A ROSE
BLOWING IN THE WIND
Chapter Seven
Two Months later...
Rose stands outside the transtation and embraces Laurie for
the final time. Her train to Denver Colorado was due to leave in
a couple of minutes.
"You keep in touch now and send me pictures of that
baby," Laurie sniffed back tears. "I'm going to miss
you Rose. It was nice to have someone to hangout with all the
time. As you could tell, I don't have many friends. Won't you
change your mind? New York really isn't that bad of a city to
raise a child."
Rose smiled sadly at her new friend. She hated leaving her
behind, but this was something she had to do. A promise to Jack
she had to fulfill and if she stayed here in New York, she'd
never fullfill it. "I can't stay Laurie. I had made Jack a
promise and if I stay here in New York...I wouldn't be keeping my
word. I have to move on away from the disaster."
Laurie bows her head. Understanding what Rose was saying. She
just wished that promise wasn't about leaving her behind. "I
understand."
"Take care young Rose," Miss. Wilma hugged her young
boarder. "It was a pleasure having you and you will be
missed."
"Thank you Miss. Wilma. I will miss you too. Tell the others
I said good-bye," Rose smiled, pulling away from the hug.
"All aboard!" The conductor yelled.
"That's me. I'll write you soon. Take care!" Rose
hugged them both one last time before boarding the train.
Taking her seat, Rose looks out the window until the two women
are out of sight. She truly was going to miss them, but like she
said, she had a promise to fulfill and at the same time a child
to raise. She sighed deeply, looking at the card Molly had given
her all those months ago, her name and address written on it.
Rose knew she should have written, but this was a last minute
decision and by time the letter arrived, she would have already
been on Molly's doorstep, bags in hand.
"Oh Jack, tell me I'm doing the right thing," Rose
sighed as she closes her eyes.
"I'm always with you," a slight voice whispered
in her ear. It was then that she knew she was doing the right
thing. For the first time since the sinking she felt as if she
was making the right decision.
Three days later...
Molly sighs irritably as she picks up another rag off the
floor. That new maid of hers was definately not working out. She
was going to have to call the agency for a new girl. Throwing the
rag on a nearby table, Molly is about to head upstairs when the
doorbell rings. Not even bothering to wait for the maid to answer
it, she opens the door and gasps in surprise.
Rose stood on her doorstep, two bags in hand. By the look of her
she's been taking good care of herself, even put on a little
weight.
"Rose darlin'!" Molly exclaimed happily, throwing her
arms around the smiling girl she hasn't seen for four months.
"What a surprise!"
"I'm sorry to just show up like this. I would have wrote a
letter, but by time it arrived, I would have already been
here," Rose smiles apologetically.
"Don't be sorry darlin'. I'm happy to have ya. Well just
don't stand out there in the weather! Come on in and make
yourself at home and tell me what brings ya here to Denver."
Rose smiles and accepts Molly's invitation. Setting her bags on
the floor beside her, she takes a seat on the couch and faces
Molly.
"Well,first off...you might as well know this now before you
get any further...I'm pregnant."
"Oh my dear Lord," Molly gasps, gazing at Rose's
extended abdomen. So it wasn't regular wieght gain after all.
"Is it Cal's?"
Rose shakes her head, her face twisted in disgust. "God no.
It's Jack's. I'm pregnant with Jack Dawson's child." She
smiles at this. Everytime she thinks about having this little
piece of Jack with her, she can't keep the smiles away.
"Oh my! But how? You two didn't know each other that
long!" Molly scoots closer in her chair.
"Well...it was the night of the sinking of course...and Jack
and I...we had fallen completely in love with each other...no one
has ever loved me nor treated me like Jack had. Well anyway...we
were in the cargo hold after running away from Cal's manservant.
We ended up in the cargo hold...in a brand new renault car...in
the back seat...and then...it just happened. He asked me if I was
nervous, I said no. Then I told him to touch me , but I wanted
more and so did he."
"Oh Rose..."
"It was my first time Molly and it was so magical. I should
have know it wouldn't have lasted...I should have known that
something would come and take him out of my life. Everything I've
ever loved has been taken away and Jack was no different."
"Oh Rose. Jack didn't want to die. You do know that don't
you?" Molly takes Rose's hand and looks into her eyes.
"It's just that sometimes no matter how hard we fight...we
lose anyway."
"I know he didn't want to die Molly. But he knew he was
going to. From the moment the ship began to sink he knew,"
Rose wipes the hot tears that were streaming down her face away.
"I wish he could be here now Molly. I wish our child would
be able to get to know his or her father and love him just as I
do."
"Oh it will darlin'. This baby will get to know it's father
from the people who knew him...from you and me. I'll share all I
know with the child."
"Oh Molly it's not enough! I've known Jack for only a couple
of days! I didn't even know what his favorite color was! Or his
birthday! Or any distant relatives he may have!" Rose cried.
"I know nothing of Jack to share with our child!"
Molly nods. "But we can find out. Did Jack ever tell ya
where he was from?"
"Chippewa Falls Wisconsin. He had fallen through some thin
ice while icefishing with his father out on lake wissota,"
Rose sniffed then laughed sarcastically. "How ironic that it
was in icy waters that he died."
"Well I'll tell you what. We'll go to Chippewa Falls
Wisconsin. We'll gather as much information about the early days
of Mr. Jack Dawson that we can find and we follow it from there.
By time this child is born, you'll be a expert on his life. It'd
be like you knew him forever."
"That sounds like a great idea Molly. But you don't have to
do that..."
"Oh but I want to. I'm quite curious myself. And besides,
I'm sure the lad had some friends and family that may want to
know of his untimely death. It'd be cruel to leave them out in
the cold, allowing them to believe that he's still out there and
will be coming home. Don't you think?"
Rose nods. "You're right. It would be cruel. Ok. Fine. When
do we go again?"
"How about two weeks from now. Give you a chance to catch
your bearings and me time to make the proper arrangements. Then
we'll go in search of your young man's history. It'll be like a
little adventure."
Rose giggled at the thought. It was just like what Jack had told
her to do. She was going to head out for the horizon and she was
going to bring back information about Jack for her child. Rose
has never been so happy since she lost Jack.