HOW I FOUND MY LOVE...JACK DAWSON: IN ROSE'S EYES ONLY
Chapter Three

April 12, 1912

By the morning, we were heading for the Coast of Ireland.

By the time we hit the coast of Ireland, we had nothing ahead of us but ocean.

That afternoon, we had a meal with Bruce Ismay, Molly Brown, Thomas Andrews, Cal, and Mother. That day, I was tired of Cal showing me off like a piece of meat and telling me what to do. I felt like I needed a smoke. As I lit it, Mother leaned over and said, "You know I don't like that, Rose."

Purposely, I blew it out in her face. Suddenly, Cal took it and put it out. "She knows," he said. Before I could even say what I wanted for lunch, Cal spoke and said, "We will both have the lamb, very rare with little mint sauce. You like that, right, sweetpea?" Again, I gave him a cheesy smile.

"Ya gonna cut her meat for her too, Cal?" Molly chuckled. "Hey, who thought of the name Titanic? Was it you, Bruce?"

As Mr. Ismay was talking about the Titanic, I decided to ask him something that boggled my mind. "Do you know of Doctor Freud, Mr. Ismay? His ideas on the male preoccupation with size might be of some particular interest to you."

Mother bent over and said, "My God, what's gotten into you Rose?" I had to get out, and get away from this place.

"Excuse me." And I left the table, with only Mr. Ismay standing up. As I breathed the sea air I looked over the railing. Look at the third class passengers, they don't have to worry about big parties and dinners. Then, I looked over and I suddenly saw a gentleman staring at me. I couldn't help staring at him. Then I felt a hand on my arms. "Do you mind?" I snapped, but it was Cal. I walked away and went to my cabin to rest until dinnertime.

As I got ready for dinner, I kept on thinking about those steerage passengers.

They did not have to go to big parties, and they have not seen their life already. Why does life have to be so unfair? That was one thing that puzzled in my mind that day. As I sat down for dinner, we visited with new people, and the same thing happened as usual. It was like if I saw my life as if I already lived it...endless parade of parties and cotillions, yachts and polo matches...always the same narrow people, the same mindless chatter. I felt like I was standing in a great precipice, with no one to pull me back, no one who cared...or even noticed. I stood up, and everyone else stood up. "Excuse me, no you don't need to get up I just need some fresh air."

Cal pulled on my arm, and whispered in my ear. "Darling are you sure you're all right?"

I whispered back in his ear. "Yes Cal, I am fine I just need some air." Carefully, I put a tiny fork from my crab salad, and put it carefully in my coin purse and started to head for my room. As I walk along the corridor, a steward came and greeted me I gave him a cheesy smile. As I enter the room, I stood in the middle.

Just staring at my reflection in the large vanity mirror.

I started to cry then suddenly, I rip my pearl necklace off my throat.

I look at myself look at you Rose, like a pampered princess...I thought to myself...and Cal your pampered prince that tells you to do everything! That made me even madder, I started to attack the room, flinging everything off my dresser.

I hurl at my hand mirror, cracking it against the vanity. Quickly, I grab the fork, but only drawing a little bit of blood. That would not work...as I run down the B Promenade deck, my hair fell down. I run past everybody not even caring, because no one is going to stop me. As I stop, I felt like if I was being pulled in. Carefully, I grabbed the railing, and climbed over it.

All right, on the count of ten I will jump one, two three--suddenly, a voice says, "Don't do it." That looks like the boy from steerage this morning, I thought.

Quickly, I replied, "Stay back, don't come any closer."

Reaching out his hand he says, "Take my hand, I will pull you back."

"No, stay where you are I mean it, I will let go."

He signals to me that he is going to throw his cigarette in the water.

"No you won't."

"What do you mean no I won't? Don't presume to tell me what I will and will not do you don't know me."

"Well, you would have done it already."

"You're distracting me go away."

"I can't, I’m involved now, you jump in there, and I will have to go in there after ya." Wait a second he is involved now because he talked to me? Now, I was really confused plus in tears.

"Don't be absurd, you will be killed."

He starts to take off his jacket, and replies. "I’m a good swimmer."

"Don’t be absurd, you’ll be killed."

"I’m a good swimmer," he says. Then, he starts to unlace his left shoe.

"The fall alone will kill you," I told him.

"It would hurt, I’m not saying it wouldn’t to tell you the truth I’m a lot more concerned about that water being so cold."

That got my attention, I looked down at the water then at him and said, "How cold?"

"Freezing, maybe a couple of degrees over." Unlacing his right shoe, he asks, "Have you ever been to Wisconsin?"

Perplexed I said, "What?"

"Well they have some of the coldest winters around, and I grew up there, near Chippewa Falls. Once when I was a kid me and my father we were ice-fishing out on lake Wissota...ice-fishing's where you chop a hole in the--"

Wait a second I bet he thinks that I don't know anything because of my style?

So I said, "I know what ice-fishing is!"

"Sorry you just looked like an indoor girl." I figured that day, that the more he talked to me the more of a bigger mistake I was making. "I guess I'm kind of hoping you'll come back over the ledge here. Come on you don't want to do this."

Well, he convinced me that I did not want to do this.

Carefully, I let my hand go off the railing, and grabbed his hand. With a sigh of relief, he said, "I’m Jack Dawson."

I replied and said, "Rose DeWitt Bukater."

"I’m gonna need you to write that down." As I went over the railing, I slipped on my dress and almost fell over board.

I screamed at the top of my lungs and said, "Help, help!"

"I've got you," Jack said. "I won't let go." After he pulled me over, two officers came to hear what happened.

"What's all this?" he said looking at me from the look on my face and Jack’s clothes everywhere they thought that he harassed me.

The officer looked at Jack and said, "You stand back, and don't move an inch, fetch the master at arms." As one of the officers helped me up, and asked if I was okay, Cal and Colonel Gracie came out. After one of the officers told Cal what happened, Cal was furious. After the other officer came back with the master at arms he brought me back a blanket too. Colonel Gracie asked if I would like a sip of his brandy to get me warmed up.

I shook my head, and said, "No."

Then, Cal went over to Jack, and said, "This is completely unacceptable how did you think you put your hands on my fiancée? Look at me you filth--" What was I going to say?

I had to tell him something. "Cal stop, it was an accident."

Perplexed, Cal looked at me and said, "An accident?"

"Stupid really I was leaning over and I slipped. I was leaning far over to see the um, the um..."

"Propellers?" Cal said.

"Propellers and I slipped, but I would have gone over board, but Mr. Dawson saved me and almost went over himself."

As I looked at Cal he said, "She wanted to see the propellers."

Colonel Gracie then said, "Like I said. Women and machinery do not mix."

Then, the Master at Arms asked Jack. "Was that the way of it?"

I looked at Jack and gave him the please look.

Then, he said, "Yeah, that was pretty much it."

A sigh of relief escaped my body.

Then, Colonel Gracie said, "Well, then the boy's a hero then so let's get back to our brandy."

As we went back to the lounge, Colonel Gracie said, "Perhaps a little something for the boy..."

Cal paused and said, "Oh yes Lovejoy, a twenty should do it."

I couldn't believe that he even said that. "Is that the going rate for saving the woman you love?"

Cal looked at me and said, "Rose is displeased, what to do?" Pausing, he then said, "I know, perhaps you could join us for dinner tomorrow to regale our group with your heroic tale."

Pausing, the young man who saved my life said, "Sure, count me in."

Perfect, I thought to myself, and we went back to our cabin.

When I got back to my room, I picked everything up, and got into my nightgown. After I got done, I sat down next to my vanity, and combed my hair.

Then I heard my door open, it was Cal. "I know you've been melancholy, I don't intend to know why," he started. "I was going to save this for the engagement gala, but I thought tonight, why not." As he opened it, it was a huge necklace.

"Goodness gracious," I said. "Is it a--"

"Diamond? Yes. 56 carats to be exact. Louis the 16th wore and then they cut it in a heart shape called Le Coeur de la Mer--"

Then at the same time we both said, "The heart of the ocean."

"Yes," Cal said. "You know there's nothing I could give I wanted to. Oh open up your heart to me Rose."

As the heavy thing hung around my neck, I thought is the way it is going to be every day when we're married?

When I get upset is he going to give me more jewelry? "Cal, I am really tired, can you leave me so I can sleep?"

He looked at me, and said, "Oh, yes of course."

Chapter Four
Stories