So, fare thee well
My own true love
I'll think of you night and day!"
-The High Kings, Paddy's Green Shamrock Shore
April 12, 1912
Sammy sat on a bench in the crowded general room and read. Some young boys were making a game out of catching a scurrying mouse. A few tables over, Fabrizio was trying to talk to the pretty blonde girl he'd been staring at the previous day.
"No English? No Italia, no? English?" He said, making sure to use hand gestures so she could understand.
Helga smiled and shook her head. "Nei, Norsk...uh, Norwegian only," she replied.
Fabrizio nodded. "Norwe-"
Helga's mother turned around and tapped the bench. "Helga..." she warned in Norwegian.
Helga nodded. "Ja, Mamma."
Fabrizio chuckled. "Is a' your mama?" he asked her.
Helga nodded again. "Ja."
Fabrizio smiled at her. "I'm Fabrizio," he said.
"Fabri-?" she tried but still struggled.
Fabrizio smiled, amused at her attempt to say his name. "Tz-io," he finished for her.
Helga giggled. "Tzio."
Fabrizio couldn't help but let a wide smile spread across his face. "Si va bene! And, you?" he motioned towards her. "Helga," she replied. Meanwhile, Tommy was looking over some of Jack's drawings.
"They're very good. They're, uh, very, very good!" he commented, passing the drawings to Sammy. She had to agree. She herself couldn't draw a straight line to save her life. "Jack, this is really amazing work. It's almost like something out of a museum or a postcard, even!" she commented.
Just then, Cora's parents came back. "Cora, we have to go now. Say goodbye to Uncle Jack!" Bert Cartmell said, taking Cora's hand.
Cora smiled. "Bye, Uncle Jack!"
Jack grinned. "Bye, Cora!"
Fabrizio turned to say something to Helga, but something had caught her eye. Fabrizio followed her gaze. Sammy stared too, and not without good reason. The whole room went silent as the pretty first-class redhead that Jack had been staring at the day before descended the stairs.
Even Helga's parents turned to stare. As Rose came down the stairs, almost everyone was looking at her. Ladies gaped, little girls curtsied clumsily, and men and boys tipped their hats, all out of respect for the first-class girl.
"Jack," said Fabrizio, tapping his friend's shoulder and pointing toward his love interest.
Jack turned and immediately got up to greet Rose. "Hello, Mr. Dawson," she said, looking extremely uncomfortable.
"Hello again," Jack said nervously.
Rose shifted on her heels. "May I speak with you?" she asked him.
Jack nodded. "Yeah."
"In private?" she asked, shifting uncomfortably. I don't want these people staring at me any longer than is necessary.
Jack smiled politely. "Yes, of course, after you." Tommy, Fabrizio, and Sammy all burst into raucous laughter, and Jack slapped Tommy playfully with his sketchpad as a result.
As the two of them went off, the piano started up again and the steerage folk resumed their conversations. Sammy stared at the retreating back of the redhead.
"Damn. What do you think made a first-class girl come down here? And how the frak does she know Jack?" asked Sammy.
Tommy shrugged. "Search me. The lad's obviously out to prove us wrong."
The Irishman then got a sassy look in his eyes. "Can ya sing as well as ya swear?"
The American burst out laughing. "In front of all these people? You're out of your mind!"
"Why not? Are ya scared, is that it?"
Sammy stiffened and shook her head frantically. "No way! I'm no singer, Tommy. Please don't make me do this."
"We're all bored off our arses here. Come on, Sammy girl, sing fer us!" the handsome Irishman pleaded.
Fabrizio and Helga nodded enthusiastically. "This room could'a use a little music. Per favore, amico mio!"
She saw the pleading looks on her friends' faces and couldn't ignore them. Soon the others in the room began to look at her like that too as if they wanted to hear the American girl sing.
"Ah, frak me. I'm gonna skin you alive for putting me on the spot like this," she warned Tommy. She looked once more at all the expectant people. She saw some glasses on the nearby bar stool and grabbed them. She sang with an earthy, playful voice that made Tommy tear up a little, although he'd sooner get a tooth pulled than admit to it.
She sang Pitch Perfect's Cup Song.
"I got my ticket for the long way round
Two bottles of whiskey for the way
And I sure would like some sweet company
And I'm leaving tomorrow, what do you say
When I'm gone
When I'm gone
You're gonna miss me when I'm gone
You're gonna miss me by my hair
You're gonna miss me everywhere, oh
You're gonna miss me when I'm gone
When I'm gone
When I'm gone
You're gonna miss me when I'm gone
You're gonna miss me by my walk
You're gonna miss me talk, oh
You're gonna miss me when I'm gone
I got my ticket for the long way round
The one with the prettiest of views
It's got mountains
It's got rivers
It's got sights to give you shivers
But it sure would be prettier with you
When I'm gone
When I'm gone
You're gonna miss me when I'm gone
You're gonna miss me by my walk
You're gonna miss me by my talk, oh
You're gonna miss me when I'm gone
When I'm gone
When I'm gone
You're gonna miss me when I'm gone
You're gonna miss me by my hair
You're gonna miss me by my everywhere, oh
Oh you're sure gonna miss me when I'm gone
When I'm gone
When I'm gone
You're gonna miss me when I'm gone
You're gonna miss me by my walk
You're gonna miss me by my talk, oh
You're gonna miss me when I'm gone!"
Sammy took a deep breath and stopped singing. The whole room clapped and she felt jelly-legged like she'd just got off a horse.
An Englishwoman, Yorkshire by her speech, whistled at her. "Another, please!"
What could Sammy do but indulge them? Most of these folk were poorer than dirt. What else did they have other than music?
More confidently, she decided to go with Colors of the Wind, one of her favorite Disney songs.
"You think you own whatever land you land on,
The Earth is just a dead thing you can claim.
But I know every rock and tree and creature
Has a life, has a spirit, has a name.
You think the only people who are people
Are the people who look and think like you
But if you walk the footsteps of a stranger
You'll find things you never knew you never knew (you never knew)
Have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon
Or asked the grinning bobcat why he grinned?
Can you sing with all the voices of the mountains? (of the mountains)
Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?
Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?
Come run the hidden pine trails of the forest
Come taste the sun sweet berries of the Earth
Come roll in all the riches all around you (all around you)
And for once, never wonder what they're worth
The rainstorm and the river are my brothers (brothers)
The heron and the otter are my friends
And we are all connected to each other (to each other)
In a circle, in a hoop that never ends
Have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon
Or let the eagle tell you where he's been?
Can you sing with all the voices of the mountains?
Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?
Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?
How high does the sycamore grow?
If you cut it down, you'll never know
And you'll never hear the wolf cry to the blue corn moon
For whether we are white or copper skinned
We need to sing with all the voices of the mountains
We can paint with all the color of the wind
You can own the Earth and still
All you'll own is Earth until
You can paint with all the colors of the wind!"
As Sammy walked up to the deck, enjoying the scent of the sea and the feeling of the breeze ruffling her brown hair, she reflected on her new friends and experiences.
Jack seems like a good guy to have around in a tough spot. He's obviously in love with the red-headed girl, but I worry she'll hurt him...
Fabrizio is a sweetheart. He deserves all the happiness he can get. He's more American than some Americans I've met.
Helga is my best friend. She's become something of a sister figure to me, and I wish her and her family all the success in the world.
Lastly, she thought of Tommy.
Tommy. He really is a strange one. He paints himself as this gruff and tough Irish guy, but there's a softness to him I can't explain. He's intelligent and funny, and he's handsome too. Definitely a likable fellow.
Someone behind her coughed, and she turned. "Tommy, you scared me."
"Shite. I'm sorry, Sammy. It's just so damned busy down in steerage. I need the quiet."
She sat down on a nearby deck chair and gestured to him to sit. "Pop a squat."
"Penny for yer thoughts?" Tommy asked her quietly.
"I was just thinking about all that's happened since I boarded the ship," she confessed. "I never expected to make friends or have any fun, and yet I did."
Tommy smiled. "What's the sayin'? 'Man plans and God laughs?'"
Sammy gave a slight giggle. "Yep, that sounds about right."
Tommy looked at her, curious about the new land they were going to. "What's it like?"
"What's what like?"
"America."
She shrugged. "I'm probably not the right person to ask. If you want the real American experience, you might want to ask Jack."
"Why not?" Tommy asked. "Yer an American, aren't ya?"
"Depends on what part of America you mean," she pointed out.
"We're headin' to New York, aren't we? You could start there," he suggested.
She gave in. "Fine. Well, the New York I know and love is loud and busy and chaotic. It's crowded too, with four million people calling it home."
Tommy whistled, impressed. "Jesus."
He offered his arm to her. "Walk with me?"
She smiled and linked her arm through his. As they walked along the deck, Sammy opened up to him, not telling him her secret but getting to know him. He regaled her with tales of his life back in his homeland, and as Sammy listened to his gruff voice speaking, she felt drawn to the Irishman.
"Once, my friend Conor and I switched out the sugar in my mam's pantry with salt," said Tommy, smiling at the memory.
Sammy grinned. "Oh? And how'd that pan out?"
"Not well for Conor or me, that's fer sure. Mam caught on and made us some oatmeal with salt in it. Said after that was my just desserts!"
Sammy broke out into a fit of giggles, and Tommy's stomach lurched at the sound of her sweet laughter. "That would be a little something I like to call karma. It's a bit of a bitch, ain't it?"
"Aye, I suppose I deserved it," said Tommy with a laugh. Sammy took her hair into sections and began to braid it. "And where is this Conor now?"
Tommy got a sad look in his eye. "Died in the same fire that killed my family."
"Shit, Tommy, I'm sorry," said Sammy quietly, reaching for his hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. "No wonder you wanted to get out of Dodge."
Her hands were soft, like silk. They were much smaller than Tommy's, as was everything about this sweet, funny, and captivating girl. Her skin was pale as milk, and her touch was kind...gentle. His heart skipped a beat, and he looked at her with selfless love in his eyes.
"Sammy, lass?" Tommy asked at one point in their conversation.
"What's up?"
"Ya have such a bonny singin' voice, honest ya do," he said to her. Sammy's cheeked heated a little at the compliment, which appeared to be sincere.
"Thank you, Tommy. You're a real sweet one, aren't you?" Sammy said, a smile on her face.
"Will you...?" Tommy asked and trailed off, embarrassed. "What is it?" Sammy asked in a kind, soft voice. "Will you sing for me? Just me?" Tommy asked hopefully. "Ya sing so well."
Singing in public made her nervous, but one look at the encouraging look in the handsome Irishman's face was enough to convince her she didn't need to be nervous around Tommy.
So, she sang.
"And who are you, the proud lord said,
that
I must bow so low?
Only a cat of a different coat,
that's all the truth I know.
In a coat of gold or a coat of red,
a lion still has claws,
And mine are long and sharp, my lord,
as long and sharp as yours.
And so he spoke, and so he spoke,
that Lord of Castamere,
But now the rains weep o'er his hall,
with no one there to hear.
Yes, now the rains weep o'er his hall,
and not a soul to hear."
"Beautiful," he murmured, gazing into her eyes.
Sammy shifted uncomfortably. Tommy was staring at her, and she didn't understand why. Maybe he had a crush on her the way Fabrizio and Jack did with Helga and the red-headed girl. "I...I should go," she whispered, sensing that they were about to have what one of her romance novels back home would call a moment.
"No, please don't go," Tommy pleaded. But it was too late.
That night, Sammy reflected.
No wonder I was drawn to Tommy. He knows what it is to walk through life alone. I already know I like him. Maybe I could even love him...
Author's Note: so this is where Sammy and Tommy start to reciprocate one another's feelings. Keep in mind this story takes place in a world where the Titanic actually did sink, but where the film was never made.