UNSINKABLE
“What looks like a mistake may be the very event which is subsequently
responsible for helping to produce the major achievement of your life.”
Srully Blotnick
“Any man whose mistakes take ten years to correct is quite a man.”
J. Robert Oppenheimer
1877
Kid would never know. I mean I don’t set out to worry him, it’s
just that he tends to do a lot of it when I get ideas. Perfectly reasonable ideas mind you, but he
never pays no mind to that.
Which
is why when we split up to avoid the posse after the bank job in St Louis I
decided to take a little detour. I was
curious and like I said Kid would never know, especially after the way he went
on about the idea in St Louis last night…
“Look at it this way Heyes,
could have been worse, you could have been born in Dodge or Topeka,” Kid
grinned taking a sip of his beer.
I turned and gave him a dark
look. My cousin has this mistaken impression that occasionally he is amusing.
He isn’t.
“Kid how many times have I
told you my father did not name me after the town I was born in?”
“What they named the town
after you?” Kid said still grinning.
“I ever mention how annoying
you are? You know I wouldn’t put up
with you if you weren’t family. It is
interesting thought though, seeing the place of your birth.”
Kid suddenly straightened
and turned to me leaning against the bar.
“You are not thinking what I
think you are thinking?”
“What?” I said innocently.
“No Heyes!” he said through
gritted teeth. “Do not even go there.”
“Will you stop talking like
I know what you are talking about?”
“When we leave tomorrow we
have a window of about two hours before that bank opens and the alarm goes
up. This isn’t Wyoming Heyes; they got
lots more people to telegraph ahead to.
Now I can understand you wanting to do this job, bank manager foolish
enough to be quoted saying no one especially Hannibal Heyes could rob his bank
is just asking for a lesson in humility, but this is not the time to do some
sight seeing. We split up and meet in
Kansas City with no side trips to home towns understand!”
I looked at him amazed, “Kid
do you really think I am that stupid? A
posse right behind me, why would I do something like that?”
“Because it’s cocky and bold
and will let you thumb your nose at every sheriff in the state. What are you thinking, adding Heyes to the
town sign?”
“That would be funny.”
He gave me his best
gunslinger look. Usually scares the
hell out of people, but I know he won’t shoot me. He would have done it years ago if he was going to.
“I’m warning you Heyes. I am not coming back to break you out if
you do something stupid and get caught.”
“You know you are showing a
distinct lack of faith in me and that is not good in a partner,” I said trying
to sound very disappointed in him.
“Its because I do have faith
in you that I’m worried!” Kid growled back.
***************************
In the end the job went off
like clockwork. Beautiful bit of work
that netted us $60,000. I left the bank
manager a polite note thanking him for the challenge, and asking him next time
to try harder. Kid shook his head, but
I noticed he signed it as well.
We split up just outside of
the city thinking it best to give them several trails to follow. Mine led north for a bit till I could pick
up the railroad. North, right past
Hannibal.
My father was a newspaperman
in Hannibal and it was here he courted my mother and married her. I didn’t remember much about the town having
left it at barely two years old and a part of me had always been curious to go
back.
I did wonder if I would have
been named after my father’s favorite historical figure if we hadn’t lived in a
town of the same name. I know my mother was scandalized by the ‘Un-Christian’
choice, but my father had been backed by her father who said it sounded like a
good name for a boy to live up to.
I rode into the sleepy town
thinking to just stop a minute, see the house and then move on.
I knew we had lived in the
Irish shanty part of town and found the dirt road leading up to the small
cottages on the side of a hill. Tying
my horse at the end of the street I walked up until I finally stopped at a
small white washed two room house that I instantly knew was the place of my
birth from the address and the air of familiarity about it.
The sun was just coming up
and I swallowed trying to remember something I could capture and take with me,
but it was too long ago. I turned to go
when suddenly the door opened startling us both.
She wasn’t more than ten
years old with huge sleepy eyes and dark hair in a single plait down her back.
“Hello.”
I found myself smiling,
“Hello.”
“My Pa all ready left for
the digging if you are looking for him and my Ma’s gone down to start the
laundry for the big house.”
“No, no I…I used to live
here and I just stopped by for a look.”
She cocked her head and
smiled intrigued, “Really? I was born
here.”
“So was I,” I said laughing.
“Really!”
“Yup, long time ago.”
“What’s your name?”
I thought about lying, but
it felt wrong standing on the steps where my mother had once stood.
“Hannibal.”
“They named you after the
town?!”
I rolled my eyes, “I have a
partner like you. No they did not name
me after the town. Named me after the
General who crossed the Alps with elephants.”
“I saw an elephant
once. My name is Maggie Tobin.”
“It’s very nice to meet you
Maggie…”
I froze; shouts were coming
from the end of the street.
“There’s his horse!”
“He must be here!”
I looked around and groaned,
I was trapped.
“Maggie I need your help!” I
said suddenly remembering a story my grandfather had told me. “Will you help me?”
“I guess so.”
Before she could object I
slipped in past her and shut the door.
“I’m not suppose to let
anyone in…”
I crouched down to talk to
her eye to eye. I needed her as an ally
or I was doomed.
“But this used to be my
house, so it really doesn’t count with me.”
She considered this and
finally nodded in agreement.
“Maggie those men want to
catch me.”
“Are you playing hide and
seek?”
I grinned, “Exactly! But I want to win, will you help hide me?”
She looked around the
sparely furnished room. “Not many
places to hide someone as big as you.”
“Ah but there is,” I said
standing and going over to the fireplace and praying the story I remembered was
based in fact. “You see my parents used
to belong to something called the Underground Railroad, you ever heard of
that?”
“Sure did, it was to help
slaves escape.”
“Well sometimes they had to
hide them when men came looking and they used to do it…” I pulled on the mantle
of the fireplace and to both our amazement a panel swung open. “In here.”
“That’s wonderful!” she
said.
“And you can have it to hide
just as soon as I leave, but you can’t let those men know about it or they will
tell your family and it won’t be any use to you.”
She understood and eagerly
helped me in and shut the secret door.
It was not a moment too soon as there was a knock at the door and I
heard the muffled sound of voices.
Holding my breath I waited
and after a few moments it got quiet again.
Cautiously I looked up as
the panel opened and Maggie peered in.
“They are gone, but they
said they were gonna keep looking because your horse was here.”
“Thank you Maggie, I’m gonna
wait in here a bit and then try and sneak out.”
“Are you hungry?” she asked
looking in interested. “I have some
coffee and biscuit you could have.”
I smiled at her kindness,
“Thank you Maggie you are very sweet.”
She hurried off and returned
with the food and promised to keep me updated as she learned things so I
settled back to get some rest. It was a
small space, but I could sit comfortable and several small holes in the wall
provided air and light from outside. It
would certainly do until the posse moved on and I turned my attention to my
breakfast and that’s when I saw them.
They had been tucked in a
crack above the entry and wrapped carefully in an oilcloth. Untying the ribbon I stared in amazement at
my find.
Letters, and not just any
letters, letters to and from my family members. Shakily I examined the envelope
of each one. There were ten in all,
some from my father to my mother. One back from her to him. But there was also
one from my grandmother to my mother, one from my uncle to my mother and to my
amazement one addressed to me from my grandfather.
I sat there for a long time
just holding them, honestly frightened to open them. Finally I began with the earliest ones and started to read.
September 14, 1850
My dearest Maureen,
I don’t wish to question your family traditions or
the ways of your people but shooting at gentlemen callers seems a rather
unproductive way to advance the cause of courting.
I was rather impressed at how good your aim was, I
am hoping it was the Curry eye that shot my hat off and you were not aiming for
my head.
I do feel calling me a land stealing son of an
Englishman was a bit over the top, but I understand a man bringing you flowers
and words of affection must have startled you greatly since any woman as
stubborn and full of hell fire as you must not see many callers since few men
are that brave…or foolish.
In closing let me say Maureen Curry I think you are
the most wild, pig headed, spitfire I have ever had the misfortune to fall
completely in love with and that next time you will not be warned I am coming.
Your servant,
D. Heyes.
I
stared at the letter and softly began to chuckle. My grandfather had hinted the courtship had been rough, but this
brought it all to a new light. Eagerly
I picked up the next letter.
October 1950
You Daniel Heyes are no gentleman! Sneaking into a lasses’ room and way laying
her as she sleeps is both shameful and wicked!
You should have been horsewhipped and I would have screamed had I not
known me father had a tiring day and needed his rest.
If you ever kiss me like that again I will shoot you
soundly dead and then have me brother pound you into gravel and then ask the
Good Lord to bring you back so I can have the pleasure of shootin ya agin!
I hope in no way to come across you at the Fair next
week as I will of course ignore you and do everything in my power to avoid you
when I’m setting up our family picnic alone by the orchard.
Yours most certainly not!
Maureen Curry.
Slowly
I worked my way through them until I reached the next to the last one. It was from my Uncle, Jed’s father and it
was dated about two years after my birth.
My dearest sister Maureen,
I was overjoyed to hear you will be joining us in
Lawrence. The farmland is rich and I
have put down your deposit on the land akin to ours. It will be good to have family as neighbors again.
I have more good news when I tell you we have been
delivered of a son. My darlin’ wife is
well and the boy is a fine lusty lad with eyes as Curry blue as his
grandfathers. Unlike your family we did
not name him after the town he was born in…odd American custom is it not?
I grinned and rolled my eyes, like father like son.
But instead have called him Jedediah, as we hope he
will grow as strong and wise as that King did.
He carries a great responsibility carrying on the
family name and Father is well pleased with him. I hope he will indeed live up to the hopes the family places in
him and grows to be a good, fair man who will not turn from trouble, but stand
against it. He is the first Curry born
an American and I expect great things from him. He will do us all proud, as shall your Hannibal.
Speaking of my fine nephew give him a hug for me and
tell him I understand about the outhouse incident. Same thing happened to me as a boy, grownups should be more
careful!
Shaun
I
swallowed and folded the letter carefully.
Jed would want it. We had so
little to remind us of home, but I hesitated on ever letting him see it.
It
took me some time, but finally I found the courage to open the one addressed to
me.
It
was dated the day of my birth and began,
My
dearest grandson, Hannibal,
I’m writing this as you lay
sleeping, tucked in your darlin’ mother’s arms.
You
are my first grandson and being born in this new world gives me hope for all
that lies ahead of you.
Your
father is a brave and good man and his blood runs in you. But so does that of the Curry’s. The mixture should produce something amazing
and as if to confirm this when I stepped outside to thank the good Lord I saw a
shooting star. Such a thing only
happens when a great leader is born. A
sign of kings.
You
have all ready shown us you are a fighter boy.
When you entered this world you weren’t breathing and the doctor
pronounced you dead. But doctors don’t
understand the blood that runs in you and you refused to give up life before
you had tasted it and suddenly you gave up a lusty cry and fooled them
all. Your grandmother says this is an
omen that you will be defying the odds till you die and never give up no matter
how hard it gets.
I’m writing this because
time often doesn’t allow us to get the chance to tell those we love how we
feel, how we believe in them. And so
young Hannibal know this, that no matter what happens you were loved and no matter
what life serves you nothing can change that.
I believe in you and so do
your parents; the world awaits your magic.
Never forget who you are.
I
quietly slid the letter in my pocket.
It
is not easy coming home.
****************************
It
was dark when I finally got my chance.
Slipping out of the fireplace I quietly crossed the room desperate not
to wake Maggie and her sleeping parents.
I was cramped and hungry and the letters had brought me into a
melancholy that ate at me worse than my hunger.
Pulling
out some money I left it on the table with no explanation. At least some of what I took would do some
good.
People
always ask us why there was never any money.
I think I understood at that moment.
We gave it away as fast as we could because we knew it wasn’t ours and
burned against our fingers.
Cautiously
I slipped out side and wondered desperately how I was going to escape without a
horse when out of the darkness a hand touched my shoulder.
“Its
Jed.”
I
turned in amazement to stare at my cousin and the two horses with him.
“How
did you…”
“Heyes
you spend enough time with a man you get to learning how he thinks. Where were you hiding?”
“My
house,” I said climbing on the horse and amazed at how good it felt to see him
again.
“What
are you looking at?” Kid frowned. “You
look like you haven’t seen me in years.”
I
swallowed, “Long story, but thank you for coming after me.”
“Fella
we got the blueprint from turned us in thinking he’d get the reward. They wired up here thinking you might hide
out with family. Guess they figured you
still had some there.”
“No,”
I said touching the envelopes in my pocket.
“Not anymore.”
****************************
Devils Hole 1880
“Well
I think everything is set. Wheat is still
complaining about you letting Kyle carry the dynamite tomorrow, but I think he
can handle it…” I stopped as I dropped my hat on the rack and frowned at the
expression on my cousin’s face.
He
was seated next to the fire and looked like someone had knocked him for six.
“Kid? Jed?” I said going over. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
“Found
this in your desk when I pulled out the train schedules,” he held up the letter
from his father. “Why didn’t you tell
me you had found this Heyes?”
I
swallowed not sure what to say, that he couldn’t handle it? Or that I didn’t want him to have to handle
it?
“Damn
it Heyes you had no right to keep this from me,” Kid said getting up angrily.
“I
thought…I thought it best…” I said softly.
“Oh
really? Well did it ever occur to you
that maybe I wanted a piece of home?”
“I
thought it might make you…”
“What?
Feel guilty? Realize I completely
dishonored my parents and my grandfather and destroyed the family name? Well you are right about that.”
“Kid
you haven’t…”
“He
wanted a son to carry on the family name,” Kid said his voice breaking and it
was worse than the yelling. “Instead he
got an outlaw and a gunslinger,” he laughed bitterly. “No lets not use that nice dime novel word, lets call a spade a
spade, he got a killer.”
“Jed
stop it you are not…”
“They
gave their lives defending something good and decent and only asked that I try
and live an honest life, make something of value with mine.”
“Yea
well maybe they should have stuck around to help us do that!” I said suddenly
filled with rage. “They knew the
underground railway was dangerous, they knew they were taking chances with
their lives and ours. Maybe they should
have thought about the children they cared so much about first!”
I
was furious now and all the things I had never had the courage to admit spilled
out.
“You
think I feel any better knowing my own grandfather would be ashamed to know
me? I kept that letter from you because
I didn’t think you needed to carry that guilt around with everything else we
got saddled on us. Yea I’m sorry we let
them down, but I’m also sorry they let us down. We made mistakes and maybe we aren’t the men they hoped we would
be, but damn it staying alive doesn’t always work out the way you hope it
will.”
I
was shaking and I was almost crying and I looked up at Jed terrified he was
going to hate me for finally saying those things.
“I’m
sorry Jed,” I said softly. “I’m sorry
they died and I couldn’t save them. I’m sorry I didn’t make it better by
you. I just didn’t want you to lay
awake nights and ache with regret because of those letters.”
I
sunk into a chair and felt Jed crouch down in front of me.
“Heyes?….
Han? You did fine by me and I get angry
sometimes with them too. “
I
nodded and put my head in my hands and a moment later Kid was pressing a glass
of whiskey into one.
“Gonna
load up the supplies,” he said as he carefully returned the letter to the
cubbyhole. “Columbine is gonna take at least three days, but $50,000 should
make it worth the trouble.”
*************************
1886
“You
won a store?” Kid said shaking his head as we moved down the crowded street
trying to avoid the worst of the mud.
“An
emporium,” I said mournfully.
Kid
started to laugh, “Never pictured you for a store owner Heyes.”
“You
still haven’t, I’m gonna sell the thing and get back the money I won in that
game.”
We
entered the Daniels and Fisher Emporium and Kid let out a whistle. It was quite a place and twice the size of
your average general store.
“Uh
oh,” Kid said at the row of nervous clerks worriedly lined up at the counter.
“Mr.
Smith?” a nervous twenty something young man asked coming up and straightening
his tie.
“Smith?”
Kid asked interested. We only used the
alias now on cases.
“No
one plays poker with you when you tell them your name is Hannibal Heyes,” I
shot back and greeted the man.
“I’m
J.J. Brown, I’m here representing the clerks.
The previous owners just cleaned out the safe this morning and took off
and they were wondering what your intentions were.”
“Hello
Mr. Heyes.”
I
turned surprised at the dark haired young girl suddenly standing before me
smiling. She was a tiny thing with a
bright cheerful smile no more than 18 if she was a day.
Kid
looked at me interested. So did Mr. Brown.
“Molly
let me handle this,” he whispered back to her.
“You
won’t remember me I was so little the last time we met, but you play a game of
hide and seek a girl sure does remember!”
My
eyes flew open wide, “Maggie?”
“Yes
sir, Maggie Tobin, I’m glad it all worked out for you. I was real scared that day they were gonna
catch you.”
“Wait
a minute, Mr. Heyes, your not saying he’s thee Hannibal Heyes?” Brown said
going a shade of pale.
“Kid
this is the lady who helped me that day back in Hannibal,” I smiled.
“A
great pleasure ma’am,” Kid said kissing her hand. “I’m real grateful for you looking after my partner for me.”
He
had turned on all the charm and I rolled my eyes as Maggie just let out a
little oh my and then giggled. Brown
looked like he was going to choke.
“That
money you left allowed us to travel out west.
I work here now. Or I did until
this morning…” she said nervously.
I
exhaled and looked at Kid, “You wanna own a store?”
“Well
I can’t see why not you all ready got us a race horse, a hotel and a mountain,
store seems fairly reasonable,” Kid said.
“Besides Shaun and Bridget will like the idea of knowing they have an in
with someone with a candy counter.”
“Hadn’t
thought about that, “ I turned back to the group. “I gonna guess you are all owed back pay?”
“Yes
sir two months,” Maggie said regretfully.
“All
right lets sit down and sort this out.
Kid you wanna run over to the bank and get a draft cashed? Now who wants to be in charge?” I looked over the room and smiled, “Maggie
what about you?”
******************************
MIDDLE OF THE
ATLANTIC
SS TITANIC
“Anything?” Kid asked quietly coming up behind me on the deck as I looked out at the dark sea.
“No,
but if Mrs. Astor comes on to me one more time were trading jobs,” I said with
a groan.
Kid
laughed, “A nineteen year old, Heyes you should be ashamed of yourself.”
“So
should she, she’s a newlywed to the richest man in the world,” I said
disgusted.
“Lady
likes fine things, so tell me how is first class, worth a 4500 dollar ticket?”
“Four
poster beds, coal burning fireplaces.
We have public rooms with palm verandahs, a gymnasium, Turkish bath,
swimming pool and a library,” I said shaking my head. “I’m glad Astor is paying
for this.”
“Crew
quarters aren’t quite so luxurious, but they are better than third class, I
swear Heyes they are crammed in their like sardines. Speaking of which there is another dance tonight.”
“I’ll
sneak out as fast as I can,” I said smiling as I thought about the other world
that went on deep beneath the ship’s upper crust. Kid had stumbled upon it and learning he was Irish like most of
the 3rd class instantly accepted as their own.
“Tell
me again why we took this job?” Kid said with a frown.
“Because
we missed our kids and our work for the State Department and Scotland Yard was
done and Astor is paying us $10,000 and passage to baby sit his wife’s
jewelry,”
“And
here I believed it was my doing,” came a voice and we turned grinning.
“Maggie!”
Kid said accepting a kiss. “What gets
you up this early?”
“Slumming,
this being wealthy is a dreadful bore.
Heyes you should start a poker game and liven things up. Think how much fun it will be when you win
the ship!”
I
laughed, “Mrs. Brown you are incorrigible.”
“How
could I not be with you two as examples.
Kid why on earth did you let Astor talk you into coming on board as
crew? I’ve had at least six very
wealthy women ask who you are when they’ve seen me talking to you.”
“Maggie
stop matchmaking and I prefer being crew, I can only handle so much of the
upper class before I start shooting things.”
“I
am not matchmaking and if I were I’d claim you for myself. Just don’t let that devil take advantage of
you, Astor does not play by the rules.”
“Neither
do we Maggie,” I smiled kissing her cheek.
*********************************
A
lot has been written about what happened that night. I remember it was closing on 12 and I had finally escaped Astor
and his cronies and was making my way down to steerage to find Kid and relax,
The
impact almost knocked me off my feet and my first thoughts were this is not
good and how the hell can you run into something on a ocean that big?
I
hurried up on deck and made my way to the bridge, but by the time I reached it
I had the news. We had hit an
iceberg. By 12:15 they were preparing
the lifeboats.
The
irony of the unsinkable sinking was not lost on me and at first I felt no sense
of alarm or hurry, as I knew women and children would be loaded first.
I
moved downward into the ship looking for Kid fighting a tide of rich humanity
hurrying up on deck armed with their furs and jewels.
I
first realized we had a problem when I saw them locking the gates down to
steerage.
“What
the hell are you doing?” I said whirling the man around. “There are people down there.”
“Captain’s
orders sir. To avoid a panic and a
stampede. First class passengers to
exit the ship first and then we will allow the others up to exit.”
“Give
me those keys,” I said grabbing them and unlocking the door.
“Sir
you can’t do that.”
I
flashed my gun in his face. “Son I do
whatever I please and if your smart you’ll just move along.”
I
began climbing lower and to my amazement I was suddenly ankle deep in
water. The unsinkable was going down
and she was going down far quicker than anyone could have dreamed.
“You
damn idiot open that gate!” I heard a familiar roar and turned the corner to
see my partner holding a little girl in one hand and the throat of a steward in
the other. The man had just closed the
corridor blocking Kid and at least twenty people behind it.
“You
heard the man,” I said coming up and clicking the gun back in the man’s ear.
“Heyes! Thank God what is happening? They don’t tell the poor folks anything.”
“We
hit an iceberg, they are loading the lifeboats,” I said as Kid handed the child
to her mother and hurried the group through the now open gate.
“The
ship is going down? You’re sure?” Kid
asked paling.
“Yea,
it sure looks that way.”
“Heyes,”
he said lowering his voice. “There are
not enough lifeboats.”
“What
don’t be ridiculous why would they…”
“Because
the arrogant bastards think it’s unsinkable and removed a deck of them to make
more room for the upper crust to parade about.”
“Hell,”
I said running a hand through my hair.
“We gotta get those women and kids off this ship.”
“I’ll
go see if any more gates are closed.”
I
stopped as he moved to take off into the bowels of the ship.
“Kid? Take care of yourself, you can’t swim worth
a darn.”
“I
was just thinking the same thing about you,” he said touching my arm and was
gone.
************************************
The
deck was pandemonium, lifeboats were being lowered half empty and desperately I
tried to alert those filling them that we needed every seat.
I
was instantly pushed aside and threatened with being locked up if I persisted
and in utter amazement I watched a rich couple and their servants secure a boat
for themselves and refuse anyone else a seat.
“You
can’t do this!” I yelled at the crewman.
“Look
Mr. Smith I have orders, first class passengers get whatever they want.”
“There
are not enough seats damn it!”
“Tell
the Captain, but until he says different back off or I’ll have you subdued.”
It
was an impossible situation with the crush of people that I pulled back
desperate to think.
“Heyes
what is it? What’s happening?” Maggie
said coming up behind me. She had
dressed in layers knowing what the cold could do and I nodded my approval.
“We
need to get you in a boat,” I said helping her over just as Kid appeared with a
group of 2nd class passengers and once more carrying a child.
“Not
you lot yet,” the purser yelled as Kid moved to help the women and children in
with Molly.
“Mister
you are ten seconds away from me showing you how cold that water is,” Kid said
dangerously.
“They
can come in my boat!” Maggie said seeing the other crewmen about to tackle Kid.
“Thank
you Maggie!” Kid said handing over the
little girl and helping the women in with her,
“Maggie
take this, don’t let them give you any trouble,” I said pressing my gun into
her hand.
She
nodded, “Don’t worry I know how to be in charge I’ll keep it right…” she
paused. “It’s bad isn’t it?”
“Now
Maggie,” I said kissing her good bye.
“No tears, not over yet.”
She
nodded fighting them and the boat slipped down into the water.
“Those
two!” someone yelled and suddenly Kid and I found ourselves being grabbed from
behind by a company of crewmen and a moment later were locked securely in a
linen closet.
“The
damn fools!” Kid said angrily and when
he looked up there were tears in his eyes.
“Heyes they are gonna let those people die.”
“Not
if we can help it,” I said studying the lock.
“How
can they just let those children…”
“Because
Kid whoever has the money wins.”
Kid
sighed, “Did we win Heyes?”
I
turned back to glance at him; “Your talking like it’s over.”
“We
had a long run Heyes, longer than we deserved.”
“Don’t
give up on me now partner,” I said with a grin.
“Heyes
there won’t be a seat for us on any of those boats and we wouldn’t take it if
it was offered.”
I
slumped and looked at him, “I know.”
“Then
why the hell are your rushing?”
“Cause
if I’m going down with this damn boat I’m doing it a free man!”
Kid
grinned, “Never was a lock that could hold us.”
“Still
isn’t,” I grinned back and the door swung open.
We
ran to the outer deck to see panic had ensued with the release of the last
lifeboat. There had only been 16, most lowered
half empty. The four additional
collapsible ones had not done well with two swamping as they hit the water and
turning over.
There
was a strange air of resigned despondency as we walked back into the salon with
all its empty tables still holding their crystal and silver place settings.
“Well
if were gonna die lets find some place with a decent view,” Kid said pulling a
champagne bottle out of its ice and nodding I picked up two glasses and
followed him up to the top deck.
The
ship was seriously leaning now and I was amazed at how quickly it was going
down. From beneath us the band was
playing and it almost struck me as funny how calm I felt.
We
walked to the very end of the deck and looking down into the cold dark water we
took a sip of champagne.
“Heyes,
you’ve been a hell of a partner,” Kid said raising his glass to salute me. “Thank you
for a lifetime of adventure, I wouldn’t have missed one moment.”
“You
say that now, but you complained the whole time,” I said back and grinned softly.
“I couldn’t have asked for a finer friend and man to have as an example. I guess your Pa had it right all those years
ago after all.”
Kid
smiled, “We’ll know soon enough.”
“Cheerful.”
“Heyes
you got any regrets?”
I
considered this as the ship lurched again and we had to hold on to keep our
balance.
“I
should have, but I don’t. Because even
everything I got wrong helped me get other things right. You?”
“Alice
Quarterly.”
I
stared at him, “What?”
“She
asked me to come to her room and I didn’t.
Should have gone.”
“Why
didn’t you?” I grinned.
“She
was the Governor’s godchild. Pretty thing too.”
“I
know,” I said straight-faced. “I went.”
We
both looked at each other and broke into laughter.
“Kid
I don’t fancy being buried in this ship and its gonna suck us down when it
goes, which could be any time.”
He
nodded and filled our glasses.
“A
toast,” I said clicking his glass. “To
unsinkable friends.”
And
we jumped.
********************************
I
honestly don’t remember a whole lot after hitting that water. It completely knocked you senseless it was
so cold. I remember swimming out of
reflex, but having no real direction to go.
I had lost sight of Kid immediately and all around me I could hear
people crying out and dying before my eyes.
It occurred to me I should just relax and do the same, but I’m stubborn
about not doing what I’m supposed to.
I
was starting to fall asleep, which may sound strange, but I was so numb I
wasn’t cold anymore when the arms pulled me up and I felt something solid and
curved under me.
“Heyes
damn it, don’t you dare be dead on me,” a voice growled and I opened my eyes to
find myself pulled up on one of the overturned collapsible boats.
“Kid?”
“I
decided we were too young to die,” he coughed back and grinned.
I
grinned back and tried to sit up.
“Take
it slow you were in there longer than I was, I practically landed on this
thing. I’ve been trying to paddle over
to you for at least 5 minutes,” he said worried.
“Dumb
Irish luck,” I said a little dazed.
“Worse,
Curry luck. Looks like its about to go
down.”
I
tried to shake off the fog I was enveloped in.
“Then we have to get as far away from it as possible or its going to
pull us in when it goes down.”
“It’s
never easy with you is it?” Kid sighed picking up the paddle had recovered from
the water.
“Just
row!”
The
suction was incredible, Twice I thought for sure we were going to be pulled in,
but somehow we managed just to stay out of its range and within minutes the ship
was gone.
We
then had our hands full trying to pull as many people from the sea as we could
fit. In the end we got thirty men up on
that upside down boat and we waited.
The
screams died slowly as the night wore on.
There were bodies floating everywhere and eventually I just looked up at
the stars to stay sane. At the time we
had no idea how many had been saved, but I had a horrible feeling it wouldn’t
matter if a ship didn’t get there soon.
It
was past dawn when Kid nudged me.
Groggily I looked up and then I heard the horn.
The Carpathia had arrived.
I
don’t even remember being helped aboard.
************************************
“Told
them you wouldn’t die on me,” Kid said two days later when I opened my eyes and
blinked confused.
“I
gave it some careful thought out there,” I said trying to sit up.
“No
rush,” Kid said giving me a hand, which I gratefully accepted and then took a
long look at him. I wasn’t sure how,
but he seemed to look younger. Some
people just thrive on trouble.
“I
think I’m at least 20 years older than when I hit that water,” I said leaning
back against the pillow. “You seem to
have come through this rather well.”
“I
always did swim better than you, jumped better too.”
“Where
do you get these ideas.”
“I
have telegrams from the children. They
are meeting us in New York.”
“What
does Jimmy’s say?”
“Fly
next time.”
I
laughed, “They must have been worried sick.”
“Actually
Bridget said they knew when a Smith and Jones was on the survivor’s list that
it had to be us.”
“It
makes me nervous people having that much faith in me.”
“Doesn’t
it,” Kid said stretching out on the bunk next to me. “Maggie is here, Mrs. Astor made it as well, but not her
husband.”
“She’ll
probably sue us for that.”
“No
actually she seems pretty happy about the whole thing and pointed out we were
only hired to protect her jewels which made it. She also made a pass at me.”
“See
some girls do like you…when I’m not around.”
“Heyes
this is it right?”
“Hmmm?”
“I
mean were gonna go home and retire and relax and spend the rest of our days
just watching the sunset and pretty women.”
“Oh
definitely. Life from now on will
officially be boring and sedate.:
“Good
cause I think we deserve a little boring and sedate.”
“Absolutely,”
I said putting my hands behind my head and smiling innocently.
Kid
looked at me suspicious, “I’m serious Heyes when we get home nothing short of a
world war is gonna get me off that porch at Devil’s Hole.”
I
nodded remembering some of the rumors I had heard in London.
“Kid
you worry too much, honestly, World War?
Where do you come up with this stuff?”
Historical Notes:
Maggie Tobin was born to Irish
parents in 1867 in Hannibal Missouri.
She had a knack for running into famous people and making up stories
about those she had not!
When she was 19 she moved with
her family to Leadville, Colorado and got a job as a clerk at the Daniels,
Fisher and Smith Emporium (you thought I made that up didn’t you!).
She eventually married JJ Brown,
who called her Molly and the couple found themselves millionaires when his
interest in a mine struck pay dirt.
Molly was indeed a survivor of
the Titanic along with a Smith in first class and a Jones listed as a crewman.
The collapsible boats did capsize
when launched and one did bring thirty men to safety when they climbed aboard
it.
In all 703 people were saved with
1503 perishing.
World War I began July 28th,
1914. (But more on that later!)