A Moment in Time

The sun shone. I stood on the Southampton dock. The sea breeze blew, and blew until my hat fell to the ground. A handsome man picked it up.

"Are you headed aboard this ship?"

Graciously, and gracefully I accepted my hat, and held it atop my head.

"The Titanic, you mean. The ship of dreams?"

He nodded as his eyes glowed, specs of gold among the hazel.

We both dreamily stared at the gigantic steam-liner - the RMS Titanic.

A luxury liner with a capacity for over 2200 passengers. It definitely was a ship of dreams, from Southampton, England to New York, U.S.A.

"I wish. Only, if..."

He interrupted, and blurted back.

"I wish too..."

His eyes flirted with mine, as folks mulled about, said their good-byes, pulled luggage, and kids ran about.

A band played aboard the ship. Soldiers saluted. It was the Titanic's maiden voyage, after all.

He put down his briefcase, walked towards me, and opened his hand, palm up.

"May I have this dance, miss?"

Nodding, and smiling with glee, I placed my hand in his. He took off my hat. and held it tightly, as he pulled me in closer.

My wind-blown hat, was our little joke, our reason to be.

A crowd formed, a man whistled. A few danced on the side-lines. And the music played on. I wanted this moment with this handsome stranger to last forever.

A whistle blew. The music stopped.

"All aboard! All aboard!"

"May I know your name?" He asked, as he held my hand tightly.

"Paul...Paulette Kingston." I could barely get my name out. I was breathless, as my heart bounced like a ball.

"Evan. I'm Evan Davies."

As the band's trumpet gave it's final blow, I knew this magic moment was about to end.

"Paulette, will you join me aboard?"

How could I join a stranger? No luggage, no clothes, just my hat, and my outfit. And what would people think. And....

"Evan, I wish."

"All aboard. All aboard."

The captain stood stern. The press standing about, snapping pictures. Perhaps even of Evan, and me.

Evan's physique was a silhouette in the sunlight. The details of his face blocked out by the sun. It was a time of glowing brilliance. Me and Evan on the Southampton dock.

He pulled out a piece of paper, and quickly scribbled with a pen.

"My address, Paulette. I hope we can correspond. I won't be away long."

I ripped a piece of the paper, wrote down my name and address with a heart.

Our hands touched. Evan came closer and kissed me. I felt the blink of a flash bulb. Or was it the brightness of the sun.

And before I knew it, we had an embrace. And he turned towards to the boarding ramp, and walked onto the slipway.

As a tear drew near. I wiped it away. Evan was slipping away.

Aboard its deck, Evan looked down to find me, and waved. I waved, and waved back again.

I tried not to cry, and smiled. He smiled, I'm sure. A brave face on both our parts. He looked so small. A little human aboard a giant ship. A number of small humans milled about the deck, waving at the press, their loved ones, and even strangers.

I felt special in that moment. I felt love.

Evan then blew me a kiss, and waved one last time as the ship left the dock, on that brilliant sunny day in Southampton.

It was April 10, 1911.

On April 19, 1911, Evan Davies's name appeared in The New York times, on the "Roll of the 1595 Missing."

I cried, and cried.