When it came to saying grace, Sally was surprised at his surprise. Surely, everybody said grace before a meal?
"Well, haven't done that since Ma led us all in prayer back at the farm when I was a boy. Army didn't do no praying," he explained.
"That's funny... Mr Cox says he spent the whole war praying!" frowned Sally, still hands together, eyes closed.
"So pardon if it ain't fancy," he then bowed his head.
"Lord, bless this food for which we are grateful you have provided. Amen."
He looked up. Sally's lip was trembling a little and there was a little tear in her eye as she opened them. "Thank you, Cabot, that was beautiful..." she said "All right... dig in!"
She knew enough not to ask him directly about Turk's military service. She wasn't a Sergeant's daughter for nothing. Instead, between mouthfuls, she went back to the subject of Chubby.
"I can't imagine Mr Cox in a war, can you? He even got captivated and ex-caped! And then he got shot by his own vedettes. Guess his praying wasn't too good, huh?" she decided, eating some of the tasty, fresh fish. "Mmm, this is scrumdiddlyumptious!"
He looked up. Sally's lip was trembling a little and there was a little tear in her eye as she opened them. "Thank you, Cabot, that was beautiful..." she said "All right... dig in!"
Beautiful? He thought it pretty basic himself but she was very happy and that pleased him. As to her command, he did not hesitate but forked a big piece of fish into his mouth and chewed. Then followed that up with some green beans.
"I can't imagine Mr Cox in a war, can you? He even got captivated and ex-caped! And then he got shot by his own vedettes. Guess his praying wasn't too good, huh?" she was back to the chubby piano player at the saloon. He smiled.
"Well, he probably wasn't that..big back then in his younger days. And I disagree, Sally. He survived the war so that praying did him some good, right?" he pointed out between chewing.
"Oh and shot by your own vedettes, happened to a lot of jaspers. Why the rebel general, Jackson, was killed by his own vedettes. And they say he was a genius. So it could happen to anybody," he informed her.
She then tried the fish,"Mmm, this is scrumdiddlyumptious!"
"Never heard any food described quite like that," he had to chuckle, "but I did say I thought you'd enjoy 'em."
He ate a few more bites then declared, "This was a great idea of yers, Sally. Thank you for inviting me. I'm having a really good time. You're such good company." He meant every word.
"Well, he probably wasn't that..big back then in his younger days. And I disagree, Sally. He survived the war so that praying did him some good, right?" he pointed out between chewing.
"I guess so! Yes, you're right!" she nodded. Ah... the words every man likes to hear from his girl.
"Oh and shot by your own vedettes, happened a lot of jaspers. Why the rebel general, Jackson, was killed by his own vedettes. And they say he was a genius. So it could happen to anybody," he informed her.
"'Rebel'... so, guess you were on the right side during the war, then?" she asked, then regretted starting all this war talk... it might remind him of his scar. She drew her attention back to the meal.
She then tried the fish,"Mmm, this is scrumdiddlyumptious!"
"Never heard any food described quite like that," he had to chuckle, "but I did say I thought you'd enjoy 'em."
"Mmm... we should go fishing every Sunday!" she suggested simply. "... and I already feel heaps brainier!"
He ate a few more bites then declared, "This was a great idea of yers, Sally. Thank you for inviting me. I'm having a really good time. You're such good company." He meant every word.
She smiled at him shyly and carried on eating.
"Ooh! Don't let me forget to take Flo's pot back after I've washed up." she made a mental note out loud.
He ate a few more bites then declared, "This was a great idea of yers, Sally. Thank you for inviting me. I'm having a really good time. You're such good company." He meant every word.
Sally could be quite chatty at times but this seemed to provoke no response. Cabot had tried in his own way at least and wouldn't belabor the point.
She smiled at him shyly and carried on eating.
"Ooh! Don't let me forget to take Flo's pot back after I've washed up."
"Of course not, I'll remind you," he nodded and silently got back to clearing his plate. He realized they were a sort of odd couple and just maybe he was getting his hopes up.If so, no blame on her. She was young with her whole life ahead of her and there'd be other men in her life.
They carried on eating, not saying a word except for the odd "Pass the beans please" or "Ooh you've got some in your beard"
When they finished, Sally leaned back and held her stomach.
"Phew, I'm as full as a fitch!" she sighed, puffing out her cheeks.
She stood and started to clear everything away.
"He he, sorry, I'm just a person who can't abide dirty dishes hangin' around!" she explained as she energetically got busy heating some water on the stove to clean the crockery and cutlery with. She hummed a tune as she worked, so tunelessly that Cabot wouldn't have had much of a chance to guess what it was.
Eventually she turned and looked at him, a smile on her simple but sincere little face.
"Cabot? I... I like that we don't have to talk to each other all the time. I don't really have a lot to talk about anyway and... well, I think it shows we're sort of at ease with each other, you know?" She tipped her head and asked "Did you like my singing?"
The fare had been simple but given the company and the situation, Turk had really enjoyed it. He found himself agreeing with Sally's assessment.
"Yes, that hit the spot. I'm quite full too."
"He he, sorry, I'm just a person who can't abide dirty dishes hangin' around!" she explained as she energetically got busy heating some water on the stove to clean the crockery and cutlery with. She hummed a tune as she worked.
"Cleanliness is next to godliness...I think that's how the old sayin' goes?" he smiled and let her work, just watching her was an easy pleasure.
Eventually she turned and looked at him, a smile on her simple but sincere little face.
"Cabot? I... I like that we don't have to talk to each other all the time. I don't really have a lot to talk about anyway and... well, I think it shows we're sort of at ease with each other, you know?"
"I believe it does, Sally, yes," he nodded easily, "For many years of my life I have had very few long conversations. So I'm good at the silent times indeed."
She tipped her head and asked "Did you like my singing?"
He blinked. Singing?
"Oh...umm, you mean your humming? You hum just fine, Sally. I have liked the sound of yer voice from the very first day I met ya..." it seemed like he wanted to say something else but it faded to silence.
Then he stood up, "You wash n' I'll dry?"
"Oh...umm, you mean your humming? You hum just fine, Sally. I have liked the sound of yer voice from the very first day I met ya..." it seemed like he wanted to say something else but it faded to silence.
She giggled "... and what I really like about you, Mister Cabot Flagg, is that you're prepared to tell a great big fib about my singing to save my feelin's. Miss Mudd's told me for a fact that I can't carry a tune in a bucket!... oh well, it sounds nice in my head!"
Then he stood up, "You wash n' I'll dry?"
She looked up at him and nodded.
They worked quietly together until she put a plate on the draining board and he reached for it too soon, and their hands touched.
"Oop, Sorry!" she said quietly.
She giggled "... and what I really like about you, Mister Cabot Flagg, is that you're prepared to tell a great big fib about my singing to save my feelin's. Miss Mudd's told me for a fact that I can't carry a tune in a bucket!... oh well, it sounds nice in my head!"
"I wasn't really fibbing ya know. You did hum nice, no idea how good ya sing," he defended himself with a smile, "You would not want to hear me sing. That's for sure."
They agreed then to split the cleanup, she'd wash and he'd dry. Then got started.
They worked quietly together until she put a plate on the draining board and he reached for it too soon, and their hands touched.
"Oop, Sorry!" she said quietly.
"Nothing to be sorry for. Accidents happen, no one got hurt, Sally," he assured her with a smile. He was tempted to take her hand and give it a supportive squeeze but she seemed very gunshy. Turk did not want to make a mistake.
Their hands touched.
"Oop, Sorry!" she said quietly.
"Nothing to be sorry for. Accidents happen, no one got hurt, Sally," he assured her with a smile.
“Let’s hope not.” She heard herself say. She immediately caught herself.
“Sorry, I don’t know why I said that” she admitted. “Just tryin’ to sound clever or somethin’ I guess – but I don’t think that fish worked right; I ain’t no brainier that I was before, I don’t reckon. Ask me a hard question and test me!”
“Let’s hope not.” Sally replied.
Cabot did not get why she had said it that way? But she followed up right off.
“Sorry, I don’t know why I said that” she admitted. “Just tryin’ to sound clever or somethin’ I guess – but I don’t think that fish worked right; I ain’t no brainier that I was before, I don’t reckon. Ask me a hard question and test me!”
"Sally, no one eats some fish...or anything for that matter and suddenly becomes brainy. Not sure where you got that from. Maybe someone jokin' around?" he smiled.
"And besides if I ask you a real hard question, what if I don't even know the answer?" he tried for a little humor, this whole fish equals brains bit was a little comical.
"But alright, you asked for it so I'll give you one. Don't just blurt the first thing that comes inta your head either. Think on it before ya answer," he pointed out.
"You n' me, Sally, what is this that is going on now? How do you feel about it? You got any feelin's for me or am I just reading this all wrong? Remember, I never claimed to be some genius," he decided to go for it.