A ROSE BLOWING IN THE WIND
CHAPTER FOUR
Rose sighs as she sets on the
park bench, looking up at the morning sky. Where was she going to
go from here? Where was she going to live? Maybe Mrs. Wilma will
let her stay there for a while. She'll offer to help with the
chores and everything else that may need to be done...at least
until she found a place of her own.
"Jack, what have I gotten myself into?" She wondered
inwardly.
Sighing she leans her head back and drifts off to sleep. She's
abruptly awakened by a loud joyful voice.
"Rosie is that you?! God Almighty child, we thought you were
dead!"
Rose looks up just in time to see Molly Brown running to her.
Rose gets to her feet and face the kind woman that had helped
Jack just a couple of nights ago. "Hello Molly." Rose
doesn't smile, her eyes are full of worry. Was Molly in close
contact with mother and Cal? Were they anywhere in the vicinity?
"We all thought you were dead. Cal even went down to
steerage on Carpathia to look for you but he didn't find a
trace..."
"I know Molly. I saw him," Rose sighed.
"And you didn't go to him? Rose darling...what's going on?
Why haven't you gotten in touch with your family? You know Ruth
is beside herself with worry," Molly looks at Rose closely.
"And where's Jack my I ask. He could be the only reason
you'd hide from Cal."
"...Jack...Jack didn't make it Molly. He died holding my
hand. He got me on a board that couldn't hold us both...he
remained in the water and mad me promise to survive. When I tried
to wake him up when the lifeboat came back...he was gone,"
Rose closes her eyes against the memory of Jack's frost-rimmed
face. "And as for me not going to mother and Cal...that's
jsut part of my promise. I promised Jack I would survive and if I
had gone back to mother and Cal I wouldn't have. My engagement to
Cal was slowly killing me. I would have eventually died...Jack
was right. If I didn't break free I was going to die sooner or
later. So I hid from Cal and mother."
"But aren't ya going to write her darling? Let her know
you're alright?"
"Not right now Molly. Maybe later on down the road, but
right now I have to let Rose Dewitt Bukater remain dead and live
my life as Rose Dawson. That's the only way I can live my own
life molly. Perhaps...when I'm ready to fall in love again and
marry, then I can think of my mother...but not right now. Right
now it's all about me," Rose sighed.
Molly nods in understanding. In the little time she knew Rose,
she knew the girl had spunk that her mother and fiancee were
trying to snuf out. And she had feared then that someday they
would indeed break the girl's spirit. This was indeed a smart
move Rose was making...even though it meant letting Ruth remain
grief-stricken over a daughter that wasn't dead. "I
understand Rose and don't worry. They won't hear about this
meeting. Rose Dewitt Bukater is dead."
"You must think I'm horrible for letting my mother think me
dead," Rose examines the ground with her eyes.
"Not at all darlin. I understand you need your freedom. I've
known that the moment I met ya. And about Jack...I'm sorry he
didn't survive darlin. I saw how you two looked at each other at
the dinner...the first blossoms of true love. He was a
kind-hearted soul and I'm sure he's smiling down on ya right this
minute...beaming with pride."
"I'm sure he is," Rose sniffs back a tear. "I do
miss him terribly Molly. I'd do anything just to be with
him."
Molly takes Rose in her arms and nods. "I know sugar. I
know. But he he is with ya in spirit Rose. As long as you keep
him in your heart and honor his memory by living life to the
fullest, he'll always be with ya."
"Rose!" She hears Laurie calling to her. "Rose
where are you?!"
"Oh that's my party. I guess I better get going," Rose
withdraws from the hug. "Thanks Molly for keeping my secret.
This means a lot to both me and Jack."
"I know sugar," Molly tucks a red curl behind Rose's
ear. "You take good care of yourself and keep in touch. In
fact, here's my address," Molly digs in her purse and gives
Rose a card.
"Thanks again Molly," Rose hugs the woman one more time
before running to rejoin Laurie and Mrs. Wilma's group.
Molly looks after Rose with a tear in her eye and a silent prayer
for Jack in her heart. She too mourned the lost of the the kind
young man she had met on Titanic. He had reminded her of himself
when she was that age. He had a real joy for live, even though he
was penniless and he had dared to love a high society girl. And
Rose...poor Rose. She could see the grief in the poor girl's
eyes. She had loved Jack so much that she had taken his name as
her own. She wished her the best in the future and hoped she'd
change her mind about her mother. Ruth did have her faults, but
it was sad that she had to grieve needlessly. But for Rose, Molly
was going to let her grieve. Maybe teach the woman how to change
in the process. Sighing, she continued on her way back to the
hotel, her heart heavy with thoughts of Titanic.