The Ship of Dreams

Chapter 14: The Carpathia

The boat slowly rowed over to us and hauled us aboard. I was immediately blanketed, as were Jack and Sophie. I'm not sure how long we were in that boat, but it seemed like an eternity. Nobody said anything. Nobody said anything. I just stayed close to Jack, with him laying next to me and Sophie wrapped in Jack's blanket for warmth. I took a look around our boat. There were only six of us: me, Sophie, Jack, an Englishman, a Chineseman, and a heavily pregnant woman who appeared to be about to give birth at any moment.

It could have been hours, minutes, or even days. We don't know, but when we finally saw a ship that resembled the Titanic, a ray of hope lit up inside of me that we were going to be okay. I'm not giving up now that we've survived the sinking and the icy waters. The guard on our boat lit a green flare to alert those on the ship who needed assistance.

When our lifeboat only had six people on board. When I got to the bottom of the ship, I saw the name written in big, white letters. Carpathia is a region in Romania. We made it to the steel ladder that sat on the side of the ship and climbed one by one onto the steamer where the only two hundred to three hundred survivors of the Titanic's sinking, the pregnant woman climbed first, with the help of the two men, and then we climbed. As we stepped onto the deck of The Carpathia, the first thing I noticed were the heartbroken women and children. We walked along the deck, still wrapped in our blankets, and none of us uttered a word. We were staying in the second and third class area. I didn't dare go to the first class area.

We were taken to a recovery room in Carpathia and given new clothes; my hair had been flattened by the ice water and had become tousled by the salt water and ice. I had helped Sophiè change into warmer clothes after Jack emerged from his room wearing simple third-class attire.

"Let's go out on deck," Jack said for the first time since we emerged from the North Atlantic.

We sat on the deck of the Carpathia, me in Jack's arm and Sophie on his lap. He kept kissing head gently and whispering soothing words. We didn't talk about anything that had happened in the previous few hours. When I saw the familiar black suit of Caledon Hockley, the man who had just tried to kill us 6 hours before, panic welled up inside me. I drew the blanket closer around my head so he wouldn't notice us, and Jack did the same, walking right past us and ignoring us. I breathed a sigh of relief. I did want to see Rose and I would probably have to go say goodbye to my family as I knew I was leaving this ship with Jack and Sophie.

After another day aboard the Carpathia, we were told that we would arrive in New York the next day. I decided I needed to see Mother.

Rose, too.

"Jack," I call out to him, as he was sitting with Sophie and laughing with her. We had both grown fond of this little girl. "I believe I should.

Go say your final goodbyes to Mother and Rose "I spoke softly while staring at the ground.

"OK," he said, smiling. "Perhaps you should come?" I inquired in a hopeful tone, and he simply nodded and smiled. I couldn't believe we were still alive. But I knew one thing for sure: when we got to New York, they'd take our names, and I'd go by Dawson, not DeWitt Bukater.

As we approached the area where the first-class survivors were resting, I noticed my mother's brown fur coat and my breathing quickened. We approached the bench where my Mother and Rose were sobbing. They were crying quietly, hot tears streaming down their cheeks. We approached them slowly and quietly, and I said "hi" softly. They both spun around, their eyes wide and their jaws agape. I smiled as best I could while keeping a firm grip on Jack's hand, which was protectively holding Sophie's.

"Amelia!" Rose sobbed and jumped up and hugged me tightly, forcing me to remove my hand from Jack's.

"Amelia," my Mother said insistently, and I expected a cold greeting followed by a chewing out, but I was pleasantly surprised when she pulled me into a tight hug and wept into my shoulder, repeating, "We were so worried!" I returned her hug with a smile. She genuinely cared.

"Are you leaving with Jack, Amelia?" Rose inquired, her voice sad, as my Mother looked unsurely at little Sophie.

"Hello, Mr Dawson," my mother says, a little disappointed.

"Hello," he said politely.

"Are you leaving with Jack, Amelia?" Rose inquired, her voice sad, as my Mother looked unsurely at little Sophie.

"Yes," I said quietly, and they both looked at me with longing eyes. I hugged them both, the scratchy material of the black coat scratching their skin. I was still dressed in the coat that Caledon had given me.

"Who is this?" My Mother asked, motioning to Sophie, who was shyly clinging to Jack's leg.

"Sophie," I say, "we found her in the corridors of the Titanic, her father drowned," I say in hushed tones to them both. We said our goodbyes to my family and left before Caledon returned.

That night, I slept in Jack's arms on the uncomfortably firm bed with the cardboard pillow and thin sheets, while Sophie slept across from us. We'd be in New York the next day.

CHAPTER 15 COMING SOON