Lucky Jimmy Armstrong had not been so lucky that day. Tears streamed down his face as he looked out to the setting sun. Although he didn't like to say it, Jimmy loved watching the sun set- the way florescent oranges mixed with soft purples and deep pinks bled into yellow relaxed his mind. On warm evenings he would climb to the highest point of the Titanic and spend the night lying there, gazing at the stars in awe.
There was often no reason to his presence there but today there was.
Since there wasn't much point to the voyage anymore, the Titanic had been taking passengers back to their homeland to try to find their loved ones. Jimmy had asked to go back to Ireland to see if his Granda or anyone else was home.
"You've got 3 hours until we're going again, so don't be late- I know what you two are like," Jeffers smiled at them.
"We'll try not to get lost," Jimmy replied with a mischievous grin on his face.
With a notepad and pen in his hands, Jimmy led Claire off the ginourmous ship. His city looked just as he remembered it- grey. All of the buildings were dull grey, the cars were grey, the gates were grey and even the sky was grey. Barbed wire lined the walls of most houses and flats keeping nuisances out. It was hardly the luxury that was the Titanic or the sandy beaches along the coast of America. It was just Belfast, just the way he liked it. Jimmy breathed in heavily- was he ready for this? It was most likely he would find everyone he knew to be dead. But it was worth a try.
"It's not much to look at is it?" Claire remarked rudely. Jimmy scowled at her.
"You're not much to look at," he retorted. Claire went bright red.
"Daddy says I'm pretty as a picture," she said proudly. Jimmy grimaced- always the daddy excuse.
"A picture that's been painted by a two year old who's then thrown up on it..." Jimmy trailed off as he saw Claire's face.
"You really think that, don't you?" she whimpered convincingly.
"I don't mean it like that, I'm just saying that I'd rather look at other things," he confessed. She raised her eyebrows questioningly. "Like... like... erm..." Jimmy could not think of a single thing he'd want to see more than Claire's face. A smile appeared on that same face and she grinned cheekily.
"It's always nice to know what you think of me. Even if I do have to force you to say it." Claire ducked quickly to avoid Jimmy's knuckle heading towards her jaw. Before he could throw another punch, she ran down the main street yelling "Catch me if you can!"
Jimmy laughed and chased after her. With Jimmy being slightly faster than Claire he caught up with her and held her hand whilst they slowed down, breathing heavily. They walked for a while in silence, just enjoying being alone together for once.
"I think it's this way," Jimmy said and turned left down a country path.
"You think it's this way? How stupid are you? You live here," Claire chuckled.
"Lived," he corrected quickly.
Jimmy led her up a grassy slope and they stopped at the top, looking out over Belfast and the Titanic beyond.
"It looks so much better up here," Claire breathed. Warm salty droplets sprayed off the glinting topaz waves as they rolled out to the sparkling sea. They crashed against the smooth surface of the ship before rushing back to the golden horizon. The rhythm of the tide mesmerised a small seagull hovering in the air for a few brief moments, before flying onwards. Claire snapped a few pictures of the spectacular view.
"I agree," Jimmy said. "That's why my family built this house on this hill."
"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Claire asked tentatively. She knew deep down there was no one alive in there, but Jimmy couldn't be persuaded.
"Let's check it out, or are you chicken?" He made chicken noises which made Claire determined not to get scared.
"I'm fine," she replied in a sing-song voice. "After all, they're not my dead family." Jimmy glowered at her as she flounced towards the open front door. Wait, how dare she just stroll towards his house? Shouldn't he be going first? Jimmy ran in front of her, blocking her way.
"Excuse me," Claire exclaimed whilst trying to dodge him. "Ladies first!"
"Age before beauty," he called behind him as he strolled into the silent house.
"So I am beautiful? Ha! You said it!" Claire exclaimed. Jimmy rolled his eyes before kicking the door shut behind him, blocking her from getting through. He heard the lock click and knew he could have his feelings to himself if anything was to happen.
"Let me in, you foul rat!" Claire screamed from behind the locked door. Finally the banging stopped. "Fine, I'll go back to the ship. Leave you and your feelings together."
Fine be that way, brat.
Jimmy felt oddly out of place even though this was his home. Awkwardness settled like dust as he stood looking around at the uninhabited place. Filth had crept everywhere- on the crimson curtains, behind the microwave, on the fireplace. Mum would hate this, he thought. But she's not here.
"Mum? Dad? Granda? Is anyone home?" His desperate shouts echoed around the house. That's it, he thought, they're all dead. Jimmy sighed and began to walk towards the door when he heard a quiet moan. He stood stock still and it came again from the living room.
"Granda?" Jimmy whispered. A figure sat hunched over a long mound of- blankets? His grandfather looked up from the pile and they studied each other for a minute. Age and grief had wearied the man before him; he didn't look like the same person that Jimmy had remembered. The shining eyes had grown dull like pebbles from crying too much and the usually neatly combed-back hair was grey and matted. Yet through the ragged exterior, recognition registered in the old man's eyes.
"Jimmy? Is it you? Is it really?" he croaked. Jimmy bent down and patted his back softly.
"It's really me, Granda. Now what are you kneeling over, your dirty washing? And where's mum and dad? Not at the pub are they?" Jimmy bent to lift the covers but his grandad's hand stopped him. However, the boy was persistent and threw back the sheets to unmask the smell that Jimmy had smelt so many times before in the ship's hospital- death.
He peered closer to the body, trying to recognise the face. It was his mum's.
"That's mum? I-I..." Jimmy's voice broke as hot tears rolled down his cheeks. A warm arm grasped Jimmy's shoulder and his grandad joined him in his sorrows.
Suddenly the old man broke into a coughing fit which seemed too long to just be clearing his throat.
"Granda? Are you alright?" His grandfather collapsed in Jimmy's arms. Jimmy sat there, rocking back and forth, tears streaming down his cheeks, staring into nothingness. He cried out and screamed out his grief loudly, he could swear it echoed all over town.
"I'm not gone yet, mate," croaked Granda, smiling as wave of relief swept over Jimmy. "But I haven't got long so listen. I wrote you a note," Granda said solemnly. "Here." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a yellowing piece of paper. "I swore I'd give it to you before I died."
Jimmy clutched the paper tight in his hand before shoving it into his pocket. That could wait for later, right now, his grandfather was dying.
"You've got to hold on, Granda, you've just got to!" Jimmy sobbed. "We can take you back to the ship and get you treated and you can live with me. Wouldn't that be great, Granda? The floating paradise- it's so much better than it sounds. Eh?"
"So you live on the Titanic, do ya? Stowed away, I bet," he laughed as his eyes closed but the smile never left them. Jimmy shook him to get him to wake up but he knew it was hopeless- you can't get treated for old age. He sat there for a while sobbing his heart out, rocking back and forth, wishing he'd never come, then realising his grandfather would have died alone.
After an hour of silence for his whole family, his friends, even his teacher, Jimmy got up. He lifted his Granda from the floor and took him out of the back door to their usual place on the hill where they could see the whole of Belfast. There he laid him, positioned to look out over the beautiful city and the ocean beyond. Jimmy left and walked back to the house.
Once inside he looked around one last time, reminiscing his childhood and remembering that it's over. The peeling yellow paint reminded him as much. He had to let go.
Jimmy walked as fast as possible down the hill and broke into a run, knowing it wasn't long before the Titanic left port again. He wasn't looking where he was going, (the future for all he cared), running blindly through tears when suddenly he crashed into someone- or something- and fell to the ground.
"Ow!" It was Claire.
"What the heck are you doing here? You're supposed to be back at the ship!" Claire didn't answer, instead she kissed him. She felt the hot tears on his face and wiped them away whilst Jimmy placed his arms around her waist.
"I'm so glad you're okay," Claire said once they'd broken apart. "I was nearly at the ship when I heard a terrible shout then silence and I ran all the way back, hoping you'd be okay. Erm... Do you want to talk about it?" Jimmy replied with silence as they walked separately down the hillside and Claire understood.
When they reached the ship they worked on the newspaper in silence all afternoon before retiring silently to their separate rooms. In Jimmy's case, he went straight to the top of the ship, wanting to think about everything, not dream it away.
Suddenly he remembered his Grandfather's scrumpled note in his pocket and fished it out:
"Hey Jimmy,
I suppose I thought this was a good idea to write a note in the hope you might come back some day, but now I don't know what to say. After you left there was a great big search party for you which I thought was pretty pointless because I knew you'd stowed away- where else would you be? But no one would listen. People got blamed like your teacher and others blamed themselves like your mother and that's why your parents got back together and stopped fighting, see?
And then there was the mysterious plague that everyone died from- including you mother and father and almost everyone, except me. I don't know why, maybe it was fate that I might see you again, or good luck. Good luck from you tossing Lucky Jimmy's penny, assuming you did toss it and don't still have it stuck to some chewie in your pocket or something.
This has gone on long enough, all I can say is I hope I get to see you again- my favourite (and only) grandson- and know that I love you, we all do.
Over and Out, Your Granda."
Tears slipped down onto the paper, making the deep blue ink run like a small dark stream.
Jimmy jumped as he heard quiet steps and quickly hid the note and wiped away his tears.
"What are you doing on the roof?" Claire's voice resonated in the quiet air.
Jimmy shrugged.
"I-I heard you crying," she said tentatively.
"It's none of your business," Jimmy snapped.
"You sure? I mean, I'm here for you, that's what I'm for, isn't it?"
"I thought you were here to test me by annoying me and waking me up," Jimmy said.
"You don't know how hard it is to be me," Claire started. "You don't know what it's like to be severely misunderstood."
"Really? You don't know the shame in thinking your dead mother is a pile of dirty clothes. You've never had your grandfather die in your arms. You've never had to walk away from somewhere you've spent so many good times at knowing you'll never go back there. You don't know, Claire! You don't." Tears slid down Jimmy's face as he glared into her deep blue eyes. She lay down on the deck, shocked into silence and Jimmy joined her, holding her hand as they looked up at the stars.
"If you dare tell anyone about this, you're dead meat," Jimmy warned after a while.
Claire shrugged.
"Did you hear me?"
"You were crying," she said.
"I was not!" Jimmy exclaimed.
"You were too! I saw them!"Claire laughed, clearly enjoying the moment. "Big fat tears to go with your loud snivelling sobs."
"You didn't see or hear anything! You have no evidence," it was Jimmy's turn to laugh.
"Fine. What do you think's going to happen? Like in the future," Claire asked randomly.
Jimmy shrugged.
A/N: Thanks for reading- I've always wanted to write about Jimmy and Claire's relationship- they're amazing! Please don't forget to review and say if you like it, if you don't, etc. Thank you :)