TITANIC - Jack And Rose, Both Are Alive!

Chapter 11

By Cecelia Dowdy - titanicfanfiction dotcom

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Chapter 11

Sitting on the back steps of the rooming house, I bit into a peach. The juicy sweetness lingered on my tongue and I licked peach nectar from my lips. A cool breeze blew, signaling the spring day in New York would be pleasant. Geri had made fried steak and potatoes for lunch, but, I just couldn't bring myself to eat it. I don't know why. The smell of the steak made my stomach feel queasy. Instead, I'd eaten a piece of bread before grabbing a peach and sitting outside. The back door to the kitchen stood open and the screen door was shut, allowing the breeze to cool the hot kitchen. I heard Miranda and Mrs. Roker eating their meals, the scrape of utensils against plates floating outside on the air.

I peeked into the kitchen, noticing Cecile sat at the table, but, as usual, she barely ate! Taking tiny bites from a slice of bread, she eyed the brown crusty steak, swimming in gravy. Her full red lips quivered, as if she were going to cry. I shook my head, turning away from the sickening scene. Cecile proved to be one of the strangest people I'd ever met. Why would she deny herself food when she was starving? I'd also never seen such a thin woman. While at the table this morning, I spotted blue veins peeking beneath the pale skin of her skeletal arms.

A few minutes later, I realized everything in the kitchen was silent, so, I assumed Miranda and Cecile had finished eating and had left the kitchen. I then pushed thoughts of Cecile from my mind. Finishing the peach, I threw the pit into the small backyard. Since coming to live in Mrs. Roker's home, I'd found that my table manners, my genteel upbringing, had pretty much gone out the window. Yes, I hated that I didn't have my own room, and I hated doing some chores around the house, but, I was just grateful that I had a place to live. Sighing, I stood and leaned against the house, thinking about The Heart Of The Ocean. What would I do? What should I do? I still feared Cal – what would he do if he ever found me?

My breath caught, apprehension swirled through me and I started to shake, closing my eyes. Then, I remembered Jack's strong, confident voice, reminding me that I was a strong woman and that I could survive. "I'm a survivor," I mumbled to myself, leaning against the cool brick wall.

Taking a deep breath, I longed to walk, and leave the rooming house and be alone for awhile. I went back into the house, got my shawl and my house key before stepping toward the front door. I gasped when I spotted Cecile, standing in the living room, staring at me. She looked frightful, pale, and skinny as a stick. Her lips were painted with vivid red lipstick and her ice-blue eyes collided with mine with the speed of a freight train. She opened her mouth, as if she were about to speak, but then she quickly closed it, as if recalling that she did not want to speak to me.

I had no idea what this girl's problem was! She barely ate, she didn't speak, she was rail-thin, but her face was beautiful. Refusing to give Cecile any further thought, I rushed outside, slamming the door behind me, anxious to take a walk in New York City. A few well-dressed men walked passed, sporting business suits and smoking cigarettes. A haggard woman crossed the street, pushing a baby carriage. I sighed, glancing up and down the street, wondering which direction I should go.

I finally went left, and I walked and walked, breathing in the sights and smells of New York. The streets cluttered with cars and horse-drawn wagons. Clumps of horse dung settled on the streets, making my stomach churn. I walked for so long that I needed something to drink. I looked up, spotting a chic-looking coffee house. I spied the front table, and the woman sitting at the table looked right at me and I gasped.

It was my mother.

I know it'd shocked her to see me. Her mouth dropped open, and my mother wouldn't be caught dead gawking at someone with her mouth open like that. I was about to rush away, but, I recalled some of the stuff that I'd been learning from Geri. She'd mentioned that the Lord didn't like fear.