The Day After I Died

by homicidalmommy

This is what happens when you have nothing to do at work. I didn't like the movie much but I did love Rose's character. I wanted to explore exactly what happened in her mother's life after the Titanic sunk. R&R, s'il vous plait!

Rose looked upon the faces of her riveted audience with tired eyes. Lizzy realized that the emotional and physical exertion of telling the story was too much for her grandmother to take, but she could not help asking what seemed to be the obvious question.
"What happened to your mother, Gram?"
The simple question revived Rose, brought the life back in her cheeks and she smiled. "Mr. Lovett, if I could trouble you for a cup of coffee, I can finish my story... if you're still interested."
Brock said nothing; he was already pouring her drink. Rose gathered her breath and sipped her coffee.
"Thank you. Now, my mother? You know, when I got off of the Titanic, I never wanted to see or hear about any of the people in my past life ever again. But I did wonder what happened to my mother. She was my blood, after all. So, about ten years after the sinking of the Titanic, while I was in New York City, cast in the lead of a brilliant Broadway play after so much struggle, I befriended a maid who cleaned the theatre. She had worked in Caledon Hockley's home, where my mother lived. Her name was Maura.
She claimed that Cal felt honor-bound to keep my mother around as a sort of tribute to me. But I knew Cal better than Maura and I was quite aware of what people would say about Cal if he threw my mother out on the streets when she had just lost her beloved child. As he amassed greater and greater wealth, he took many lovers but married none. Cal married many years after the sinking of the Titanic to a Miss Anna Maria Smythe-Jennings. She was as old money as anyone could be; in fact, she could trace her ancestry to English Royalty. She was the crème de la crème of Philadelphia society, a most beautiful, most coveted bride. But according to Maura, behind that lovely dark-haired visage, the ice blue eyes, she was cold, calculating and cruel. Traits I am sure she inherited from her blue blooded family, traits needed to preserve your family name for so many generations. Their courtship was as orchestrated as a farce..."

Anna Maria's eyes fell upon the man her friend was gesturing to, a tall, well-built young man with a handsome smile and an admirable grace.
"He does not look like much, Catherine. Who is he?"
"Steel mill mogul Caledon Hockley, very eligible."
Anna Maria pretended not to know the name, but she knew everything about him. Rich, well-connected, well-bred, intelligent, nearly perfect. She knew the vital statistics of every person in the room; she made it her business to know. Nearly perfect... save the fact that his ex-would-be mother-in-law, sole survivor of the Dewitt-Bukater family, lived in his home as a constant reminder of his deceased fiancée. Rose Dewitt Bukater. Not much in the money but a solid gold name. Pity she was so willful and had that affair with a boy in steerage on the Titanic. She would have survived. The affair was quite the hush-hush scandal in Philadelphia social circles, but Anna Maria never participated, only listened, to such idle gossip.
"Hm. Perhaps for some. I doubt his company is larger than Mr. Hekkelson's. In front of such opulence, he would be considered quite small, am I correct?" Anna Maria smiled beatifically at Astin Hekkelson, the man her mother wanted her to marry. Though not as handsome as Mr. Hockley, Mr. Hekkelson was better connected and better educated. He was also deeply in love with her.
"Do not attempt to flatter me, Miss Smythe-Jennings; Cal's earnings are much more fruitful. Allow me to introduce you. Cal!" He called out jovially. Anna Maria caught her mother's eye. One point deducted for bad manners. She watched Caledon make his way smoothly through the crowd, watched his step falter at the sight of her. She smiled with just the right amount of coyness to be intriguing. She knew she looked stunning with her blue and black chiffon dress, which caught the radiance of both her eyes and her shimmering black hair. She cast down her thick lashes momentarily and was impressed to see that his shoes were of the latest fashion. Quite eligible.
Caledon had seen her already; her mannerisms caught his eye. The refinement of her movements combined with her beauty attracted the attention of all in the room. He was glad when Astin called him over.
"Caledon Hockley, Miss Anna Maria Smythe-Jennings. Anna Maria, Cal."
Without awkwardness, Anna Maria offered her hand and Cal took her hand and kissed it. They seemed to mirror each other and Astin instantly realized that he should never have introduced them if he had any intention of marrying Anna Maria.
"It is a pleasure, Mr. Hockley. I have heard of you, of course."
"And I of you. Please, you may call me Cal."
Anna Maria smiled loftily. "If you do not mind, Mr. Hockley, I would like to address you as Caledon. I admire your name immensely."
"May I have the honor of this dance?"
Anna Maria tucked away her dance card. "Of course. Excuse me, Mr. Hekkelson."
"Yes, do excuse us, Astin, old boy." Cal and Anna Maria moved on the dance floor effortlessly. Astin watched as he drank three brandies in a row. Anna Maria's mother watched him with disapproval.
"I must admit, Anna, I have been admiring you from afar for quite some time tonight."
"With what intentions, Caledon?"
Her boldness aroused him and struggled to act nonchalant. She noticed his collected composure and in that instant, he won her complete admiration. "I would like to court you... officially, of course. With permission from your mother... You are stunning, Anna."
Anna Maria winced on the inside at his pronunciation of her name; she had always insisted on being called by her full Christian name: Anna Maria. Small sacrifices, she remembered her mother saying. Caledon Hockley is a good match and she would have him.

"Cal and Anna Maria married that fall in a beautiful ceremony, traditional, evocative of old times. My mother attended, seated in the back pew, of course, dressed in a black dress gown. Maura noticed the glance that Anna Maria cast upon my mother that day, as she danced with her cheek against Cal's shoulder. I imagine it was very like the look my mother used to give Jack, a dangerous insect. In my mother's case, a leech. Molly Brown, whom I also ran into later in life, told me in her own words exactly what happened during the reception..."

"Ruth?"
Ruth used to cringe at the sound of Molly Brown's colloquial voice but now she craved it. Since the death of her daughter and moving into Cal's home, Ruth had dipped under the social radar, not far enough to be forgotten but far enough to be pitied.
"Mrs. Brown. How lovely to see you."
Molly threw her weight into the seat beside her. "I guess old Cal wanted us friends to sit together, huh? Nice party, full of people full of themselves."
"Well they have a great deal to be proud of... unlike me."
Molly pitied Ruth; she remembered her at her peak, so it was very unnerving to see her at her lowest.
"Aw, come on, now, Ruth. None of these jokers have half the charm and not a third of the grace. Hear, hear, where's the wine?"
Molly had finished the better part of a bottle when the couple made their way to Ruth's table, all the way in the back of the hall. Anna Maria smiled beatifically. "So wonderful of you to join us, Mrs. Brown."
"Thanks, honey, it's a grand party." Molly polished off another glass and Anna Maria got the distinct feeling that the woman was more accustomed to drinking beer from a mug.
"I trust you are feeling well, Ruth." Anna Maria said, dutifully turning to her attention to her husband's ex-would-be mother-in-law. Ruth smiled weakly, playing her part.
"I am very happy for you, Anna Maria, but I feel a bit tired... and slightly melancholy."
Caledon heard her and embraced Ruth dutifully. "Good evening, Mrs. Brown." He turned to Ruth. "Enjoying the wedding?"
Ruth smiled weakly and with a polite nod, the couple moved to the next table.
"What was that?" Molly asked, using a mirror on the wall to adjust her hat. Ruth sighed remorsefully. "Survival, Mrs. Brown, survival."
"Now that's just plain silly, Ruth."
"Oh? You forget, my dear, I must serve as a constant reminder of my daughter's life. Otherwise, there is no reason for Caledon to keep me. I'd end up in a sweatshop sewing beads on to- on to one of your dresses!"
Molly looked at her intently. "We sure do live precariously, don't we, Ruth? We women. If it weren't for my husband's ambition, I'd be sitting on the front porch of a run-down ranch house. Now Rose... she woulda made something of herself. Without the need of depending on a fella."
Ruth closed her eyes and clenched her fist. Hearing Rose's name was a knife in her side. "I miss her. I miss fighting with her. I miss how irreverent she was. I find it shocking that all that life-force could have been engulfed by a single ocean."
Molly reached for Ruth's hand. "Listen, honey, I have to go, but I'll stop by the house from time to time to check on you."
"Thank you." Ruth was desperate to hold on to one friend.

"After the wedding, Anna Maria took over management of the house, throwing parties, updating the furniture, replacing unsatisfactory servants, and subtly pushing my mother further and further into oblivion. I give full credit to Molly Brown, otherwise my mother would have completely disappeared. Anna Maria could barely stand it, seeing my mother everyday, in her home, eating off her china. In her perfect world with Caledon Hockley, Mrs. Anna Maria Smythe-Jennings Hockley saw my mother's existence as the biggest, glaring flaw. The day Anna Maria found out she was pregnant, she went into a frenzy of baby showers, layette shopping, home decoration, and solidifying herself into Caledon's social circle. She also stopped having events at the house for two years, in an attempt to alienate Mother. She held parties in the Ritz-Carlton, claiming the house wasn't ready. People started to forget the name DeWitt-Bukater. And that's exactly what Anna Maria wanted. With the birth of her second son, Mother was a ghost who drifted in and out of her room for meals and to meet with Molly Brown. I came to know where Caledon was living and I kept my ear to the ground through Maura, just in case something unexpected happened. And then it did."

Caledon entered his wife's chambers as she brushed her dark hair. Strange, with time, the features he had once admired of his wife irritated him. The tilt of her chin, her heavy imposing dark hair, still thick, the slight hook of her nose, the faint dimple in her chin. Now that she was pregnant, with all the unpleasantness that follows, he would detest her more. It almost shocked him how distant they had become. But she had requested separate quarters right after they were married. They were to make love only to have children. Now that she was pregnant, they would never make love again. She was adamant. She only wanted three children: no more, no less. And he allowed her the luxuries, as long as she did what he said when he said it.
"Anna?" She turned to him and stood on command. The balance of control was impeccable. How tiring it must be, he thought, to calculate each move. "You are only to order what is necessary for this next child. We have plenty of things from the past two children, and I will invest the money we save into the stock market. By this time next year, our revenues will double. Is that clear?"
Anna Maria nodded. "Yes, dear. May I show you a list of what I will require for the next child for your review by tomorrow evening?"
"That seems satisfactory." His sons rushed into the room. Caledon beamed. Aside from managing his company, his children brought him the most joy. Their nanny rushed behind them.
Anna Maria looked grave. "Celia, I clearly instructed you-"
"Oh, it's alright, Anna. I'll take them downstairs to the study." Caledon ushered his sons down the large marble staircase. Anna Maria beckoned Celia.
"When I ask you to perform a duty, Celia, I will see it done. Do not assume that because my husband has explored you, that you have reign in this house. Make one more mistake, Ms. Robbins, and I will see you on a corner. That will be all."

"The next month, the infamous stock market crash on 1929 occurred. With Caledon's death, the entire household's lives hung in a balance. Desperate, Anna Maria called on Astin Hekkelson, who, after a month of courtship, insisted on a swift marriage. Astin was older and was a shrewder businessman than Caledon. He had saved himself from the crash and was one of the few rich and powerful to survive. He also insisted her sons be sent away to boarding school and, when her daughter turned 7, she would be sent to school as well. Anna Maria agreed, thus saving herself and her children from ruin. My mother didn't believe for a second that Cal had killed himself. The day of the crash, she heard Cal tell his wife 'It will take us some time and there will be hardships ahead. But we will overcome this. For the children.' Anna Maria simply smiled at him and walked away. He was a wretched fiancé and not the number one husband, but he loved his children. And Anna Maria, she feared poverty like most people fear death. She dismissed the staff of her home with Caledon. The day they were permanently abandoning from the house, she approached my mother..."

Ruth packed her bags, her aging hands shaking with fear and anticipation. Anna Maria would not keep her. She was certain of it. If she had been in Anna Maria's position, she would have expelled her ages ago. Ruth made up her mind to seek employment with Molly Brown. If anything, she would be a kinder employer than anyone else. She almost didn't hear Anna Maria enter her room.
"Mrs. DeWitt-Bukater?" Ruth turned and said nothing. "May I speak plainly with you?" Ruth barely managed a nod, and watched Anna Maria move across the room. She was as beautiful as a porcelain doll, as she glided in her flowing dress. "Now that my husband is dead, I could simply turn you to the streets; I have no reason to keep you with me... except one." She turned to Ruth with a determination in her ice blue eyes that frightened her. "My daughter is barely one and needs looking after. I do not trust these young women with their hunger for rich men. They are predators, you see, and Astin is weak. I would provide you room, of course, in the servants' quarter, and an allowance. I'd change your name, since no one has seen you in years, you won't be recognized. I would rather no one know that you're employed as a nanny in my home. It seems... uncouth. I would need your answer now, though I hardly think you have a choice in the matter. After seven years, when my daughter has grown, you may go where you wish. Allow me to take care of you, Ruth."
"That won't be necessary." The voice was deeper, much more sure than she had heard it so many years ago. But there she was, red hair cut short, blue eyes blazing, dressed in trendy finery, her feet stamping the floor with repressed anger. Ruth was afraid she had finally succumbed to all of her hardships and gone mad. "...Rose?"
Anna Maria's eyes grew wide. "Wha- ...Rose? Well, that is simply not possible. It cannot be."
"Oh, it can and it is. It's awfully kind of you to offer my mother a position in your household but I'm afraid you will have to care for your own damn child, what a pity. My mother is coming with me. I am quite able to care for her now and the devil will give a damn to what you think, you conniving vulture." Rose grabbed her mother's hand and her bag. She met Anna Maria eye-to-eye for a moment, and Anna Maria's gaze dropped. Rose marched out of the house, leading her limp mother with her arm.

"We never saw or heard from Anna Maria again, though we heard that, after she sent the last of Cal's children to boarding school, she had three more children with Mr. Hekkelson. She died of heart failure just a few years ago. Honestly, I was surprised to hear she had one. She died very wealthy, with a large green marble tomb and a wing in a hospital in her name. Strange. One day someone will pass that tomb or look at the plaque outside that hospital and say she was loved.
Mother never asked me any questions as to where I was all this time, what had I been doing, how I had lived. She was with me for five years, seamlessly fitting into my lifestyle, accepting the fact that she was no longer Ruth DeWitt-Bukater, matriarch of a renowned family with deep roots in high society and deeper pockets. She was Ruth Dawson, mother of Rose Dawson-Calvert, Broadway actress and wife to a simple set designer. My relationship with my mother had morphed into something entirely different after I 'returned from the dead'. She loved me before, that is true, but she respected me then. She looked at me and saw a woman she could be proud of. I don't think she would feel such a grand swell of pride if I had simply married Caledon as she ordered. She taught me to survive life. I taught her how to live it."