The Linda Letters by Gabriel O'Sullivan: Finding An Iceberg For The TITANIC

09 December 2020

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R. Linda:

When I lived in Northern Ireland, I wasn't far from Wolfe and Harland's shipyard where the Titanic was built. As I told you a few years ago, when we took the family trip to Ireland we did stop at the shipyard because not everyone had seen it.

Some time ago, we were sitting at tea talking about past reminisces when Tonya brought up the Ireland trip and what fun she had. While we were chatting the wee one came in and wanted his mother to watch a movie with him. She asked what one and he said, "The Titanic."

"You've seen it," she said, "but if you want to watch it with me, sure."

"We jus' bean talkin' bout dat Titanic." Me Mam chimed in.

"I knows all bout it." The wee one said all confidence and knowledgable. He had overheard us and as was the case the adverts for the movie had been on all week.

"Ye doo, doo ye? Wot doo ye no of it young sir?" Mam bit.

Quite a lot actually, he's seen the movie five times, he's a fan of the History Channel and has watched no less than four programmes on it and well, he is a small authority. He even knows things I didn't and I looked them up and he was right! Pretty embarrassing for someone who lived not far from where it all started.

The talk on the Titanic never left the boyo and for his birthday, Mam bought him a handmade wooden replica that even lights up. I was so glad it didn't break in two! Anyway, he's been all about that model, even having it in the background so his teachers can see it when he's on remote learning. This always brings oohs and ahhs from people who have never seen a large replica and so well made. It is one of his prized possessions.

This brings me to last night. The child comes to me Mam and asks if she can get him the Titanic iceberg for Christmas. WHAT?

"Doo day even make sumtin' like dat?" Her voice was full of surprise and shock.

Well yes, R. Linda, they do! I was horrified when she and I went online looking and actually found the iceberg! There is one version that you can buy -- the light-up version for $99 bucks or, the non-lit one for less. We looked at each other aghast.

Worse, the ill-fated Captain's face be on one side and a memorial of sorts on the back! I was certain if we bought the light-up one, which you know would be the one he wants, the macabre thing would sit around all lit up sure to give each passerby the willies! So NO we weren't getting one.

I tried to talk him out of it, but he was insistent the iceberg would complete the setting. I told him I'd buy him the picture of the damn thing instead (which I had at one time and left behind) only to find THAT sells for $69 unframed. Well, he didn't want that (thank goodness). I told him I'd think about the iceberg and look around with his grand-mam.

It was about an hour later I realised I had an iceberg! And it sparkles! I had given O'Hare me rock collection some years ago and he has outgrown it. Included was a rather large cluster of quartz crystals and I was of the mind that would be a better iceberg than that lit thing with the Captain's haunting face looking out. I got O'Hare and we went looking for it and it wasn't looking good because he couldn't remember what he did with it, and then told me his brother, one Guido, "stole a lot of the collection and gave them to his friend James."

I went in search of Guido when I got a shout that O'Hare had located it. That saved Guido for the moment. We set the "iceberg" next to the ship and I will say it does the trick. The child came down this morning and we pointed to the Titanic and he looked, and he looked again, and his eyes got big with wonder and he was totally astounded and amazed. He is very pleased because it glitters in the lights from the ship like ice.