If Jack survived Titanic

Settle down part II

Rose stepped into a musty hall. It was a crumbling place to say at least, and it didn't contain much furnitures. She was able to look into two other rooms from where she stood; one straight ahead with a window giving the room light and another room on her right.
"Hello?" she said.
She closed the door behind her and started to walk forwards. The room on her right seemed to be a kitchen, a very small and simple one. The room she entered when she walked forward seemed to be a living room since it contained a carpet, a couch, two worn armchairs and a very simple lamp in the ceiling. That was the only thing the room contained, except a doorway to the right and two windows, one straight ahead and one to her left.
Suddenly, an old man entered the room from the doorway to the right. The man stared at Rose, and Rose stared back without knowing what to say.
"I'm looking for someone who works here" she got out, realizing how rude she must have sound without introducing herself or even saying "hello".
The man looked at Rose like he had never seen a human before. Than he slowly moved a pointing finger against the doorway he just came through and looked at it without saying a word. Rose walked to it to see what was inside.

In the room was an old piano, another tore carpet and some chairs against the walls. Even though this room contained even less furnitures than the other, this room felt more alive, because there were people sitting in the chairs. They were old, just like the man in the doorway. They were just a few, Rose counted them to five. All of them were staring into nothing. Everyone but an old woman, who cried. She cried, and cried. Rose looked at the other four old persons who sat in the room. If they wouldn't breath, Rose would think they were dead. Rose didn't understand. Why didn't they taking care of the weeping woman? Rose walked to the woman and kneed in front of her.
"Hey" she said as she laid one hand on the woman's arm and another on her hands that were placed in the woman's own lap. "What makes you so sad, madame?" Rose asked gently.
The woman held onto Rose's hand firmly, so Rose laid her other hand in the women's lap too, because that seemed to make the woman feel a little more self-controlled. She kept cry.
"Oh my dear" the woman sob, "It's so terrible... I can't believe it.." she couldn't barely speak because she cried so much.
Rose stroke the woman's arm gently, trying to calm her down.
"I just heard about my son.. he doesn't exist anymore" now it was physically impossible for her to say anything else.
"It sounds terrible" Rose said "I'm sure he was a great man, wasn't he?".
"Oh yes, he truly was. He was a hard working businessman. He had a lovely wife and children that he loved with all of his heart" she explained. "He would have had a great future if it wasn't for.. if it wasn't for.." something seemed hard for the women to mention. She had to take a deep breath before she continued. "Titanic" she finally said.

Rose stared at the woman, stone faced.
"Titanic" Rose repeated.
It felt so unrealistic and weird talking about Titanic for Rose. She hadn't done that the last days. Her memories was actually a little faded (it was probably a part of the shock) and when the old woman mentioned the accident, a lump that had been in Rose's chest earlier came back.
"I was there" she said and swallowed.
The old woman stared at her with big eyes.
"Oh my poor dear" she said, "It must have been horrible".
"It was" Rose said, feeling her eyes getting wet.
"They say it was the ship of dreams" the women said after some seconds of silence.
"Yes, and it truly was" Rose told her. "You can't imagine how beautiful decorated it was, and the ship.. What an enormous size! Everybody were happy there. The wealthy once and even the poorest as well. Your son's last days must have been the best days of his life".
The old woman actually smiled a little. She laid a hand on Rose's cheek.
"You're an enchantress, did you know that?" she said.
Rose smiled with her eyes and cheeks full of tears. There she sat on the floor, with her hands in the lap of a stranger woman, crying.

A sudden noise behind Rose interrupted their moment.
"Who are you?" a voice said.
Rose turned around, still sitting on the floor.
She saw a middle-aged woman standing in another doorway to the room she must have missed mention when she looked at it the first time. The woman had brown hair in a bun on the back of her head and she was wearing an apron over a green dress.
Rose stood up. She didn't knew what to do next. Her first instinct was to leave the house as fast as possible, run away from this awkward situation. But she didn't want to be rude to this kind old woman behind her, so she decided that escape was a bad opportunity. Pull yourself together, she thought. She wept her tears quickly and walked to the woman in the green dress. She stopped when she stood in front of her.
"Rose Adams" she said and curtsied.
She tried her best to look as less nervous as possible, even though she was terrified to see the woman's reaction. The woman actually looked shocked. Rose didn't knew what that could mean, so she just stood there and waited for an answer.
After a few seconds of awkward silence, the woman opened her mouth.
"Follow me, miss Adams" she said and went threw the doorway Rose had come threw earlier. They walked to the hall. Rose was sure that she was going to be thrown out. She started to feel guilt and a little sick because of that. This is so embarrassing. What have I done? She thought for herself. When they stood next to the door, the women grabbed Rose's arm so firmly that it hurt a little, but Rose tried to ignore that.

"I don't know who you are or what you do here" the woman said accusatory.
Rose swallowed.
"I should be really angry at you, and so I am. Maybe I should call the police."
Damn it Rose thought. What have I done?
"But at the same time, I don't understand. How did you?"
Rose did not understand the question.
"Did what?" she asked in confusion.
"Evelyn" the woman said, like the question was obvious. "She have did nothing but cry in three weeks until now, and when you speak to her she actually smile. I don't understand. How did you?".
Rose got mute for a second.
"Well, we just talked. She told me about her son, and we talked about it. I was.. " Rose felt the tears comming back. "I was actually there, on Titanic.. I just made sure to her that her son surely was happy before he died".
The woman stared at her, still looking angry.
"I was just serching for a job. I didn't mean to interrupt you. I am really sorry. Maybe we can forgot this and go on with our lives?" Rose heard how stupid it all sounded, but that was the only thing that came to her mind at that point.
The women rise an eyebrow.
Rose swallowed. Than the woman started to grin.
"Rose, I would gladly employ you. I am Maria".