A TWIST OF FATE
Chapter Five

Rose leaned against some railings gasping for breath, tears rolling down her cheeks. She became aware that people passing by were staring at her. With strands of hair falling down and looking out of breath and distressed, it had occurred to people that maybe she had been chased or even attacked.

"Are you alright Miss?" a young man asked

"Yes thank you" replied Rose before briskly walking away. I'm going to have to get out here before someone calls a policeman, she thought.

Looking round she realized she had run quite a way. She knew there was a large hotel on the corner. Rose decided to go to the foyer and find the ladies room. As it was busy in the reception, she was able to slip into the ladies room unnoticed. She tried to re pin her hair as best she could and splashed her face with water. Her eyes were red and puffy but there was nothing she could do about that. But where to go now? I will go and find Jack, she decided. After all, I have no where else to go and no one else to talk to.

Jack was bent over an almost finished drawing of a little girl and her father who sat on a stool before him. Rose watched silently as he finished creating lines of shade and texture, pushing stray locks blonde hair out of his eyes and smudging his cheeks with charcoal. He sat back and studied the paper for a moment before signing the bottom right corner with a flourish. He handed it over to the little girl who squealed with delight.

"Look Daddy, look!"

The man seemed well pleased and handed Jack a couple of coins.

"Thanks, a splendid job!"

"Thanks Sir, thanks" Jack was pleased with the tip. He tossed the coins in his hand before pocketing them, waving the little girl off down the road.

"Hello Jack" Jack spun round.

"Rose! I'm sorry I didn't see you there"

"I was being quiet so I didn't distract you" She looked sadly at the father and little girl walking away. "She reminds me of me at that age. Daddy used to take me to the park"

"You kind of miss him still huh?" asked Jack wiping his hands on a rag.

"Yes I do. Do you not miss your parents?"

"Yeah. You never get over it, you just learn to live with it. But I guess you missed your Pa more just lately".

Rose was astounded. "How did you know?"

"With you being newly married an' all. All girls want their Daddy to see them all grown up on their wedding day I guess." Jack looked hard at Rose. Even though she looked troubled, she looked so beautiful he thought.

"Anyways, what brings you here?" Jack looked around "alone?"

Rose said nothing but stood there with her head dropped.

"Rose?" Jack could see now she was crying. Tears ran down her cheeks and began to splash onto the pavement.

"Hey come on, what happened?" Jack guided her to the stool and sat her down. He reached into his knapsack for a handkerchief, which he passed to her.

"Cal invited Mother round for a few days and we had an argument. I just need to see a friend at the moment."

"Don't tell me" grinned Jack "They weren't in so you came to see me instead"

Rose couldn't help but smile a little at Jack

"There that's better" he still smiled. "It was just a row. It'll blow over, you'll see."

"We both said some dreadful things" Rose dabbed her eyes

"I guess that's what happens when you have a good row."

"You don't understand Jack, most of them were true." Rose paused for breath. "You see I loved my Daddy. I loved him so much. Mother could never understand why I always went to him not her. But that's the problem. I refused to see that he could do anything wrong. But he did do something wrong and Mother made it clear to me today. Now I'm all confused." Rose began to sob again.

"Look," said Jack bobbing down to be on her level. "This is really public here. Let me get my stuff and I'll take you for an ice cream or something."

There were some shops over the road. One was a little café with seats inside and out. As it was another sunny day, most people sat outside. Jack led Rose to a table inside trying to balance his bags and stool.

"You know this probably ain't proper. You being married an 'all"

"At this precise moment all I can think of is to hell with proper" this angry statement took Jack aback. "It was society that got me into this mess."

"I don't understand"

Rose seemed to ignore Jack's last question. "Why do you always smile? You always seem so happy. What is your secret?"

"Well Rose, I haven't always been happy. I was left alone in the world at fifteen. I've been starving and I've slept in ditches and I've been so cold I thought my fingers would drop off!" Still smiling he took Rose's hand "But life is a gift Rose and it's also short" Suddenly realizing he still held Roses hand he became very embarrassed. Flushing pink he stammered "A, any, anyway what would you like? Ice cream? Drink? It's my shout. I still owe for the lovely lunch you bought yesterday."

"I would love an ice cream. It's been a long time since I've done this. Daddy used to take for an ice cream"

Jack could see Rose's face clouding over again.

"Look Rose, I don't know what he did and I don't want to know but, well, he's still your Daddy no matter what he did and you shouldn't feel guilty about loving him." The waitress came over and Jack gave her the order. "Your Ma's still pretty mad I'd guess that's why she said whatever it was. But that's adults for you. Husbands and wives don't see the same things as sons and daughters. So don't feel bad about it"

Rose watched Jack intently as he said all this. She had pretended she hadn't noticed Jack touch her hand. But she could still feel his rough hand touching her, saying more than words could. Cal never held or touched her hand, only when she gloves on and he was leading her into dinner. That touch of Jacks displayed everything to her, concern, friendship and tenderness. These were emotions she had never experienced together before.

"When I said I needed a friend, you are truly the only friend I have Jack, even though I have only known you two days."

"Rubbish! What about all your society friends?"

"I'm not like them. They boring and pretentious and they drive me mad! Sometimes I think I am going mad"

"We all have madness in us, sometimes it just surfaces more than others. It's the madness that keeps us sane. Look at me when I was playing poker for the Titanic tickets. I bet everything I had for those tickets I wanted them so bad. That was madness. But I lost everything and gained the gift of life. That's sanity. Right?"

"I think so." Rose smiled and paused. "I am awful keeping you away from earning your living again."

"It's OK, I've had a good couple of days whilst the weathers been sunny. Lots of people about you see. I don't know what I'll do in the fall. Maybe move on."

"You didn't tell me how you came to Philadelphia"

"I was at the train station and I tossed a coin."

The waitress brought over the ice cream. Rose's eyes lit up when she saw it. "It's just like the ones Daddy used to buy me!"

"Well eat it up then!"

"Jack"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks"

Chapter Six
Stories