Chapter Seven: Life after Titanic.

Date: 21st July 2012

Time: 5:25pm

Location: New York, USA

Three months had passed since my 'ordeal' on the most famous ship of all history (so far). Nothing much had changed. I returned to Walkway Studios a week later to complete my audition, and I got the part!

As a mini celebration, Mum and Dad surprised me and three of my friends with a spontaneous holiday…to New York! Just me, Sarah and our two other friends Isobel and Charlotte in America for two weeks, living it up like there was no tomorrow and spending all of our hard-earned, well-saved cash.

We had arrived two days before, on the 19th of July to a hot sunny city, the glass from the buildings sparkling in the summer sunshine. My god, it was beautiful. What a way to celebrate all of our success – mine as a singer, Sarah's as a pianist, and Isobel and Charlotte getting in to their desired University on their first attempt. Everything was pure happiness. Though in the back of my mind, the thought of Thomas and his family going down with the ship still ate at my insides. I couldn't ignore my troubles, so I was a little worried when Mum and Dad told us of the trip to New York. My 1912 doppelganger was saying "Oh great! What a way to travel! To the site where you and Thomas would've started your perfect lives together." But my true 2012 teenage mind was screaming "HOLIDAY!"

So, there we were. In New York! The time now was nearly half past five in the evening, and our plans were laid out ahead. Go back to the hotel to prepare ourselves for a night out in the city: dinner, a Broadway show, drinks afterwards before a girly night in with wine, chocolates and our latest shopping delights. Sounded ideal.

The girls had gone ahead of me back to the hotel to prepare for the night. They knew I only took five minutes to decide what to wear so they weren't worried about me slowing them down. I continued with my shopping, catching sight of my reflection in the shop windows – long brown loose hair, skinny denim jeans, my red converses, and a strappy red top – and I was walking down an avenue – I can't remember which one – when I turned a corner and started hearing some music. Enchanting music.

I carried on walking down the avenue, catching sight of the music's source – a violinist, standing beside his open case, slowly filling with spare coins. I recognised the music he was playing, but I couldn't put a name to the song. I had heard it before, I knew that, but where and what it was from, puzzled me.

The violinist was wearing faded blue jeans, with worn-out brown shoes on his feet with a long black jacket that covered a faded white shirt. How he could wear that jacket in this heat, I had no idea! Upon his head was a muddy brown hat that concealed his eyes, but showed off his scruffy brown hair. I could tell he was watching me approach him, judging by his body language and the way his head was cocked. He turned away briefly as I came closer, my feet within his line of vision. I stopped to admire him playing his violin with such dedication and enthusiasm, fishing in to my jeans pocket to find a spare dollar or two. Success, three dollars in my hand. I tossed them in to the red velvet lined violin case and watched the violinist nod his head in gratitude.

I simply smiled in return and started walking away, just as the tune was coming to an end. The violinist finished the tune on a graceful high note before immediately starting his next performance, flowing from one song to another. He began with a middle note, slowly picking it up to a higher note before gently teasing the strings with the bow. I could picture him playing as I walked away, listening intently to the music.

Then…

My eyes see all of your beauty,

My ears hear your gentle voice

It couldn't be…

My soul can see the sweetness inside,

That makes your heart complete.

It was. It was my song. I stopped in my tracks, feeling my feet stick to the concrete walkway.

My mind is not a perfect thing,

But one thing I can tell,

I turned to see the violinist playing, but his body had changed position completely and now he was standing in the middle of the walkway, facing me, watching me stand there in shock. I could feel his eyes bearing in to me like a red hot laser, a small ghostly smile appearing on his hidden face.

Is that you are my destiny,

And the love of my life as well.

I longed to run over to him, whip his hat off and see what mysterious face hid underneath but…something held me back. My heart? My mind? My willpower? I don't know what.

We may come from years apart,

And not know what the future holds,

I could feel tears brewing in my eyes, close to breaking down in to a deep sob, right here in the middle of New York.

But as long as you have me in your arms,

That's all I want from you.

It was like Thomas was with me then and there, like he was playing the violin, his ghost possessing the musician, and speaking to me through his love of music, through my song.

My song. Probably the most beautiful, personal and painful present anyone had ever given me in my entire life. It was enchanting to listen to, but heart-breaking to think of what happened to its creator.

We don't have long to say goodbye,

But say farewell to this,

What else could I do now? Run up to this violinist? Ask him where he got that piece of music from? Assume he was the reincarnation of Thomas, run up and kiss him? Tell him how much I always have and always will love him? Or walk away?

I chose to walk away and back towards the hotel, leaving the music behind like an abandoned puppy in the rain. It broke my heart again to think I was saying goodbye once more, to the thing I loved so much.

But Thomas – dead or alive – would always be my love. My one and only love. He understood me and accepted me for the girl I was – sometimes crazy, a little eccentric, with an adventurous spirit and a classic romantic.

I chuckled amongst the tears to my thoughts and the memories, wiping away a stray tear that rolled down my cheek. My feet had found their movement again and resumed walking down the avenue. I found strength and courage within me, cherishing this as my steps increased, as did my distance between me and the musician. He came to play the last two lines, putting more passion and love in to the music, and I could still feel his eyes bearing in to me.

Watching me walk away.

Watching me cry.

Watching me say goodbye.

Always watching me…with those perfect chocolate brown eyes.

You are my perfect one true love,

And always will be, God bless.

The End.