Chasing pearl, p.17
Chasing Pearl, page 17
She hated to see the waitress and waiter reappear, this time bringing dessert. She knew the end of this meal would mean the end of the evening and her time here in the most romantic spot on earth. The sun had started to go down, so once the strawberry consommé appeared in front of them, the waitress lit the candle and disappeared again.
Violet took a bite and closed her eyes, savoring the mix of flavor of the sweet strawberries with the rich cream. When she opened her eyes again, she found Chase staring at her, his eyes intense in the candlelight. Suddenly nervous, she set her spoon down and folded her hands in her lap, clenching her napkin.
He kept staring at her. She had never seen this particular look on his face. As surreptitiously as she could manage, she ran her tongue along the front of her teeth. His expression didn’t change. Okay. Nothing caught in her front teeth, then.
“This is so beautiful,” Violet said, looking at everything she could except for that intense gaze. “I can’t imagine what it took to put this together. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He set his spoon down and shifted the bowl away so he could cross his arms on the table and lean forward. “Do you know when I realized I was in love with you?”
She took a fast breath. They’d never once mentioned love. “I, uh…”
“The romantic in me believes it was when you chided your sister. There you were sitting on the porch, bleeding all down your arms. Then you sarcastically called her out about her I-told-you-so moment. But, the realist in me knows it was when I watched you eat that barbecue after church. I don’t think I’ve ever had a date who so openly and unashamedly enjoyed food as much as you did that day. It made me want to kiss you until you couldn’t think anymore.”
She found her voice, finally. “I woulda thought it was my passion about the box.”
He shook his head. “No. I felt attracted to your passion. It’s really what drew me in. The way you enjoy your food nailed the door shut.” He held his right hand out, palm up. She’d shared enough meals with him to know he meant for her to take his hand. She gladly reached out, wanting the connection with him.
He didn’t speak again, but the silence felt right, now, as she stared into his blue eyes and he stared back into hers. “Do you want to know when I realized that I love you?”
“Yes.” The smile that covered his face shined as brightly as their candle. “I do.”
Clearing her throat, she looked at the flickering flame glowing behind the glass. “When I couldn’t wait to hear from you after I started writing in New York. I texted you first and waited with the phone in my hand to hear from you. I wanted to know you were proud of me. I couldn’t wait to talk to you that night.”
She looked up at him again, blinking against the reflection of the flame left in her eyes. As soon as he came into focus, she saw the ring in his hand, the diamonds surrounding the exotic looking plum pearl glimmered and flickered in the candlelight. “Do you think you would be happy moving from place to place, never having a permanent home? Could you live the army life with me? Would you still be able to create, every time we went somewhere new, even if it wasn’t the balcony of a New York City apartment or a peaceful poolside in a tropical paradise?”
“Yes,” she said, her mouth so dry she could hardly swallow. “I do.”
His eyes caught hers, and her heart pounded in her ears. “Then will you become my wife and serve by my side?”
She felt her hand tremble in his and nodded and smiled, tears filling her eyes. “Yes. Oh, yes,” she said. He slipped the ring onto her finger and stood, then pulled her to her feet.
Brushing the hair back from her face that the breeze had disturbed, he cupped her cheek and stared down at her. “I love you, Violet Pearl.”
She cupped his face with her hands and gently pulled his head down so that she could kiss him. Just before his lips covered hers, she said, “I love you, Chase Anderson.”
He kissed her. The smell of her lei surrounded them. They pressed against each other beneath the blanket of stars. The waves crashing against the shore gave a special serenade to their interlude.
The End
TRANSLATION KEY
1940’s words, phrases, colloquialisms
A good egg—a morally upright and decent man
A show—a movie in a theater
Ameche – To make a phone call
Anchor clanker—sailor
Armored heifer – Canned milk
Bean juice—coffee
Black-and-white—a police car
Bust your chops – Used as a scolding, maybe to yell, but not to literally hit someone
Cheesy – In the 1940s it meant cheap
Christopher Columbus—Exclamation of surprise
Chucklehead—Unintelligent person
Clams—cash, money
Clipped—killed, murdered
Clobbered—Have a crush on
Clompers—shoes
Crack up – To burst out laughing
Crumb—a jerk, no fun
Cut a rug—go out dancing
Dame—classy woman, lady
Dish—Cute Girl
Doll—also, baby-doll. A term of endearment
Dope – Often used as slang for drugs, in wartime 1940s this word took on another meaning, referring to information, especially reliable data
Drop a dime—make a telephone call (payphones took dimes)
Eager beaver – Used to call someone an enthusiastic helper or someone who was overly excited about something
Flatfoot—a police officer
Fracture—make someone laugh or crack up
Gammin’—showing off, boasting
G-man—usually reserved for an FBI agent but occasionally sarcastically applied to any detective in the state’s employ
Gobbledygook – double talk, long speech
Goo and the moo—Pancakes, syrup, and milk
Goon—a thug, a hired gun, a henchman, hired muscle
Gorilla—a thug, a hired gun, a henchman, hired muscle
Greenbacks—money
Grill—interrogate vigorously
Gunsel—a thug, a hired gun, a henchman, hired muscle
Hen fruit—eggs
Holy smoke—an exclamation of surprise
Humdinger—Remarkable, outstanding
In cahoots with – conspiring with
Jiffy—Quick
Joe—Coffee
Joint—business establishment
Killer-diller – Something that is the best, or amazing, ultimate
Lamb – a very nice, kind, decent person
Lettuce – Paper money
Mitts—hands
Moolah—cash, money
Moxie – Courage or strong nerves
Mud—Coffee
Natch—naturally, of course
Off the cob—Corny, goofy
Pass the buck—Implied that someone wasn’t taking responsibility for their actions or that they were blaming someone else
Peanuts—a very small paycheck or small reward
Peepers—eyes
Put through the wringer—interrogate vigorously
Rhubarb—An argument or squabble, first used in reference to disputes in baseball
Snap someone’s cap—provoke someone
Snap your cap—get angry
Spilled his guts—confessed
Squeeze—interrogate vigorously
Squidy—Sailor
Stew—detained
Straight off the cob—hilarious, very funny
Swabbie—Sailor
Swell—Great
Swigger—A drinker
The can—a holding cell, jail or prison
Toots—a term for a beautiful woman
Wad—cash, money
What’s buzzin’, cousin?—How’s it going?
What’s cooking?—what’s going on?
Winged—shot by a firearm in a non-fatal way, usually in the arm (the wing)
Hawaiian word
Aloha—Traditional Hawaiian word used when greeting or departing
French word
Consommé—French for any clear soup made with concentrated stock.
Italian word
Nipote—Italian for nephew
Boston words
Okay—All Right (see Alright for the Texan translation)
Dinner—Evening Meal (see Supper for the Texan translation)
Miscellaneous Texan words
Alright—Okay, usually pronounced with a silent “l” and “r” like “ah-ieght”
Catawampus—Confused, sometimes also “Catawampus to Miss Jones’s.”
Cowpoke—an adult male
Dandy—Perfect
Done—finished. A Texan would never say, “Let me know when it’s finished.” Rather a Texan would say, “Let me know when it’s done.”
Fixing to—preparing to or getting ready to, usually pronounced “Fixin’” or occasionally “fiddin’”, also Fixing
Gumption—will or willpower
Hey there—good morning, good afternoon, or hello, see also howdy
Howdy—good morning, good afternoon, or hello, see also Hey there
Plumb—very
Puny—Sick
Reckon—think or thought of
Riled—upset, angry. sometimes also “riled up”
Ruckus—a disturbance or commotion
Shoog—Texas expression for “sugar”, a term of endearment like sweetie or honey in other parts of the country
Shoot fire!—Texan Exclamation of surprise
Stove up—an injury, also injured
Supper—Evening Meal (see Dinner for the Boston translation)
Tuckered—Tired
Yankee—any person born north of the Red River
Miscellaneous Texan phrases, colloquialisms
About as big as the little end of nothing.—Small, Thin, Petite
All stove up.—Sick or badly injured
As exciting as a mashed-potato sandwich.—Dull, boring, monotonous
Big as a Brahma bull.—Big
Big as Brewster County.—Big
Brave as the first man who ate an oyster.—Brave
Brave enough to eat in a boomtown cafe.—Brave
Bright as a new penny.—Smart, very intelligent, clever
Burning daylight.—Wasting Time
Church is out.—Departure/Good-bye/Farewell
Coffee so strong it’ll raise a blood blister on a boot.— Strong coffee
Coffee so strong it’ll walk into your cup.—Strong coffee
Don’t snap my garters.—avoid provoking me
Don’t squat on your spurs.—remain calm
Drunk as a skunk.—very intoxicated
Easy as pie.—Easy, simple, poses no problem
Fair to middling.—Good, Happy, Fine
Faster than a sneeze through a screen door.—Fast
Fine as frog fur.—Good, Happy, Fine
Got a big hole in the fence.—Problem
He can ride the rough string.—Capable, Experienced
He couldn’t hit the floor if he fell out of bed.—Inept, Worthless
He gave me the wire-brush treatment.—Beat, beaten, beat up, defeated
He hangs out more often than Mama’s washing.—Lazy
He jumped on me with all four feet.—Bad, Mean, Unkind
He looks like the cheese fell off his cracker.—Sad, melancholy
He may not be a chicken, but he has his henhouse ways.— Timid
He sure cleaned your plow.—Beat, beaten, beat up, defeated
He was born sorry.—Bad, Mean, Unkind
He wouldn’t bite a biscuit.—Timid
He wouldn’t scratch his own mama’s fleas.—Bad, Mean, Unkind
He’ll tell you how the cow ate the cabbage.—Argumentative, Mad
He’s a chin musician.—Talkative
He’s a few pickles short of a barrel.—Crazy, Insane
He’s a three-jump cowboy.—Capable, Experienced
He’s all gussied up.—Celebratory, well dressed and well groomed
He’s double-backboned.—Brave
He’s first cousin to Moses Rose.—Timid, Shy. Moses Rose was an Alamo survivor.
He’s got a hitch in his gitalong.—Sick, injured, limping
He’s got his tail up.—Argumentative, Mad
He’s got horns holding up his halo.—Bad, Mean, Unkind
He’s got more guts than you could hang on a fence.—Very brave
His momma raised him right.—a gentleman
Hot as a summer revival.—Hot
Hot as a two-dollar pistol.—Hot
Hot will cool if greedy will let it.—Patience
Hotter than a preacher’s knee.—Hot
I could sit still for that.—Acceptable
I’m about as pitiful as a three-legged dog.—pitiful, sometimes also sick or injured
If a trip around the world cost a dollar, I couldn’t get to the Oklahoma line.—Poor, broke
If I say a hen dips snuff, you can look under her wing for the can.—Honest
It’s better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick.— Acceptable
It’s time to put the chairs in the wagon.— Departure/Good-bye/Farewell
Lay him out.—Knock someone unconscious
Let’s chaw the rag.—Arrival/Greetings/Hello
Let’s light a shuck.—Departure/Good-bye/Farewell
Let’s shoot out the lights.—Celebratory
Lick that calf again?—an expression of incredulity, roughly, “Say what?”
Might as well. Can’t dance, never could sing, and it’s too wet to plow.—Acceptable
Nervous as a sinner in church.—Nervous
No hill for a stepper.—Easy, simple, poses no problem
Noisy as a restless mule in a tin barn.—Noisy
Preaching to the choir.—Wasting Time
Pretty as a pie supper.—Pretty
Put on your sitting britches.—Arrival/Greetings/Hello
Put the little pot in the big pot.—Celebratory
Raised on concrete.—“Citified” or reared in an urban area
Rough as a cob.—Bad, Mean, Unkind
Scarce as hen’s teeth in the summer.—Scarce, sometimes just “Scarce as hen’s teeth.”
Serious as the business end of a .45.—Serious
She cleans up real nice.—Pretty
She could start a fight in an empty house.—Argumentative, Mad
She could talk the legs off a chair.—Talkative
She’s chomping at the bit.—Nervous
She’s got horse sense.—Capable, Experienced
She’s got some snap in her garters.—Capable, Experienced
She’s in a horn-tossing mood.—Argumentative, Mad
She’s jumping like hot grease (or water) on a skillet.—Busy
She’s knee-high to a grasshopper.—Small, Thin, Petite
She’s one bubble off plumb.—Crazy, Insane
Skin your own buffalo.—mind your own business
Smart as a hooty owl.—Smart, very intelligent, clever
So dry I’m spitting cotton.—Thirsty
So hot the hens are laying hard-boiled eggs.—Hot
So rich they can eat fried chicken all week long.—Rich
So strong he makes Samson look like a sissy.—Strong
Sweeter than stolen honey.—Good, Happy, Delicious
Take a tater and wait.—Patience
That about puts the rag on the bush.—Departure/Good-bye/Farewell
That’s all she wrote.—Departure/Good-bye/Farewell
That’s two different buckets of possums.—Texan for when you have two very different problems on your hands, be they an overdue water bill and a need to purchase diapers, or literally two buckets of opossums.
There’s a big difference between the ox and the whiffletree. —Well, there is. You see, one is an ox and the other is a whiffletree.
There’s a yellowjacket in the outhouse.—Problem
There’s no slack in her rope.—Capable, Experienced
This ain’t my first rodeo.—Capable, Experienced
Throw your hat over the windmill.—Celebratory
We’ll paint the town and the front porch.—Celebratory
We’ve howdied but we haven’t shook.—Arrival/Greetings/Hello
Whatever greases your wagon.—roughly “Whatever” or “I don’t care”
You can bet the farm on it.—Honest
You can hang your hat on it.—Honest
You can take that to the bank.—Honest
You look like Ford stopped making pickup trucks.—Sad
READER’S GUIDE DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Suggested discussion group questions for Chasing Pearl.
In bringing those He ministered to into an understanding of the truth, Our Lord used fiction in the form of parables to illustrate very real truths. In the same way, we can minister to one another by the use of fictional characters and situations to help us reach logical, valid, cogent, and very sound conclusions about our real lives here on earth.
While the characters and situations in Chasing Pearl are all fictional, I pray that these extended parables can help readers come to a better understanding of truth. Please prayerfully consider the questions that follow, consult scripture, and pray upon your conclusions.
Chase feels drawn to Violet when he first meets her. Soon, he wonders if God brought him back to Texas just to bring her into his life. He has a job opportunity in her town but turns it down to return to his military career.
1. Do you think it was right to consider taking Violet away from her home and family?
2. Should Chase have made her more of a consideration in his decision-making process?
Chase is grieving his father’s death throughout this book. He is a strong Christian, raised in a loving and faithful Christian family. He knows his father loved God with all of his heart and had a place in heaven.
3. Do you think the mourning Chase experiences means that his faith is not as strong as it should be? Or...
4. Do you think that knowing where his father is has nothing to do with the feelings of grief he experiences?
