April 10th, 1912 (4:45 PM)
The Room Smelt of fresh paint; that was the first thought Nicholas had in his mind as he looked around. Titanic was, of course, brand new, but he did not expect the cabin to smell this new as well. Nevertheless, the cabin was quite nice. It had Four beds, and he believed he would have cabin mates, a sink and a wardrobe. There was no bathroom; they were elsewhere, though this did not bother him as the family did not have indoor plumbing back in Yorkshire. The room and the ship were much grander than he was used to, and it was his home for the next couple of days. "Wow," he exclaimed to himself. He looked at the bunk and wondered what cabinmates he would get. Would they be friendly? Would they be annoying? Would they even speek English? He sat there pondering it for a while before snapping back to reality. He realised he had been seated in the cabin for some time; the ship would be leaving port soon, and he was so bored of just sitting in the room and wanting to push himself to explore the ship. Nicholas decided to head to the boat deck to watch the ship leave Southampton. He knew the ship was packed to the brim full of people, more than he had ever seen, despite feeling remarkably nervous. He took three deep breaths and then headed for the cabin door. It was now or never.
He arrived on the boat deck just in time as people flocked to the railings to wave to that bellow. Titanic had already moved away from the port, and all the gangways that had once connected her to land were gone. Nicholas found an empty spot along the starboard rail, his eyes locked on the shrinking figures waving from the dockside. They all looked so small now, a reverse from earlier when he looked up at the ship. He could feel the gentle rumble of the ship's engines as they vibrated through the deck; she would sail on her power across the seas for the first time. His stomach filled with excitement and nervous anticipation for the journey ahead. He removed his hat and waved it at the crowd below as others did around him. There was some part of this that gave Nicholas a thrill. It was all so new to him. He wondered how his brothers and sisters felt the same when they embarked on their voyage on Lusitania. He wondered how that ship compared to the Titanic. Maybe one day he would find out, but for now, he got to marvel at the glory of this giant ship.
The festive atmosphere that had filled the air abruptly dissolved into a chorus of alarmed voices, a surge of panic sweeping across the deck. Nicholas, his attention piqued, turned his head and saw passengers pointing and murmuring in hushed, anxious tones. Intrigued, he craned his neck to see what had seized everyone's attention. His eyes widened in sheer panic. What he saw was a sight that sent his heart racing. The much smaller SS New York was nestled next to the Titanic in the port, and now she was drifting towards her. The massive displacement triggered by the Titanic's departure had set a perilous chain reaction in motion. The smaller SS New York's mooring ropes had snapped one by one, the sound echoing across the port like cannon fire. Now, she was adrift and appeared intent on bringing this maiden voyage to a disastrous end. His hands trembling, Nicholas clutched the railing in sheer panic, his mind a whirlwind of uncertainty. The ship was inching perilously close to the Titanic.
Nicholas watched in horror, unable to turn away, his heart in his throat as he gripped the rail so tight his knuckles went white. He did not know much about New York, but he could see she was, in fact, a grand ship in her own way. However, now she was a plaything to a much larger ship—a toy in a grand ocean. The distance between the two vessels narrowed at an alarming rate, and shouts could be heard from the crew on both ships, frantically working to avert a collision. Nicholas uttered a prayer under his breath, for it was the only thing he could do in a situation like this. It’s what his father had taught him. In hard times, pray to the lord for salvation. He hoped the lord was watching right now. If these ships did indeed hit each other, then it was almost certain he would not make it to New York any time soon and would, in fact, not get to see his family for some time. Tugboats sprang into action as they struggled to correct the New York’s course and push it away from the Titanic’s imposing hull.
The ship got closer, inch by inch. It seemed almost inevitable that they would hit one another. Nicholas, along with the other passengers, held their breaths. The tension was intense, the fear of a journey ending before it even truly began hanging heavy over the deck. He could hear hushed whispers about seeking damages from the shipping company should they hit the other ship. The Panic, however, was not needed as the combination of manoeuvring from the Titanic’s bridge and the tugboats’ determined efforts, the New York slowly veered off, drifting away safely, though still rocking from the disturbance. A collective sigh of relief swept through the crowd, and Nicholas felt his tension dissolve. He put his hat back onto his head as he turned away from the railing. That was enough excitement for one day, he thought to himself. As Titanic briefly stopped to assess the situation, he headed to the one place he had been looking forward to the library.
After some time, Nicholas found his way to the second-Class Library. He pushed past the doors, entered, and then stopped. His mouth open at the grandeur of the room. The room was bathed in the warm glow of the late afternoon sun that streamed through large lavish windows, casting light patterns across the polished wooden floor and the rich burgundy carpets. He removed his hat and placed it against his chest as he took a few more steps into the room. He had never seen anything quite like this before. He stopped again as he saw the large mahogany bookcase stretched from floor to ceiling, filled with books bound in leather and cloth. His eyes widened as he realised this bookcase would likely keep him entertained during the voyage. Scattered around the room were small oak reading tables, each paired with a plush, high-backed chair upholstered in deep green fabric. He looked around for an empty seat and took one near the window. He placed his hat on the table and sat down.
Nicholas quickly noticed the quiet ambience of the room, the silence only by the soft rustling of pages and the occasional gentle tap of a teacup being placed on a saucer. Nicholas sighed in relief as he felt more relaxed now than before. Still, the nerves of the day returned, and he began to tap his foot on the floor nervously. He felt out of place in a room this grand that, at any moment, someone would come and tell him this was all a joke and instead guide him to third class, but no such moment came as he settled into the highly comfortable leather sofa. He closed his eyes for a second and took deep breaths. When he opened them, a tall man stood beside him, his brown hair illuminated by the sun's soft glow. The young man was smartly dressed in the crisp white and blue uniform of the Titanic's crew and carried a tray with a single glass of ginger ale, its bubbles catching the light. "Mr. Goodwin?" the steward inquired with a gentle yet clear voice. "I heard you might appreciate this," he said as he carefully placed the glass and bottle on the table. At that point, Nicholas had never tasted ginger ale before but was willing to try new things, no matter how terrified he felt.
Nicholas sat up in the chair instantly, trying to portray a level of confidence he did not have. "Thank you," Nicholas replied, his voice showcasing his nervousness. "That's very thoughtful. How did you know my name?". Nicholas's eyes locked with the young steward, and he was confident he could sense something but was unsure what that was. "I make it my business to know the passengers I serve, sir," the steward responded; Nicholas swore he could see his twinkle as he answered. "My name is Sebastian, and I am here to serve, sir," Nicholas noted what he assumed was an American accent, though it was mixed with something he could not tell what it was. He dared not to ask out of fear of offending or being considered stupid. He picked up the glass and swished it around before taking a drink. It was sweet, and the bubbles tickled his nose. He liked it immensely. "I'm grateful for the ginger ale and the company."
Nicholas forced a smile as Sebastian placed the tray under his arm. Nicholas watched as Sebastian's posture relaxed slightly. "It's my pleasure. Not everyone takes well to the sea on their first voyage. The library is a good place to settle your stomach. And perhaps lose yourself in a good book?". Nicholas had thought about getting a book but was too frightened to look. He felt like an idiot for being so scared, but nothing he could do would help him eliminate that feeling. "I would love a book, steward's choice", he forced himself to say; it was almost like someone possessed him as he felt confident for a split second. Sebastian nodded with a smile, then left for the bookcase, stopping by the service cart to leave the tray behind. Nicholas watched; his interest peaked as Sebastian moved over the bookcase and went to work selecting a book. His movements were delicate, as if he was dancing. He soon found something and pulled it from the shelf; he then turned and returned to Nicholas, carefully placing the book on the table. "Thank you, Sebastian", Nicholas said, looking down at the book. He had not heard of War of the Worlds by HG Wells, but he was confident it would be interesting.
"Well, sir, I will leave you to your book. If you need anything else, ask for me." Sebastian turned to leave, then paused. "And if you're feeling adventurous later, I can suggest some spots around the ship to help you find your sea legs." His eyes twinkled mischievously, a playful smirk tugging at his lips. Nicholas couldn't help but feel a connection with Sebastian, a sense of shared understanding. He quickly dismissed the thought, reminding himself they were mere strangers on a ship. Nicholas looked up, meeting Sebastian's gaze, noticing the sincerity and warmth in his eyes. "I might just take you up on that, Sebastian. Thank you.". Sebastian nodded as he turned away fully. Nicholas wondered if he was being friendly because it was his job or if there could be more to it. He pushed this thought to the back of his mind. As Sebastian walked away, Nicholas took a deep breath, the ginger ale and the unexpected kindness combining to soothe his nerves. He watched as Sebastian navigated through the book-lined aisles with an ease that spoke of familiarity and belonging; he looked young, but the way he moved. It looked as if he had been doing this for years. Nicholas turned back to the book and picked it up. Nicholas realised that perhaps this voyage would offer more than he had dared to hope for, and he looked forward to their next meeting whenever possible.
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