Chapter 1
April 14, 1922
Jesse and his beautiful wife Marion, along with their two beautiful children; a young son named Asa Jack Williams and his little sister Maude Cora Williams, arrived in New York a day prior. Another World War I vet, Titanic and Lusitania survivor, he was invited to a mansion somewhere in New York, but for a different reason. He hoped his sister and brother-in-law were home, as he didn't want to pay for a dingy motel, and to mainly get away from the speakeasies that some of the motels had sometimes provided. He called a taxi, and threw his hat in the car, as he held the door for his children, who were fighting to be the first to get in the car, and who wanted to sit next to their 'daddy'.
"That's far enough! Get in there, both of you." the young father scolded. He sighed as he pushed his hair away from his eyes, then adjusted his coat, then groaned like an old man as he took his seat, next to his children, and Marion on the opposite. Jesse gave the driver directions to his sister's house, but he knew they would show up unannounced. Since his near death on the battlefield of that ugly war he hasn't spoken nor heard of Jack and Rose, or his sister. He was also slightly hard of hearing in his left ear from the explosion, and doctors told him he might be deaf in that ear soon. It had been just two years since he arrived back to the States from Switzerland. Jesse looked out the window of the cab, as he sees that the city has grown exponentially since the war, and had now entered the Roaring '20's. He tried to wonder why he was needed in New York, since his father's benefactor, as Jesse saw him, died when the Lusitania sank, which had also nearly claimed him again, along with his father.
They reached the house, and Jesse was surprised there were more houses in that area that were being built. The last time he was here, there was nothing, just the factory in front of their house, and a forest off in the distance, next to a small hill.
"Is this the place?" the driver looked back, as be blew cigar smoke at the faces of the young family.
"Exact change, please." the driver says. Jesse coughed as he paid the fare, while Marion told her son to get their luggage, and joked to him that their father is still weak from the war. Maude tugged incessantly at her hat.
"Don't tug at your hat, dear. Go hold your father's hand." Marion says. Jesse limped slightly as he made his way to his sister's porch, then knocked on her door. While the young family waited Jesse noticed (or he thought) Jon finally replaced his car, this time with a Dodge Brothers convertible car. The door suddenly opened, and was greeted by Jesse's teenaged nephew, who bore a slight uncanny resemblance to his uncle now. He had his hair hung completely over one eye, as Jesse let himself, and his family inside the home. Jack ran his hand through his hair as he pushed it back away from his eyes.
"Is your mother home?" Jesse asked, then took off his hat and coat, and he placed it on the tree, before ruffling his hair. "Oh. What a ride." he groaned.
"No, they went to downtown." Jack replied, giving his uncle a firm handshake. "It's so good to see you back again." he says, trying to blink back his tears, then gave his aunt a big hug and a quick peck on her cheek before he flopped back on the couch. He couldn't believe his uncle had finally come back, along with his nephew and niece.
"Both of you, get in here!" Jesse called, as his two children ran around his sister's house.
"Enough with the horseplay. You'll break something. Come here. Go say hello to your cousin Jack." Jesse groaned as he sat on the couch. Both Asa and Maude nervously entered the living room, their hands clasped as Jack bent down. Jack hugged the young children, before he returned back to the couch.
"So, how was your trip?" Both Jesse and Marion looked at each other. Marion slumped into the couch, while Jesse sighed, then buried his face in his hands as he shook his head. They rode the train as if they were in a modern-day Simpsons episode; the constant "Are we there yet?" from his children. Jesse shook his head again, exhaled, then got up from the couch.
"Why don't we have a nice house like this? 'Grampa's' house is too cold. And scary." Asa complained.
"And its old." his sister continued.
"Because you'll break something dear." Marion told her children. But she knew she didn't want a new house anyway. Their old house made more sense, now that their children have been running around, and that she didn't need to clean as often.
Jesse heard something as he toured around the house, and saw things he never noticed when he was here before the war. Almost ten years had passed since he was here, and a lot has changed in his sister and brother-in-law's house. There was a radio on the shelf, playing jazz, and something hummed from the kitchen. There was a refrigerator, in place where the raggedy table once was. There was also a toaster on the cabinet, and a newer looking coffee maker sat next to the toaster.
"You know, Mom told me you died during the war. You're going to give her a nasty heart attack when she sees you." Jack entered the kitchen, with a toothpick in his mouth.
"Oh yeah? So, how's the school there in Philadelphia?" Jesse asked, following his nephew. To Marion, they both look like they could be twin brothers.
"It's-good. Challenging, but fun. But we've got ourselves a new classmate this school year. His name's Brooks Calvin Hockley."
"Sounds like ol' Hockley finally got himself an heir after all." Jesse gave a small laugh. "This place has changed greatly."
"We finally replaced the door frame, now its not as cold in the winter." Jack says, then he went over to the refrigerator, and pulled out a couple of ice-cold Coke bottles.
"Have a drink." Jack pulled a bottle opener from the drawer, while Jesse yelped.
"It's cold!" he quickly places the bottle back on the table. Marion handed Jack her bottle, so he could open it. Jack then tossed the opener to his uncle, who nearly missed, but barely caught it with his pinkie finger. Jesse opened his bottle, then took a swig of his sugary drink, while Marion was mesmerized by her husband's adams apple as it bobbed with each drink he made. He looked around the kitchen, at the different gadgets that his family had bought since the war, while his own home in the Southwest had no such thing. They still lived as if they were in the late 19th century, but that's how his father liked it. His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a car putter in the drive, as he gave his son some of his soda pop. Maude whined, as she wanted some of the bubbly drink, but Asa turned his back to his little sister.
"Be nice to your sister. Let her have some of the soda." Jesse says, but Asa gave his father a pout.
Jack greeted his parents, then helped them bring in their day's shopping. Asa held to his cup with both hands as he drank his soda, then helped his sister drink out of the same cup, when Jesse's older sister entered the kitchen. She nearly dropped her bags when she saw her brother leaning against the cabinet, drinking his soda with his wife and her nephew and niece. She thought she had seen a ghost.
Ten years had passed.
Ten long years.
Jessica began to cry softly as she put the bags on the table, and slowly walked up to her brother. She had always wondered what happened to her brother. No telegrams, no telephone calls, nothing. She missed him dearly, as she held onto her younger brother's body with great passion, still hugging him. Jack sniffed, and wiped his eyes, while Jon held onto his son's trembling shoulders, who then immediately cried, as he buried his face in his father's shoulder. Jessica cried even more as she helped her brother hobble along as they made their way to the living room. Jon offered a hand as he helped his brother-in-law sit in the couch, along with Jack. Jesse winced in pain, the bomb's shrapnel had lodged itself in Jesse's leg, and if disturbed the certain way, it brought back horrible nightmares of being back at that terrible battlefield. Marion comforted her husband, while Jack prepared tea, which had a comforted Jesse a bit. Jon knew there was so much catching up to do, since they had seen each other since that night from Titanic's demise. He also wanted to know where Jack and Rose were, and if they were still together. Jesse assured they were still together, since he and Jack had fought the same battle together, and was the last place he saw of Jack. Fabrizio and Karl were also doing fine, but they were less scathed than he was. Fabrizio is now working for the state, possibly for a proposed federal highway that would connect New Mexico with the rest of the country. Karl returned to Colorado, working the same mine since leaving the house before Jesse and Marion got married. And of course, their father and Ruth were still happily married for nearly seven years now.
"So, what truly brings you back to New York?" Jon asked, groaning as he sat back down. The years of working at the same factory was beginning take a toll on his body.
"Well, I got a mysterious letter from a sender, with no return stamp or a name, asking me to join him at some sort of party, whom he knows personally. His name is Jay Gatsby." Jesse says, sipping his lukewarm tea.
"Jay Gatsby. Interesting. Never heard of him." Jon says, furrowing his brow. "But I wonder if this has something to do with Jack."
"I'm not too sure. However, this person, not Gatsby, has known Mr. Smith personally. Smith perished when the Lusitania went down in 1915, which also nearly claimed me and Father. We didn't know a war had been going on." Jesse says, lightly sniffing. He remembered he was supposed to start engineering school in Germany, full expenses paid, at a well known school there.
"I see now. I read about that, and wondered what happened to you both since then." Jon says.
"Maybe he invited you to go there, since you liked to go to such parties. Eric has told me during his drunken talks." Jack says, pushing his hair back from his eyes.
"Eric drinks?" Jon was shocked. He couldn't picture his younger brother drinking in any way, except when they played poker games, and that it was a cheap quality.
"He drinks since the time he thought Uncle died in the war. He made a terrible mess in the kitchen." Jack imitated his uncle, gagging and all. Both Asa and Maude laughed at their older cousins' silliness. Jesse then remembered he heard a car putter.
"We still have the Model T. Runs great now after all these years, thanks to you and your abilities. But we did stuff to that car to bring it to today's time, like an electric start engine. That convertible is my son's. It's a Dodge Brothers car. I told my son he could have any car he wants, so long it comes from his own money. Its a beautiful car, and rides great. Well, go to the party. I'm sure you'll see Jack and Rose there. And maybe find out if the person who is in any way related to Mr. Smith will still help you in any way possible." Jon says, slowly getting up from his couch.
"There's just one problem with that. Have you heard of 'East Egg'?" Jon, Jack and Marion looked at each other. Jack nearly spat out his Coke. Jessica heard of the place, as her friends had come from Long Island, near these neighborhoods that overlooked West Egg. Jessica didn't believe it either, but it's full of rich and upper class people, and the rest was left to their imaginations, as she didn't visit the place herself.
"Long Island. Then it's settled. I will go to East Egg, and see what I can do in the meantime. I just hope Jack is there. It's been nearly four years since we have seen each other."
Later that evening, Jesse showered, then put on some nice clothes before he hugged his wife and children.
"Don't give your mother a hard time." Jesse says to his children, then puts on his hat, before leaving the house. Jack waited as his uncle limped down the stairs, before finally making it to the car.
"You should get a walking stick. Like Grandpa." Jack joked, as Jesse nearly had difficulty climbing into the car.
"Watch it! I'm not that old. Besides, your Grandpa's still in excellent shape, just he can't do the stuff like he used to do." Jesse says, closing the door. Jack smiled.
"Watch this." Jack turns the key, places his foot to a button on the floor, and instantly, the Dodge sputtered to life.
What a time to be alive. Jesse thought, feeling the rumble of the engine's vibration in the seat. He watches as Jack seamlessly shifts the car's transmission, then leaving the house.
"Do you want the top down or up?" Jack asked, as they came to a stop.
"What?"
"Top down or up?" Before Jesse could answer, Jack unfastened the clasps that held the cloth to the window, and rolled it back. The cool air felt comfortable as the breeze ruffled the men's hair, as Jack drove his car through the ever bustling city of New York..
