HEARTS' ARE MEANT TO BE BROKEN

"Marge! Where are my socks?" He shouts. "In the box, dear, with your other clothes." "No, Oh, never mind, I found them. The last thing I need is trench foot." She shouts, "When does the boat leave?" He answers, "In about an hour." She says, "You know that gives us a little more time." He laughs and says, "No, I'm exhausted." He adds, "What will you do while I'm gone?" "Mary Ethal wants to take me to the country with her family for two weeks. She has promised it will be relaxing." He laughs and grabs her waist and kisses her cheek softly. She slips something into his pocket.

I have to get moving. The boat will not wait on me. Marge asks, "Which ship is it?" He shouts while rushing out the door. RMS Carpathia today. The Titanic is due to launch today, and there were no spots open. "Ted, I love you." He turns and rushes back. "I love you too, Marge." "Ted, I have a terrible feeling all-of-the-sudden." He laughs, "It's ok. That's just the hangover from last night's drinking talking." She adds, "You are probably right." He laughs, "I know I am right. I have to go. Bye." He kisses her and rushes off to the dock. She watches him rush off down the hill. "God, I love that man."

He makes it to the dock just as the plank empties and the last man boards, "Wait for one more!"The smells that ruminate around the waterfront are horrible to visitors, but those that work there pay them no attention. Ted rushes on board. He gets a whiff of a familiar scent, "Hmmm, where is that coming from?" The porter walks by, smiles, and says, "That girl must have left a gift." Laughing as he walks off. Ted has no time for nonsense and brushes off the porters' comment. He continues to his small section of the boat.

"I wish they would put me in a tomb or something!" Shouting as he crawls back into his small bunk. "I have no room to move here." From above, "What's wrong sweet cheeks?" "Leonard! How are you, buddy?" "I am fine as frog-hair, my friend. I am your bunkmate again, Captain's orders." Ted laughs giddy. "That could be a lot worse." The two men sit and talk for hours.

"I would love to be aboard the Titanic. I tried to get a spot there, but they didn't want me. The Captain said I had been in too many bar fights." Ted begins to laugh. "You, say it ain't so, Len." Leonard says, "Shut up you." Ted adds, "Well, you did spend how many days in jail last year? Threw around, how many people?" "Ted, I should sock you." "Truth hurts!" Leonard sits quietly, mumbling, "I didn't start one of those fights. They all started the fights with me."

The ship begins to move. "Len, I hear the Titanic has 2200 passengers on it right now. Which is more than the town I'm from." Leonard responds, "Mine too." Ted adds, "I want to take Marge on it when I ask her to marry me. They say it is unsinkable. Exactly how I feel about Marge and me, Unsinkable." Leonard says, "I don't know something ain't right about that whole thing. I have a bad feeling about this." Ted sits up. "Marge said the same thing today as I left." Leonard asks Ted, "Did you see the caskets loaded below?" Ted says, "No, I didn't." "The give, me the hebe jee bees." Leonard adds, "Yeah, I don't like this one bit, no sir-re." For now, we can sleep until it's our shift. Ted says, "All this for mail.". Let the new men handle this easy stuff. The two men drift off to sleep.

The night's air is cold, sharp foggy. Men dart and dodge on the deck of the ship. The men talking to each other tell stories of large bergs floating down from New York. The Captain shouts. "This is scuttlebutt. I won't have it! No, Iceberg makes it this far down at this time of year. The men silence and usher on about their chores.

Back at home, Ethal shows up with a new electric car. One of those Ford battery-powered cars dark-green convertible but not very fast. "Oh, Ethal, how are you!" Marge rushes to greet her friend. "Boop, How are you!" Kissing each other on the cheek. "You ready, lady?" Marge says, "Let me get my bags."

Marge walks out looking ravishing, "How do I look?" Ethal says, "Stunning! We had a change of plans." Marge says, "Oh?" Ethal says, "I made out with a porter on the Titanic. He is going to sneak me a solid." Marge says, excited, "Oh. Wow! Does that mean we are going on a ship?" Ethal says, "Yes, it does." girl's hug is giddy with excitement. "I have never been on a ship that big before, Ethal!" "Me, Either Boop. Let's get moving before it leaves without us, ok?"

The two ladies load the car up, umbrella, luggage, cigarettes, liquor. And off they go. Marge says, "The port stinks." Ethal says, "Yes, my dear, it does." Placing her hand on her friend's chin. "Thankfully, we don't have to live here." Marge asks, "Ethal, where are you going to park your car?" She smiles and says, "On the boat."

They pull up to the docking bay Ethal gets out and begins to look around. A young man walks up to her, "Dear can you park this on the boat for me. I am terrified to try." The young porter forgot to ask for her ticket. The excitement of driving a car was too much for him. The two ladies stroll on the ship without being questioned. Finally, Ethal sees her friend.

"Hey!" The two embrace. Moments later, he dashes over to the counter. When they see him talking to the concierge, Marge whispers to Ethal. "They look like they are about to fight." Ethal responds, "I know. Eh, It will get sorted." Marge says, "I hope so. My girdle is killing me."

Ethal elbows Marge, "Get a load of that rock." The Ethal and Marge watch as the delegation saunter by with glamor. Marge Around the neck of the most beautiful lady dangled a blue necklace that sparkled beyond anything neither of the two had ever seen. Marge says, "Must be nice."

Moments later, Ethal's date returns with two keys and flowers, "Here you go, ladies. I'll help you to your rooms." He kisses Ethal one more time at the door. Marge says, "Now, I know how Ted and I look when we have been apart too long." They giggle and laugh. Ethal says, "I want to keep this one."

Marge says, "If you do, put some perfume on something that will remind him of you and put it in his pocket." Ethal says, "I can do that." Marge says, "Just not a liquor bottle." The two ladies laugh. "Let's explore." "Let's." They stroll around the ship taking in every detail they can. Enthralled both and absorbing all the sights, taking in every detail credulously. They walk by a room where young men are sitting tapping on this strange device. "Marge, What is that?" Marge responds, "I don't know, Ethal? I have never seen anything like that before." Did you see the Captain setting the clocks? "Yes, did you notice they all moved at the same time when he did that thing?" Marge responds, "Yes, I did." Ethal says, "They say God Cannot sink this ship." Marge says, "I wouldn't have used those words. That's tempting fate." Ethal says, "Agreed." Marge says, "Ethal, look at his, how adorable!" A young mother appears, pushing her twins in a stroller. Both boys dressed perfectly in tiny sailor hats and shoes barely old enough to walk. Marge adds, "I can't wait to have children." Ethal says, "I want nothing to do with the little monsters."

Look at all this high-class stuff. "Marge, I'll have to finish up the exploration tomorrow. My feet are killing me." "I agree. I am pooped." Ethal sits down. "My dogs are barking." A young man walks by with a tray of drinks Ethal picks two. "Here, chick, take one." Marge says, "Well, are you a progressive or what? Chick." Elbows Ethal. "You are so ahead of the times. Oh, I do love you, my friend." I am, however, exhausted. "Let's crash." The two ladies go to their room to find their luggage waiting on them.

Marge says, "One bed?" Ethal laughs adjoining rooms, dear. She walks over to the door and opens it, "Here is your room." Marge exhales with relief. "Ted will kill me if he finds out I am on this ship." She places a fifth of vodka on the nightstand and says, "That will help me sleep tonight." She hears the door open next door and then laughter. "Well, they will have fun now. I will miss my Ted."

Back aboard the RMS Carpathia, Ted and Len sleep while the other men work diligently to keep the two engines going. Ted tosses and turns the heat from the engines making their quarters hotter than everyone else's. Ted opens the draft to get some fresh air, then goes back to sleep. Len is the first one up. "Ted, get up. It's our shift." Ted covers his head. Len leans over him, "Come on. Sugar Bear. Kissie Kissie." Ted groans and wakes up laughing. "Len, I hate you." Len adds, "No, you don't, now come on, we'll be late."

The two show up in the engine room, "Is it brighter in here or what?" Ted asks Len. "It is considerably brighter." One of the hands walks by and says, "someone cleaned the globes." Both men in harmony, "Ahhh." "Where do we start now?" Len says, "Where we stopped?" Len adds, "I'll check and see what the captain wants us to do." He rushes up top. A Deckhand walks by. "Did you see what's down in the hole?" Ted says, "No, why?" He adds, "Go, look, coffins." Ted adds, "Are they full?" He responds, "No. Well, I hope not. They are a part of a shipment." Ted asks out loud, "Who needs that many coffins?" He grabs a lantern and steps below, and there are stacks and stacks of coffins. "Well, that's creepy." He feels a hand on his shoulder. Then he drops his light and almost screams.

He hears a familiar laugh, "Did I scare you?" "Len, I should sock you. Have you seen this?" Len says, "Seen what?" Ted says, "This." Then shows Leonard the coffins. "What on earth." These are the only words that Leonard could muster. "Let's get out of here." Ted says, "Man, that was creepy!"

Leonard says, "Yeah, it was, and the Captain wants us up top tonight to help on the upper decks." Ted says, "Around humans?" Len says, "Around humans!" Ted says, "He's asking for it, ain't he?" Len laughs. "I guess so. So, let's get up top and get dressed." Ted shuts the door and turns the handle locking the door behind him. Then, he shivers as he moves on.

Back aboard the RMS Titanic, Marge gulps down a drink and says, I'm out for the night. She lays down, covers up, and can hear her best friend next door. Ethal and her friend are having a lot of fun. Marge says, "UGH! What have I gotten myself into!" That's when she noticed that the room was at a funny angle. The room was different than when she went to bed. She sits up in bed, "This isn't right." The Vodka bottle was now sitting on the edge of the nightstand, ready to slide off. "I did not put that there." She noticed that door was different now as well. Light now comes from strange angles that were not there before. She could hear people talking in the hallways but did not understand what they were saying. It sounds like they said, "Taking on water?" She jumps up and gets dressed. She attempts to open the door that is now hard to open. Then it happens an epic quake in the ship. People now begin to run Ethal makes an appearance, "What is happening, Marge?" Marge answers, "They say the ship is taking on water!" Ethal looks at her friend. He says, "That's impossible." He puts on his robe and ties it. Then the ship slumps into the water. Marge grabs her clothes and says, "We have to get off this ship! Get your things, Ethal!"

Marge watches the young mother as she dresses her two sons. "Forget all that. Get them up top and on a lifeboat! Here let me help." Grabbing clothing, throwing what she could into a bag, and shouted, "Go!" The top deck was packed. "Ladies and children only." Marge says, "Hey, that's you." "She's has twins!" Music playing in the background two men push her and her children to the lifeboat. The young mother says, "Thank you!"

Marge says, "You are welcome!"

"Ethal, you think they will make it in this cold weather? Ethal? Ethal?" Marge then starts to look for her friend, that is nowhere around. "Great, the ship goes down, and now I'm all alone. Ted, where are you."

On the RMS Carpathia, Ted gets dressed for an evening of working on the top deck. He feels something in his pocket, "What is this?" Inside his pants was a tiny piece of cloth with an embroidered rose and Marge's favorite perfume. He smells of it, "I love you, Marge." He starts his shift working when he hears the Captain say, "We have an SOS for the Titantic" Ted passes by Len, "SOS for the unsinkable?" Len says, "That's what the Captain said."

The Captain gives the orders to turn the ship. They rush to the Titanic at 14 knots. Ted and Len work into the night, making room for any survivors. "Debris!" the men lean overboard, watching for any survivors. Ted sees a figure in the water. Leonard says, "Ted, go tell the Captain we have found bodies to slow down the ship. Now!" Len then pulls the woman out of the water. He wraps her up carefully so that Ted cannot see her. The young men helping him see the concern, "Do not let Ted unwrap this one, no matter what." One of the deckhands asks, "Why Len?" "He says, "It is his soon-to-be wife." They all agree. "I'll tell him when the time is right ok?" After hours of loading living and deceased. The men are exhausted and in dire need of rest. Ted says, "I have to sleep." Leonard says, "My friend, you go rest." Ted notices the extremely kind tone and smiles. Thank you, my friend. "Think nothing of it."

He watches Ted lay the embroidered rose on the nightstand that night. Leonard says, "This is going to be hard."

The next day they arrive at the harbor, medical professionals greet them. Ted gets off the ship with Leonard; they see a lady with two tiny boys walking off the dock. Ted sees them and says, "At least some survived." Leonard says, "Yeah, there were a few." Ted, I have something I should tell you, and it's not going to be easy."

"What's that, Len? You know you can tell me anything." Len with big tears in his eyes. "Not, this time." Ted says, "Len?" "Ted, you will need to sit down. we don't need to get too far away from the port." "Why, Len?" "You know I wouldn't lie to you or mess with you, right?" Ted says, "Yeah." "Ok, I'm just going to say it. Ted, Marge was the first one I pulled out of the water." Ted's world comes to a complete stop. "You will have to stay close to identify her. That's what the Captain told me." Ted sits quietly. "Can you show me?" Leonard says, "Yes. follow me." They walk down the long corridor of the ship where they placed all the bodies. She was the first, so she was the farthest. Leonard removes the cover. Marge's face, and makeup, were washed away, hair soaking wet still. Ted then loses control. Ted sits holding Marge's cold, lifeless body, rocking back and forth in deep sobs. Len sits down with him and consoles his friend's shoulder. After a while, Len takes Ted home. I am going to stay with you.

Marge's face appears in the North East West South Paper. The young mother that Marge saved asks to meet Ted. Leonard arranges the meeting.

"Hello, I know you don't know me. Your fiancee saved my twins and me had she not been there. We would have died on that boat. I will be forever indebted to her for that." The two talked for hours. Ted, however, emotionally exhausted, could barely hold a conversation for a few minutes. Leonard takes the lady home and returns. Ted says, "Everyone needs a friend like you, Len." Leonard says, "Thanks, now we need to get you on the mend." Ted says, "I may never mend from this." Leonard says, "You won't." Ted says, "What!" Leonard says, "You don't heal from things like this. You grow from them. Your heart changes over time as you find new roots and new ways of doing things. The hurt from the absence of that person will almost always be there. What if they hadn't died or left will linger on without asking what if they lived and things had gone wrong with them, which would be more painful?

We never have the answers for what is the best what is, and we can only deal with what our minds leapfrog over painful things to keep from creating more hurt or create more hurt to keep us occupied. Sometimes too much is just that, too much. When our minds shut down, it's for a reason."

What did you do with my friend Leonard? The two men laugh. "Now, let's go fishing at the lake. I need some time of not thinking."