April 20, 1912
Evening
Atlantic Ocean
The more days, hours and minutes the Titanic lived after the day of unhappened disaster, the more I thought about how much history will change now and what awaits us ahead. The euphoria has passed. We saved everyone and that's cool. Now must look to the future. The ocean is calm. What else is needed for happiness?
The telephone on the bridge rang. I picked up the phone.
"Heavy spray straight ahead" shouted the lookout.
"Understood. Mr. Boxhall, urgently to the forecastle. Take binoculars. Report if you see anything. The lookout spotted the spray."
"Yes, sir!"
Sharpening my binoculars until my eyes hurt, I began to peer into the distance. The fountains played. We were heading straight for it.
After half an hour of full speed, our ship approached a flock of whales.
"Stop the machines" I ordered.
Curious passengers crowded the open decks. The excitement of the children was endless. Free aquarium. My own jaw dropped. Huge animals were not at all afraid of us, gracefully jumping out of the water, despite their huge weight. They could be touched by hand. An indescribable sight - a bowhead whale shimmering in the rays of sunset in the spray of water. They circled the ship playing with each other. The captain allowed the officers and I to open the D-deck port doors on the starboard side.
"Oh, God, this is wonderful!" all that I could squeeze out of myself, choking with delight.
In the doorway, first class passengers gathered around us. Everyone wanted to take a closer look. The cooks brought the fish. Rolling up my sleeves, I took one and threw it to the beautiful Greenlander. A minute later there were five of them. Sticking their noses out of the water, they waited for a treat.
"Let me, pleaseā¦" passengers started asking.
We had to secure them so that they would not fall off. Men also went crazy with delight. James was happy as a child. The sea creatures were no less happy.
April 20, 1912, I will remember forever. Day of the triumph of life over death.
These days in my world ships were collecting corpses from the crash site. Everything has changed. Full of happy passengers, the Titanic is making her return voyage.
Having admired the beautiful animals to our heart's content, we continued our journey to the east.
Night from 20 to 21 April 1912
Atlantic Ocean
Holding hands, we entered a dark empty reading and writing room, or a library.
The clock on the fireplace showed midnight. The moon shone brightly through the large windows, giving everything a ghostly atmosphere. Fireplace, stucco on the ceiling, crystal chandeliers, elegant armchairs... a lunar mirage.
Rose sat down on the carpet; I lay down beside her.
"Ghosts on a ghost ship" I said, looking at the patterns on the ceiling.
She lay down next to me, resting her head on my chest.
For a while we lay in silence, staring up at the ceiling. Moonlight shimmered in the chandeliers.
The 21st century is the century of the acceleration of life, the reduction in the cost of production and the complete depreciation of memory. I don't regret leaving there.
Little by little the moon left our side. There was total darkness in the room.
"I'll turn on the light."
"Don't. Don't turn it on, Henry. Someone will come in and see you and me on the floor. Gossip will start."
"Nobody will come. It's already late." I slowly got up and walked over to the switches.
Click. At the same time, all the wall sconces flared up, illuminating Rose with a subdued light.
A beautiful song about true love played softly from the dynamics of her iPhone. About love that happens once in a lifetime. Not about hysterical hobbies or posturing, but literally love.
We danced a slow dance in the silence of the night, broken only by the dull hum of the engines.
21 April 1912
Evening
Atlantic Ocean
On my rounds, I stopped near the entrance to the first class on the A-deck covered promenade. Looking at the starry sky of the Atlantic every night was another nice addition to working on the liner.
Usually, I spent my nightly smoking after rounds alone. Passengers at this time had dinner or listened to music in spacious lounges. No one prevented me from contemplating eternity.
Looking at the North Star, I did not notice that a woman stood next to me in an expensive fur cape over an elegant dark green dress that reflected the light of the stars. The diamond earrings in her ears were clearly worth half the Titanic.
"Good night, officer!" The lady was the first to greet me, turning to face me.
I recognized her. The baroness from Munich whom I saw on the pier.
It is rather unusual that a woman of her circle is the first to speak to a man without being introduced to him. Although, perhaps, there were many stereotypes about the current era.
"Hello! I'm Henry"
"Gerda von Werfen"
"Nice to meet you. What brings you out into the cold, baroness?"
"How do you know my title?"
"I saw the passenger manifest."
"I also noticed you on the day of departure. More specifically, the first night. After dinner, you always come to listen to the orchestra. And always sit aside, not talking to anyone."
"Classical music does not tolerate chatter. It must be listened to without distraction."
"I believe" she smiled back.
A young man in a tailcoat appeared at their entrance door to the first class. About twenty years old. Hair combed in a straight parting. His face was simple and not particularly attractive. It's amazing to have the face of an old man at twenty. Well, but rich, since he's in the first class. And this is an advantage. All women are at your feet. Even if you are a crocodile.
"Baroness, we are waiting for you!"
"I'll be right back, Mr. Getty. It's hot in the cabin."
"Paul Getty" explained the baroness like reading my mind "son of an American oil magnate. Studying at Oxford."
The Getty family is very famous even in my era. The great-grandson of this young man, Balthazar Getty, will become a film actor. I saw him in a couple of films. But a very interesting story will happen to the grandson in the 70s. Paul Getty Jr. will be kidnapped in Rome by the Italian mafia. The grandfather will refuse to pay and the guy's ear will be separated from him. The ransom will eventually be paid, but from the money given in debt by the grandfather to his son at interest. Funny people, right? In some ways, they are similar to the Roy family from the series Succession. But Logan Roy is kindness itself compared to Paul Getty Sr.
I could not believe that this nice Oxford student would, in the future, turn out to be a cruel pragmatic person. Too cruel. It is very hard to live knowing about the future. Some people are disgusting to look at.
Looking into the black night, I didn`t know how to continue the conversation with baroness von Werfen. I didn't know what it was customary to talk about with baronesses. Yes, I have never seen the baroness alive. Only people with delusions of grandeur.
Gerda herself came to my rescue.
"Tell me something, Henry"
"I don't even know what I can tell you."
"Do you know any good poems?"
"You probably haven't heard "An Open Letter to NYC" "
"Intrigued"
Looking her straight in the eyes, I quietly began to recite with feeling.
Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten
From the Battery to the top of Manhattan
Asian, Middle-Eastern and Latin
Black, White, New York you make it happen
Dear New York I hope you're doing well
I know a lot's happen and you've been through hell
So, we give thanks for providing a home
Through your gates at Ellis Island we passed in droves
"Amazing! Never heard anything better in my life. So dynamic, modern."
"Glad you liked it."
I stood smoking, she was silent.
"Are you bored, Gerda?"
"Why do you think so?"
"Otherwise, why are you standing here with me in the cold instead of having fun in the first-class lounge?"
"I won't see or hear anything new in the lounge. And being with you, Henry, is very interesting."
The baroness smiled and walked away.
