Participants:
| Scene Title | So I Say Thank You |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Thanksgiving on Pollepel Island is a bit hectic, meager portions, some people don't like it, but in the end, it's a change from the porridge and stew and many are thankful still, for the refuge that they have. |
| Date | November 25, 2010 |
Pollepel Island - Dining Room
It had started in the early hours of the morning, even the day before. Turkeys' washed, dressed, ready in pans to be shoved in the oven and cooked first. They would take the most time and be the stars of the whole meal. That and the hams. The large restaurant ovens were a boon that when Eileen had first envisioned the place, were a well thought out addition. Second hand that they might be, they still did the job.
The burners atop were filled with the pots that once they had finished making breakfast, were appropriated for other things. Potatoes, turnips, green beans, you name it. Boiled and mashed, steamed, it was all a matter of timing. People who had the misfortune of going past the kitchen and nothing pressing to do were drafted into service by Kaylee and Abigail. Bread to be made, buns to be rolled out and baked, carrots to peel and coin, green bean ends to cut, sweet potatoes to cut and prepare for the pies and other goods that would be put out for the people who were residing here be they new arrivals or ones who had been here since day one.
Like most thanksgivings, this one would still be celebrating the season and being thankful for what they have no matter how little it might be. But unlike others, this one wouldn't be handing out plates, heaped high with food. Rations are small. There's a little bit of everything being doled out by the folks who man the pots, slice the turkey's and spoon out the gravy. Just because it's a special meal doesn't mean that there's more of it.
Abigail's behind the huge pot with the stuffing, a couple small spoonfuls given out to go with the other food that's being dished out, plates washed as soon as they're handed back and used again. Others who have volunteered are doing the same, small portions. But the end result is a meal of thanks, provided by Smedley foremost, and the rest by the Ferry that makes the castle smell divine and festive.
Gobble gobble to everyone.
Kendall has been sleeping most of the day. It's mainly because ever since he was little, he's been more or less barred from the kitchen when major cooking was being done in there, as he once accidentally caused an explosion when he tried to 'help'. Also, he plans on giving a show to everyone for entertainment, so keeping his energy levels up is important! When the food is set on the table, however, he's one of the first ones there, the little punk.
Liza had done a fine job of focusing on helping with the food. She even volunteered to help, and she was cheerfully doling out mashed potatoes, which said a bit about her current mood. While she was happily helping and offering a generous helping of smiles to go along with the small portions of food, she was doing her best not to think of the fact that Thanksgiving was usually a family time.
Thanksgiving really never was celebrated in Australia.
AS far as holidays go, it's a purely American one, celebrating Americans landing in America and surviving their first horrible winter with a bountiful harvest the next fall.
At least, that's what Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving taught Jaiden, the few times he caught it.
While it could be argued that Jaiden has little to be thankful for, what with his girlfriend being in a coma that she can't wake from due to being lost in the dream somewhere, he has to admit that aside from that one major problem, there is a hell of a lot to be thankful for, which is why he made the trip upriver in the wee hours of the morning on a rented bass boat loaded to the gills with canned goods and things like that. A few pumpkin pies and pecan pies too, were spirited amongst the stuff, a few assorted toys and games and, yes, even a football, worn and well used - one of those oblong American jobs, not the correct round version, to give the guys something to do while dinner cooked and a focus for any energy that needed to be burned off.
As a semi-decent cook, after unloading he was given a knife, a pot, and a pile of potatoes and told to start skinning, which he did without a complaint. Working in the kitchen is fairly cathartic, sometimes, taking his mind off of things that don't matter and focus on the things that do. He mans a pot with the mashed potatoes, right next to Abigail, giving grins to everyone, despite how tired he really is.
Magnes, wearing an orange t-shirt with little scale designs, indicating that it's an Aquaman shirt, under his unzipped black leather jacket, came over with anyone else who wasn't already on the island. He has a large red bag on his back, zipped up and oddly shaped. It's one of those food heating bags. "I brought as much as I could. Four taco pies, two cheese pizzas with herbs and everything on them, with pepperoni and cheese stuffed crust. And I made this pan of banana pudding." he nods down to the large foil-covered pan in his hands, looking for a place to sit things.
Sitting at one of the tables looking a touch dejected is the blind girl named Nora — those she seems closest to not in the room. Someone has been kind enough to set her own and to gather her a plate, but then abandoned her once more to their own devices — helping to cut and pass out food. A noble enough cause, of course.
Currently the teen is bundled up in a too-big Rangers jersey cuffed a couple of times at the wrists, jeans, Ugg boots. She wears the sunglasses that Howard gave her on top of the bandages over her eyes. She's trying to go around the "clock" of the plate to figure out what's what — a tentative finger tapping the food at each "hour" then going to her mouth to taste it. Unfortunately, someone put yams on her plate, and she hastily grabs a napkin to spit the little bit back out. Not a yam fan, this one.
Next to Abby perched on a chair, a silent toddler stands with wide pale eyes, watching as people pass. Her expression clearly asks, ' How did she end up getting drawn into this?' It's a tiny blonde, who has been often in the company of Kaylee Thatcher, though her impromptu guardian is strangely absent for the moment, leaving the tiny girl in Abby's care.
Little fingers pick up a half of a roll that's been buttered and leans out shyly, with head turned away, arm stretching out in offering to each person.
Who wouldn't find a toddler serving rolls cute?
Today, Emily is even dressed up, in a frilly pink dress and a pair of bright blue shoes too big for her, but she was a big girl and picked them herself from the donation. Emily tried to tell Abby so by sitting down and lifting a foot and showing. She likes her blue shoes.
Nelly was among the volunteers as well, helping was certainly a better choice than spending the day cramped in her room. While not exactly a whiz in the kitchen, bread baking and slicing & dicing vegetables were things she could handle. She's left the rationing of the food to the others however and instead made her way out into the room, plate in one hand with the other stuffed into the pocket of her sweater. A glance is cast around the room before settling on Kendall, whom she quickly heads over and sits beside. He was a semi-familiar face at least. Though she has cleaned up from her time in the kitchen, she hasn't dressed particularly special for the occasion, dressed in her usual jeans and hoody.
Technically, Barbara had had more than her share of things to do over the course of thanks gicing day. But to be entirely truthful, helping to prepare the meal had felt far more at home to her than anything else, so she had devoted herself to that rather wholly almost as soon as the cooking had begun. A warm stew might not be what everyone would pick to go with Thanksgiving dinner, but alongside the yams she's prepared, they serve as her addition to the meal. THe ingrediants had been speifically request days ago, and while there wasn't terribly much to go around, it was something.
Smiling as she hands out a serving, she sighs and smiles. It's a smiliar feeling, like so many other things about Pollepel it reminded her of Thompson in so many ways, and on a day like this it only servers to warm her heart.
Kendall sees Nora, and is suddenly reminded of something. Moving to sit down next to her, he tilts his head and mutters under his breath, staring intently at her. If anyone has really good hearing, they might hear a quote from the Bible about making the blind see. He already accomplished something Jesus did once already, so another should work too even though it's not actually real.
Along the line folks go, some disappointed by the lack of a little more food, others are more than happy with whatever it is that they can managed to get, knowing that tomorrow it goes back to what they've been eating the whole time. The woman who's plate is extended out to Emily to get the piece of bread smiles at the young girl before moving on to let Jaiden dish out some potatoes since Abigail's putting down the spoon to go take the pizza's from Magnes.
"The kids will love you. We got some picky kids who can't fathom the turkey or the ham and would rather starve than eat" They'll cut the pieces up small, maybe take some pizza out to the folks who are unable to come in because they are riding patrol. Pizza's easier to eat out there than a plate of food. "You need to be careful flying in magnes. You don't want to be responsible for this place being found" She points out.
"The taco pies are just like tacos, just pie shaped with a bit more meat. I was trying to make something easily transportable, so I could bring as much as I could." Magnes sits the banana pudding at an empty spot on the table, shaking his head. "Don't worry, I just came with everyone else, don't want to lead FRONTLINE to our doorstep."
He looks up at Barbara, raising an eyebrow. "Niki? Or, uh, Tracy? I'm a little confused… which one are you?" he asks over to her, then jumps back a bit in surprise. "Kendall?! Aren't you, like, dead?"
The redheaded sister looks over at Magnes with a quirked eyebrow, almost failing to properly fill one Ferryman's bowl with stew. It seems more people know her sisters than she realises, and the look of surprise on her face converys that rather well. Shaking her head, she laughs a little. "Nither, I'm afraid. My name is Barbara, I hope my sisters have treated you well," she offers with a smile. Tilting her head back, she points to her hair. "Apparently I'm the only redhead of the bunch." Dyed, sure, but whatever. "Can I get you something?"
Suddenly, Nora's bowed head comes up, her hand going to her face with the sunglasses, fingers contacting with the shades so they clatter to the table and then the bench. But then fingers pat her gauzed face and she makes a choked little sound in the back of her throat, standing up and stepping away a little too gracefully for someone who can't see.
"I don't— I—" she stutters, then suddenly her hands reach out blindly once more, groping for the table she'd just stepped away from, fingers landing in the middle of her mashed potatoes before they curl into a fist that slams down a couple of inches to the right when they come back down. "God damn it."
Head tilting back, Emily is attempting to look at what is being handed to Abby, brows furrow a little at her curiosity and then she spots Magnes.
And stares.
She's a little like a deer caught, hand reaching out to grip at Abby's clothing, as if looking for assurance. It's a stranger and they make her nervous. Emily hazards a glance at Abby, leaning against her a little and trying to decide if she wants to hide her face.
Nora's reaction causes Kendall to grin happily, but then she gets all mad and stuff, and his grin fades. "Didn't stay, huh… sorry, I tried." don't hurt him. Then blinks up at Magnes when he's approached.
"NOOOO! You're not supposed to say it out loud, now I'm gonna disa…" as he was speaking, he slips a ring onto his finger, vanishing from sight to coincide with the word interruption. Good job, Magnes, you disbelieved he existed, and so he vanished! Only not really. He's just playing a prank on Magnes.
"Just making sure, I know you, you don't walk unless you have to" The boxes whisked away, Emily's pawing at her catching her attention, then to Magnes. "He's a friend Em, he's all good. You can trust him" She offers to the little girl, disappearing off to put the pizza in the kitchen proper while others keep serving. A few of the other children present laugh at the illusion that Kendall whips up.
"Another one? And uh, I guess if you count one trying to kill me, and the other briefly being a very strict boss… they treated me alright." But then Kendall is disappearing, and Magnes' eyes are widening, his backpack since removed so the rest of the food can be placed on to the table. "Abby! Abby!" he calls out once Kendall disappears, just a tad gullible due to raised and confused emotions. "I made Kendall die"
Nora isn't aware that Kendall's "disappeared," since she can't see him anyway. "Didn't stay? You tried? What, you tried to what exactly?" she says, moving away from her seat, her hands out to grope for the nearest wall, apparently no longer hungry. Her voice is angry and hurt; she suddenly sniffles which means that behind the gauze she's likely crying. And like any upset teenager, all she wants is to stalk off and sulk, but stalking off is hard when she can't see where she's going.
She attempts to go anyway, tripping over a kamikaze five year old who runs by, landing both of them on the ground. The five year old starts wailing. Nora lets out a string of swear words that might make a sailor blush. It's like any family holiday — it's not Thanksgiving until someone cries.
At Magnes' works, Kendall bursts out laughing, which of course is clearly audible. As such, he pops back into existence, laughing. But then his laugh kinda trails off weakly since it seems he really upset Nora. Aw, crap. He made her cry. Now he feels like such a jerk!
Mechanically, Jaiden gives each person a dollop of potatoes, chock full of good things like whole milk, straight fat butter, salt, and little white pepper to give it a bit of a bite on the back of the tongue - not unpleasant, but tasty definitely. He gives a smile to the small girl sitting near Abby. He's a stranger, but spending time in the kitchen so close to Abby, he's hoping a little of that closeness wore the strange off to where she'll talk to him.
And then Nora hits the five year old and all hell breaks loose.
Jaiden winces and glances down the line, then down to Emily. "Excuse me, Little miss? Could you serve potatoes while I go see to the fallen out there on the floor?" Once he's been given an answer, either yes or no, he heads out to check on Nora, to help her to her feet if she'll let him. "Hey…..miss? You okay?"
Left standing there on the chair Emily, goes still. She's been left there. Oh no! People are talking to her… Oh no! The tiny tot doesn't like this at all, so she's quickly moving to try and climb off the chair, pink dress riding up, caught between her belly and the seat, showing her diaper.
Dropping to her feet, Emily freezes for a moment, as if waiting for something before hurrying off after Abby, with that bounce little run all toddlers all have. Ponytails held in place with ribbon bounces behind her.
Abby's coming back, scooping up the scared toddler in her arms and looking over to what the chaos could be that had caused this other than Magnes yelling something about having killed Kendall. Clearly, no, he hasn't. But the ruckus has caused a toddler to get alittle overwhelmed, a five year old to be tripped over by the blind girl and the baptist to roll her eyes at it all, and the potatoes to be unserved. At least people are helping themselves to the potatoes and aren't taking more than others have been given.
"Come on Emily, back to the station, people need their bread, and poh tae toes!" Sliding the girl to her hip and resuming her position at the table. Only about 30 more folks to go through and then if there's leftovers… well, they'll deal with them. "Guys, Be nice to Nora, she can't see. You're getting her upset!"
Magnes sighs, still not sure how exactly Kendall is alive, but choosing to save that question for later. He lifts the taco pies on to the table, then grabs a knife, beginning to thinly slice the cracking nacho crust. "Who wants taco pie? I figured if Abby can make balogna… whatever weird thing she does with it, I can make a pie out of tacos."
When Jaiden comes to her side, Nora struggles to get to her feet by herself. Her brows are drawn in a fierce scowl, and she swipes her nose with her sleeve, not so much more maturely than the five year old wailing nearby, nor Emily trying to escape the chaos, despite her age of 17. She's still just a kid, blind and alone.
"I can do it," she mutters, crawling until she reaches the wall, pulling herself up and huddling there. Her cheeks are red as she's sure everyone in the room is staring at her. "I'm s-sorry, I … I … I thought I could see for a moment and then I realized it couldn't be true. I'm still wearing the bandages so it was just … just wishful thinking, I thought until that guy said something about doing it."
"I'm sorry, I thought I could help." Kendall tells Nora, genuinely distressed. "I didn't know it would go away so easily, did you think it couldn't be true? That could have something to do with it. When people don't believe what I make is real, it disappears."
Jaiden hears Kendall's words but they don't really register. He doesn't reach to help as far as Nora knows, but he is ready to help if she's having any problems getting up or getting her bearings, but a chair is put in easy reach just in case. "I don't know the story, miss, but I know that things can be hard sometimes." He looks to Kendall, giving a little negative shake of the head - Not cool, dude - before turning back to Nora. "Want to talk about it? I may sound funny, but I listen good."
"I DON'T WANT TURKEY!"
It's a scream that cuts across the room of people eating, causing some of those present to turn and look at a six year old who's in line, his mother look embarassed. "I DON'T WANT TURKEY! I WANT A LUNCHABLE! WHY CAN'T I HAVE A LUNCHABLE!" The child starting to go into the nuclear throes of a meltdown. With a few others of the Lighthouse kids and not to mention other kids in the room that evacuated with the ferry, it's been a long time coming and a few quite clearly would like to echo their age-mate. If this gives Nora a reprieve from the attention, who knows, but the six year old is grabbing his plate with the small portioned offers and throwing it on the ground in his fit then making for his mothers to do the same.
"Did I believe it couldn't be true?" Nora repeats, shaking her head with disbelief. "No, I thought it was perfectly normal that all of a sudden two weeks later I could see, even though I have bandages on my eyes."
She brings that fist to her forehead, leaning on it as if tired. She heaves a sigh, turning an unseeing face in the direction of Kendall's voice. "Whatever. It's fine. Sorry, kid," she tells the other teen.
Her hand reaches out — luckily the one that's not dirty with mashed potatoes — and pats down Jaiden's shoulder to his arm, finally hooking in the elbow. "I'm … I'm okay. I'm sorry, I'm just frustrated. Like, all the time." She swallows, adding in a smaller voice, "Can you bring me back to my seat?" Obviously asking for help is difficult.
"Course I can, miss." Jaiden's hand is gentle, resting on her elbow, letting her crook her arm along his in order to lead her to her seat. Then, leaning in, he whispers something to her before patting her on the shoulder and re-taking his spot in line to dish up the rest of the potatoes.
Ok, being called a kid by someone his own age is just plain bad, but since she's blind, Kendall won't get mad at her. He'll just sulk the rest of the evening.
Jaiden will guide Nora back to the infirmary even while stragglers make their way in to get their fair share of the thanksgiving meal. They'll sit side by side on the tables and the chairs so that they can bump elbows, steal a pinch of salt and compliment the many chefs. They'll be thankful all around, for the meal, for the safety that Pollepel represents no matter how long or short that safety may be available to them and that they even have a warm place and food in their bellies no matter how small when they know that there are others who aren't privy to either.