1AFTER TITANIC: TRUE LOVE FOREVER
Chapter One
Under thousands of shining bright stars, Rose slowly and carefully lowered Jack, her one true love, into the freezing Atlantic. Then stopped. She only knew this 20 years old boy for five days, yet she felt she knew him forever. Their first glance happened on the second day of the voyage, now, they were saying good-byes forever. Titanic already sank, Rose was already numb, and the screams and pleadings of about 1500 passengers already starting to die down.
Rose couldn't believe the Atlantic was going to be Jack's grave, it was so icy cold and unfriendly. How could anyone rest in peace that way? Her determination of not leaving Jack behind took over her, she kept kicking in the water while pulling Jack along. In a panic, Rose was unable to find something that was loud enough to get the boat's attention! Finally, after a few deep breath, she started kicking again and this time they floated in front of a dead officer. She looked carefully, there was a whistle in his mouth. She blew and blew until the boat was turning around for them. They were finally saved!
Rose decided to find Jack a nice, safe grave that would let him ended his life in a peaceful way. The grave might probably in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, which was Jack's hometown. And maybe facing the sun when it rise, with a maple tree nearby, a river or stream down below, flowers blossomed everywhere. That would be really nice, Rose thought.
She was now on a lifeboat, with Jack by her side, she wished so many times that he would came back to life, but life didn't worked that way, either you died or live. Jack already had one, now he must faced the other. The boat kept floating; the sun kept rising; the sadness kept spreading; the ship kept not coming. One minute, ten minutes, thirty minutes, still nothing had changed.
Suddenly there was a call for water somewhere, Rose couldn't identify where, but she was sure she heard it. "Help. . . I need water," someone called again. Rose thought the voice was so familiar, like it was. . .
"Jack!" Rose called.
She couldn't believe this! Tears started rolling down her pale white cheeks, after all the endless minutes without him, Jack was alive! She embraced him before she even finished calling him name, she didn't even had to look, she just remembered the voice that made her heart swung for the past few days. Knowing that he was there by her side, made her smiled since the Titanic tragedy. She felt good, very good. Jack replied with a smile, Rose knew what he was expressing without even using words. One smile meant everything.
The happy reunited couple started talking a mile a minute, they had to get the whole story straight, because it was just so unbelievable of what happened. It was so full with actions, various emotions, and events.
"H-how did you survived?" an astonished Rose asked.
Jack replied calmly,"I wasn't dead, if that's what you were thinking, " he winked at Rose,"I was just unconscious, that's all."
"B-b-but I was sure that you were dead," Rose stammered.
"It doesn't matter anymore, all it matters is that we still have each other, I felt sorry for many people's loss, they should never have to go through all these if it wasn't for that damn tragedy," Jack said from sweetly to full with rage.
"Now, now, Jack. I felt the same thing, but it was just too unpredictable," Rose paused for a moment, then continued, "no one expect that to happen. Anyway, even though I am through being polite, I don't want the both of us to cuss."
Jack eyed her and showed a hint of a smile.
Rose smiled, "Okay, you got me. We can, only if it is reasonable, no need to use foul words in everything we say. Deal?"
"If I say 'deal', will you kiss me?" Jack asked playfully.
"Hmm," Rose pondered, "maybe, maybe not."
Jack didn't even said 'deal' and Rose knew what was going to come out of his mouth. So they kissed for a minute or so, then they pull apart when Rose suddenly stopped. Jack wanted to know what was wrong, but Rose just kept staring at something behind Jack wide-eyed.
Sure enough, Jack turned around. Several feet from their boat, there was Cal staring straight at them, a shocking look on his face. And several more feet from Cal's boat, there was another boat. This time, Molly Brown was staring at them, with a look that showed relieved to see them again. And by Molly's side. . . there was a pale and tired looking woman that was kind of lumpy, like a human being without bones to support the muscles. Rose couldn't believed the sight before her very own eyes, that woman was her own mother, Ruth, but there was something quite strange about Ruth. . .
Finally Rose figured it out.
Her mother was dying.