Introduction
It was at the newly opened museum for the Titanic in New York in 1988 that this story starts getting told. It had been open for just two days and today the guide was showing around a big crowd, talking about various objects they had found, like pieces of china, pieces of the wreck and about pictures of the ship.
"And this", she said as she moved the group down to one of the treasures of the collection. "Is a drawing that was found in the safe in a room in first class that we believed belonged to one of the many lords that travelled with the RMS Titanic. It is showing three young men looking at the sea. One of them is rather small and is looking at the sea and to his right stands a taller young man with his arm around the first's shoulders and he is looking to his left, towards the horizon. The third young man is having his back to the sea as he leans on the railing. He is looking over his shoulder at the sea with a soft smile on his face. But we don't know what they were doing there, where the ship was or who the artist is. And we also have no idea of where the ship is it this point because the young men on this drawing are from third class but they are on the boat deck which was reserved for second and first class only. So we think that these three were workers looking at the sea as the ship is still lying at port and-"
"That's wrong", a voice said and the guide looked up. The crowd parted and let an old man, dressed in a sharp suit slowly walk up to her. He had to be at least 80 years old but still walked as if he wasn't a day over 50.
"Excuse me", the guide said.
"That's wrong", the man said again. "The ship is about two hours away from Queenstown and the three of them were third class boys that snuck onto the deck to watch the ocean."
"How do you know this sir?" the guide asked and a few experts came closer. They had been looking at the collection and heard the words.
"And the first one is actually the only one watching the ocean", the man continued as if he didn't hear her. "The one with his back to the view isn't watching the water over his shoulder. He is watching the first one, smiling at him for reasons I think you know."
"You mean he is gay?" the woman asked.
"And the third one is watching the second to see what he is doing, what plans he has for his little friend and is trying to scare him off by glaring at him."
"How do you know this", the woman asked again and the tour group watched him curiously, as did the experts that had been giving the guide the story about this. The man smiled.
"Because", he said. "I drew that picture."
The crowd gasped and the guide stared at him and the experts and the head of the museum hurried up to the man and motioned for him to come with them.
"Why", he asked.
"We must discuss this in private sir", the head said.
"No we don't", the man said. "My drawing is sitting on that wall and I want everyone to hear this story." He pointed at the drawing.
"Well let's sit down then", the head said and motioned for a bench.
"Take a seat if you like I can stand", the man said and smirked. "I'm not dead yet."
A few people folded up those chairs they got at the entrance if they needed to sit for a long talk. The man was the only one standing.
"Those three boys, measured by today since they counted as men back then, how I miss them", he said.
"Where are they now", a girl asked.
"Oh they are all gone now", the man said and smiled softly. "Well let me tell you the story then." He looked at the picture. "It was April 11 1912 and the ship was lying in Queenstown. I was a first class boy, son of a lord. I still remember it as if it was yesterday. My family and I was to go to America that day but everyone got sick but me so I had to go alone. I got out of my car and looked up and there she laid… the RMS Titanic."
Tada! My newest story ;)