Ode to Titanic: A musical experience

Chapter Nine

Later came, and Cal returned, angry fire in his eyes. He was so sick and  tired of Rose's attitude towards him and her attraction towards the steerage  trash he had just gotten rid of. Bursting back through the door, he stood and
glared at Rose.

"A little whore isn't it!" Cal backhanded her, not caring if he left a bruise or not. It was time for all this little games to end. It was time for  her to behave like the wife she was meant to be. "Look at me when I'm talking
to you!"
"Life belts on!" Entered a steward, heading for their closet.
"What?" Cal glared at the intrusion. What is it now? Didn't this man
see that they were in the middle of a conversation here?
"Life belts on sir. Captain's orders. Take a top hat and coat. It's  quite cold outside," The steward explained, handing a life jacket to Cal. Seeing the preoccupied look on Rose's face the Steward patted her shoulder  reassuringly. "It's alright miss. It's only a drill."

In the Grande Saloon, it was as if everyone was at a party. People were just standing around, sipping hot brandy and tea, wondering what all the commotion was about. Rose spotted Mr. Etches, the head manservant of the ship and wondered if he had any answers. She's about to make up her way to ask when music begins.

1ST CLASS PASSENGERS: Strange and quite disorienting being here...
Recently awakened from a dream...
How the lights burn,
Every crystal bright as a star!

Dressed in your pyjamas in the Grand salon,
Looks to be bizarre in the extreme...
Things could improve if the steward opens the bar!

Oh...it's a memory I'll want to keep
Now..I would like to go
Back to sleep...

Dressed in your pyjamas in the grand salon
Wondering if things are what they seem
Can you be sure? Do you ever
Know where you are?

ETCHES: Mr. Astor please, your life-belt
Mr. Guggenheim, please put it on now...
Captain's orders
Ladies and gentlemen, wear your life-belts!

Mrs. Widener, if you would m'am
Mr. Thayer, we must insist now
It's a mere formality
There is no cause for concern

ETCHES & STEWARDS: We'll be on our way!
We hardly need stay now...
In a moment or two she'll be right again
Traveling west!

JOHN THAYER: See here, Mr. Etches, I demand to know exactly what's
happening!

ETCHES: The latest word, sir, seems to be that she's damaged one
of the wing propellers and we could be delayed for an entire
day, sir.

THAYER: I don't like the way this sounds...

BANJAMIN GUGGENHEIM: Not a bit, not a bit, not a little bit...

THAYER: We spent eighteen hundred pounds

GUGGENHEIM: Not a bit, not a bit, not a little bit...

GUGGENHEIM & THAYER: This is not the sort of voyage we paid for!
I demand to know what the ship is delayed for!
Right now!

1ST CLASS PASSENGERS: How could this have ever come to pass

RUTH: Christ! Look who's here!
It's the second class!

ALICE BEANE: Everything is gorgeous in the Grand Salon!
Stunningly appointed for the cream
Thousands of bucks
Gets a trip deluxe without par!

PASSENGERS: Dressed in you pyjamas

ETCHES: Mr. Astor please,

PASSENGERS: In the Grand salon

ETCHES: Your life-belt

PASSENGERS: Feels to be bizarre

ETCHES: Mr. Guggenheim, please

PASSENGERS: In The extreme...

ETCHES: Put it on now

PASSENGERS: How the lights burn

ETCHES: It's a mere formality

PASSENGERS: Every crystal bright

ETCHES: There is no cause for

PASSENGERS: As a star

ETCHES: Concern

STEWARDS: We'll be on
Our way!

PASSENGERS: Strange and quite
Disorienting


STEWARDS: We'll be on
Being here! Our way!

PASSENGERS: Strange and

STEWARDS: A minor delay

PASSENGERS: Quite disorienting being

STEWARDS: Now!

PASSENGERS: Recently
Awakened in a

STEWARDS: A minor delay here! A simple

PASSENGERS: Daze!

STEWARDS: Now!

PASSENGERS: Recently awakened in a

STEWARDS: Precaution!

PASSENGERS: Every light is

STEWARDS: A simple

PASSENGERS: Burning

STEWARDS: Precaution

PASSENGERS: Daze!

STEWARDS: A moment of

PASSENGERS & STEWARDS: With intensity! Every light is burning with
Rest! Everything A moment of Intensity!
Surrounded by a haze!
We'll be on Rest! We'll be on
Our Our
Way! Strange and quite We'll be on Way!
Quite disorienting Our
We hardly Being here! Way! Strange and
Need Quite disorienting
Stay now Recently We hardly Being here!
Awakened in a Need...

ETCHES: Mr. Guggenheim, please
Upstairs now...

EVERYONE ELSE: Mrs. Widener, if you would Wondering if things
M'am... are what
They seem...
It's a mere formality Can you be sure?
There is no Do you ever know
Where you
Cause for concern Are?

STEWARDS AND PASSENGERS: We'll be on
Our way! Strange and quite
Disorienting We'll be on
Being here! Our way! Strange and
A minor delay Quite disorienting being
Now! Recently
Awakened in a minor delay Here!
A simple Daze! Now! Recently awakened in a
Precaution! Every light is a simple
Burning Precaution Daze!
A moment of with intensity! Every light is burning with
Everything A moment of Intensity!
Rest! Everything A moment of Intensity!
Surrounded by a haze!
We'll be on Rest! We'll be on
Our Our
Way! Strange and We'll be on Way!
Quite disorienting Our
We hardly being here! Way! Strange and
Need Quite disorienting
Stay recently We hardly Being here!
Awakened in a Need...
Now Daze Stay now! Recently awakened in a
Any minute now! Daze
Any minute!
Any minute Any minute
Now Now! Any minute!
Any minute Any minute
Now! Now!

ALL:
We'll be on our way!
We'll be on our way!
We'll be on our way!
Our way!
Our way!

Meanwhile, Jack was decks below, handcuffed to some pipes. He was thinking of the look in Rose's eyes. The dawning mistrust. He couldn't believe  that she would believe anything that lying snake told her. Sighing, he remembered his friend's warnings about becoming involved with a 1st class girl. Warnings he had ignored confidant that in the end, she would choose him.

Jack: Somebody somewhere told me
You were gonna break my heart
Somebody somewhere told me
You were gonna break me apart


I didn't listen and I didn't care
I didn't think that talk was anywhere
I didn't listen and I didn't care
Nobody told me 'bout your low down friends

Somebody somewhere help me
I got to find a brand new way
Somebody somewhere help me
I got to make a brand new way

I didn't listen and I didn't know
I didn't think it would hurt me so
I didn't listen and I didn't know
Nobody told me 'bout your low down friends

Somebody somewhere help me
I got to turn it, turn it 'round
Somebody somewhere help me
I got to get my feet on the ground

I didn't listen and I didn't care
I didn't think that talk was anywhere
I didn't listen and I didn't know
I didn't think it would hurt me so

Jack stared out of the porthole, watching the water rise slowly, and turned his gaze around. Lovejoy was sitting at the desk, letting a bullet roll across it again and again and finally putting it into the gun he was holding in his hand.

Slowly he got up and stepped closer to Jack who watching him distrustfully.

"You know, I do believe this ship may sink. I've been asked to give you this small token of our appreciation...," he stated, punching Jack in the stomach, making him gasp for air.

"Compliments of Mr. Caledon Hockley…" With these words, he put the handcuff key into his pocket and left.

*************************

In the meantime on the boat deck, Rose, Cal and Ruth were standing among a huge crowd of first class passengers who were entering the boats, one after another.

Rose watched the scenes of farewell around her and again her mind was filled with thoughts of Jack. Suddenly, she felt so stupid. She wondered how she could even have let those men take him under arrest. She desperately wondered how she could have doubted him at all. There must have been some terrible, terrible mistake.

"Will the lifeboats be seated according to class? I hope they're not too crowded…"

Ruth's voice interrupted her thoughts and Rose slowly turned her gaze towards her mother, not believing what she had just heard.

"Oh mother, shut up!" she hissed, making Ruth wince. "Don't you understand? The water is freezing and there aren't enough boats... not enough by half. Half the people on this ship are going to die."

"Not the better half." Cal stepped closer with a strange expression on his face.

"Maybe I should have kept that drawing. Must be a lot worth by morning." In fact, he had found Rose´s drawing locked up in the safe, together with a very challenging note by Rose, and he had almost torn it up, but he hadn't. He had put the drawing back into the safe, thinking of framing Jack instead.

Now he was looking at Rose, but he saw nothing but disgust in her eyes.

"You unimaginable bastard," she whispered and from somewhere she heard some one else calling her name, telling her to get in the boat. She turned around and saw her mother leaning on the edge of the boat, reaching out a hand to her.

Molly Brown was sitting next to her, urgently demanding Rose to enter the boat.

"Come on, Rose, get in the boat. You´re next, darling," Molly told her, but Rose took a few steps back.

"Rose, get in the boat," her mother urgently begged her, but Rose just shook her head.

"Good bye, mother," she stated and turned around, walking away in a quick pace. She heard her mother's frantic screams behind her as the boat was being lowered. But Rose could only think of one thing: she had to find Jack. She had to get to him, apologizing a thousand times, somehow making him forgive her for being so stupid.

She felt Cal´s hand grip her arm roughly, making her turn around.

"Where are you off to?!" he exclaimed. "To him? To be the whore of a gutter rat?"

He was still holding on to her tightly, but she didn't struggle to pull free anymore. Actually, she was very calm, looking him straight in the eyes.

"I would rather be his whore than your wife."

He had never heard her speak in such a steady and certain tone of voice and for a moment, he could do nothing but stare at her in disbelief. She suddenly pulled her arm away, struggling to get away from him.

He was fighting with her for a few seconds when Rose, all of a sudden and completely unexpected, spit into his face. This made him finally let go off her and he was standing right in front of her, his face frozen in a shocked expression.

Rose: I can't believe what you did to me
Down on my knees and I need to break free
All these years, you violated me (violated me)

I don't know why I can't feel inside
Trying to hide, can't make it all right
It's overkill, now I'm ready to fight (ready to fight)


I don't need nobody trying to make me over (to make me over)
I just wanna live simple and free

I just wanna get away!
Save it, all your bullshit, for another day!

Feeling confined, like I'm being forced in
My vision's blurry and I'm lost in regrets
It's overload, and I'm out of control (out of control)

So sick and tired of feeling so misused (feeling so misused)
Taking me down with all your mental abuse
I must say, gotta get you out of my head

Everybody's always trying to look me over (to look me over)
I just wanna live simple and free

I just wanna get away!
Save it, all your bullshit, for another day!
I'm the only one who can rescue me from me!

Leaving the house another quarter to five
Slipped on my boots and I'm ready to ride
And I feel so high, I feel so alive

Let down my hair, feel the wind on my skin (wind on my skin)
Crossing the water where my new life begins
And I close my eyes and take it all in

I don't need nobody trying to make me over (to make me over)
I just wanna live simple and free

I just wanna get away
Save it, all your bullshit, for another day
I'm the only one who can rescue me from me

I just wanna get away
Save it, all your bullshit, for another day
I'm the only one who can rescue me from me

You wanna bring me down
You wanna bring me down
You wanna bring me down
You wanna bring me down

She turned around and left with a quick and secure pace, leaving Cal behind who was urgently wiping the spittle off his face.

He was staring after her, feeling the anger rising in him.

Shaking his head at her unbelievable behavior, he began to sing.

Cal: Met a girl

Thought she was grand

Fell in love, found out first hand

Went well for a week or two

Then it all came unglued

In a trapped trip

I can't grip

Never thought I'd be the one who'd slip

Then I started to realize

I was living one big lie

She fucking hates me

Trust

She fucking hates me

La la la love

I tried too hard

And she tore my feelings

Like I had none

And ripped them away

She was queen for about an hour

After that shit got sour

She took all I ever had

No sign of guilt

No feeling of bad, no

In a trapped trip

I can't grip

Never thought I'd be the one who'd slip

Then I started to realize

I was living one big lie

She fucking hates me

Trust

She fucking hates me

La la la love

I tried too hard

And she tore my feelings

Like I had none

And ripped them away

That's my story

As you see

Learned my lesson

And so did she

Now it's over and I'm glad

'Cause I'm a fool

For all I've said

She fucking hates me

Trust

She fucking hates me

La la la love

I tried too hard

And she tore my feelings

Like I had none

And ripped them away

La la la la la la la la la la la love

Trust

La la la la la la la la la la love

Trust

And she tore my feelings

Like I had none

She fucking hates me

But, no…he was certainly not willing to give her up and let her go that easily. He certainly wasn't.

**************************

Rose was running through the first class corridors, desperately trying to find Mr. Andrews who would possibly be able to tell her where she could find Jack.

Finally, she spotted him as he was opening the doors in order to make sure that all the passengers were up on deck.

Out of breath, Rose ran up to him, urging him to tell her where she could find someone who was under arrest. It took her a brief time to convince him to tell her since he was trying to convince her to get up on deck and in one of the boats. Finally, he gave her a detailed instruction and she started to run towards the first class foyer elevators. She roughly told the Operator to take her down, but when she arrived at E deck, she could feel the ice cold water swirl around her legs. The floor was completely flooded, nevertheless, Rose jumped out of the elevator, struggling to make her way through the corridors.

She desperately screamed out Jack's name until she could finally hear a response from somewhere.

She pushed open one of the doors and there she spotted Jack who was handcuffed to some pipes, the water rising slowly.

"Jack!" she exclaimed and he smiled at her with a mixture of hope and relief.

"Jack... I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" Rose struggled to get over to him which was a difficult process. Not only was the water rising steadily but also her long coat kept her from moving fast.

She threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly.

"That guy Lovejoy put it in my pocket." Jack uttered, but he didn't have to tell her that. She already knew.

"I know, I know," she assured him again and again and Jack smiled.

"We'll have a wonderful life, Rose. You'll never regret your decision."

Jack: So close no matter how far

Couldn't be much more form the heart

Forever trusting who we are

And nothing else matters

Never opened myself this way

Life is ours, we live it our way

All these words I don't just say

And nothing else matters

Trust I seek and I find in you

Every day for us something new

Open mind for a different view

And nothing else matters

Never cared for what they do

Never cared for what they know

But I know

So close no matter how far

Couldn't be much more form the heart

Forever trusting who we are

And nothing else matters

Never cared for what they do

Never cared for what they know

But I know

Never opened myself this way

Life is ours, we live it our way

All these words I don't just say

And nothing else matters

Trust I seek and I find in you

Every day for us something new

Open mind for a different view

And nothing else matters

Never cared for what they say

Never cared for games they play

Never cared for what they do

Never cared for what they know

So close no matter how far

Couldn't be much more from the heart

Forever trusting who we are

And nothing else matters

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

Songs:

1. "Dressed in Your Pyjamas in the Grand Salon" -Titanic the Musical

2. "Somebody Somewhere Help Me" - Steve Miller Band

3. Christina Aguilera – "Make Over"

4. Puddle of Mud – "She Hates Me"

5. Metallica – "Nothing Else Matters

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