The Longest Night (A Titanic Story)

Rowing as fast as they could away from the sinking ship, Lily noted how the Titanic resembled a whale sticking out of the ocean. Only a few days ago it was the ship of dreams. Wrapping her cold body in the fur jacket her fiance had given her, Lily studied all the passengers in her lifeboat.

Mostly women. Robert wanted her to stay on the ship with him as long as possible to see if any boats would open to men. It was his idea to board the Titanic so he could take her to New York to gloat about how he became rich.

A girl sitting next to her sneezed. Lily glanced at her. She was third class by the looks of it. Ragged clothing, face filthy, and hardly any jacket to keep her warm. Robert would sneer at her just like he did with all the steerage passengers.

A noise caught her attention. Hundred, better yet, thousands of souls were still trapped on the doomed ship. The lights were still on, illuminating the once grandest beauty for all the survivors to see. People threw things overboard; chairs, luggage, anything to float on in the water.

Wires snapped followed by the awful sound of metal breaking. To everyone’s shock, one of the Titanic’s smokestacks broke off, smashing into the water where swimmers were already struggling in its path.

“Peter... oh, Peter...” the girl sitting next to her sobbed, her hand covering her pale frightened face.

“Peter?” Lily asked. She had no reason to ask but at this moment Lily felt like she needed to comfort this girl. The class system didn’t mean anything now.

“My brother,” she answered, tears covering her face. “I lost him when we made it to the boat deck. They kept us locked in the lower decks like we were animals!”

Feeling her heart burn in pity for the girl, her mind racing back to Robert. He spent the entire trip talking to the other first-class men about his fortune. She married into yet another fortune.

“How old is he?” Lily asked, trying to take her mind off the awful predicament.

The girl shivered again. “He’s twelve. Oh, he is so strong for his age. He was ready to pick up a fight with those officers. Peter led us up to the boat decks and we were separated.”

“What about your parents?”

“They’re dead,” she answered, looking at the cold dark water. People were screaming. It was unbearable. “It’s always been me and Peter. We raised up all the money we could to buy a ticket for this ship...”

Lily’s heart fell into her stomach. She reached out and comfortingly touched the girl’s shoulder. “My husband is on that ship...”

Without any warning, the lights went out. It was hard to make out through the darkness, but the Titanic ripped in two. The sound of iron and metal breaking apart. People screaming and crying. Was Robert still on the ship?

“Peter...” the girl sobbed, her screams being drowned out by the several other people screaming out for help. The only noise she heard was the ship being swept up by waves. No more.

Hugging the young woman, as tears fell from her eyes, Lily comforted her. Having no idea what they’d do now it was all a question if rescue would come. Shivering in the frigid night, the lifeboats joined together. Eventually, morning came but it was the longest night any of them experienced.

Sticking with the girl, whose name was Elisa, Lily searched for Robert. Elisa begged officers to find her brother, grasping their collars with her numb hands.

Bundling herself in a blanket, the Carpathia hardly had enough rooms to squire for all the survivors. It was odd how she had little acquaintance with the other passengers of first class. Elisa was so kind as to let her stay with her in a cramped room with two passengers of the Carpathia.

“Where were you and Peter going?” Lily asked. Anything to distract herself from the melancholic wave of sadness. They sat on the bow of the ship, other passengers mingling.

Elisa stared into her hot chocolate. Her face was distorted, signifying nothing. “Somewhere in New York. We were so happy to get on the Titanic that we didn’t have a plan.”

“I’m meeting my in-laws, well, I guess I can still call them that,” Lily shrugged, looking into the sea.

“You didn’t love him, did you?”

“What?”

“It was arranged, wasn’t it?” Elisa asked, a knowing look in her eyes.

Without saying anything, Lily wished that Robert didn’t have to die. She could do what she pleased now. That’s what scared her. What was she to do? Return home or stay in New York? And what was she to do?

“Elisa!” A boy’s voice echoed.

Bolting out of her seat the instant she saw her brother, alive and well, Lily smiled as tears dripped down her face. Wishing that she had somebody to hug right now, she was happy for Elisa.

Unwrapping herself from the depths of the fur coat, Lily placed it over Elisa’s shoulders. Quizzically, Elisa was going to argue until Lily stopped her.

“It’s worth a lot. Cash it when you get to New York.” Lily would be okay.