Chapter Two
Kiana looked all around her new room. There was a washbasin and mirror in front of her, with two hooks in the wall for her dresses and coat. She decided to lie down for a little, to take in the smallness of the room before trying to do anything. There was only about 4 feet for walking on the floor. After the largeness of the boat, the room seemed cramped and uncomfortable.
She sat on her bed and then lay, looking directly up at the top of the berth above her. There were four berths in the room, the one that she lay on, and the one above her, and then the two across from them. It felt strange to be alone, without anyone to fill those beds. But she couldn't imagine living in such a small room with three more people.
Shutting her eyes, Kiana imagined her parents. Tears flooded her eyes, but she blinked them back painfully. She missed her father so much. If only she could have died with him. And why had her mother had to die three years before? It wasn't fair. She didn't want to go to America and find no one waiting for her. Where could she go? If only she knew where Prudence lived! But even if she did, would her mother's old friend accept her?
Kiana was getting sleepy now. Soon she had dozed. She rolled over onto her left side, forgetting that the berth was so small. With a shriek, Kiana fell to the carpeted floor beneath her. As she fell, she bumped her head on the wooden washing stand that was in the middle of the floor. She groaned in pain, rubbing her head.
Pushing herself up onto her elbows, she pushed her deep gold curls out of her face and gave a huff. "I'm afraid it will take me longer than I expect to get used to thisÖthis cage."
Then the door opened and bumped her head again. Kiana moaned. She stood up, rubbing the pain once again.
"Je suis dÈsolÈ!" the girl who'd opened the door blurted. She looked at Kiana nervously, then spoke in broken English.
"Why you on, uhhh," she pointed at the floor, trying to find the word.
Kiana laughed self-consciously. "Oh, I, um, lost my, uh, never mind. Are you my roommate?"
"IÖI amÖstay here." The girl held out her arm to take in the room. "I am Valerie. What is your name?"
"Kiana. Kiana Connor."
"Nice to meet you." Valerie said that clearly, as with much practice. She held out her hand and shook Kiana's formally. She was from France, and she must have gotten on the night when the Titanic stopped to pick up more passengers there.
I must have scared her. She didn't even know I was here!
"Well, I was just going to take a nap. It's already been a long day." Then Kiana bit her lip. Valerie didn't know one word she was saying! She looked at her roommate. Valerie was standing there shyly, looking at the floor.
Kiana caught her eye and pointed to herself, then her bed. Valerie nodded with understanding. This was going to be a long voyage.
After pulling the covers on the bed back, Kiana glanced at Valerie again. Poor thing. She was already lying on her bed, sleeping quietly and soundly. Soon she herself would be too.
But it took Kiana longer than she expected to fall asleep. The lapping of the water against the hull, the people milling outside their door, the small, cramped bed, all of these things kept adding to her discomfort. She wanted to cry. But she held back her tears; she would not be a baby.
Soon, she dozed. Then, finally fell into a deep sleep.
~~~~~~~~~
When she woke, Kiana was astounded to see that her nap had taken her through the whole night. It was already early the next morning! She stood up to find that another woman had come in during the night. She looked somewhat like Valerie, and Kiana guessed it was her mother. Both of them were still sleeping, so Kiana quietly dressed and slipped out of the room.
As soon as she was out the door, she walked on the carpet of the hallway until she reached the door that would go out to the stairway. Opening it let a breeze of chilly air into the heated hallway, and she stepped quickly out. The cold felt good after being cooped up in her stateroom, and Kiana breathed it in contentedly.
Just then, she realized the engines were throbbing. They had left. She couldn't believe they had left! Kiana's thoughts raced. But an ache was also still in her body, looking back, trying to see the shores of Ireland. This was it. She could never return to Ireland, ever. She wished she could have stayed there, but if the police found heró
Her thoughts were interrupted as a young girl ran right into her. Kiana was about to protest, but then saw that it was the cute little girl she'd seen on the deck earlier, when she'd first got on. Her mother wasn't too far behind.
"Liberty! Say your sorry to the young lady please!" the woman in the blue silk dress commanded. She seemed flustered, and her cheeks were red from hurrying after her little girl.
The little girl gave a quick and polite curtsy. "Sorry ma'am," she said in a tiny voice.
"It's all right," Kiana told him. Turning to the mother, she also curtsied. "I'm Kiana, ma'am. Kiana Connor."
"Pleased to meet you, I'm Theresa Lawson. Liberty is very excited about being on the Titanic, and her sense of adventure is overtaking her sense of self-control," Mistress Lawson laughed, her hand on her stomach again. "I can't believe she ran all the way down to the steerage section!"
Kiana nodded. "It is very exciting, being on such a lovely ship." She was uncomfortable around this young woman in her silky dresses.
"Yes it is," Mistress Lawson agreed. "My husband and I have been looking forward to the good life of America and taking this trip with Liberty for several months," she said, then looked at a small watch that was hanging on a gold chain around her neck. "I really must be going now. I must meet my husband. Goodbye." With that, Mistress Lawson turned and hurried away, holding Liberty's hand.
Kiana kept walking, going up one flight of stairs, and then another till she got to the deck. She looked out again at the ocean. It was beautiful, and she was going to the free land of America! Why wasn't she happy?
She knew why. Now there was no going back home, and no trying a different way out of her impossible situation. If only her parents weren't dead. If only she had some relatives that she could stay with. She didn't want to go to America, to try to find the friend her mother had made there. What if she couldn't find Prudence? What if she came all the way across the ocean, and had no one to go to?
Kiana shook the thoughts out of her head. She wanted to enjoy the voyage on such a grand ship. She wished she could tell someone the truth. But who was there to trust? Anyone might give her position away to the police, and then she would be sent to an orphanage in Ireland. Just the thought made her tremble in fear. She looked around cautiously. She didn't want to be caught on the first-class deck, but the view was so much better from here!
Just then, Reilly was there. "Top ëo the mornin' to ye!" he said cheerfully. His face held joy and excitement as he looked forward to his new life in America. Kiana barely glanced over at him, but she noticed the expensive clothes he was wearing, and remembered he was first class. Suddenly, she felt even more uncomfortable, and tried to edge away.
He looked at her more closely. "You look worried. Is something wrong?"
Shaking her head, Kiana turned away and wiped the tears out of her eyes. Not for anything did she want Reilly to know she was upset about something. But it seemed he already did.
Trying to change the subject, Kiana pointed out to the ocean. "Have you ever crossed the Atlantic before?"
Reilly shook his head. "No, I haven't even ever been on a ship! Only my father's skiff. I'm kind of nervous. But the Titanic is the strongest ship ever built. I'm sure we're safe."
Kiana nodded. Two men were passing them now.
"Look at the beauty of this ship! The sturdiest I've ever seen! If she can survive such a close call with the New York like she did back in England, I bet she's unsinkable," the first man said. Kiana had heard about the Titanic's near accident. The suction of the huge ship had pulled in a smaller ship called the New York and the two had almost collided together.
Fortunately, a small tugboat got there in time to pull the smaller ship away.
The men were still talking. The man who'd spoke had a mustache that curled up at the ends. The second man nodded at what he'd said.
"God himself could not sink it!" he said with a smile. Kiana gasped in shock. She couldn't believe that man had just said that!
As soon as the men had passed, she let out a deep breath. She knew her face was red. "How can anyone be so, so stupid!" she blurted out in anger. Reilly's eyes widened, and he looked nervously around. People were staring.
"Saying that God could not sink a silly boat!" Kiana was offended. God was the only one in the whole world that loved her anymore, and she was upset that the men had said he wasn't powerful enough to sink a ship. Why, a ship was just a hunk of metal and wood! Nothing like her Father in Heaven, who cared so deeply about her.
"Kiana, I know you're upset," Reilly said in a loud whisper. "I am too! But you mustn't yell so loud. The whole ship doesn't need to know."
Gently, Reilly took her hand and led her to the third-class dining room going as quickly as he could without tripping her up. Kiana was so furious that she couldn't do anything but follow, stumbling over her long skirts.
Chapter 3 >>>

Submitted by Copyright © 2003 Amy S. 'Soccer Chick' (), USA

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