THE SILENCE
Chapter Six

Something woke Jack with a start. He wasn't sure what. He peered round the room. The dusky light filtered from the porthole. He felt the slight vibration of the bunk and realized the engines had been started again. That must have been what woke him up.

"What a weird dream," he thought to himself, trying to find some meaning. But he couldn't make sense of it, other than he felt peaceful for the first time in years. He smiled. He had been able to picture his parents again. He shook Fabri awake and started to get ready for breakfast. The Swedes snored and grunted. They moved uncomfortably cramped in their small bunks. They weren't going anywhere just yet.

"What's the noise?" yawned Fabri.

"The engines have started again," replied Jack. Funny, he thought, you didn't notice them until they had been switched off and on again. Now the noise was loud.

They quickly scrubbed up and put on the best clean and uncrumpled clothes they could find and went for breakfast.

Most of the others in the dining room seemed also to be dressed for church and there was a more somber atmosphere than the usual loud one. Maybe because it was Sunday, maybe because the ice had made everyone a little nervous.

They were finishing their coffee when Tommy Ryan walked in.

"You're a pair of early birds, make no mistake," he commented and sat beside them. "What's the rush?"

"We go to Church," replied Fabri.

Tommy pushed his cap higher on his head and looked slightly uncomfortable.

"He promised his Ma," explained Jack.

"I know," said Tommy soberly. "I promised my Ma too."

"Do you want to come?" asked Fabri.

Tommy looked even more uncomfortable.

"Nah, I'll have my breakfast. But say a prayer for me eh lads?"

"Sure," promised Jack and they left the dining room.

The service was to be held in First Class. All the third class passengers were to meet in the hall and be led to the service by stewards; keen to ensure they went straight there and straight back, no wandering where they were not wanted. A steward led the group through gates, which were unlocked to let them through and quickly locked behind them. Up they were led, through Second class and into First. Jack and Fabri were amazed. They had never been privileged to witness such sheer luxury. The carpets, the light fittings, the furniture. The group carried on, stewards in front and behind to prevent stragglers. They came to a beautiful wooden staircase. Jack tried to take everything in, the glass dome, the crystal chandelier. Fabri nudged him.

"You believe you are seeing this Jack? That we are really here?"

"Yeah, look at it Fabri!"

"Hah, when I become rich in America, my house will be like this."

"Be sure to invite me round," replied Jack turning around to see everything. "I gotta remember all this," he said to himself, "and put it down on paper. I may never see the like again."

The group was made to wait whilst a steward went down and into a room to the right. He presently came back and gestured to the other steward who ushered them all quickly down the stairs and into the room. It was filled with people. The group of third class people was herded into the back of the room behind everyone else. They stood in silence, watched from all sides by stewards who handed hymnbooks out.

Fabri was totally awed by it all, Jack noticed with some amusement. His jaw continually moved up and down but no sound came out. Jack caught his arm.

"Take your cap off."

Fabri obliged. At the front, the white bearded man Jack recognized as the Captain got up on a small platform.

"Ladies and Gentleman, I wish to welcome you all to our Church Service today, which is also a memorial service to our lost passenger, Miss Rose Dewitt Bukater. I will ask her fiancé to begin by saying a few words. Mr. Caledon Hockley."

Fabri turned to look at Jack. He was watching so intently, he didn't notice Fabri.

Jack recognized the very smartly dressed, handsome man. He took the platform beside the Captain. He looked tired, and sounded distressed as he began to speak.

"My fiancée Rose was indeed a rose amongst the garden of life. She was not only my fiancée, but also the much loved daughter of Ruth Dewitt Bukater and the friend of many, many people who will be deeply distressed to hear of the tragedy that has befallen us. We do not know what happened or why and it is that that makes this tragedy so much harder to bear."

Fabri again looked at Jack searching his face for a reaction. He looked slightly pained whenever Hockley referred to 'tragedy'.

Jack studied Hockley intently as he carried on speaking. Despite his words, Jack saw his dark snake like eyes and remembered the way he spoke to the Captain. He soon formed the opinion that the public Mr. Hockley was very different from the private one and the words he was speaking now were for public appearance only. Was that how he had treated Rose?

There was a hymn and Jack and Fabri sang. Jack sang it with meaning, Fabri mumbled through, unsure of the words and unable to read the hymnbook quickly enough. There were more words from the Captain about the tragic loss of Rose. Jack couldn't take it all in. He replayed the scene again in his mind.

"Oh God her face, she was so defeated," he thought as his eyes followed to where Caledon Hockley stood on the front row. He stood next to a grand lady dressed in black. He could see wisps of red hair from beneath her hat. She was obviously Rose's mother. She seemed very distressed and leaned on Caledon Hockley for support.

"Does she know what a snake her daughter was marrying?" he asked himself.

Fabri looked at the far away look in Jack's eye and noticed the way he was clenching his hands. He gently nudged him.

"Let it go Jack. That's why you came here."

Another hymn, then thanks for the safe deliverance of the Titanic through the ice. Fabri kissed his crucifix and muttered in Italian. Then it was over. Jack realized he hadn't even heard half of it.

They were ushered out as quickly as they came. As they passed the First Class row, Jack stole a good look at Rose's mother and Caledon Hockley. He was too busy comforting the grieving woman who was also being fussed over by equally grand acquaintances. Her sorrow was real. Was Mr. Hockley's?

"I ain't never gonna know," sighed Jack.

Looking back on the rest of the journey, Jack would say it was unremarkable and only the events prior to the church service remained with clarity in his mind. The only other thing that remained in his memory was disembarking. As they walked down the gangplank, Jack stole a backward glance at the bow. For a brief moment he thought he saw a figure standing there, red hair blowing wildly in the wind. He blinked and she was gone. Jack stepped down onto American soil for the first time in 5 years, his whole future before him.

America was good to them both. After wandering with Jack for a while, Fabri settled down in New York with his new wife and had five children. Jack returned to Cedar Rapids for a short time and eventually settled in Santa Monica. From drawing portraits on the Pier, he bought his own art shop and gallery, selling pictures to tourists. They often asked who the beautiful longhaired woman was who appeared in most of them. Jack would just shrug and say "someone."

He kept his silence over what he saw that night and Fabri never spoke of too although he couldn't help but see the main object of Jack's portraits. Jack married in 1920 and had two children; both inherited their father's artistic ability and sense of adventure. His son James was the image of Jack but the apple of his eye was his daughter, a pretty red haired child who they called Rose.

The End.

Stories