A Narrative They Said Didn't Matter
From Southampton to New York
April 10th, 1912 I was going home. Home to my beautiful New York. Not that I didn’t mind the trip to Southampton, but around most of my family i was just Anne, the one to find a husband for then ignore for the rest of her life. New York, though, was my favorite place in the world.
I tied my boots too tight in my hurry to leave, but I didn’t mind for we had to walk down to the docks.
“Alexandre`, if you don’t hurry I am to leave without you!”
“All right Anne! Don’t get your knickers in a twist!” My brother’s muffled voice came through the door before he emerged. He held his beat up travel bag in one hand and put on his hat with the other. He shouved the hat roughly on his head and it covered his forehead making him look older than the nearly 18-year-old he was.
“I suppose we should go now.” He said and walked in long strides to the main room and kitchen. I grabbed my own bags, and tried not to drop them in my attempt to walk as easily as Alexandre` had.
“My Alexandre`....” I heard Oma saying. Mi jn lieve kleinzoon.” She said embracing him. My oma looked so tiny compared to my six-foot brother. She spoke to him slowly in Dutch so he would catch every word.
“Yes, we will, Oma.” he replied in softly in English. Oma saw me and her arms drooped then hung at her sides. Her look was empty, even blank.
“Afscheid, Kleindochter.” she said then walked over and hung her arms loosely around my shoulders. The thought occured again: Just Anne. The emptiness I had never noticed hurt.
“Farewell” I replied trying not to sound hurt, but sounding more numb. Amelia ran with suprising speed for a seven-year-old and hugged Alexandre`’s waist.
“Gelieve niets te gaan!” my little cousin wailed.
“We have to go, Mia. Now please speak English.” Alexandre` had to speak with her for a while before she would let him go. I would glance now and again at my cheap pocket watch hoping we could leave sooner with every passing minute.
Finally my brother finished. “All right, we should depart. Afsheid van mi jn familie.” he said as he walked through the small door with his bags. I followed him quickly without a word in my departure.
Alexandre` waited just outside the small house, looking towards the coast. He, at least, didn’t treat me like Oma or anyone else did. To him I was his equal.
“Alexandre`, not even eightteen yet and still everyone’s jewel. How do you manage?”
“Anne, you know it’s all just a stupid family thing. And you, not even a full year younger than me, should be treated the same,” His tone was one that told me he was deep in thought. I let the subject drop and instead watched the way to the docks. The neighborhood looked busy with people running about their shops and yards, preparing for the new morning and the chores it brought.
Alexandre` stopped and smelled the air intently. I walked slower and starred at him.
“Smell the air, Anne. Fresh bread from Mr. John’s bakery.” He said closing his eyes and inhaling deeply. I sniffed at the air curiously but only noted sea air. I wished I could pickup details like my brother always could. The dock was crowded with people: sailors readying the ship, passers bye looking with curiosity seeing the monstrosity they called “unsinkable” and future passengers of different status milling about looking for where they were to stand or drop their luggage.
My brother fiddled with his oversized coat. The large tatters of fabric that towered as high as he wrapped around his arm as he dug viciously through his pocket. He finally found what he was looking for and grasped two small pieces of paper in his hand. They were tattered and wrinkled, and looked as if they had been soaked then re-dried. He handed me one and I held it carefully like glass.
He walked, still without a word, to where people were boarding and we gave our small tickets up to set foot on our home for then next week or so. My brother and I had worked hard and managed two third class tickets on the ship for the little belongings we had two rooms side-by-side but we each had a roommate.
My brother turned to look at me while we were on the ship’s main deck.
“Ready?” he asked me not sounding like he needed an answer. I still nodded and we walked down to Deck E to see our rooms. Alexandre` went to his one one side and I walked, breathing a little to heavy, into mine.
I tied my boots too tight in my hurry to leave, but I didn’t mind for we had to walk down to the docks.
“Alexandre`, if you don’t hurry I am to leave without you!”
“All right Anne! Don’t get your knickers in a twist!” My brother’s muffled voice came through the door before he emerged. He held his beat up travel bag in one hand and put on his hat with the other. He shouved the hat roughly on his head and it covered his forehead making him look older than the nearly 18-year-old he was.
“I suppose we should go now.” He said and walked in long strides to the main room and kitchen. I grabbed my own bags, and tried not to drop them in my attempt to walk as easily as Alexandre` had.
“My Alexandre`....” I heard Oma saying. Mi jn lieve kleinzoon.” She said embracing him. My oma looked so tiny compared to my six-foot brother. She spoke to him slowly in Dutch so he would catch every word.
“Yes, we will, Oma.” he replied in softly in English. Oma saw me and her arms drooped then hung at her sides. Her look was empty, even blank.
“Afscheid, Kleindochter.” she said then walked over and hung her arms loosely around my shoulders. The thought occured again: Just Anne. The emptiness I had never noticed hurt.
“Farewell” I replied trying not to sound hurt, but sounding more numb. Amelia ran with suprising speed for a seven-year-old and hugged Alexandre`’s waist.
“Gelieve niets te gaan!” my little cousin wailed.
“We have to go, Mia. Now please speak English.” Alexandre` had to speak with her for a while before she would let him go. I would glance now and again at my cheap pocket watch hoping we could leave sooner with every passing minute.
Finally my brother finished. “All right, we should depart. Afsheid van mi jn familie.” he said as he walked through the small door with his bags. I followed him quickly without a word in my departure.
Alexandre` waited just outside the small house, looking towards the coast. He, at least, didn’t treat me like Oma or anyone else did. To him I was his equal.
“Alexandre`, not even eightteen yet and still everyone’s jewel. How do you manage?”
“Anne, you know it’s all just a stupid family thing. And you, not even a full year younger than me, should be treated the same,” His tone was one that told me he was deep in thought. I let the subject drop and instead watched the way to the docks. The neighborhood looked busy with people running about their shops and yards, preparing for the new morning and the chores it brought.
Alexandre` stopped and smelled the air intently. I walked slower and starred at him.
“Smell the air, Anne. Fresh bread from Mr. John’s bakery.” He said closing his eyes and inhaling deeply. I sniffed at the air curiously but only noted sea air. I wished I could pickup details like my brother always could. The dock was crowded with people: sailors readying the ship, passers bye looking with curiosity seeing the monstrosity they called “unsinkable” and future passengers of different status milling about looking for where they were to stand or drop their luggage.
My brother fiddled with his oversized coat. The large tatters of fabric that towered as high as he wrapped around his arm as he dug viciously through his pocket. He finally found what he was looking for and grasped two small pieces of paper in his hand. They were tattered and wrinkled, and looked as if they had been soaked then re-dried. He handed me one and I held it carefully like glass.
He walked, still without a word, to where people were boarding and we gave our small tickets up to set foot on our home for then next week or so. My brother and I had worked hard and managed two third class tickets on the ship for the little belongings we had two rooms side-by-side but we each had a roommate.
My brother turned to look at me while we were on the ship’s main deck.
“Ready?” he asked me not sounding like he needed an answer. I still nodded and we walked down to Deck E to see our rooms. Alexandre` went to his one one side and I walked, breathing a little to heavy, into mine.
♠ ♠ ♠
This part was weird to write, I wasn't sure how to start it....