Dark Waters

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VALDERA SURVIVORS LAND IN NEW ORLEANS

Philip Calvin, Batavian oil operator

and wife lost in tragedy; Leslie Calvin

their daughter, among those rescued

Did you ever go to a funeral

where the minister forgot the sermon?

Did you?

And the man next to you died

as they threw him overboard?

And all that you thought was

there will be more water to drink.

And you didn't care if he was dead.

And a sailor got up and said

Oh, God, we consign this soul

to your keeping

and the body to thee.

And he couldn't remember any more.

And then one beside you says

'deep' ????????

Actually you're almost well now.

Have you ever thought about

what you're going to do

after you leave the hospital?

Do you have any friends

or relatives to go to?

An uncle and aunt; my mother's sister.

Live in New York.

Would you know their address?

My mother told me to write her

if anything happened.

Then do it. Right away.

But I don't know them.

I haven't seen them.

I don't even know what they look like.

What difference does that make?

They'll certainly be anxious

to hear from you.

Oh, but Dr. Winter,

there's so much to be said. I...

Tell you what

I'll do all the explaining.

You just write a note to enclose.

Now

What is the name?

Mrs. Norbert Lamont

1059 Freemont Building

New York City

Good morning. Have you eaten everything?

I'm not hungry.

Maybe this will give you an appetite.

Who is it from?

Probably from your aunt and uncle.

But it's not postmarked from New York.

Belleville, Louisiana.

Why don't you open it and find out?

It is. It's from Aunt Emily.

It must have been forwarded

from New York.

They're in Belleville;

an estate called Rosignol.

What do you know?

Belleville's only about 90 miles away.

Go on.

Read it. What does it say?

They want me. They want me to come!

Of course they do. Go on.

Are you surprised to find us here?

Norbert's grandfather left him

an estate years ago.

But of course we never lived here.

And now

with the children away we decided

to come down and look it over.

And we are just camping out but

I'm going to have your room ready

for you.

And you must be sure and let us know.

Is that all one sentence?

My darling sister would want us

to take care of you, I know.

But you must stay in the hospital

until you're quite well, of course.

The doctor tells us how ill you've been.

Alright, miss, this is Belleville.

- Goodbye.

- Goodbye, darling.

All aboard!

- Looking for someone, young lady?

- Yes. Mr. and Mrs. Lamont.

I thought they'd be here to meet me.

Lamont?

- Lamont.

- Mr. and Mrs. Norbert Lamont.

Never heard of them.

But they live here.

They have a place

called Rosignol Plantation.

Rosignol?

Oh, that's over on Bayou Brantere.

But I never heard of

Mr. and Mrs. Lamont.

She got off the 248 from New Orleans.

Seemed kind of surprised

no one was here to meet her.

Well, hello.

Hey, not so fast, young lady.

Lie still and take deep breaths.

This is a doctor; Dr. Grover.

That's right.

- Have I fainted?

- All in a heap.

Too much sun.

But you'll be alright as soon as

I get you out of this slab-sided oven.

That's enough, Lee.

There you are.

Now you lie quiet for a while then

I'll take you over to my office

where it's cool.

No.

And then off to Rosignol

No.

No, I've got to go back.

There's no train

till late this afternoon, miss.

7:
14 And it's usually late.

I have to go back.

Don't tell me you came all this way

just to turn around?

I must.

But aren't the Lamonts expecting you?

I don't know.

They don't know me.

They don't want me.

I'm choosing to go back.

Well, if you want to go back, alright.

But you can wait in my office

till time for the next train.

Can't I stay here?

That would be a pretty long wait.

You better come along, Miss Calvin.

Drink this.

Slowly and in small sips.

People who just came out of the hospital

should take everything that way.

How do you know

I'd been in the hospital?

Oh, I know quite a bit about you.

You know the Lamonts,

you're just out of the hospital,

and you're on your way to Rosignol.

- You know my aunt and uncle?

- Only by name.

Finish your medicine.

I picked up the things that fell out

of your purse when you fainted.

There was a letter addressed to you

at the Courtland Hospital in New Orleans

Feel better?

- Yes, thanks.

- I thought you would.

You shouldn't feel so upset

about fainting on the platform.

The heat was enough to flatten anybody.

It wasn't only the heat

or that I'd been ill.

It was...

It was the fear of being all alone.

Of having no one to turn to.

Not anyone.

You see, my aunt and uncle

are my only relatives.

And they're perfect strangers.

I haven't even seen them.

Then they weren't at the station,

I thought they'd gone back to New York.

They'd hardly do that

if they thought you were coming.

You ought to like Rosignol.

It's a perfect place to convalesce after

After whatever it was

you were in the hospital for.

I was on the Valdera.

I read about the Valdera.

Only four of us survived.

I woke up in a hospital in New Orleans.

I'm constantly tormented

by the nightmare of the open boat.

I thought it would drive me insane.

I was afraid someday it would be

the same whether I was awake or not.

I wanted to give in.

But they forced me back.

Dr. Winter wrote to my aunt

and they said they wanted me.

But they weren't at the station.

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