In The Water

This is for the Vocal "Ship of Dreams" Challenge on the 110th Anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic.

This is also a conclusion to "In The Lifeboat" from a request by Sarah Covey , you can read the first part of this story here.

I had been in the water half an hour and was trying to follow the lifeboats that were moving away from the Titanic as it sank into the dark depths of the Atlantic. I had seen flares sent off so I was hoping that a mayday message had been sent out and my mind was wondering what to do for the best.

I needed to keep close to the lifeboats but not look as though I wanted to get aboard. My wooded table was keeping me afloat though I could not crawl on top of it as it would just sink and not support me.

It was dark and I needed something to help me get spotted if a rescue boat came along.

It was now half past three, I had heard someone shouting the time from one of the lifeboats. There was bits of talk I picked up and heard the name “Carpathia” shouted out which I assumed may be a rescue boat.

A bright yellow raincoat was floating and I managed to grab it and secure it to two of the table legs, meaning that hopefully someone would see it and at least investigate. I had a reason not to slip into the realms of morpheus to have a reason to keep awake.

I wanted to stay alive and hopefully see New York although I would not be on any passenger list, so I didn’t know what I would face when I came ashore. Of course I had no documents on me and thought I would just act as though I had amnesia but I was still in the water and trying to stay awake, but the water was freezing. I was still managing to kick my legs and keep moving, which was good for a non swimmer in the middle of the Atlantic.

The noise and conversations from the lifeboats were also helping keep me awake and focussed, then some more flares went up. I heard shouting . The Carpathia was here, that really spurred me on to stay awake, stay alive and to reach New York.

It seemed to take ages but there was a shout, and a life belt was dropped to me on the end of a rope. I had been seen. I pulled it on and was hauled aboard the Carpathia.

They took four hours to get all the survivors on board.

We were given blankets and hot soup to warm us up, and there were a lot of people to deal with.

I bedded down on the deck, knowing I could actually go to sleep in safety, the next stop would be New York and while this was not the journey I expected, I had actually made it across the Atlantic, and although it cost me no money it almost cost me my life.

There was no sign of my mate which saddened me but I had made it. I was feeling guilty but was not in a position to do anything and he might have made it, but like me he wouldn’t have been on the passenger roster.

When we disembarked I was expecting to end up in a cell, but no, I was taken to a hostel and given the opportunity to pay for my keep by a job working on the harbour. I gave a new name and it looked like I had landed in the land of opportunity.