Wednesday, April 10, 1912

Wow, I held my sister Genevieve’s hand as we stared in awe at the magnificent ocean liner towering over us. My sister, my brother Richard, my mother Lucille, and our maid Martha were about to board the largest ship ever, the Titanic. We were going to travel from here, Southampton, England to New York in America, the “land of opportunities”. There, we would finally see our father, who had left months ago to find work. Everyone was also very excited to ride on the Titanic on its maiden voyage.

“Don’t dawdle, Marie,” my mother scolded, snapping me out of my trance, “the ship will leave soon.”

“Yes, mother,” I replied, leading our group up the ramp. We showed our tickets and were guided to our rooms. On the way, I notice the sparkling crystal chandeliers and the fancy first-class staircase. As first-class passengers, our rooms were luxurious. Soft, thick carpeting lined the floors and my feet sink in as I admire the carved wooden panels on the walls and the marble sink. “Not as nice as my room back home, “ I think, “But good enough for me.”

Our luggage already sits there on the bed, so Martha started setting our belongings where they should go.

“We’re going to explore,” I decide and tell my mother as Genevieve, Richard, and I head out the door.

“I heard that there is a swimming pool!” Genevieve exclaims. “And a gymnasium, “ Richard adds enthusiastically.

Once we explored most of the areas on the ship that we were allowed to explore, it’s already noon, so the ship sets off. We hurried on to the closest deck for a better view. Before the Titanic can get out of the harbor, there’s another ship. We just barely avoid collision, which makes me worried. Will this ship be too big to handle on the rough waters of the Atlantic?

We go to the first-class dining room where my siblings find a group of kids to play with and I see a girl who’s about my age. She’s very easy to talk to and we strike up a conversation right away.

“I’m Annaliese,” she says happily, “I can’t wait to get to New York, can you?”

“Of course not!” I reply with equal enthusiasm. I then introduce myself and point out my brother and sister. “That’s Richard and there’s Genevieve.”

“They look like they are having fun,” she laughs as we watch them run around, “My sister is on the ship too, but she’s really sick and we’re hoping she can be cured in America.”

“I’m so sorry,” I sympathized, “I’m sure she’ll get better.”

“It’s okay,” she responds softly, “Do you want to get some food?”

“Sure!” I answer, understanding that she will probably not want to talk about it. We spend the rest of the day together talking, laughing, and playing. At the end of the day we say goodbye and plan to meet tomorrow. I tell her where my room is so she will be able to find me. On the way back to my room, I overhear two men talking.

“I heard that the rivets on the hull of the ship are made of a cheap metal and if impacted will let in water!” one says to the other.

“I heard the same thing.” says the other.

“Silly men,” I tell myself, “Everyone knows that the Titanic cost about $7.5 million just to build and that it is unsinkable!” I hurried to my room, shaking my head.

 

Thursday April 11, 1912

Martha wakes me up to tell me that Genevieve and Richard had already gone to breakfast with my mother. Also, Annaliese had just knocked on our door and told me to meet her in the dining room. I quickly change out of my nightgown and into a dress. Martha braids my hair right before we walk out the door.

When we get there, Annaliese waves me over to where she’s sitting with my family. They all have a plate of eggs and toast. I go get some for myself, then sit down and we all talk for awhile. Everyone agrees that the Titanic is truly amazing.

“Does anybody want to go swimming later?” I ask.

My siblings and Annaliese all say yes. My mother and Martha decide that they will sit this one out and they go to get tea and tell us that they will be on the A Deck, the deck with all the white wicker furniture. After we change into swimsuits, on our way to the pool, we pass the squash court where a duo is playing a spirited game.

At the pool, there are a lot of people having fun and swimming around. Richard jumps in and makes a big splash. We all laugh and then follow him, diving into the water. We play for a few hours.

“I’m already ready for lunch!” I say hungrily. We spend the rest of the day just in the dining room chatting or walking all the way around the ship.

The next two days were about the same and I never would have guessed what was going to happen on the next.

 

Sunday, April 14, 1912

It was a cold but sunny morning. The sea was calm, so the the Titanic was steaming ahead at full speed. Here and there, I heard some talk of icebergs, but it was at the back of my mind. Annaliese and I were relaxing on deck chairs reading books that we had brought along for the journey.

“Can I get you ladies anything?” someone asked. I looked up to see who it was. It was Albert, a boy who had gone to the same school as I in England but he was a year older. I had run into him yesterday, surprised that he was also on the ship.

“Why hello Albert!” I said cheerfully.

“If you don’t mind, I’d like a pastry,” Annaliese smiled.

“Of course I don’t mind, and for you?” he turned to me, pretending to jot it down on a pad, like a waiter.

“A pastry sounds just great right now, thank you,” I say politely.

“You are very welcome. I’ll just be a minute,” he assures us.

“How sweet,” I say to Annaliese, once he’s gone.

“Yes, he is,” she agrees. When he gets back with three pastries, we sit around and talk about what we’re excited for in America.

Later in the afternoon, the temperature began to drop rapidly, so we all go to Albert’s cabin to play cards. It was already getting dark when the bugle call announced dinner.

“I’d better get going, my mother is probably wondering where I am.” I say. Wow, time has passed so quickly.

When I get back, my mother is rushing around the room, dressing and putting her hair up.

“Are you going somewhere?” I ask.

“Yes, I am invited to a special dinner in honor of Captain Edward J. Smith, since this is his last voyage before retirement.” She answers quickly. She also tells me that the “richest man in the world” (Colonel John Jacob Astor)  will be there and that when she’s gone, Martha will watch over Genevieve and Richard, but I need to make sure that they eat a healthy dinner and are well behaved. I do so, and we spend time together in our room after dinner, playing made-up games.

 

9:00 P.M.

I realize that I had left my sweater on the deck chair, so I quickly tell Martha where I am going and making sure that my siblings are asleep, I hurry out the door. On the deck, I shiver slightly in the chilly air, and I spot my lilac sweater on the chairs we were sitting at earlier a little ways away.

“On a calm, moonless night like this, it’s very hard to spot icebergs,” I hear someone say.

“Very true. We wouldn’t be able to tell if one was right in front of us,” someone else responds. “That’s a good point,” I think to myself,” but the lookouts would be able to see it and maybe another ship would have warned them about icebergs.” I pull on my sweater and start back. Only then do I notice the starry sky, the stars shining brightly, sparkling like diamonds.

My mother is there when I get back. She tells me that she enjoyed the dinner. I kiss her goodnight, then change into a nightgown. I fall asleep to the hum of the vibrating engines.

 

11:40 P.M.

I am awakened by the dead silence. Shouldn’t the engines be going? My mother is also sitting up in bed. She opens our door and asks a steward if everything is okay.

“Everything is just fine.” he replies. But we weren’t convinced. A few minutes later, we heard footsteps and voices in the hallway. My mother quickly woke up my sister, brother, and Martha, who is a very deep sleeper. My mother tells Martha to grab a few extra blankets.

“Put on your coats and life jackets,” my mother says, urgently.

“Why, what’s the matter?” Genevieve asks.

“Something might be wrong,” she looks nervous. We all just know that we should obey her directions, then follow her out into the hallway, onto the deck, where we see a few other families. There are also some crew members.

“What’s going on?” I hear someone ask one of the workers.

“Nothing to worry about. Just an iceberg, we’ve got it under control.” he attempts to reassure us. In the background, we can hear the band playing, unfazed by the events that are going on around them. Just then, we feel the ship tip a little. A piece of ice skids along the deck towards me. More and more people appear on the deck. The downstairs rooms start flooding. But the Titanic is unsinkable. Isn’t it? Martha finally arrives and runs over to us.

“Thank God, you are here,” she weeps, hugging us,”The Titanic is sinking. Now we’ve got to get on a lifeboat.” We all agree and we practically run over to the lifeboats. Everyone is crying. I see Annaliese and Albert. They run towards us, Annaliese is weeping.

“I’m really scared,” Annaliese says. Her mother and her sister are with her as well. She’s holding her sister, who is sweating and looks very pale. All of us enter the lifeboat carefully, but to Albert they say, “Only women and children”.

“He is a child!” I cry. But they shake their heads, and I am pushed into the lifeboat along with everybody else. “No, Albert!” I scream, but it’s no use. The lifeboat is lowered into the Atlantic.

I can see his face just before we leave, heroic but very scared and lonely, mouthing the word, “Goodbye”. As we drift away, screams and moans fill the air. The Titanic continues to tilt. All of a sudden, the ship snaps in half making a deafening crunch sound. Everyone stares in horror as the once magnificent R.M.S. Titanic completely submerges into the cold, cold water. Screams of agony and weeping and then silence.

 

*April 14, 1962*

Fifty years have passed since that fateful night. It wasn’t until my granddaughter was doing a project on the event and I finally told my story. Over 1,000 people were lost, but the one I think about most is Albert. I’ve often wondered if there was a way that I could have saved him. The memory of his face as he was saying goodbye has stayed with me all these years. Although Annaliese’s sister overcame the sickness and my family was reunited with our father, that night would never be forgotten.