Chapter 15: Developing Feelings
More time had passed on the Legacy, and Rose began to come out of her shell more often. At first, Jim wasn't into getting to know her at first; but the longer they worked together, the better they got along. Rose was ordered to help Jim with his chores more as Captain Amelia was starting to have more faith in the doctor and cabin boy. Also, Jim and Silver were slowly starting to get along, even though Jim still did not fully trust him.
One day, Jim was scrubbing the decks and Rose was asked to help. Jim was down on his knees wearing an apron without his leather jacket scrubbing the wooden deck with a scrub brush. The redhead kept her eyes lowered to the ground as she focused on cleaning, with her hands and knees growing sore. She stopped to take a breath and pushed back loose strands in her hair.
She looked over to see Jim look up at Silver. The cyborg stood above the teens with his hands on his hips with a smirk. The boy stood up to confront the cyborg, but Silver just gave him another bucket full of soapy water and pointed to a missed spot on the deck.
The girl, however, was more of a pacifist, and didn't like confrontations. She watched the boy toss the soapy water on the deck and go back to scrubbing. The redhead followed his example, and continued scrubbing. Every time Rose looked up to watch Jim, she saw his expression of forlorn.
Most nights were peaceful. On one clear night, Rose saw Jim standing at the bowsprit, staring at the endless skies, and watching the stars. The breeze blew through his unkempt bangs and his eyes glowed with curiosity. The girl had to admit, the boy looked handsome the way he was looking in the distance. Jim looked back and noticed Rose watching him. She gasped, and shyly looked away.
However, Jim approached her with a warm smile. He held out his hand, and Rose slowly took it. He guided her to a safe place to sit, and they watched the glittering stars with astonishment. With the teens sitting together, Rose kept holding Jim's hand. The teenage boy grew shocked as he saw the petite girl held his hand. The redhead grew nervous, thinking he would pull it away. But Jim squeezed his hand with hers, reassuring her that he was there for her. This made the girl smile.
There were other times when nights were fun. One time, Jim and Rose sat on the stairs behind a wall with mugs of hot cocoa. They watched behind a wall to see a few members of the crew sitting around a table in the galley with Silver. The Ursid cyborg was telling stories, using his mechanical arm to depict monsters and treacherous situations.
Rose began to like the cyborg more as he was becoming more of a mentor towards her and Jim. Her eyes traveled to her peripheral vision to see the boy smiling at the Ursid. The two were having fun times.
Other days, however, weren't the best. As Jim and Rose finished washing the last of the dishes in the galley, Silver came in with a much bigger pile of dishes and pots and dumped them in front of the teenagers. They looked at the huge pile in shock, and then towards the Ursid as the cyborg laughed, walking away. Jim glared after him, picked up a pot and started to scrub it vigorously. Rose's eyes widened at first, and then she heaved a grunt of annoyance before following Jim's example.
After a few hours of scrubbing the pots, Jim and Rose have fallen asleep from exhaustion. The boy leaned on a big pot and was heavily asleep; the redhead was on the floor curled up in a fetal position with the scrub brush in one hand and used her other arm to cushion her head. Silver came back down, and frowned at them, thinking the teens were slacking off. Before he could wake them up to scold them, he saw that all the dishes, pots, and cooking utensils on the shelves, clean, sparkling, and organized. The cyborg smiled and looked at Morph; he came over, placed his jacket around Jim's shoulders, and left the galley.
Feeling a heavy weight on his shoulders, Jim woke up and saw Silver's mechanical leg disappear up the stairs. Rose slowly sat up and saw the boy wrapped in the cyborg's coat. She gave a small smile and began to develop of sense of respect and trust towards her new friends.
One night, Rose couldn't sleep. So, she went out on the decks for fresh air, hoping that gazing at the stars would clear her mind and help her get back to sleep. She got out of bed and put on her slippers. The redhead left her room and walked quietly through the hallway, hearing the sleeping sounds from the Captain, Mr. Arrow, and Dr. Doppler.
She exited from the Captain's stateroom and gently, but quietly, closed the door. She looked around the see the deck deserted as the crew were down in their quarters asleep. The auburn-red haired girl felt a moment of peace. She placed her arms and elbows on the railing and looked up at the stars. Then, a shooting star flew by, and the sight of it almost brought tears to her eyes. Remembering a lullaby, her biological mother, Margaret, sang to her as a little girl, Rose began to sing it.
"Flying Dreams"
(Rose):
Dream by night,
Wish by day,
Love begins this way,
Night's a friend with love to send
Each new day
Bless your heart
Bless your soul
Let your dreams come true
Future songs and flying dreams
Wait for you
Love it seems made flying dreams
So, hearts could soar
Heaven sent these wings were meant
To prove once more
That love is the key
Rose paused for a moment, wiping away her tears. Remembering the sweet moments of her early life before her parents passed away, brought a small smile to her face. She looked up at the sky, and a breeze blew through her long hair. Her turquoise irises sparkled when she saw two stars twinkling up there.
"Mother, Father," Rose said. "I know you're looking down on me. I feel like I'm turning into a different person, now. I never thought that this voyage would make me into a different person, but I feel a change in me." She sighed. "Everyone I've met, Dr. Doppler, Silver, Morph, and Jim. They're the nicest people I've ever met, and they've treated me well." She frowned. "Except for Scroop and the other crewmembers. But I'm not going to let their harshness put me down. I'm hoping this voyage will impact my life for the better."
The auburn-redhaired girl looked up at the sky and finished her song.
(Rose):
As you wish as you will
Dream a flying start
Love and care
The power's there
Trust your heart
Trust your heart.
From the moment she finished her lullaby, she sighed in content. But then, Rose shivered as a cold breeze blew in the air, and she rubbed her arms to warm up. She silently reprimanded herself for not bringing a blanket outside with her.
"Are you cold?"
Rose let out a yelp and spun around. Behind her was Jim, he was standing by the mast a few feet away.
"Jim!" she said, placing a hand on her chest. "I didn't know you were there."
"Oh, I didn't mean to scare you, Rose," the boy said, sheepishly.
"No," she said, quickly, before nervously admitting. "Well, just a little. I just couldn't sleep, so I thought I'd look at the stars. What are you doing outside?"
"I couldn't sleep either," Jim admitted. He noticed the petite girl shivering from the cold. So, he took off his leather jacket and placed it around her shoulders.
The girl blushed by this act. "You really didn't have to," she said.
"I just thought I'd do something nice for you," he insisted. "I can't just let anyone go outside when it's freezing."
"All right. Thank you."
Jim and Rose walked over to sit on a crate next to the railing. They looked up at the sky and stared at the stars.
"It's such a beautiful night," Rose said.
"Yeah, it is," Jim agreed.
There was silence between them for a few seconds.
"Jim, there's something that's been on the back of my head for a while... What was your life like before coming on this voyage?"
"Well, my life was all right," he said. "It wasn't really the best. I'm from the planet Montressor; it's mostly a mining planet. It's much blander and less exciting than your home planet." He sighed. "I do remember having good memories of my early childhood. One time, when I was a kid, I was reading a book on the legend of Treasure Planet, and my mom caught me for staying up past my bedtime. After giving her an innocent look, she joined me in for the story."
"Is that how you learned about Treasure Planet?" Rose asked. "I remember my parents brought me a book like that, and read it to me."
"Yeah, I've always believed that it was real, and decided that one day I would find it. When I was facing hard times, the legend of Treasure Planet and solar surfing helps me forget about my problems."
"What was your mother like?"
"My mom, Sarah, is a genuine and nice woman. She runs a business called the Benbow Inn. I love her, and still do. We were both close until my father left." At the mention of his father, Jim's face darkened.
Rose suspected that he still had heartache, remembering the first night on the Legacy of how Jim mentioned to Silver that his father left him and never came back.
Then his face darkened, "I did get along with my mom, mostly, except for my dad."
The redhead couldn't help but not contain her curiosity. Thinking quietly, she carefully had to come up with a question that wouldn't offend Jim.
"I don't mean to pry into your business Jim... but what was your dad like?"
Jim froze for a moment, with his expression full of bitterness. He took a deep breath and began to explain.
"Dad wasn't around a lot. Either he worked in the mines or traveled through the galaxy for long trips. His name was Leland Hawkins. My parents got married when they were very young. He was nineteen, and Mom was seventeen. I was born much earlier into their marriage than planned. My mom was happy to have me. But Dad, on the other hand, felt awkward and wasn't ready for the responsibility of being a parent. Most of the time, he would go to work at the mines and go on long voyages, coming home from time to time. He was more of a workaholic and dreamed of striking rich due to the mine's industry rising. Even when he was available at home, he didn't spend time with me. Even my mom. One time, I was building a toy boat and put it together myself. Then, Dad came home from work. I stood up to show him my accomplishment, but he just patted my head and went upstairs."
Jim grew depressed of the memory. "It felt that I wasn't good enough for him. All I ever wanted was for my dad to be proud of me. But it was no use. Then, one day, his work prospects were declining, and he decided to leave us."
Flashback: Seven years ago…
The sun rose in the morning on the planet Montressor, giving the sky a bright yellow color. Eight-year-old Jim was sleeping in his bed, until he heard a loud slamming of the front door from downstairs. He shot up from his bed, and looked out his window. He saw his father with a sack over his shoulder and marching towards the dock where a ship was waiting for him.
Jim scrambled out of his bed in his pajamas and ran down the stairs to the living room. He stopped at the bottom of the stairs and saw his mother Sarah sitting at the dining room table, sobbing hysterically. The boy exited from his house and stood on the porch as he saw Leland on the deck getting closer to the ship. That was when Jim realized that his father was leaving. He shook his head in disbelief as tears were forming in his eyes.
"Wait! Dad!" He called, running down the path to stop his father. "Don't go!" Jim ran as fast as he could, tripping on the ground, But he got up, and kept running. As he reached the decks, his father had already boarded on the ship, and it pulled away from the dock. Jim reached the deck, but the board already pulled away and was too far away for him to jump across. Jim stopped at the edge of the deck, with his hand on the beam and his other reaching out.
"Please Dad, don't leave me!" Jim called out one last time, as the ship his father was on disappeared into space. Jim's heart broke as his father had abandoned him and his mother.
We go back to the present and saw Jim finishing up the story of how the man who was supposed to love him, and his mother, never came back. Rose grew emotional, feeling empathetic for Jim to not have a father around to love and support him.
"I'm so sorry, Jim," she said, placing her pale, slender hand on his tan, rough one. "I never knew that you faced difficult times like myself."
"I never saw him again after he left that day," he said. "From that moment on, things got harder for me and my mom. He didn't even pay any visits, sent money to us, or wrote letters. That was when Mom decided to turn our house into an inn and restaurant to earn some income and keep us stable. Mom managed to move on, but I, on the other hand, never really got over my father's abandonment. I started to hate myself more and my self-esteem went down. I began to rebel, my grades went down in school, and I got into trouble with the law, often being sent to juvenile hall. I would break laws by flying my solar surfer into restricted areas such as mines and construction areas or get into fights with bullies at school. These bullies would sometimes insult me and call me worthless for not having my dad around. Sometimes, I would get jealous of other kids when I see them with their dads around, loving and being there for them. Sometimes, I would stress my mom out when she was busy managing the inn. Most of the people in town would turn their backs on me, thinking I would be a bad influence on their kids. Mom and Dr. Doppler were the only ones who never turned their backs on me," Jim admitted. "I try my best to stay out of trouble, but when I felt hurt or trapped, I'd go out on my solar surfer."
"I've never done solar surfing before," Rose said. "What's it like?"
"Solar surfing feels like…" he paused, trying to find the right word. "Freedom."
"What do you mean by 'freedom'?"
"Every time that I go on my solar surfer to soar in the air, I feel that I am free from my problems and everything. Mom was always worried about me and said that I shouldn't throw away my entire future. Then, a few months ago after I got into trouble again with the cops, I was up on the roof and overheard Mom talking to Dr. Doppler about her issues of raising me ever since Dad left. I felt guilty for making life harder for Mom. She even admitted that I'm like a stranger to her. Before I could continue to eavesdrop, I saw this ship come crashing down not too far from our house. I went to see what's happened, and then this salamander guy came out with a chest in his arms. His name was Billy Bones, and I helped him to my house. I didn't realize that he was dying. With his last breath, he opened the chest, gave me an object, and told me to beware the cyborg."
"Oh," the redhead gave a quiet gasp of hearing Jim's story.
"Then, pirates arrived and began to attack us. Mom and I were able to escape with Dr. Doppler, but they set our home on fire, burning it to the ground. The pirates got away, and we both lost our home. Dr. Doppler allowed us to stay with him at his mansion."
"What was that object you got from Billy Bones?"
"At Dr. Doppler's mansion, I opened it to see it was a sphere. Not only was it just a sphere, but it was a map of the galaxy. The best part about it was that this map led to Treasure Planet!" Jim said, smiling.
"So that's why Mother had that sphere locked in her stateroom," Rose said, understanding.
"Realizing that Treasure Planet was real, I saw it as the answer to solve my family problems. When I find that treasure, I'll use it to rebuild the inn to make it bigger and better. Mom was against the idea thinking it was a stupid waste of time, but Dr. Doppler took my side, and planned to finance the expedition. It's not why I wanted to go to Treasure Planet for riches, but I wanted to make things right with Mom, and change myself for the better."
Rose allowed every word from the boy sink into her mind. Then, she realized that she and Jim had more things in common. They both had difficult lives in their childhood, were lonely, and have low self-esteem with no hope for their future. But then, this treasure map somehow brought them together.
"Maybe fate chose you for a reason. Maybe it saw someone of worthy of changing for the better," Rose said. "But it's not fate that makes you Jim Hawkins. You are."
Jim looked at the auburn-red haired girl and gave a small smile. The two leaned into each and each threw an arm around their waists. They continued to look at the stars and both began to feel fatigue.
As they were to go their separate ways, Rose removed the leather jacket and handed it back to Jim. She no longer felt cold, believing the boy's body heat from the jacket warmed her up.
"Thank you for lending your jacket to me," she said.
"You're welcome, Rose," he said. "I'll see you in the morning."
The teenagers bid good night to each other and made their way back to their sleeping quarters. Rose closed the door to her bedroom and gave a sigh of content. Her heart began to flutter within her chest. She didn't know it, but this was the first time that she was developing feelings for the cabin boy.
The song "Flying Dreams" is from Don Bluth's "The Secret of NIMH".
