THE SILENCE
Chapter Three
Jack slept better than before, no nightmares
and was woken by the sound of his roommates rising. The cabin was small at
best, but with four people trying to get up, washed and shaved it was almost
impossible. Jack lay until the Swedes had finished and gone before getting up.
"So, how you sleep?" asked Fabri
concerned.
"Not too good," replied Jack.
"I got up and went for a walk, but there were stewards everywhere looking
for her. They asked me if I'd seen her."
"What did you say?"
"Well I said I hadn't of course. I saw
the Captain too. He was with Rose's fiancé, some guy called Hockley."
"Rose?" queried Fabri.
"Yeah, that's her name." Jack
pulled off his shirt to have a wash. "You know that guy Hockley is a real
mean man."
"Well, let them to it and you forget it,
eh?" Fabri warned. "It's no your problem now."
Jack began to wash. Easy for Fabri to say, he
thought. The splash of the water in the sink chilled him inside.
They went down for breakfast together and
found Tommy Ryan seated at a large table. There was room for two of them and
they squeezed in.
"So how ya feelin'?" Tommy asked
Jack.
"Better, thank you," Jack carried
on the pretence of seasickness. It suited him.
The table was already in the throes of
discussion when they sat down. Once seated, the gossip was given to them.
"Have you heard about that passenger
going missing?"
"No," replied Fabri shooting a
glance at Jack.
"They turned the ship round to see if
she's floating on the sea." One of the men said huskily.
"Unlikely," chimed a woman.
"Her first class pockets all be full of gold and she'd sink."
"I heard she's been kidnapped by one of
them Ruskies and locked in their cabin." Another man continued.
"Bloody Ruskies," mumbled another.
"All the stewards are looking
everywhere," another woman added. "I feel for her Ma."
"I wouldn't feel for no toff," the
first woman answered.
"Ah Maggie, you're a Ma. Imagine if one
of your bairns we lost?" cried the woman.
The conversation continued. Fabri looked at
Jack who had turned wide-eyed and pale. Ignoring all Fabri's advice Jack jumped
up and pushed his plate back. The cutlery and crockery clattered. The table
felt silent. Fabri held his breath wondering what on earth Jack would say. But
he simply said, "Excuse me, I'm not feeling too well," and rushed out
of the room.
Tommy looked at Fabri who shrugged his
shoulders and continued to eat. There was little point in going after Jack.
Jack assumed his position on the rail. He
went over it again and again. Why would a first class girl jump? He had nights
of sleeping rough in the cold and rain. Days with no food. But never once did
it ever cross his mind to end it all. So why when you had a bed and food in
your stomach would you want to kill yourself? It didn't make sense. He thought
of the way Rose had acted earlier that day when he saw her on deck. Must be
something to do with Hockley, he concluded. He must have upset her somehow. He
sighed and looked out to sea. If the ship had turned he wouldn't know what
direction. He was no sailor. Would they find her body? He didn't know that
either.
Glancing about him he could see stewards
looking around. They didn't seem to be as enthusiastic now. They probably think
it's a waste of time, thought Jack. He tried to imagine what Rose's mother must
be going through. He felt sorry for her, but not for Hockley. He had decided
that he was the cause of Rose's misery and the reason for her suicide. At least
this gave Jack a motive for her actions and someone to blame.
He breathed in the salty air deeply and let
it flow through him. Time to go back, he surrendered. Jack wandered slowly back
to the dining hall. Most of the table had gone, but Fabri and Tommy were still
there. Jack sat down and picked up a bread roll.
"That'd be best for you," said
Tommy.
"What?" puzzled Jack.
"The bread roll. If you’re feelin' queasy
still. A bread roll."
Jack took a bite. "What are you two
doing now?"
'A game of cards I think," Fabri smiled.
"Today I get lucky."
"Are ya talking about the cards or that
young lady?" grinned Tommy and the two of them started to laugh. Jack felt
like an outsider.
"What about you?"
"Don’t know," Jack shrugged. Then
he had an idea. "I'll probably go and do some sketching."
Fabri and Tommy headed off to round up a card
school. Jack finished the roll and some coffee and went back to the cabin to
collect his sketching paper and charcoal. The cabin door was open and he
assumed the Swede's were in. He walked into the cabin and straight into an officer
and two stewards waiting for him.