Four Days in April

Conclusion

April 14, 1912

5:00PM


Erin was once again preparing Catherine for dinner. The dark haired beauty was wearing a stunning beaded black dress.

Catherine was overwhelmed by the silence. The usually exuberant maid was silent, no amusing stories, no shipboard gossip filled the room. Turning to face her, she grabbed her wrist. "Erin what's wrong?"

Green eyes filled with unshed tears and swallowing hard she spoke her voice breaking with emotion " I ... I ...sometimes see.. see things... things that... that will..hap..happen...I ...I ... I saw..."

"Saw what?"

"Death. I saw her. She... she walks this...this ship."

Catherine was about to tell Erin how silly she was being when the girl burst into tears. Gathering her into her arms, Catherine attempted to calm her as best she could.

11:40 PM


High above Titanic's deck, Frederick Fleet rang the lookout bell and phoned the bridge. Officer Moody answered and heard the one awful word... iceberg.

April 15, 1912

12:15AM


An insistent pounding awoke Catherine and Erin. Wiping her eyes Erin opened to the door to find a ships steward thrusting two life jackets at her.

"Please miss, put these on and report to the boat deck. Captain's orders."

Before Erin could ask her why the steward had moved on to the next cabin door.

12:45AM


Catherine and Erin stood with other passengers waiting to board a lifeboat. Through the gymnasium window Catherine watched as John Astor cut open a lifejacket and pulled out the stuffing to show his young wife what they were made of. The realization struck her. The ship was going to sink. There would be no coming back aboard at dawn. she reached up to touch her necklace. It wasn't there. Catherine could see it laying on the dressing table in her room. Bending slightly she spoke to Erin. "I have to go back to the cabin. You get on the next lifeboat and I'll get a later boat."

Erin was about to agree when she noticed the expression on Catherine's face. "No. I'm going with you. We go on the same lifeboat or we stay. Either way we stay together."

Catherine wanted to object, wanted to demand, order, whatever it took to get Erin on that lifeboat. Yet something stopped her, memories that were her's and not her's. A voice screaming 'Don't you leave me.' "All right come on then."

The two made their way through the crowd toward the first class entrance. As they reached the door Catherine heard her name being called. She saw two men physically carry Mrs. Brown to a life boat and deposit her in it just as it was being lowered.

1:15AM


Catherine and Erin entered the room for the last time. The ship was tilting and walking was becoming more difficult. Catherine ran into her room to get the necklace.

Catherine grabbed the necklace an put it on. She could hear Erin in the closet throwing clothes out of the way to find blankets. "Erin I'm going back to the boat deck as soon as you get the blankets meet me there."

"Right. I shouldn't be to far behind you."

Catherine exited the room and started for the boat deck, but as she passed the stairs leading down into the ship she knew she couldn't leave. Looking over her shoulder to see if Erin was coming out of the cabin and was relieved to see she wasn't. Catherine then headed down into the ship.

1:40 AM


Catherine sat talking with Mr. Andrews, John Astor and Paul Guggenheim in the reading room, when Erin entered. She had been searching for Catherine for the last 20 minutes. Several crew members had tried unsuccessfully to bully her towards the boat deck but she was having none of it. Finding Catherine was important, most of the lifeboats were gone and panic had spread over the deck.

Unaware that her plan to have Erin safely away had failed, Catherine was more interested with the dialogue between Paul Guggenheim and one of the ships stewards. "We have dressed in our best and are prepared to go down like gentlemen."

"Catherine!" At her name she spun around to see Erin coming toward her green eyes flashing with anger.

"If you gentlemen will excuse me." She nodded to each man and went to Erin. "Why aren't you on a lifeboat?"

"Me? You never showed up on the boat deck. I don't know if there are any left but we have to hope. Come on." Taking the taller woman's hand she started toward the door.

Yanking her hand away Catherine glared at the smaller woman. "I'm not going. I'm staying here but please Erin you go."

Erin started to speak and then stopped and shook her head. "We live or die together. I won't leave you. Not now. Not ever." Neither Catherine nor Erin were aware that she had spoken not in English but in Greek.

2: 05 AM


Erin arrived on the boat deck with Catherine in tow. Together they watched as the last lifeboat was lowered into the water.

"I'm sorry Erin. I wanted you to get off safely. I didn't mean for you to be stuck here with me."

"Catherine, I told you we face it together. There isn't much time left what do you want to do?"

The band began playing "Nearer My God to Thee" and smiling Catherine began singing with them. Her strong clear voice echoing out across the ship and the water calming those onboard and in life boats.

Every eye around them was full of tears when the song finished.

"Why?" Erin asked.

Catherine searched her face and saw no anger just puzzlement. "My son. I can't ever be with him. His father died in a riding accident. So I have no one."

As the ship raised up to 90 degrees, both leaned against a wall to keep from falling. "You have me." Erin smiled at her friend. Then once again speaking in Greek "Xena I told you I would never leave you or let you leave me. Till next time my friend."

Answering in the same language, "I'm sorry our time together was so short. Till the next time." As the Titanic slipped silently beneath the waves two friends held each other and waited for the next life to begin.

The End.

I hope this story touched you as much as it did me. Please e-mail me with any comments you may have. Thank You Del

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