AFTER TITANIC
BOOK ONE
Chapter Forty-Three
Dear Jack,
This is the first of many letters that I'm writing to you during
this separation. Plan on getting a letter everyday...well at
least as fast as the mail service can deliver it.
I'm now living in this quaint little boarding house in Los
Angeles and the landlady is real sweet but stern. She wouldn't
even rent to me until I showed her proof that I was married and
there would be no problems with her male guests. She then
relented and let me sign on. Oh Jack, you would love it here. The
room is medium sized and cozy and the living room, where all us
occupants congregate from time to time is quite lovely. I can
just see us in front of the fireplace, wrapped in a blanket,
maybe sipping tea while the twins play together. Images like that
Jack make me miss you and the twins more and more. I don't know
how I'm going to survive this without you but I have to. I can't
lean on you everytime something happens. I need to prove to I can
handle disaters like my mother's death by myself. You do
understand don't you? I hope you don't hate me Jack. I couldn't
bear it if you did. Even though I wouldn't blame you in the
slightest. This is the second time I left you and this time I
left you with the burden of taking care of our babies.
How are Tommy and Molly? Have they grown much since I saw them
last? Oh Jack, saying good-bye to them broke my heart. But again,
I have to do this. I'm no use to you and the children as I am
right now. I still cry over what happened. I still blame myself.
I know what you're going to say. It wasn't my fault. But still
Jack...if only I had spent a little bit of time with her...maybe
it would have made a difference.
Well I'll leave off here now darling. It's getting late and
lights out is fifteen minutes from now. Goodnight my love and
I'll write again soon. You may write me back at the address on
the envelope. I love you Jack. That's why I'm doing this. Never
forget that.
Love Forever,
Rose
Dear Rose,
Hello darling. I was so pleased when I recieved your letter. I'm
glad that you're well and you've got a nice warm place to stay.
That had me worried for days on end. I wish I could be there with
you and for you, but I'm going to respect your wishes and stay
away and let you deal with this by yourself. I know you can do it
Rose. I know from experience that you're stronger than you give
yourself credit for.
Molly and Tommy are fine. Molly is staying on board to help me
with the twins and Kathy and Eliza are a big help as well. Little
Molly is looking more and more like you everyday. Her hair is
beginning to turn more red than blonde while Tommy's is remaining
blonde. They both have your lovely smile. That smile is the only
thing that keeps me going during your absence.
I heard from grandfather and his condition is worsening. We're
afraid he won't last another month. But enough about my problems
Rose. You don't need to hear about that. How are you? Are you
truly ok? You know you're welcomed to come back anytime, my arms
are always waiting for you. Remember that. Kathy and the girls
send their love and support and hope that you'll be back home
with us soon. I'll let you go here. Take care and write again.
Remember, my love is yours always.
Love
Jack
Dearest Jack
I was happy to hear from you. When I saw your familiar
handwriting on the envelope...I was filled with joy. Oh darling I
miss you so much. I can't sleep at night because I miss the
warmth of your body next to mine. I am tempted to move back
home...but it's not yet time. I still have to pull it
together...something I'm having a hard time doing right now. But
enough about that my love. I want to tell you about all the
people here. They're a mixture of people really. You'd really
enjoy it here.
There's the landlady Mrs.
Santos. She's Mexican-American and speaks English really well and
she lives by a strict moral code. "No hanky panky in my
house," she likes to say.
Then there's Mr. Bartholomew Cummins. He's a gentleman from
Boston and an acquaintance of the Boston Dawsons. He insisted
that we met before, but I didn't tell him that it was probably
from the gala we went to. He strikes me as a sexist by the way he
talks. To let him tell it, women belong in one place and one
place only, in the kitchen barefoot and pregnant. Can you believe
that Jack? For a gentleman from Boston, he sure does have some
caveman ideas.
Then there's Tyler. He reminds me of you Jack. He's tall and
lanky, has blond hair and blue eyes and a smile that lights up a
room. I do believe he's developed a crush on me, but I gently
told him that I was already taken. But he's bound to break some
girl's heart someday.
Last but not least is Stacy. She's a widow and rises her little
girl by herself. She's my age and we've become great friends. She
talks about the time she's spent with her husband and I of course
talk of you and the children. She can't understand why I left you
since you sound so wonderful, but I told her that there was
something I needed to do alone for a while and she let the
subject drop.
I'm in the midst of searching for a job. I've just applied to
this small cafe in the business district as a waitress. The owner
said they'd get back to me. Is that a good sign Jack? I sure hope
so. Mother would cringe at the thought of me as a waitress. She'd
ask me wasn't being a maid enough for me?
Oh Jack there I go again. No matter what I do during the day, a
thought of mother always creeps in. Will I ever heal from this
Jack? Will there ever be a time that when I think of my mother
that it won't hurt? I leave off here my love. I'll write again
soon.
Love,
Rose
Dear Rose,
I'm so glad to h ave heard from you again. The people in your
building do sound like characters. Just ignore that Bartholomew
fella. He doesn't get that this is the twentieth century now and
that women no longer go barefoot in the kitchen. Ha ha. But
anyway, I'm glad you mad some friends and won't be totally alone
in LA. Good luck on tht job Rose. That is a good sign that they'd
get back to ya. Just don't get too comfortable there Rose. Be
prepared to come back home soon. We need and love you.
I'm sorry to make this letter short, but Tommy is calling for me
again. It sounds like he's having another one of those
nightmares.
Goodnigt my love.
Jack.
Dear Jack,
There's been a terrible tragedy here. A Renault Car hit Stacy
today and killed her instantly. Poor Stacy and Poor Lindsey...her
five year old daughter. Oh Jack, the little girl is so small and
so cute with her brown pigtails and hazel eyes. She doesn't even
know what happened. All she knows is that Mommy went to sleep and
won't be waking up again anytime soon.
Oh Jack, why do these things happen? It's so unfair. Well, I'll
leave off here Jack. Write back as soon as possible.
Love
Rose
Dear Jack,
You won't believe what just happened. Today was the the reading
of Stacy's will and she had named me legal guardian of Lindsey.
Can you believe that? She hardly knew me for a month, but yet she
trusted me with her daughter. I had always thought that she'd
name a member of her family a legal gaurdian, but she never got
along with them.
Oh Jack what am I going to do? I can't be a mother to that little
girl...especially when I can't be a mother to my own. I guess
this is it. I'm going to have to force myself to get over my
grief over my mother's death. I no longer have only two children
depending on me, I now have three. I'll try to be home by the end
of next month my love...with Lindsey. I'll see you then.
Love
Rose
Dear Mr. Dawson,
We regret to inform you of the death of your grandmother Emmanuel
Dawson. Your presence is requested immediately in Boston
Massachusetts for the execution of his will and distribution of
the estate. Thank you.
Wallace Kennedy-attorney at law.