Molly asked.
“Shall we go dress, Mother?” she grabbed her mother’s arm. “see you at the dinner, Jack.” She whispered. Jack waved and followed vanishing Rose.
“Son?” Molly called him but seemed like he doesn’t even hear her.
“Son! Do you have the slightest comprehension of what you’re doing?”
“Not really.”
“You’re about to go into the snake pit. What are you planning to wear?”
Jack didn’t answer. He just let Molly see him that he has nothing but his dress wearing that time. “I figured. Come on!”
They went into Molly’s room to dress Jack formally.
“That’s right! You and my son are just about the same size!” she said when she saw a very new gorgeous Jack in front of the mirror.
“Pretty close.”
“You shine up like a new penny.”
He leaves Molly and go straight into the dinner party.
“Good evening sir!” the crew opened the door for him. He just smiles as appreciation. A couple of Count and Countess are gathering around the hall where he was standing, waiting for Rose to appear. He imitated the count’s straight stand, chin up with posture walk. He spotted Cal walking down the hall, escorting Ruth.
“There is the Countess” he said pointing J.J. Madeleine on his way.
“Hello, my dear!” Cal held Countess’ hand and kissed it as a formal appreciating her around.
“Good evening, Cal.” J.J. greeted too.
“so good to see you.”
Jack didn’t notice Rose slowly walking down in his way. When he spotted her, she’s almost inch away to him. He grabbed her right hand and imitated what Cal has done to Madeleine.
“I saw that in a nickelodeon once and I always wanted to do it.” They both laughed.
“Darling! Surely you remember Mr.Dawson.” Cal gave him a strange look.
“Dawson! Haha, That’s amazing. You could almost pass for a gentleman.”
“Almost” he simply said as an answer.
“Extraordinary!”
They walked together towards the main dining hall.
“My dear, it’s delightful to see you” Ruth greeted a first class lady.
“Completely lunatic.” She greeted also.
“What a remarkable voyage this is.”
“”it’s mad, isn’t it?”
Rose started to enumerate rich person they will going to be with tonight, in the dinner.
“There’s the Countess of Rothes. And uhm.. That’s John Jacob Astor, the richest man on the ship. His little wifey there, Madeleine, is my age, and in a delicate condition.” They both looked at them.
“See how she’s trying to hide it? Quite the scandal. And that’s Benjamin Guggenheim and his mistress, Madame Aubert. Mrs. Guggenheim is at home with the children, of course. And over here, we have Sir Cosmo and Lucile, Lady Duff-Gordon.” She’s referring to the countess Ruth greeted earlier.
“She designs naughty lingerie, among her many talents” Rose gave them a simple wave at their position. “very popular with the royals”.
“Congartulations Hockley, she’s splendid.” Cosmo said.
“Well, thank you.”
And finally Molly have arrived.
“care to escort a lady to dinner?” she asked Jack smiling.
“certainly.”
“Ain’t nothing to it, is there, Jack? Remember, they loved money. So just pretend like you own a gold mine and you’re in the club.” Molly said as they passed the door through the elegant dining area.
“hey Astor!” Molly shouted.
“Hello, Molly, nice to see you.”
“J.J., Madeleine, I’d like you to meet Jack Dawson.” Jack shakes his hands also to Jacob.
“How do you do?”
“Pleasure!”
“Well Jack, are you of the Boston Dawsons?”
“No, the Chipewwa Falls Dawsons, actually.”
“Oh yes!” Jacob said in a low voice.
He must have been nervous, but he never faltered. They assumed he was one of them. Heir to a railroad fortune, perhaps. New money, obviously, but still a member of the club. Mother of course, could always be counted upon.
“Tell us of the accommodations in steerage, Mr. Dawson. I hear they’re quite good on this ship.” Ruth opened up a topic about Jack’s background.
“The best I’ve seen, ma’am. Hardly any rats.” Everyone in the table laughed.
“Mr. Dawson is joining us from the third class. He was of some assistance to my fiancée last night.” Cal said like giving Jack a very small integrity.
“It turns out that Mr. Dawson is quite a fine artist! He was kind enough to show me some of his works today.” Rose said proudly.
“Rose and I differ somewhat in our definition of fine art. Not to impugn your work, sir.” Cal said.
Jack looked at the arrangement of the fork and spoon in the table not knowing of its function individually.
“Are these all for me?” he whispered at Molly.
“Just start from the outside and work on your way in.” she also whispered.
“He knows every rivet in her, don’t you, Thomas?” Mr. Ismay said out of the blue. He was referring to Mr. Thomas Andrews.
“Your ship is a wonder, Mr. Andrews. Truly.” Rose whispered to Thomas.
“Thank you, Rose”.
“And where exactly do you live, Mr. Dawson?” Ruth started to interrogate him again..
“Well, right now, my address is the RMS Titanic. After that I’m on God’s good humor.”
“And how is it you have means to travel?”
“I work my way from place to place. You know, tramp steamers and such. But I won my ticket on Titanic here at a lucky hand at poker. A very lucky hand.”
“all life is a game of luck.” Cosmo said.
“A real man makes his own luck, Archie. Right, Dawson?” Cal.
“Hmm..”
“And you find that sort of rootless existence appealing, do you?” Ruth said sarcastically. Molly gave her a killer look.
“Yes, ma’am, I do. I’ve got everything I need right here with me. I got air in my lungs and a few blank sheets of paper. I love waking up in the morning not knowing what’s gonna happen” he bite a bread “or who I’m gonna meet, where I’m gonna wind up. Just another night I was sleeping under a bridge, and now here I am in the grandest ship in the world, having champagne with you fine people. I’ll take some more of that! I figure life is a gift and I don’t intend on wasting it. You never know what hand you’re gonna get in dealt next. You learn to take life as it comes at you. To make each day count.”
“Well said, Jack.” Molly cheered him.
ROSE rose a glass of champagne ang murmured something. “To making it count!”
“To making it count!” they all said in unison.
“bravo!”
After their splendid dinner, they talked about everything they could share into one and another. Different kind of waltz song was played very smoothly by the orchestra
“But Mr. Brown had no idea I’d hidden the money in the stove.” Molly shared something about her husband. They laughed really hard and loud. “So he comes home drunk as a pig, celebrating, and he lights a fire”
“Bravo!”
“Next it’ll be brandies in the smoking room” Rose whispered secretly to Jack as a reminder of what’s going to happen next.
Cosmo stood up. “Join me in a brandy, gentlemen?”
“What a good idea!” Astor.
“now they retreat into a cloud of smoke and congratulate each other on being masters of the universe.” She whispered again to Jack.
“ladies, thank you for the pleasure of your company.” Mr. Ismay said and stood up.
“Rose, may I escort you to the cabin?” Cal asked her.
“No, I’ll stay here.”
“Joining us Dawson? You don’t want to stay out here with the women, do you?” Cosmo offered him.
“No thanks, I’ve got to be heading back.”
“probably best!”
Jack step closer to Rose. “Jack, must you go?”
“Time for me to go row with the other slaves. Good night Rose.” He held Rose’s hands and kissed it but that’s not his real intention. He simply put a small letter in her hands while kissing it so no one had noticed that he gave something to Rose.
He let go of her hand and leave. Rose opened the small letter, trying to hide to her mother. She read it, saying “make it count, meet me at the clock”. So she stood up and gets her way in the meeting place.
“So you want to go to a real party?” Jack asked her smirking.
He grabbed Rose to the real party. A party of the third class people downstairs far from the silent bumming of smokes of the rich men. Cheap beers are everywhere. Simple talented musicians are playing happy sounds that made the people dance on their own way. Jack is dancing with her little cute girl, Cora while Rose was having an bare chat with Jack’s friends.
“I can’t understand you!” she shouted in front of the man. He was speaking some kind of foreign language. A Spanish she think. The very loud music distracting her to hear their chats clearly.
“I’m going to dance with her now, all right?” Jack said to Cora. She just nodded politely.
“come on!”
“what?”
“come on! Come with me.”
“Jack! Jack. Wait.” “I can’t do this.”
“We’re gonna have to get a little bit closed, like this.” he grabbed Rose’s waist making it closer against him.
“You’re still my best girl, Cora!” he said before they start to spin in the platform. He saw some jealousy in Cora’s face.
‘I don’t know the steps”
“neither do I, just go with it. Don’t think”
“Wait, Jack! Stop!” she shouted when she felt some rounding spinning earth. Imbalance. Jack stopped. He play his footsteps swaying with the rhythm of the happy fast song as so Rose.
After their dance, they looked for something they could drink. Jack spotted two beers above the table of two man playing brass knuckle. Rose drank the beer straight as if it was just a water.
“what! You think a first class girl can’t drink?”
She took the cigar in Tommy’s mouth and takes a bum.
“So.. you think you’re big tough men? let’s see you do this.” She leaned down to take the hem of her red gown. “hold this for me Jack, Hold it up.” She tried to lift herself up higher and higher until it’s just the tip of her two thumbs in her foot carrying her whole weight. Her face was priceless. Arched in pain. “Aww” she exclaimed as she fell down on Jack’s arms.
“Jesus, mary and Joseph!” a woman said in a shocked tone. Everyone in the room clapped for what she did.
“Are you alright?” he asked.
“I haven’t done that in years.”
And then the music started again and everyone are happy having their own step just to sway with the rhythm of the song.
They both don’t know Lovejoy was there that night. Spying them secretly.
This is how their night ended.
KALOKA! ANGHABA! WHOOOSH..
4 MORE CHAPTER!
LOVES,
LadyRedWriter <3