Ode to Titanic: A musical experience

Chapter Eight

While Jack was busy exploring the wonderland known as Rose, Cal and Lovejoy were in the smoking lounge. Lovejoy had just finished telling Cal how Rose and Jack escaped him. Angry Cal threw his glass of brandy against the wall and sat down to sulk. He had been made a fool of and that was something he couldn't forgive.

Cal: Who does she think she is?
That girl has tangled with the wrong man!

Lovejoy:
Darn right.

Cal:
No one says "no" to Caledon!
Dismissed! Rejected!
Publicly humiliated! Why, it's more than I can bear.

Lovejoy: More brandy sir?


Cal: What for? Nothing helps. I'm disgraced.

Lovejoy: Who, you? Never! Sir, you've got to pull yourself together.

(Music begins to play)

Lovejoy: Gosh it disturbs me to see you,
Looking so down in the dumps
Ev'ry guy here'd love to be you, Caledon
Even when taking your lumps
There's no man in town as admired as you
You're ev'ryone's favorite guy
Ev'ryone's awed and inspired by you
And it's not very hard to see why
No one's slick as Caledon
No one's quick as Caledon
No one's neck's as incredibly thick as Caledon's
For there's no man in town half as manly
Perfect, a pure paragon!
You can ask any Tom, Dick or Stanley
And they'll tell you whose team they prefer to be on

Lovejoy and Chorus: No one's been like Caledon
A king pin like Caledon

Lovejoy: No one's got a swell cleft in his chin like Gaston

Cal: As a specimen, yes, I'm intimidating!

Lovejoy and Chorus: My what a guy, that Caledon!
Give five "hurrahs!"
Give twelve "hip-hips!"


Lovejoy: Caledon is the best
And the rest is all drips

Chorus:
No one fights like Caledon
Douses lights like Caledon

Lovejoy:
In a wrestling match nobody bites like Caledon!


First Class women: For there's no one as burly and brawny

Cal: As you see I've got biceps to spare

Lovejoy: Not a bit of him's scraggly or scrawny

Cal: That's right! And ev'ry last inch of me's covered with hair

Chorus:
No one hits like Caledon
Matches wits like Caledon

Lovejoy: In a spitting match nobody spits like Caledon

Cal: I'm especially good at expectorating!
Ptoooie!

Chorus:
Ten points for Caledon!

Cal: When I was a lad I ate four dozen eggs
Ev'ry morning to help me get large
And now that I'm grown I eat five dozen eggs
So I'm roughly the size of a barge!

Chorus: Oh, ahhh, wow!
My what a guy, that Caledon!
No one shoots like Caledon
Makes those beauts like Caledon

Lovejoy: Then goes tromping around wearing boots like Caledon

Cal: I use antlers in all of my decorating!

Chorus: My what a guy, Caledon!

~*~

Laughing, Rose and Jack run out onto the deck. They had just escaped being captured and were in high spirits. They practically fell into each other's arms, trying their best to calm down. Rose's laughter finally died down as she looked into Jack's eyes, a realization hit her. She couldn't return to her first class world. She just couldn't. Not when she was so in love with Jack. She couldn't bear to be without him. So that only left her with one choice. Now silent, she placed a finger on Jack's smiling lips, entranced by the lapis lazuli color of his eyes. So blue…she had never seen eyes so deep of blue and so piercing.

"When the ship docks…I'm getting off with you," She stated, searching his face for any negative emotion he may have. What if he didn't want her to come with him? What if this was just a fling for him? A making it count moment?

Jack couldn't believe his ears. She wanted to come with him…leave her world behind once and for all and live in glorious poverty with him. Was she insane? Had she lost her mind in the midst of their lovemaking? He hoped not. He hoped that Rose truly wanted this. "This is crazy."

Rose laughed, relieved at the pure joy in Jack's eyes, only dimmed by a bit of hesitancy. "I know. That's why I trust it."

In love and oblivious to the blow fate was about to deal them, Jack and Rose drowned in each other, getting lost in kisses and hugs. Unbeknownst to them, they were about to be dealt a bad hand in the pokergame of life.

Fleet, the lookout and a few crewmembers smiled as they noticed the young lovers, wishing that they had the same youthful thrill of true love. Rubbing his hands, Fleet looked straight ahead, wondering how he was going to spot anything remotely dangerous to ship when there was no moon and no wind and no binoculars. All he had was starlight.

Jack and Rose pulled away from their kiss for a second. Rose looked up in Jack's eyes.

"What's wrong?" Jack asked.

"I feel like singing."

Jack laughed. "Well do you know a song?

Rose smiled and nodded as music began to play.

Rose: Autumn
Shall we all meet in the Autumn?
Golden and glowing by Autumn
Shall we still be best of friends?
Best of friends...

All through each languorous season
We ebb and flow
Romance, defying all reason
Will come, then go

Jack: Still, perhaps this Autumn
Love won't retreat in the Autumn
All that we have won't be past
...Won't be past

Let breezes blow
And turn cold
As we continue growing old
This Autumn
Love newly found
May yet last

(Unbeknownst to Jack and Rose Fleet is still having trouble seeing anything in the dark night. One of the stokers out on break leans against the rail with a lit cigarette, also oblivious to the danger ahead. But Fleet…he had a terrible sense of foreboding going on. He didn't like the feel of the night. It was all so…sinister.


Fleet: Ahead we plow
Into the darkening night
Can't see the bow
How then the search
With only starlight?...


Fleet: No moon

J&R: Autumn

F: No wind

J&R: Shall we all meet in the

F: Nothing to spy things

J&R: Autumn? By Golden and glowing,

F: by. No wave

J&R: Autumn


F: No swell

J&R: Shall we still be best of friends

F: No line where sea

J&R: Best of friends?

F: Meets sky

J&R: Best of friends...

F: No wind

Fleet, Jack, and Rose: Stillness, darkness
Can't see a thing, says I
No reflection
Not a shadow
Not a glint of light
Meets the eye

And we go sailing
See how calm it is
Sailing
Smooth as polished glass
Ever westward
Ah, the open sea On the sea, we go...
Feel the bite in the air
Sailing
Ah, the open sea
Sailing
Smooth as polished glass

Everyone: Ever on go we...

Fleet: No moon
No wind...

Everyone: No moon
No wind

No moon
No wind

Fleet: Dear mother of God-
Iceberg right ahead!

The ship shook violently as the ship scraped against the huge mountain of ice. Rose and Jack broke away from the kiss. Their eyes grew wide and round at the site of the iceberg. Curious, they went and investigated some more. They stepped up the stairs from the well deck, just when Captain Smith, Mr. Andrews and the Carpenter rounded the corner, talking tensely, not noticing Jack and Rose staring at them. It was not hard to catch what the conversation was about. Someone mentioned the boiler room which was under water already and then they stepped down the stairs and were gone.

"This is bad," Jack spoke to Rose in a low voice and Rose just nodded, frowning.

"We should tell Mother and Cal," she said and a few minutes later they were on their way back into first class. Entering the B-deck corridor, they spotted Lovejoy who was waiting for them right in front of the suite.

"We've been looking for you, miss." A disgusting smirk spread across his face, but Jack and Rose just ignored him. They passed him, heading for the suite entrance when Lovejoy carefully moved right behind Jack, slipping the Heart of the Ocean into the pocket of his coat.

Cal was sitting on the couch, holding Rose´s sketch tightly in his hands and smoking a cigarette. Ruth was pacing the room nervously. The Master at Arms and two stewards were watching them.

They fell silent and each of them looked up when Jack and Rose entered the suite, Rose holding on to Jack's hand.

"Something serious has happened," Rose stated very matter-of-factly, breaking the menacing silence.

Cal stood up and moved closer to them, his face clearly showing anger and devaluation.

"That's right." He looked from Rose to Jack and back at Rose again.

"Two things dear to me have disappeared this evening. Now that one is back, I have a pretty good idea where to fine the other. Search him!"

The Master at Arms stepped up to Jack, pulling his coat off while Lovejoy searched the pockets.

"Hey, what's this shit," Jack demanded to know and Rose kept on staring at Cal, completely confused.

"Cal, what are you doing? We're in the middle of an emergency, what's going on here?"

"Is this it?" Lovejoy held up the necklace, not at all surprised of course.

Jack perplexedly stared at the object in front of him, so did Rose.

"What the hell…" he began, looking back at Rose whose gaze had suddenly changed. The expression on her face revealed what she was feeling at that very moment. It was a mixture of confusion, despair and disappointment.

Jack sensed her emotions.

"Don´t you believe it, Rose! Don´t!" he begged her, but the Master at Arms was already beginning to handcuff him.

"He couldn't have," Rose stated, yet with an uncertain tone of voice and she never took her eyes off him.

"Of course he could." Cal stepped up behind her. "Easy enough for a professional."

Rose tried to ignore his words, stepping closer to Jack. "But I was with him the whole time. This is absurd."

"Maybe he did it while you were putting your clothes back on," Cal lowered his voice so that just Rose could hear him, nevertheless Jack was able to catch his words.

"Really clever, Rose, they put it in my pocket," he whispered to her, but was interrupted by Lovejoy who was holding up the coat.

"It's not even your coat, right son? Property of A.L. Ryerson," he read the label and the Master at Arms took the coat from him.

"This was reported stolen today," he stated.

Jack bent over to Rose, looking her straight into the eyes.

"I was going to return it, Rose," he began, but Rose silently took a few steps back. She felt betrayed and confused and helplessly watched Lovejoy and the Master at Arms who dragged him out into the corridor.

"Rose, don´t listen to them!" Jack kept shouting to her. "I didn't do this! You know I didn't! You know it!"

All of a sudden, he was gone, leaving Rose behind who was fighting her tears. She just didn't want to believe all this, but she couldn't help herself. Her mother left the room and Cal and Rose remained alone. He laid a hand on her shoulder, a relieved and triumphant smile on his face.

Cal: Hello. Did you miss me?

I know I'm hard to resist

Y'all can come and help me pick the sweet corn out of this

It's hard to be humble

When you're so fucking big

Did you ever meet a sexier male chauvinist pig?

I'm gonna milk it till I turn it into cheese

Tell your babes in arms and OAP's

Come take a piece of me

If you drop me I'll fall to pieces on ya

If you don't see me I don't exist

It's nice to meet you

Now let me go and wash my hands

Cause you just met the world's most handsome man

The world's most handsome man

Y'all know who I am

I'm still the boy next door

That's if you're Lord Litchfield and Roger Moore

Have I gone up in the world

Or has the world gone down on me

I'm the one who put the Brits in celebrity

Give in and love it

What's the point in hating me?

You can't argue with popularity

Well you could

But you'd be wrong

If you drop me I'll fall to pieces on you

If you don't need me I don't exist

You voted for me

Now let me see a show of hands

Here before you stands…

Can you make me laugh and sign this autograph

Though it's not for me

Grip a grin, shake a fake, name a shame

Then I'm out of here

It's not very complicated

I'm just young and overrated whoa

Please don't drop me I'll fall to pieces on ya

If you don't see me I don't exist

It's nice to meet you

Now let me go and wash my hands

Here before you stands…

Please don't drop me I'll fall to pieces on you

If you don't need me I don't exist

It's nice to meet you

Now let me see a show of hands

Cause you just met the world's most handsome man

The world's most handsome man

The world's most handsome man

The world's most handsome man

Rose tried her best not to pay attention to his self-loving song. The world's most handsome man? What's the point in hating him? How the hell could he think that he could convince with one ridiculous song? This was all so typical of him. So very much convinced of himself and self-absorbed.

Her mind was filled with thoughts about Jack anyway. When Cal noticed that Rose didn´t react and just kept on staring into the direction here Jack had gone, he took a few steps back.

"I´ll deal with you later," he stated in a dark tone of voice and entered the suite room next door.

Rose was standing in the middle of the room, unmoving and still staring at the door where Jack had disappeared out of her life.

With a sad voice, she began to sing.

Rose: How can I just let you walk away
Just let you leave without a trace
When I stand here taking
Every breath with you
You're the only one
Who really knew me at all

How can you just walk away from me
When all I can do is watch you leave
´Cause we've shared the laughter and the pain
And even shared the tears
You're the only one
Who really knew me at all


So take a look at me now
Oh there's just an empty space
And there's nothing left here to
remind me
Just the memory of your face

Take a look at me now
'Cause there's just an empty space
And you coming back to me is against all odds
And that's what I've got to face

I wish I could just make you turn around
Turn around and see me cry
There's so much I need to say to you
So many reasons why
You're the only one
Who really knew me at all


So take a look at me now
Oh there's just an empty space
And there's nothing left here to
remind me
Just the memory of your face
Take a look at me now

'Cause there's just an empty space
But to wait for you is
All I can do
And that's what I've got to face

Take a good look at me now
'Cause I'll still be standing here
And you coming back to me is against all odds
That's the chance I've got to take a look at me now…

-------------------------------

Songs:

1. "Caledon" (real title "Gaston") - Beauty and the Beast

2. "Autumn" - Titanic the Musical

3. Robbie Williams – Handsome Man" (I know Roger Moore didn´t exist in 1912 yet, blame Robbie...lol.)

4. "Against All Odds" – Mariah Carey (written by Phil Collins)

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