S. S. Segregation

What if it was something other than 'Women and children first?'

The sun was perfect for the voyage on the anonymous passenger vessel making its way over the ocean. Passengers delighted in merriment and relaxation in the splendor of dance and dining. There was nary a hint of discontent with anyone. This cruise had no disparaging events whatsoever to stain its record of perfection. 

"Happy, darling?" 

"Oh, yes, more than I could have ever imagined."

"We'll be dining at the captain's table tonight."

Young lovers in a pleasant stroll on deck in the evening sun. A second honeymoon, a golden anniversary, wine and song. 

"Officer Walton?"

"Yes, Mrs. Blaine?"

"How much longer before we reach New York? I need to contact my son and let him know." 

"Mr. Baxter, will you be dining with other passengers this evening?"

"No, Mrs. Wilson, I thought I might spend a quiet evening in my cabin."

"Oh, but I have a lovely single lady for you I'd like you to meet. Miss Weber."

"Well, I suppose I can."

It was truly an epic travel into delightfulness for all involved, the vast myriad of souls on the luxurious vessel. 

But fate can be cruel, or at best, disruptive. The day was bright, not a cloud in the pale blue sky, but far below deck, the designs of man experience failure on a minor level, only to be followed by near cataclysmic events. 

An electrical short, possibly an overload, the experts on hand to rectify these matters, but time proved crucial, and the damage spread. 

The devices shuttered, then gave way with a bursting jolt of energy. Smoke filled the surroundings while coughing attempts used extinguishers to prevent smoldering that was occurring. 

Another jolt, far stronger than the first, then a third. 

"Officer Walton, what was that?"

"One moment, ma'm. Surely nothing wrong." 

A fourth burst of turbulence. Now many passengers felt it and were startled. 

Contact was achieved between the captain and those present at the ever increasing serious issue. Power had to be diverted, which led to yet one more shake of these nautical foundations. 

"Mr. Bennett, what's going on?"

"Ladies and gentlemen, if I can please have your attention? We need everyone, . . . . hello! Can I have your attention? We need everyone to gather on deck in case there is a serious issue in the engine room. We're working to get things in order, but we need everyone where if there is a problem, we can get you to safety immediately."

"How will we get to safety?" received no answer. 

With great amounts of mulling amongst themselves, the throngs of people in shorts, swimsuits and adequate dress for lunch ventured in unison toward all outer locations, heading to the boat deck. There was contemplation of how they would enter the lifeboats if they needed to. Who would locate them. 

On deck, several persons had the vantage point to see the black smoke billowing up into the sky. That told them something was not well within this grand device. 

"Will we begin entering the lifeboats?" again asked, with no answer. 

The people merely stood and pondered, awaiting further instruction. 

Then it was that nice Officer Walton who spoke over the intercom, or was he nearby with a bullhorn? Some people weren't sure. 

"Ladies and gentlemen, just as a safety precaution, we are going to have to start placing people in the lifeboats to potentially get you out of harm's way. The issues are getting tended to very successfully, but we have to make sure nothing gets worse, so if you could please begin boarding the lifeboats so we can remove you from any possible harm. 

White people enter first, then black people."

Crewmen were securing lifeboats to begin receiving access from passengers and didn't really hear Walton's instruction. 

Many passengers didn't heed what he had spoken, but a few did. 

"Did you hear what Officer Walton said, Mr. Bennett? Did you hear him?"

"No, Miss Brent. What was it?" Bennett continued to assist people's movement on deck. 

"He said 'white people first, then black people'."

Bennett stared at Miss Brent. Surely she had misunderstood. 

"Are you sure?"

"That's what he said," a white man carrying a small boy walked by, giving a concerned look over the instructions, but proceeded to the lifeboats. 

Bennett looked around, searching for Walton, and upon seeing him, saw Walton turn away some young African-American youths. He began making his way to Walton, with Miss Brent following him. 

"Mr. Walton, what was that instruction again?"

"We begin loading white passengers first, then black passengers. Sorry, ma'm. You'll have to wait."

Bennett stared at Walton, who didn't look back at him. 

"Walton, what are you saying?"

"There's plenty of room for everyone, Walton. Don't make a big fuss out of nothing. Everyone will get to enter the lifeboats."

Bennett looked to the sky beyond his vantage point and saw wafts of smoke billowing by, which had previously been pouring out from the other side of the ship. 

"Officer Walton, we should be loading all passengers, regardless of skin color."

"Mr. Bennett, do not make this task any more difficult! Everyone will be entering the lifeboats in a calm, safe manner, unless you decide to disrupt the situation."

Walton turned his back to Bennett. Bennett looked at several black youths standing against a far wall. He then turned to see Miss Brent, still with him. He turned back to Walton. 

"Does the captain know of this order?"

"I am in charge of filling the lifeboats, Mr. Bennett. Tend to your duties and see to it passengers remain calm!" 

Bennett stepped away from the man as he still assisted passengers moving near the next available lifeboat. 

"We have to wait, Mr. Bennett?"

Bennet said nothing to her. 

"This isn't fair, man," said one of the youths who now approached Bennett and Brent. Bennett looked at the young man and gave no hint of disagreeing. 

"Do we just wait, Mr. Bennett?" Miss Brent asked again. 

"Ain't fair at all."

"Both of you," Bennett began, "remain calm. Tell everyone else to do the same. Get everyone . . . . . . everyone together as best you can. I'm going . . . . to have to speak to the captain about this, but above all else, remain calm."

Bennett left the two young people. 

"What's your name?" Miss Brent asked. 

"I'm Bobby. I'm traveling with my friends here."

"Well, Bobby, I guess we need to just see who needs assistance to be brought forth and wait on the deck for when it's . . . . our turn."

There was a couple of elderly people who needed assistance and sat on deck to wait for their opportunity. 

A businessman was not happy with these rules, but could sense the futility in trying to challenge them at this juncture. He looked at a series of young families with many small children, having to stand and wait as large vacationers in swim trunks and flip flops entered the lifeboats. Several of them carried champagne  bottles. 

"The officer fella said we're to just wait until he talks to the captain, but this isn't fair, man," Bobby said to the businessman. 

"I'll definitely be filing a complain on this one," the businessman said as he spied the life vessels bobbing out in the water. Several of them moved away from the ship as tho escaping danger. 

"This isn't right," a woman with two children said. 

"No, it isn't," said the businessman. 

"Well, that crewman said to just wait while he goes and talks to the captain about it," Bobby repeated once more. 

"Excuse me," a young blonde girl said as she made her way by the immobile persons and ventured to the next departing craft steadily loading up with occupants.

"If we stormed the lifeboats, any fighting back toward us would be justified," Miss Brent said. She looked up at the sky, mostly clear. With her back to the rest of the ship, she didn't spy any black smoke from the damage. 

"We just can't be done this way," the young mother said holding a child, who was completely unaware of the situation. 

A pair of silver-haired grannies in sun hats with towels around their shoulders and carrying straw bags, appearing as if they were making their way into the latest tourist stop to buy souvenirs, made their way into the next lifeboat. 

Miss Brent looked around, absolutely devastated by the treatment. "Well, is that the last of them?" she asked. There wasn't an abundance of lifeboats left on this side, and she suspected the same would be for the opposite side. They would then have to cram in more than was anticipated. 

"What good would filing a complaint do?" the businessman queried. "When it's all over, we'll just be told we should be thankful to be alive and quit making a fuss over how the situation was handled. What's done is done, they'll say."

But Miss Brent wasn't listening to him. She was looking up on an upper deck, to a far corner. There stood Mr. Bennett, unmoving. He seemed to observe the lifeboats drifting out over the ocean, cast his eyes along the deck, then ever so slowly made his way down the steps to the lower deck where many of the passengers stood, waiting. They looked to him for instruction, feeling betrayed by what they'd been told, but Mr. Bennett said nothing but slowly walked toward perhaps the last lifeboat with white passengers boarding. 

"Man, this isn't fair," Bobby said, having approached him, but he waved his hand to the youth to be silent and walked up to Officer Walton who was assisting two young ladies into the lifeboat to find their designated seats. All the people on the lifeboat chattered merrily or just spoke about anything, while one or two gave Bennett the look of not entering. 

"Okay, Mr. Bennett," Walton said, "I think this is the last of them."

Bennett's head turned up. 

"I am fairly certain I can assist the remaining passengers, Officer Walton." 

"I'm glad to hear that," Walton replied. "I don't know how much longer the ship may have."

"We'll make our way as quickly as possible, Officer Walton. Thank you for your concern."

Walton entered the lifeboat and slowly it descended to the water. Bennett didn't move as it did so. 

"Man, what's up?" Bobby said. "There's hardly any lifeboats left!"

"What are we going to do now?" the businessman asked. 

"Mr. Bennett," Miss Brent began, "what are we going to do?"

Bennett took a deep breath and cast his eyes over the small crafts tossing to and fro in the waves. He especially watched the last one with Walton as it drifted away from the ship, going further and further away. 

Bennett now turned to the persons still standing on the deck. 

"Ladies and gentlemen," he began, "Captain Hernandez wished for me to inform everyone that much of the damage in the engine room has been tended to. All fire or burning sections are extinguished, power has been sufficiently averted and we should continue on with our voyage momentarily. You should all return to your cabins or wherever you were and carry on with your holiday. It was a bit harrowing, so Captain Hernandez has retired for the evening, and duty falls to the next in rank."

Many of the people smiled upon realizing the situation, some moved about with uncertainty, the remaining crew offered assistance. 

Miss Brent looked at Bennett. "You waited until he had departed," she said. 

Bennett turned and looked at the lifeboats now having floated even further away. They were so far away now, he was no longer sure which one had been Watson's, not that it mattered. 

Crewmen began securing the boat deck again, what need there was, where the lifeboats had been disengaged. 

"Are we going to pick them up?" Bobby asked. 

"In due time," Bennett responded. "When we learn that everything is okay, or realize they are no longer on the ship, but we thought they were."

And far away, within a couple of the lifeboats, the corks popped on those champagne bottles to the delight of those inside.