An
Ocean Of Secrets
Rose’s gnarled fingers slowly unwrapped the small box that she had hidden in her nightstand in her room on board the Keldysh.. Reaching inside the layers of tissue she withdrew the necklace. Its brilliance was undimmed by the passage of time. The light reflecting off it twinkled like the light of a thousand stars. Rose had always cherished this necklace although the last time she had worn it had been a lifetime ago. It reminded her of Jack and the promise she had made to him. It was more than a reminder though; it was the thing that linked their souls together. Rose never did tell anyone about the very vivid dreams she had about Jack. He did not lie to her; Jack was always with her. In the times of her life when she felt despair, she could feel him encouraging her to go on. Now it was time for her to part with the necklace. She would not need it any longer.
She put the necklace in her pocket and slowly made her way out the door of her room. The arthritis in her body had confined her to a wheelchair for the last few years now, but tonight it seemed like the pain had almost completely disappeared. Her body had been withered with age but the youthful spirit inside was still blazing brightly and urged her on. She began walking towards the back of the ship and remembered a time when she had ran to the back of another ship so long ago. After she had finally arrived, she climbed up the stern and gazed for a moment at the water below. Withdrawing the necklace from her pocket, she looked at it one last time before dropping it into the water. She raised her eyes to the sky and they dimmed with tears as she breathed a sigh of relief. The trip back to her room had left Rose feeling more tired than usual. Before retiring to her bed, she scribbled a note which she left sitting on the dresser. The note read:
/
"Dear Lizzy, by the time you
read this I will be gone. Do not feel sad, I lived a very full and enjoyable
life. I know the story I told everyone is hard to believe so it is time to rid
myself of all my secrets. Here is a key that will unlock a trunk I keep in my
bedroom back at the house. In the trunk you will find the chiffon dress I wore
the night Titanic sank and also a diary. The diary will confirm what I have
told everyone today. Tell Brock that the Heart of the Ocean has gone back to
where it belongs. Tell him he has been looking for riches in all the wrong
places that money will never bring him happiness. I love you Lizzy"
Nana
Rose turned out the light and climbed into her bed. She fell asleep for one last time.
Rose’s spirit departed in her sleep. Her death was painless. Now she felt herself moving at an incredible speed towards the dark abyss where the ruins of the ship were resting. Slowly she saw the ruins transform into the Titanic she remembered when she first boarded. Now she was again on the deck of the ship. She was surprised to see her husband, John Calvert waiting there for her. They embraced and then he smiled at her and said, "I am releasing you from your vow, go to him he is waiting for you. I will not stand in the way of something that always was." Then he vanished. Rose walked along the deck until she came to the entrance of the Grand Staircase. The gentleman at the door smiled and said, "Welcome Rose, we have been expecting you." He opened the door and allowed her to pass. Inside Rose saw assembled all the people she had befriended while she was on the Titanic. They smiled and nodded at her as she made her way up the stairs to the person who stood waiting with his back turned towards her. Rose’s face lit up as Jack turned around to face her. He took her hand and they embraced. There were tears in his eyes as he held her and said smiling, "You kept your promise." Rose looked into his eyes and replied, "Have you been waiting for me here all this time?" Jack chuckled and said, "We have never been apart. Time has no meaning here." He pointed to the clock, which still read 2:20, the time that Titanic went beneath the waves. Grasping her hand he smiled and looked into her lovely face, So do you want to go to a real party?" He asked. They both laughed as they climbed the stairs leading to a brilliant light which eventually embraced them both. Rose was home.
