A ROSE BLOWING IN THE WIND
Chapter Four
Rose sighed as she sat on a park
bench, looking up at the afternoon sky. Where was she going to go from here?
Where was she going to live? Maybe Mrs. Wilma would let her stay there for a
while. She'd offer to help with the chores and everything else that might need
to be done...at least until she found a place of her own.
Jack, what have I gotten
myself into? she wondered
inwardly.
Sighing, she leaned her head back
and drifted off to sleep. She was abruptly awakened by a loud, joyful voice.
"Rosie, is that you? God
Almighty, child! We thought you were dead!"
Rose looked up just in time to
see Molly Brown running towards her. Rose got to her feet and faced the kind
woman who had helped Jack just a couple of nights ago. "Hello,
Molly." Rose didn't smile. Her eyes were full of worry. Was Molly in close
contact with Mother and Cal? Were they anywhere in the vicinity?
"We all thought you were
dead. Cal even went down to steerage on the Carpathia to look for you, but he
didn't find a trace..."
"I know, Molly. I saw
him." Rose sighed.
"And you didn't go to him?
Rose, darling...what's going on? Why haven't you gotten in touch with your
family? You know Ruth is beside herself with worry." Molly looked at Rose
closely. "And where's Jack, may I ask? He must be the only reason you'd
hide from Cal."
"Jack...Jack didn't make it,
Molly. He died holding my hand. He got me on a board that couldn't hold us
both...he remained in the water and made me promise to survive. When I tried to
wake him up when the lifeboat came back...he was gone." Rose closed her eyes
against the memory of Jack's frost-rimmed face. "And as for me not going
to Mother and Cal...that's just part of my promise. I promised Jack I would
survive, and if I had gone back to Mother and Cal, I wouldn't have. My
engagement to Cal was slowly killing me. I would have eventually died...Jack
was right. If I didn't break free, I was going to die sooner or later. So I hid
from Cal and Mother."
"But aren't ya going to
write her, darling? Let her know you're all right?"
"Not right now, Molly. Maybe
later on down the road, but right now I have to let Rose DeWitt Bukater remain
dead, and live my life as Rose Dawson. That's the only way I can live my own
life, Molly. Perhaps...when I'm ready to fall in love again and marry, then I
can think of my mother...but not right now. Right now it's all about me."
Rose sighed.
Molly nodded in understanding. In
the little time she had known Rose, she had known the girl had spunk that her
mother and fiancé were trying to snuff out. And she had feared then that
someday they would indeed break the girl's spirit. This was indeed a smart move
Rose was making...even though it meant letting Ruth remain grief-stricken over
a daughter who wasn't dead. "I understand, Rose, and don't worry. They
won't hear about this meeting. Rose DeWitt Bukater is dead."
"You must think I'm horrible
for letting my mother think me dead." Rose examined the ground with her
eyes.
"Not at all, darling. I
understand you need your freedom. I've known that since the moment I met ya.
And about Jack...I'm sorry he didn't survive, darling. I saw how you two looked
at each other at the dinner...the first blossoms of true love. He was a
kind-hearted soul, and I'm sure he's smiling down on ya right this
minute...beaming with pride."
"I'm sure he is." Rose
sniffed back a tear. "I do miss him terribly, Molly. I'd do anything just
to be with him."
Molly took Rose in her arms and
nodded. "I know, sugar. I know. But he is with ya in spirit, Rose. As long
as you keep him in your heart and honor his memory by living life to the
fullest, he'll always be with ya."
"Rose!" She heard
Laurie calling to her. "Rose, where are you?"
"Oh, that's my party. I
guess I better get going." Rose withdrew from the hug. "Thanks,
Molly, for keeping my secret. This means a lot to both me and Jack."
"I know, sugar." Molly
tucked a red curl behind Rose's ear. "You take good care of yourself and
keep in touch. In fact, here's my address." Molly dug into her purse and
gave Rose a card.
"Thanks again, Molly."
Rose hugged the woman one more time before running to rejoin Laurie and Mrs.
Wilma's group.
Molly looked after Rose with a
tear in her eye and a silent prayer for Jack in her heart. She, too, mourned
the loss of the kind young man she had met on Titanic. He had reminded her of
herself when she was that age. He had a real joy for life, even though he was
penniless, and he had dared to love a high society girl. And Rose...poor Rose.
She could see the grief in the poor girl's eyes. She had loved Jack so much
that she had taken his name as her own. She wished her the best in the future,
and hoped she'd change her mind about her mother. Ruth did have her faults, but
it was sad that she had to grieve needlessly. But for Rose, Molly was going to
let her grieve. Maybe it would teach the woman how to change in the process.
Sighing, she continued on her way back to the hotel, her heart heavy with
thoughts of the Titanic.