Runaway Rose's Adventures
April 17, 1912 - Southampton, England
Jack Dawson sat and stared out his window, feeling overwhelmed with melancholy and sadness. Ever since he had read the papers that morning about the sinking of the great Titanic, he had wished that he had gone. Of course he didn't know whether Miss Baker had survived or not.
He would like to think that she had, but of course he wouldn't probably ever find out. For even if she did survive and manage to make a life on her own, she didn't have his address to mail him a letter or anything. The news had just about destroyed Southampton and there wasn't much here anymore, so after he had read the letter, he had given his notice to the landlady and packed up his few belongings and headed to Ireland.
He would find himself a little cottage and live there and sell his paintings by the shore. Of course he thought ruefully, if he had gone with Miss Baker on the Titanic, he would have more than likely perished, but at least he could have been assured that she was safe. As he glanced around the little room that he had lived in for more than a year and a half he quickly turned and left the room closing the door behind him.
April 20, 1913 - Off the Irish Coast
Jack sat out on his front lawn overlooking the expanse of ocean and painted the surroundings. In his picture of the ocean, he had inadvertently painted the R.M.S. Titanic. It was no coincidence, he thought to himself, that the first anniversary of the sinking had come and gone just days before. Once again he couldn't help but think about the beautiful red headed woman, Miss Baker and whether she had survived that fateful night.
May 15, 1913
Jack had been having a wonderful day selling his portraits in town for a dime apiece and had made quite a hit. He knew that this weekend he would go into the big city for the annual carnival and would probably make a killing there.
Anyway he had gone to the postal centre and picked up his mail. As he wandered down the hill towards his home, he browsed through the letters and his heart stopped when he got a letter that had an American address and it was from California. In his heart he knew that Miss Baker.. Rose.. had made it. That she had survived the heartbreaking night of the Titanic and had gone on to make a life for herself. He hurriedly opened the letter, his heart beating fiercely and began to read:
Dear Mr. Dawson,
I know it's been over a year since the Titanic sank and I truly meant to write since then but just haven't found the time. I am alive and well and made it through that debacle. What you don't know is that mother and Cal were on board. I hadn't made it in time to the docks to see them board. I did manage to escape from them and they never knew that I was on board. But I did learn afterwards that Cal did not make it. Mother did and was devastated when she believed me to be dead.
I am in California now and am working as an actress and very happy. I did try to write you in Southampton but had the letter returned and the landlady gave me your new address in Ireland. I hope that life is treating you well and I know that you will always have a place in my heart for the way that you helped me that fateful day that I decided to sail on Titanic. If you ever get back to California look me up.
Yours affectionately,
Rose Baker
Jack closed the letter and a peace settled over him that he hadn't experienced since he had first met Miss Baker, and then hearing about the Titanic tragedy believed her to be dead. He was grateful for her success and felt that she would achieve much as an actress and could become a true movie star.
He folded the letter up and went inside his house and under the bed, he pulled out a box and neatly placed the letter inside. Then with much happiness, he settled down on his front porch and began to draw again.
The End
