Unsinkable

The Unsinkable Ship

If it wasn't for Sarah, I wouldn't be here.

It all started and ended with her. Sarah was a girl who was born in 1896 -14 years old when the first thing happened. She had a sister, a mother, a father. She was lucky - she had a happy family. Then she went away. For a long time.

Alice was 12 when Sarah left. When she did, it made her mother and father cry, but Alice was alright. "Sarah's coming back, right? We'll see her again... right? Can't we visit her?" Alice was confused. Mother was sad. Then father left with all of his bags. Without a steady income, the last of Sarah's family became poor. Alice didn't understand - Why would Sarah leave? Why didn't she tell me? Where did she go? How come all of her stuff is here, and not wherever she is? And while Sarah was away, Alice asked lots of questions.

"Where's father? When is he coming back?"

Mother didn't speak.

"Why didn't Sarah say goodbye?"

Mother looked away and a tear ran down her face.

Then the other thing happened. Sarah had been gone for 3 weeks now. Mother was sad, and now Alice was losing hope fast - in both her sister and her father. One night, Mother was making dinner for her decreasing family, and a tiny flame from the kitchen turned to a bucketful of flames - then... then a house-ful. And it took the rest of their money with it. They ended up moving in with their friends, Mr., Mrs. and Ms. CaLine. Tycra CaLine was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. CaLine, and was also Alice's best friend.

Then Sarah's mother wanted to leave. To go to New York, on the Titanic. She didn't want to stay in the city because it 'reminded her of Sarah'. Alice didn't want to leave, because what if Sarah came back? She had to stay.

"Mother, what if Sarah or father come back?"

A tear. But this time it seemed bigger. Maybe it was.

"Why are you sad?"

Mother stared at the wall in front of her. She turned around with her head down.

"We are leaving," she said. "Whether you like it or not."

The next day mother found a job. It didn't give her much money. So it took her three months to make enough money for one ticket for the unsinkable Titanic, departing for New York. She worked away another three months for a ticket for Alice. She bought the tickets right away and kept them with her at all times so no one could take them. Then Father came back.

He stormed into the CaLine's house and talked to mother. Yelled at mother.

And he left with one of the tickets.

Mother cried. The Titanic was sailing in 2 weeks, and she couldn't make enough money for another ticket. Alice sat next to her and hugged her until she slowed to a sob.

"I need to tell you something, Alice. Something important. And you can't get mad at me because you're the only family I have." She was fiddling her fingers.

"What about Sarah? She's our family." Alice was confused again.

"Yes, but... Alice, Sarah died. She drowned in the river. And that's why she hasn't come back, and why her stuff was still at the house, and why... why your father left." Mother didn't look at Alice. She couldn't look at Alice.

Alice felt distraught. She could feel her heartbeat in her ears and the spit in her throat all because Mother had lied to her. Father had lied to her. They had lied to me.

I ran upstairs and sat on the floor. The tears stained the wood, and the floor groaned under me as I rocked side to side. They lied to me. Sarah was...

Tycra came and gathered all of her stuff from her room.
"What are you doing...?" I whimpered between sobs.

She ignored me. She put price tags on each of her dolls, her jewelry, her bed.

When she was finished, she told me I needed a ticket and money to buy one.

I put the pieces together. Was she going to sell all her stuff to buy a ticket for me? There was nothing I could do to stop her. After all, she had that look in her eyes.

Two weeks later, mother and I were hand in hand, with nothing but the clothes on us and the two tickets in our pockets. Tycra saved our lives, but she ruined them just as much. And I can't imagine how she feels now, but here I am. And I'm not going to let my story end here, not now. And it won't. Not until I see my best friend again.