Chapter 4

Later on that afternoon Jesse stands against the poop deck railing as he had done earlier that morning, after his morning breakfast. His dark hair billowing with the wind as he stared out in the horizon, and he adjusts his coat to the cold North Atlantic wind. He brushes his hair from his eyes, then turns his attention behind him. There were families from various countries, strolling on the deck, as they looked forward to emigrating to America, aboard the Ship of Dreams. Children were playing with tops as their mothers were sitting on benches, keeping a watchful eye on their children. There are various voices, speaking in different languages, and laughter over the sounds of children. A man stood next to Jesse, and talking in a language he had never heard before, as he barely understood what a man next to him says. With the man still talking, he turned his attention to the people on the poop deck, and he wanted to draw them, but he told himself his drawings were for engineering purposes only. He smiled and nodded as one of the female passengers walks by, and they acknowledge him too. Among the crowded poop deck Jesse doesn't notice a young man who was staring intently at him from his seat across the deck. Meanwhile, the man next to Jesse gave him a final look, and smiles at him, tipping his hat, before disappearing among the people. Still smiling, he turns back to the starboard side of the ship. He looked off into the horizon, and shuddered at the thought when another ship he was on had collided back just seven months prior, but he reminded himself he was now on board a brand new ship, and that this was no longer the Olympic. That thought was still fresh in his memory, like it had happened just last week. He suddenly had a bad thought.

If a ship this massive can still float even with a serious damage to its hull, what will it take, and how much force will be needed, to sink this? He shuddered again.

"Hey, are you okay?" A voice called, seemingly far away. Jesse turned around, and opened his eyes. In front of him stood a young man, though a bit older than him, and was maybe 20 or so. He also had a youthful face, and had dirty blond hair, the same hair he'd seen back in Southampton; the second man that was running late to the ship.

"Yeah, I'm alright, just a little cold," Jesse says, though with a little lie. He places his sketchbook under his arm, and raises his hands to his mouth to blow into them, as if to keep them warm. The handsome young man offers his hand to Jesse. Jesse takes, but he could also sense nervousness in the way the young man's hands shook.

"I'm…Jack Dawson" he says, swallowing lightly.

"Jesse," he says.

"So…what brought you t…to…the Titanic…?" Jack asks, a little nervous. He couldn't believe how beautiful this young man standing in front of him looked, even though he could tell he was younger than him, by maybe a couple years. He also had dark, intense eyes that looked like could pierce iron, and dark hair with highlights of brown and a hint of blond in between, which were brought out by the sun.

"I'm going back home." Jesse says, brushing his hair aside, and squinted as the sun hit his eyes. "I also have two friends, one originally from New York, and the other wanting to start a new life in America."

"So, I can't help but notice you have a sketchbook also." Jack says, trying to make the awkwardness go away, as he sees Jesse holding his sketchbook. Jesse also notices his, but decided to not to question it. Eventually Jack asks. Jesse hands it to him, then takes Jack's sketchbook.

"You have some real talent. I love how the details are put in your drawings." Jack says, flipping through the pages. He furrowed his brow at a drawing of a man standing next to a 1909-looking model car. He took a closer look, then realized the man in the drawing was Henry Ford. Soon, Jack comes to a page where the H.M.S. Hawke has collided with the R.M.S. Olympic, which is dated September 20, 1911; one from his view aboard the Olympic, between the lifeboats, the other where he assumed had happened as if he can see the incident from land.

"What happened here?" Jack asks.

"I was a passenger aboard the Olympic, when we were just going back to New York." Jesse described how the Olympic was bound for New York, while crossing the Solent, when out of nowhere the H.M.S. Hawke, a battle cruiser, had come in contact and struck the Olympic on the side where they were standing, The Hawke was being pulled in by the ship's suction because of its size, and the sharp blows of the ships' collisions can be felt throughout. He describes how the force of the collision also threw him against one of the quarters.

"Luckily, the Olympic didn't sink, despite the major damages the ship suffered, and we made it back to Southampton." Jesse says, rubbing his neck. "I have also heard they had to pull resources from this ship to keep the Olympic going. I still hurt to this day." He laughs. "I guess that is the reason this ship is called the 'Unsinkable Ship', or so they say. Enough about me. What brings you to the Titanic?"

Jack explains he left home from Chippewa Falls after a fire claimed his parents when he was 15. With no money he went throughout the country, selling his portraits for 10 cents. When he did earn enough he left New York, unsure which ship he boarded, and spent nearly three years in Europe, drawing nudes in France, and meeting Fabrizio in Italy, and how he longs to go back home. Jesse also tells his, that he has been sent telegrams to go to Europe for automobile repairs because his father wanted him to see the world, and experience different cars, since last fall. He also told how he met Karl in Finland sometime around February on one of those travels. One of the cars broke down on him, and no one in Europe wanted to touch it. He sold the car to a shop and they got enough money for a train so the both of them could go to France, hop on a small merchant ship and be back in Southampton in time to go home. Karl, like Fabrizio, wants a better life in America as well. Lastly, he wants to go into engineering, but he's giving it quite a thought.

"You should. You're talented, you're smart, you're really good with your hands, and you're beau…" Jack soon turns red, clearly embarrassed. He slowly turns away, and brushes his own hair from his eyes. Just then someone calls to them.

"Hey, introduce your new friend to us." A voice with Scottish accent says.

"Come on." Jesse says, then hawks up phlegm before spitting it out into the Atlantic. Jack was astounded, for he didn't expect someone as beautiful as Jesse to do such a thing, as he follows close behind. He tries not to look at Jesse, but couldn't help himself. He had short hair, tad shorter than Jack's, and darker. He pushed his hair back, indicating the wind was fluttering with his hair. Jesse tilts his head back as he does so. He was also tall, by a few inches, and more fit. Jack's heart hammers in his ears, and his mouth becomes dry. He shook his head, trying to get the image out of his head. He places his sketchpad under his arm then jams his hands in his pocket.

"Who's your new friend?" the Scottish one says.

"Jesse Williams," he says, offering his hand.

"I'm Tommy Ryan." he says, before taking out his cigarette from his mouth. Then Fabrizio.

"Fabrizio." He says. They all shake hands and offer a round of laughter among one another, as Jesse quickly became part of the group, as if they were old friends. Soon, a crewmember walks by, leading a small pack of dogs past the group Jack and Jesse were in. Tommy scowls at the sight of the dogs.

"That's typical. First class dogs come over here to take a shite!" Tommy blows smoke, and Jesse cracks a smile, and brushes his fluttering hair from his eyes. Jack looks up from his drawing.

"That's to let us know where we rank in the scheme of things." Jack says, as he continues to draw Jesse's graceful pose into his sketchbook.

"Like we could forget." Tommy puts his cigarette back on his lips.

"The ship is English, no?" Fabrizio asks.

"No, it's built by Irish hands." Tommy says, then asks Jesse first, seeing he had Jack's similar leather-bounded sketchbook he had in front of him.

"Do both of you make any money with your drawings?" Jesse looked at Tommy, then Jack, then down to his sketchbook.

"No, this is just something to pass the time." Jesse says, half lying.

Just then Jack needed something to take his mind off of Jesse, and that opportunity came. Up on the higher deck, was a young woman, who was clearly out of Jack's league, and was probably around Jesse's age. He was love struck, right then and there. Jesse takes note, and turns to where Jack was looking. All soon follow.

"Ah forget her, boyo," Tommy says, turning back. "Ya just like having angels fly out of your 'arse' than gettin' next to the likes of her."

Fabrizio tries to get Jack's attention by waving his arm in front of him, then laughs. Jesse giggles at this motion, then he turns back around and sees the young woman for the last time. Soon, a man walks up to Jesse, and gently taps his shoulder. Jesse turned, and the man was clearly nervous as Jesse brushed his hair from his eyes.

"Are you-Jesse?" he asked in thick Scottish accent, as he took his hat off, then places it on his chest.

"Sure. What can I do for you today?" he asked, smiling.

"Yer friends are waitin' on the lot of you and yer tickets down below...and..."

"Why, yes. Thanks for the reminder. I'll go meet them now." Jesse thanked the man, then turned to his new friends, shaking hands with Tommy, Fabrizio, and Jack for the last time before leaving. He didn't stay around for long when the man came out to escort this first-class woman back inside. Jack finally snaps out, then gets up and tries to follow in the direction where Jesse went, only to lose him once again as he was in the corridor full of people.