Chereads / Strangers Of Yesterday / Chapter 4 - Chapter 3

Chapter 4 - Chapter 3

When Helen was busling out the door that cold morning Southampton of April 10, 1912. She felt elated, she had never sailed on a ship before, and had only gone a few towns away by train before. Her mother was worried sick she would forget something and then have to rush back to repack it later.

"Did you get your coats and sweaters Helen?" Her mother asked.

"Of course I did, I made sure I wouldn't freeze in the Atlantic Ocean mother."

"Just got to make sure, sweetie."

Then they walked a few blocks to the nearest train station. The scenery at this time of day was beautiful, trees were rich in color, the grass was freshly moved and there was even a slight breeze lifting the bottom on Helens coat. Once she and her mother boarded the train. Helen overheard a group of men, probably playing poker Helen thought, discussing their weeks plans and their busy schedules.

"I heard it's the strongest ship in the world, with a rudder 'bout 80 feet long and a mighty big fuel tank." Grumbled one man whose voice sounded like gravel. He was wearing a bowler hat with a cigar in his mouth, puffs of smoke ticking the noses of anyone near him.

"Ay, quit lookin' at the cards!" A younger man replied.

"I heard it had thirty double-ended boilers! Did you hear Thomas Andrews designed it, he says that nothin' could make it sink." Replied the younger man now more excited since the conversation took a turn. Until he saw the man with the bowler hat look at the cards once more, he added a look of disgust.

There were four men seated at that table all gambling for money and hungry for a win.

As Helen looked back at her window after hearing the two men's discussion she started thinking more in depth about the structure of the Titanic. Could it really be as indestructible as Thomas Andrews said? And as strong as the man said? It would seem impossible for a ship to be indestructible, there had to be something to knock it down. As Helen pondered on that thought, the men at the table got up and moved toward the front of the train, waiting to get out at their stop.

An hour later she saw it for the first time. The magnificent ship that would take her away to New York. It indeed looked indestructible but that testiment remains to be true. She saw the beautiful wood and the stairs leading up to the entrance, and all the servers and waiters waiting to be bossed around by the first class people boarding the ship already.

Helen and her mother, who had just woken up from a very long nap, walked up to the dock to board before they were squished by everyone around them.

By the time they got to the entrance safely, there were already hundreds of people aboard. Servers and waiters were bustling with trays with frantic looks trying to either get someone to move or someone to calm down. All of them looked as if they were about to snap. Helen stayed clear of them and proceeded to try and find her suite where her and her mother would be staying for the next week or so.

Then she snapped back to the present and she had almost fallen on her walk to her suite. She was still thinking about the annoying boy who had just bumped her. She remembers her days before arriving at the Titanic to be happy but her day on the Titanic so far had been indescribable.

Later that evening after she had a very delightful steak and potato dinner, she was tired and tried to find her room on B-Deck. Upon her wondering she felt suddenly wide awake when she stumbled by an old door hidden behind a staircase. She was sure she wasn't supposed to go in the room but her curiosity got the best of her and she headed right for it.

To her surprise, the room she ended up in was very large, with luggage and belongings all over the place. She must have wandered into the worker's cargo room.