Chapter 77
Jessica was standing over the stove, as she was preparing chicken and rice for lunch, while Jack played with his little wooden car at the table, making screeching and engines as he played. Rose was breastfeeding Tommy in the living room, and Ruth looked on, as a loving smile played on her face. She was also ecstatic now that Henry was also back, as he snuggled her in the couch. Jon had left for work, as they all anxiously await their mates, including Marion. She and Mr. Williams arrived a day early, and was waiting for her husband to return. Marion left her heavy belongings in that wooden chest, and both Jon and Fabrizio were unable to lift it out of his car, while Mr. Williams had difficulty lifting the box from the car, even with all the help he had. Rose looks up, as she heard a car putter in the drive. Ruth also takes notice, and Jack looks out the window, much to his mother's dismay. He squeals with delight, then runs out the door, while Jessica ran after him, her face red with embarrassment. Marion also ran out, as she couldn't contain her excitement. Rose adjusted her shirt before she goes out as well, while carefully carrying Tommy, and Fabrizio was the last one out.
Outside Jesse was swinging Marion, while little Jack clung on to his uncle's leg once he stopped swinging his wife. Jack and Fabrizio unloaded their luggage from the cab, then Jesse helps bring in the luggage into the house, careful he wouldn't hurt his back once more. In the kitchen Jessica realized she needed way more than the measly pieces of chicken that were on the stove, but Jack and Jesse didn't mind, as they already ate a big meal at a nearby restaurant before arriving to the house.
Jesse ran back out, as everyone began to settle down once more in the house, while Jessica and Marion passes around tea, lemonade and the food to their families, as the family had grown quite a bit since the year following the disaster. Jesse comes back to the house, after he paid the taxi fare, and was greeted by everyone laughing and joking amongst each other. Jesse goes up to his former room, and was greeted instead to Rose's nursery for Tommy. He makes his way to the closet, before changing out of the clothes he was wearing, then casts his mind back to Jack's house, as it had almost a similar layout to this place, although that house was larger, and had one more room, compared to this old 1880's-built Victorian-era house.
It felt like a party once more, as everyone gathered in the kitchen, drinking tea and snacking out on chicken, when Jesse entered the room. He goes over to the living room, then goes to the storage room, where he pulls out a phonograph player he had bought when his sister got married; the same phonograph machine Jon had used during their Valentine's dance. He also rummages through the various boxes and crates in that dark room, until he came to a crate that contained cylinder waxes, which was written in Gaelic. In the living room Jesse carefully sets up the player, then inserts the cylinder, as an Irish jig began to play.
"Hey!" Fabrizio laughs, as he heard the familiar music that filled the house. Soon everyone was dancing in the living room, like they had done when they were on the Titanic's large gathering room. Just like back on the ship, Jack takes off his shoes, then performs his footwork on the carpet, as Rose does the same, after she hands Tommy to Jessica. She hands an invisible dress piece to Jack, who tells him to hold on, then tried the tipping toe trick once more in the house. Ruth looked on, impressed her daughter had performed that stunt. Rose was able to hold on longer, as she was on the carpet, and not on the hardwood of the ship. She shuts her eyes, then collapses on Jack, who catches her once more. From the couch, Ruth was shocked. She had never seen her daughter do such a thing, but Henry wrapped an arm around her shoulder, and brought her closer, as they watched their children have a great time from the comfort of the couch.
"That's the longest I had ever done." She laughs, then grabs her lemonade, as she downs the entire contents from the glass. Rose rubs her mouth with the back of her hand, then turns to Jack, as he was smiling. They engage in a long passionate kiss, before Jack grabbing her waist, and doing an impromptu waltz. Jesse and Marion also do the same, and Jack wanted to see if Jesse could also perform his footwork. Jessica pulled another cylinder wax containing Irish music from the box, then the music began to play. Jack straightens his hair, then performs another footwork, as Jesse takes off his shoes, and gets ready for his turn. Jack steps aside, as Jesse performed a harder version, while Fabrizio claps to the beat of the music. Little Jack was astonished, as he watched his uncle perform his footwork, and Jack picked up, but was starting to show a sign of defeat, as he breathed a little hard, to try and catch up to Jesse's agility. Eventually Jack stopped, and everyone also rested in the living room, laughing and clapping. Rose and Jesse brings Jack outside, and Marion brings him some water. Jack looks on, astonished as well, and wondered how Jesse could perform something like that.
"How did you…" Jack began.
"I didn't tell you?" Jesse giggles, as he gets up from the steps. "I guess I didn't tell you some of the stories, until today. When I traveled to Southampton the first time around, I was taken to a pub, where I also learned to play billiards, among other things. When that dance came up on the platform I wanted to give it a try. It came naturally, as I had some bit of Irish ancestry in me, and just a little bit of Indian ancestry in me, but that's for some other time. That was when my father took me to various mechanic shops there in Southampton and London, before I was taken to Paris, and where we would be working there as well, only temporarily. So, I'm of Irish heritage as well, to which my grandfather is part of." Jesse smiles, as Marion walks up to him, lemonade glass in her hand, then he wraps his arms around her in a large hug, then takes her lemonade and downs it, while Marion playfully slaps his chest for taking her drink. Rose steps outside, as the baby coos in her arms. Rose hands her child to Marion, as Jesse smiles at the child. Rose and Jack held to each other, then imagined what the couple would be like if they had a child of their own, as Jesse lightly taps Tommy's stomach, and little Jack protesting to his uncle. It looked as if though they were truly a family, as Marion held on to Tommy, little Jack next to his 'father', and Jesse patting his 'son' on his shoulders, as they stood in front of the house. Ruth comes from the house, then goes past the 'family' as she meets her daughter and Jack, then admires them, as Jack began to draw the couple in front of him, with his son in Marion's arms and Jack standing next to his uncle. All Jack did was draw the outlines of the family, then the house, for he will draw the rest later, as he wanted to try his hand at memorizing his drawings, just like Jesse had done, as all he did was use his mind to complete the drawing.
…
It was a late afternoon as Jesse was tinkering with Jon's car in front of the house, after it sputtered and at one point nearly died after he and Marion drove Jack and Rose to Coney Island, while little Tommy was in the care of Jessica out on the front porch, watching her brother working on their car. He knew the car ran worse since he came back from surviving the Titanic, but now it nearly left them stranded, and Jon wanted the car fixed. Jesse ran into this situation almost often, as he knew it was a fuel problem, after hearing it sputter, back fire, and even tried to turn over on several occasions. He cleaned the fuel lines as best he could, as they were severely corroded and clogged with deposits. He even rebuilt the carburetor, before he noticed the wires to the spark plugs were also frayed, as he nearly got a shock from them. Meanwhile, little Jack watched in fascination as his uncle worked on the family car. He poked his nose over the hood, as he tried to look at the engine and its contents, while Jesse told him to watch out for the fan, or it might take his fingers off. Jesse got Marion to sit in the driver's seat, as he had taught her to drive and operate the car back in Albuquerque, from one of his father's rusting pieces behind the house. Those cars, while they sat for ages behind the house, ran like a charm, and not one of them were smoking, while Jon's car seemed to run poorly, despite it being only a couple of years old. Jesse puts the parts back together, then held his nephew back, before he told Marion to fire the engine. It finally started on its first try, but the engine was still shaking, as he told Marion to give it a little gas via the throttle lever on the steering wheel. The engine hesitated at first, but finally responded, though it felt like it was still starved for fuel, as he could tell the engine was still shaking, though this time it didn't backfire. He began to look long and hard at the frayed wires, and thought that could play a role in the way the engine shook. He went back into the house, as he remembered seeing the wires somewhere while rummaging around the storage room, while Jack followed him, until Jon scooped up his son and played tickle monster, by putting his face in his son's stomach, and making monster noises while Jack laughed.
Moments later Jesse came out of the house, with wires in hand. He told Marion to turn off the engine, as he began to pull the old ones and installed new ones in the correct order. He then told Marion to hold the brakes, as he pulled the crank lever, and turned, until the engine finally ran perfect again. Jon watched in amazement as his car was finally in perfect running condition once more, as it no longer sputtered, back fired, or even turn off like it had done many times, and on few occasions, he would be late for work. Not this time, and thanks his brother-in-law for fixing the car finally. Jesse and Marion takes the car for a short cruise, before heading to Coney Island to pick up Rose and Jack from their fun of the afternoon.
...
Jack and Rose took in their sights of Coney Island, as Jack had never heard of this place, until he met Jesse. They walked among the boardwalk, as they look out towards the Statue of Liberty, looming in the distance, and they could barely make out the Brooklyn Bridge, which was next to the statue. They saw the sunset, being reminded once more of the Titanic's bow, then they turned east, out to the open Atlantic Ocean. Jack had completed his coast to coast tour, and bringing along Rose to accompany his journeys, and with that, his new friend Jesse, to discover new lands he had never seen, people he met, foods he tasted, and knew there were many more to come.
They strolled the park, among the riders as they screamed and laughed in the thrilling rides around them, and the aroma of foods coming from various vendors. They went to one vendor, as Jack ordered two hot dogs and fries, like he had done back at Santa Monica, when Rose was pregnant. They sat down at a table, as they shared the fries once more, and Jack giving her the dog, with all the fixins'.
Soon, it was time to leave, as they hoped Jesse and Marion were making their way to pick up the happy couple. Jack was very happy, as he hugged Rose from behind, and knew there were more adventures that were coming their way, and tomorrow would be the start he was looking for, as Jesse and Marion were happily waiting for the couple in the parking lot.