A Dukes Of Hazzard Fanfic
By
Kristy M.
and Daney R. Duke
Dedicated to Sarah Stodola… a friend that was always there
@-->-->--
I looked up to see Shay toddling
over to us. By us, I mean me Luke Duke, my cousins Bo and Garrett who are twin
brothers. "Crash!" he said as he approached us standing in between
the General Lee and Spitting Cobra.
I look over at my brother who
watches from the other side of the car he had built with our cousin before I
had moved to Hazzard to meet my brother, the brother I had known nothing about
until a few months ago. I look up as the blond curly haired toddler continues
to walk across the dry dirty driveway bow legged in his overall shorts, saying
"Crash."
I smile at my small nephew as his
older sister runs out in her red and white summer dress, her light brown hair
is tied up in white and red bows in her hair. Her pigtails bounce up and down
with life as she chases after Shay, who makes car noises before saying
"Crash" once again. As Shay approaches me I lift him up high before
hugging him to my chest, asking, "What all the noises for?" He only
giggles for a response as I look up as Kristy runs out.
"There they are," she
smiles in relief as Jamie, Shay's older sister, runs to greet her and she
slowly comes to join her cousins, Daisy and Daney at the clothes line, offering
to help.
Although Shay is very smart for
his age, I look at Jamie and ask, "Why does he keep saying Crash?"
She smiles. "Man on radio
said there was gonna a demo derby tomorrow night."
"What's this about a
demo?" Garrett asks and I shake my head in amazement at how much cars can
catch their attention or anything to do with a car. Garrett had built his
Mustang to perfection in his eyes with the help with his dad while Bo and Luke
built theirs from the ground up a couple of years ago. They may not hear what
anyone says when it comes to housework, but one tiny whisper to do anything
with cars they all circle around, craving to know more.
"A demolition derby tomorrow
night at the County Fair in town at the fair grounds," I respond, trying
to remember what the announcer was saying about it, "he said that the
tickets are on sell to anyone from five dollars for kids two to twelve and
fifteen for adults," I pause and they look at one another in astonishment
to not have heard of anything before now about it, "oh and that they are
still looking for drivers to sign up for it."
"So anyone could sign up for
the derby?" Garrett asks in aw and excitement and I nod as he sets Shay
down who walks over to Luke for a moment before he makes his way to me, "they
can sign me in, I'd love to be in one...take some frustration out on cars, that
sounds like my type of fun."
I looked from my cousin to my
brother. "Maybe I'll sign up too." I ran a hand through my blonde
hair and then down my red t-shirt, the sweat that had beaded my face now on the
thin cotton material.
Garrett and Luke smiled at me. I
turned to the girls, "Y'all aren't thinkin' about it are ya?"
Daney turned back to the
clothesline without a word but I spoke up. Tired of being told to be a lady, do
this... do that. "Maybe."
I look around at the crowd that
has gathered around us thanks to my one-year-old son who knows nothing about a
demo, other than cars, and that love came from his two stubborn uncles. Looking
around I wonder if I am the only one who can't see any fun that would come out
of a demolition derby other than cars being smashed up and people having the
possibilities of getting hurt or perhaps worse. "Y'all just can't be
serious?" I ask prying through the silence that had covered us, "Y'all
could get hurt...or worse. Why not just wait for one of Hogg's races to come
up?"
Luke shrugs before he answers,
"Why not? The chances are not that high of getting hurt if you know how it
works and how to do it yourself," he pauses to look at Bo who goes back to
looking under the hood of the General, "and a race and a derby are two
different things...why not do both if you are given the chance?"
"I'll get a car from
Cooter," I proclaim. I understand my younger cousin's point of view. After
all the General and the few awards we're won with him are basically all we got.
The farm belongs to Jesse. Yet I am now hesitant, maybe Kristy is right. Demo
I look at Bo wondering what he was
thinking about it, I mean he is the one who generally perks right up to do
anything with cars and yet he is so quiet about it. It was his brother who
spoke up for it, not him. Deciding if to ask if he is ok or not I am
interrupted as a siren starts off in the distance.
"I didn't do nothing, this
time," Bo grins half jokingly and half serious as
he goes back to looking at the General.
"You Ok, Bo?" I finally ask, putting behind the sirens that seem to
be getting closer.
"I'll be fine," he sighs
looking over at Kristy and Daney who look from person to person, wondering what
will happen tomorrow evening, wondering if signing up would be a good thing or
not while Garrett smiles to himself in excitement of the news he just heard.
The Dukes are all standing around
as I pull my vehicle up to the small group. As I get out, I look behind me to
see Cletus and Enos getting out of the other squad car.
"I'm
gonna put you two on rent a cop duties with Elmer Fudge, if y'all keep it
up."
They
giggle and we approach the Dukes.
I see the look they are all giving
me and speak to the ones who Boss has sent me to speak too. "Boss wants
y'all in that derby tomorrow."
"What?"
Daisy exclaims, "Rosco, what do you mean y'all?"
"Well he just wants to make
sure the dipsticks have some good competition." I reply quietly.
I look up at the girls and back at
Bo and Garrett who seem to keep their distance from one another. I look up at
Rosco, knowing that Hogg had to be up to something to actually want them in the
race. "Well what if we don't want to compete?" I spit out at the
sheriff in anger, "No one tells me if I have to compete or not to compete
in such things!"
"Either that or we can find
something to press charges against you," the sheriff replies, "We'll
find something on you Dukes to put you away for a while, to keep you out of
Hogg's hair, what he has left." I listen to Rosco laugh in disgust before
I step closer to him and a tint of fear and cowardness enters his crystal blue
eyes.
"You hear me Rosco? I do what
I want to do, there is nothing that you will find legitimist to arrest any of
us," I say stepping away, not wanting to threaten him any more. I sigh thinking of how he once was, so caring to everyone,
loving the town and its people and to protect them from anything. Though that
was before they had taken his pension and now he had skipped sides out of
haste. "Fine, I'll sign up, but it all smells fishy if you ask me and if
there is one fishy thing in the derby I'll turn Hogg in, you tell him
that."
"Besides,
you haven't had anything on us in years," I boast.
"Bo,"
the girls start to say quietly.
"Well I got to get in and get
Shay ready for his nap," Kristy excuses herself and Daisy follows,
venturing to help.
"What was all that for? Haven't seen you that angry since you . . .well it
has been a long time," Bo questions going back to the car.
"Rosco, well not really Rosco, but Hogg. I mean who does he think he
is?" I respond looking at Bo who shrugs, "He's always trying
something."
"Sure, but you know him and
how he is," Bo suggests, "it's nothing new...so what brought this
upon?"
"I don't know, just getting tired of it is all, when will it stop?" I
question before following Daisy into the kitchen.
I watch Rosco, Enos and Cletus
head back to their patrol cars. Luke, Garrett and Bo head back over their
vehicles.
"Jamie, why don't we go get
them some lemonade." I say still thinking about what Boss is up too. As we
walk up the steps we hear Kristy's beautiful voice singing a lullaby for Shay.
I watch as my toddler slowly falls
asleep in my arms, clinging onto my loosely fit long sleeved shirt. I watch him
sleep for a long moment while I go silent. Looking down at him my thoughts sway
from thought to thought, from how much Shay looks like his father to the derby
tomorrow night.
Slowly I stand up and lie Shay
upon the crib as my mind continues to think thought to thought. Thinking of the
derby I recall going to a friend of my ex husband who was in a derby when his car
stalled, which had cost him his life upon such a treacherous affair, though I
know better than to try to prevent Garrett from entering he would either way.
Walking out of the room I jump in
surprise as I walk into Daisy. "You Ok?" Daisy asks.
"Yeah, just thought of something," I respond pushing old memories
behind, "Wonder what Hogg is up to now?"
"I know." I reply
quietly to Kristy. We walk into the kitchen where Daney is showing Jamie how
carry a tray of drinks. "I think she's a little young to train for the
Boar's Nest," I tease.
Daney looks at me, a mixture of
surprise and sadness. I know what she is thinking about it.
Many years ago in our teens, I lost my boyfriend when he and his brother were helping their brother with his car at a quarter mile track. The boys had always taken risks and if they were determined to do something... well you just didn't change a Duke's mind that easily.
"Cute Daisy, we were just
taking this out to the boys. Then I am going into town." Daney announced
and walked outside with the tray of lemonade.
I smiled as I saw the boys working on their cars.
I look back at her at the light brown hair that shines in the bright sun as I hug her back. She smiles up at me with her light green eyes before she watches Bo, Luke, and Garrett work on the General. "That is just them, baby, that is what they like to do, just like how you like to play with your dolls...they only like to work on cars instead of playing with dolls.
She only nods up at me before she runs over to Garrett, hugging his legs and he smiles down at her and I wince as he picks her up with his greasy hands.
I smile as Jamie makes a face from the grease leaving imprints on her outfit. Not normally a fussy child, she was already a little lady when it came to keeping her clothes neat.
I began to chuckle at the thought of Bo or Luke having children. Jesse had once said the idea of them producing offspring, was like hogs producing beef! I was very happy that while Jesse had thought the family line would end with me, it hadn't. I'm so thankful to have Kristy here with us. And her children who due to court papers are Dukes instead of having their father's name. So the family line has been passed on and will continue to be passed on. That is everything to us Dukes since we're always had nothing but our land, even when times were good with the shine running. Our land and each other that is.
Now this derby tomorrow could take cars the boys... Bo, Luke and Garrett have worked so hard for.
"Daisy, what was so funny?" I ask closing up the tool box on the ground. I didn't need to look up at her because her laugh is special. Like each of us are.
"Just rememberin' something Jesse once said is all." She replies.
"He said alot of things," Bo says almost teasing.
I watch them tease each other back and forth as Jamie finds a red and blue ball in the yard before she begins to play with it. I listen to their conversations about the man I barely knew before he was taken away to a better place. I sigh wearily at their conversation as worry enters me about tomorrow's derby, wondering what it will bring.
"What's eatin' ya, Kristy?" Garrett says coming up next to me, "Ya awful quiet to be Kristy, perhaps Rosco took the real Kristy away, leaving us with mannequin or something."
I glare at my brother, wondering where he comes up with his lame jokes before I turn to Jamie who shoots at a home made basket ball hoop that is jus her size. "No, I was just thinking," I say returning my attention to him, "Isn't that allowed around here, or did you take that right away?"
"Who me? Never," he grins as he looks over at Bo who talks to Luke and Daisy about something, "loosen up, Kristy, it will be fine, we'll be careful. I promise."
"And what if that ain't good enough? Nah, you never think of that, you just think of now...just like Bo, there is no future in the minds of you two, it is just now and do what you want right now...forget about the consequences that may follow," I sigh as I try to calm myself down, "I know you will as well as the rest of them, but being careful doesn't always work either, Garrett. Things happen one way or another, if you are being careful or not, the worst could still happen."
I watch as Jamie goes for the toy and a big ball of fluff appears. "Sarah," she says lovingly with the white 8 month old kitten in her hands. One day shortly after Kristy, Garrett and the children arrived. We went out to the barn to do chores and found her.
After taking her to the vet to have her checked out since she had the most unusual eyes... one blue and one green, she'd been a member of our family ever since. She was adored by everyone who ever met her.
I watch as Jamie begins to pet the small cat with the love that a child possess. Her eyes light up as the cat purrs as she pets the top of her head as the boys continue to work on the car while looking over at her every once in awhile.
I jump as Garrett drops a heavy metal wrench upon the hard dusty dirty drive way that is shortly followed by Jamie's yell of pain. I look over as she drops the cat down on the ground and runs over at me with large tears in her light green eyes. "What's wrong honey?" I ask and she points to her lower right arm where a red scratch mark appears, about an inch long, "Oh the cat got you? Let's go get it washed up."
She nods as I pick her up and she rubs her eyes dry as we walk inside. "The cat scratched me...I don't like her no more," she says stubbornly, "I didn't do nothing to her, I don't even wanna see her again!"
"You don't really feel that way sweetie," I say setting her on the counter and wet a paper towel before I press it too her scratch, "you are only upset. Sarah got surprised by Garrett's tool dropping is all, she didn't mean to."
She nods before she begs to get down and I slowly set her down where she takes the towel and throws it away. "Can I go see the boys race tomorrow?" she asks, her eyes glowing up.
"We'll see honey," I say as Shay starts to cry and I lead her to their room to find Shay awake where I pick him up and change his diaper.
"Daney, I thought you were goin' to town?" I ask after watching Kristy go in the house.
"I am, but I can't get out if they don't move their vehicles." She gestures to the dark green automobile behind the boys' cars.
"I just thought of something I need, mind if I go with you?" I ask.
"Not at all." She smiles and then looks at the boys. "The place I wanna go closes in forty minutes."
"I might as well go with you both, since I need a car." Luke says.
"Here I thought you were gonna ask Daney to loan you Hunter!"
I give my cousin a look. I know she is just kidding. "Anyone else need anything?" I ask, looking at Bo now behind the wheel of the General Lee and Garrett in his car. I know Kristy doesn't need anything because she picked a few things up after her day ended at the courthouse. It's funny how Daisy and I work at the Boar's Nest and she works there... yet we all work for the same man…Jefferson Davis Hogg. The brothers both nod no in that same way of theirs.
Slowly Bo and I move our cars so that Daney, Daisy, and Luke
can get out in Hunter. We wave to them and watch the
I glare under the old modeled light red car as the hot summer sun shines heatedly down into the old garage through the open garage door. Behind me, I listen to the vehicles passing by slowly from time to time along with silent footsteps of people walking on their breaks from work or children running by. I smile at the sounds of summer that always brings in business along with people running free with activities and so on. Though I listen to the background noises that surround me, I concentrate upon my work with hope to make Arnold Rendler a happy customer as he has been to this point.
Behind me I once again hear a car coming up on the road and I smile at the sound of it's tires squealing to a stop feet behind me, before the entrance of the garage. Slowly, I stand up to wipe my black filled greasy hands upon an old greasy rag as I look up to find Luke in the Hunter as he climbs out through the door's open window. "Well hey Luke," I smile at him, "How's that cousin of yours? They staying out of trouble?"
"Ahh of course not Cooter, they wouldn't be Dukes if
they stayed out of trouble," he grins at me as he approaches, "Ahh
ol'
I can't help but to smile at him as he smiles, his sky blue eyes sparkle with life that radiates from them, as they always had. "Well I don't think ol' Arnold has the money, heck no one in Hazzard has money to get a new or newer of anything and hasn't for a while now," I smile at him and he nods in agreement with me as his smile quickly fades away with my statement and I recall the money problems they are having currently due to the drought.
He nods in acknowledgement as Daney and Daisy walks up from talking to a friend and they all nod at me as their hellos. "Well hey Cooter, we actually did come here for something other than just to talk," Luke says uncomfortably from the message I brought along by their current money problems at the farm, "We's a lookin' for a car to borrow."
"Shootfire and a box matches, you come to the
place." I grin at the three brunette Dukes. "Y'all just go 'round
back and pick one out while I finish up with
I finish with the timing belt and check the oil before I shut the hood. I drop the rag in a barrel outside the office door before I head through the alley to the back where the loaners are.
"What ya need a car for? The General can't be broke because he ain't here and Hunter sounded better than ever." I say, walking up to them.
"The boys are all gonna enter that demo derby tomorrow for the last night of the fair." Daisy says as she smiles.
"I reconken three entries is better than none," I smile back.
Luke looks at me seriously before he goes back to his search through my vehicles and I watch him for a moment before I turn to Daisy and Daney. Daisy shrugs as she smiles before Daney turns to help Luke with his search for a car. "Luke's pretty serious about this," Daisy explains, "he wants the perfect car to make his entry."
"I spose," I smile at her as I glance over my lot of abandoned, wrecked cars before I glance over at Daisy again, "Them boys are serious about any type of racing, like Bo and that dirt bike race. Who woulda thought he'd win? Or be that excited about it?"
"Yeah I hear ya, I think both them boys first words had something to do with cars, but don't quote me on that," Daisy smiles at me as Luke places a hand on a hood of a sky blue dent in car, "though Bo isn't as excited as Luke and Garrett is about this whole thing, I don't know. For once he is thinking about the what ifs and what could happen instead of jumping into it."
"Bo?" I question thinking of their cousin, "You must have Garrett and Bo switched around, though I couldn't even do that and you're their cousin. They may be twins, but they don't look that much alike to mistaken them for the other."
"Oh you mean that Garrett's scar helps you differentiate him from Bo?" she grins, "Yeah they are different, I guess that comes from living separate lives and not knowing each other for twenty years. Seriously, Bo isn't excited about it, not by the account that he usually is 'bout any sort of racing."
"Ahh a first for everything," I grin at her as Luke continues to look over the sky blue car that has been sitting on my lot for ages now. "He was excited about that one demolition derby a few years ago, but perhaps that scared him out of wanting to relive another one." She shrugs before she joins back up with Daney.
"Luke, I really don't think you got much choice but this old Ford Thunderbird." I call to my cousin who is halfway across the lot. Most of the cars were 80s and 90s. And to last in a derby, you needed a good, strong 70s or 60s vehicle. Cars from that era were built like tanks almost and were alot less gasoline effienct.
He turns back to Daney and me with one of those looks.
"I spose your right, I really ain't in the mood to go searchin' to
"And its gonna cost us alot less if you don't win." Daney says gently. Yes, times are rough because of the drought. Havin' Kristy and Garrett at the farm has been a tremendous help with makin' sure we all get at least one good meal a day.
Luke nods in agreement as he steps in front of Cooter. "Well how much is this one gonna cost," I ask and point to the late model sedan.
Cooter looks at the girls and at me. "Well," I say, my baseball cap now in hand. "I'm in need of gettin' my book work caught up. Been a little busy with customers, I ain't time to do it. So if one of the girls'll help with that, we'll consider it a fair trade." I blush hearing Daisy and Daney exclaim, "Oh Cooter, you're so generous... of course we'll help with that book work."
Luke smiles, "Me, Bo and Garrett'll watch the garage for a couple of days if you need a break." He says and we shake hands. That's how things is done around here, if you can't buy it, more times than not the person who has what you need will barter for it.
I glance from Duke to Duke as the girls' faces brighten up with a smile that makes their eyes glow with life with their excitement. Glancing over at Luke he flashes a quick appreciative smile at me for his gratitude for my help in our agreement and I sigh as I think of all the times growing up, when we'd be out doing something for fun and he'd be worrying. Slowly I turn and lead them back into the garage, wishing I hadn't said anything about the financial problems that are floating around Hazzard. Me and my big mouth.
"Thanks Cooter," Luke says as he looks over
"You help me out here at the garage than I have ever helped you out and you know it! Heck, you give me most of my business, you Dukes and Rosco keep me in business for years," I grin at him as I pat him on the back, "And hey, Lukas."
"Yeah?" he peers up from looking at the cold hard cement floor of my garage that is spotted with grease and oil.
"Lighten up, things will get better as they always seem to do," is all I can think of to say that may help him feel better, "You worry too much, you know I got ya covered if you need help, any way I can...if you need mo-"
"No," he answers too sharply, "sorry Cooter, and thanks for the offer but we are doing just fine. You are doing enough by helping us out with the derby, thank-you."
"Yeah anything for you Dukes," I respond smiling at him, "and I just figured I'd offer...it wouldn't hurt to ask kinda thing, didn't mean to hurt your pride."
"You two stop it," Daisy smiles patting my arm, "Things will get better...now about them books?"
"Oh this way ladies," I smile as I lead them to my old metal desk in the back and Luke slowly joins us as I pull the books out of the top drawer and turn to where I am stuck at, "It is very much appreciated you helping me out here."
Daisy havin' been Miss Lulu's secretary once upon a time and Daney a private investigator, they were use to bookwork of all sorts. I went out and helped Cooter with some customers who had lined up at the gas pump while we had been out back. When you stopped at Cooter's Garage, every customer got the same service, which was probably was he had and always would be the favorite mechanic in the tri county area.
We walked back into the office where the girls were going through receipts and bills, sorting them in piles and recording them. One of the books said, taxes on it and the other said expenses. "How long y'all figure ya gonna be," I ask after Cooter hands me a cup of coffee. Memories of Saturday morning donuts and java with him and Bo bring a smile to my face. Now, Garret comes with us too.
The girls look at each other and shrug. "Not too long, for someone who hasn't had alot of time, you sure have keep things up to date, Cooter." Daisy says. I hit him lightly in the shoulder as he blushes.
"You could take my car home if you want Luke, I'm sure we can get a ride over to the Boar's Nest for our shift." Daney says after looking at the clock.
Cooter and I chuckle. The way the words are spoken, you'd think that the Boar's Nest was the most awful place in town. But it ain't, it's just the watered down Boar Nest specials that are.
"Well, if y'all gotta work, then you can finish that up on Monday when the boys come to take over so I can go see L.B." I say.
"L.B.!" You'd think he was the president or somethin', the way the girls exclaimed. He's my cousin. Here in Hazzard, everyone is like family, well most people is. And most people's folks go back a couple hundred years.
That's why it would be a shame for the Dukes to lose their land, five generations have handed it down through the years… But something has always happened that a mortgage was needed.
In fact, they've had that land less time than the 200 years tradition of the family business of running corn whiskey. Most folks think the boys are good drivers because they was on that circuit, but their Uncle Jesse could out drive them with his eyes closed.
Corn Whiskey is actually moonshine or white lightenin', I
was fortune to get in the truck business for a couple of years and make enough
to get this here garage. Because that is a hard way of life, running that
illegal liquor. "Yeah, L.B. is workin' at a gas station down over in
"Well, why don't you invite him to the derby tomorrow night," The Duke girls request.
"I could, couldn't I. Thanks for the suggestion." I smile and they smile back.
Slowly I walk into the old farm's kitchen to find it empty and I glance around, lost in thought about the farm and the upcoming months. Hesitantly I move past the kitchen to walk into the living room to find Kristy sitting on the couch while Jamie plays on the floor with her blond haired Cabbage Patch doll, combing her hand through the yarn type hair while Shay sits at Kristy's feet playing with a few wooden blocks. "Hi Luke," Kristy says looking up at me from watching her two kids, almost as if I had broken into her lost thoughts, "how'd it go?"
"Awright I guess...we found a car," I report to her as I watch Jamie unvelcro the dolls greenish blue dress and fights to take it off to grab a yellow dress and I watch momentarily as she fights to put that on the doll, "hey, where's that brother of yours?"
"Garrett or Bo?" she questions looking at me and I go to answer before she cuts in, "I know who you asking for, you never ask for Garrett. Bo's in your two's room."
"Boy, I didn't mean to offend you by asking you where Bo is...where's Garrett?" I smile at her and she teasingly shoos me away.
Slowly I walk to our white closed door before I open it to find Bo sitting on his queen sized bed thumbing through a sports magazine. "What ya doing cuz?" I question him and he glances up with his baby blue eyes before he closes his page on a baseball player.
"Nothin'," he responds looking at me for answers and when I don't say anything he goes on, "So? You find you a car?"
"Yeah we found a car," I force a smile at him in acknowledgement to why he wasn't so excited about the derby as he should be, but remain to keep it to myself as he does so himself. "It's not the one I would have chosen, but it will work."
"Well, if it works," he smiles back at him and for a moment his worry about the farm fades from his expression-filled baby blue eyes, "hey that's all that matters...the 1969 Dodge Charge wasn't your first pick either, but look where that got us?"
"Hey you gotta point there," I smile at him as I tousle his thick bright blond hair and he gives me a jokingly pouting face about it. "Hey guess who Cooter's gonna bring to the derby with him."
"Hmmmm," Bo says thinkingly before his face brights up, "Don't tell me ol' Cooter finally found himself a girl friend? He's bringing a newly aquatinted girl friend to a derby...that relationship won't last long. He needs to take her out to eat or perhaps a movie, but a derby? That's kinda harsh for a first date, don't you think Lukas? You should know that answer, you're the pro at it."
"Yeah well that would be kinda harsh for a first date, but," I pause longly as I smile at him, "but that's not it."
"It's a it?" he questions, "First it was a who, now it is an it? Boy Luke, you're confusing me now."
"That don't seem to take much doing to do so for you," I joke with him and he once again puts on his pouting face, "No, he's gonna bring LB."
"LB!" his face lights up with excitement, the excitement that radiates in children often times, "I haven't seen him in ages!"
"I'd figure ya like hearin' that," I smile at him as we get up together to join Kristy in the living room.
I look up from the photo album on my lap, to my youngest brother and oldest cousin walking into the room. The rocking chair I am in sways slowly, like a gentle breeze on a mild windy summer day just before or after it rains. "LB? Who is that?" I ask.
Bo grins at me, "One of Cooter's cousins."
"He's just as funny and nice as his cousin. I think that is a trait that runs in their family," Luke adds.
"Well, I am sure it will be nice to meet this L.B., will Cooter or him be in the derby?" I question. Luke frowns, "I forgot to ask him. I best go give him a call." Bo slaps him on the back as turns back to the kitchen where the phone is.
I watch as Luke dials the number as silence grows in between us as Bo seems to be lost in his own thoughts. I look back down at the album as Luke begins to talk into the black receiver.
I glare at all the glossy pictures of Bo, Luke, and Daisy as they smile into the camera for the picture. I glance back up as Luke hangs up the phone glances around the room.
"Well," Bo cracks in before I can, "Are you going to tell us what Cooter said or you just going to stand there smiling like an idiot?"
"You watch your mouth, Beauregard!" Luke says teasingly and Bo picks up a pillow off the couch where he sits and throws it at Luke who catches it to throw it back at him. "Cooter says he has decided to enter the race, but LB decided to sit on the sidelines to watch."
"There's gotta be a crowd to watch it, not all can be in it," I grin up at the two of them as Luke sits next to Bo on the couch.
"Tell me about it," Bo says, though keeps his opinions to himself, "Well at least he is going, I haven't seen him in forever."
I nod in agreement, "Maybe he'll sit with the girls." Bo looks at me and I turn to see Garrett looking at me as well. He is leaning against the left side of the archway that divides the two rooms. I don't need the stares to realize that while Kristy is the oldest of the three, the twins are protective of her and love her very much.
"Would you two get your head outta the gutter, ain't all guys like you, Bo. Never forget that time you brought Mr. Podack's daughter late from the hayride. Two days late that is."
I grin sheepishly and my blue eyes light up at the memory of that. "You ain't gonna let me forget that are ya?" Luke shakes his head no and Garrett laughs. I'm glad I now have memories of such moments with him and Kristy, my niece Jamie and nephew Shay.
I look at my twin brothers who seem so much different than one another and yet similar at the same time. I guess that comes from growing up differently and by different people, neither of them bad, it was just how it turned out. "Yeah," I agree thinking of the time before I met either of them, they never let you get bored, I'll give them credit for that, "They seemed to latch onto you from day one."
Bo shrugs as if it were nothing, even though I know he enjoys the attention he gets from Jamie and Shay who crawl all over him for him to play around with them, as well as Garrett. Perhaps Bo and Garrett have too much influence on them, after all Shay had no interest in cars until we got down here and then he was the one that brought all this up about the derby.
"What's so funny?" Garrett asks as he steps forward to tap the rocking chair and it slowly moves back and forth.
"Nothing," I shrug holding back another grin, "Just thinking of all the influence you have on my children with cars...you better not be teaching them anything else...I don't know how much I can trust you with them now that I see how much you have an influence on them."
"You know we would never do no such thing," Bo shoots a stare at me with his icy baby blue eyes with hurt feelings, "They won't learn nothing from us that they shouldn't know, but what they need to know."
"What's for dinner tonight?" I change the subject. Kristy has a valid point. Maybe us fellas ain't the role models everyone makes us out to be. But then again we are guys.
We all turn as the front door slams.
"What's for dinner is what ever you boys go catch. We went down to the smokehouse and there wasn't anything in it." Daisy spoke calmly.
"There wasn't anything in the traps y'all set down along the back forty either," Daney says. We all look at each other, what was going on. Yesterday there was at least one meals worth of meat in the wooden structure while the traps should have filled with some small critter like squirrel or possum.
"We could try fishin'?" I suggest.
"Luke, that could take all night!" Bo and Garrett exclaim.
"Well, so could hunting anything." I shoot back. They nod their blondes heads at the same moment in agreement.
"We could always ask one of the neighbors if we might borrow something." Kristy suggests. The phone rings and we hear a little voice call out, "Duke farm." It is Jamie.
"Ok, Mr. Cooter I'll tell 'em. Yeah, that would be nice." We hear the phone click and then she comes in the room, before anyone says anything... she announces, "Mr. Cooter says we're all invited to supper."
I glance at my young niece and up at the women who look shockingly at each other. "Well that solves your problems," my brother shrugs getting up from sitting down.
"You mean our problem?" Daisy snarls at him, "You're the one that eats most out of all of us, so you should say it is your problem."
"Fine, it's our problem," Bo responds glaring at her, "but I don't know why we's arguing 'bout it since it has been resolved."
"Y'all stop it," Jamie cuts into their bickering as she hugs onto Bo's leg, "we need to get ready...he's cookin' chicken spaghetti as his main course. Now let's go, fighting never solves nothing."
"And where you hear such a thing as that?" I question her and Kristy shoots me an angry and threatening look for my question.
"My preschool teacher tol' us that," she responds confidently staring at everyone in the room, "Now are we goin'? Cause I'm hungry and so is Shay."
"We sure are goin'!" Daisy grins. Cooter uses a special sauce for his pasta dishes and they are almost as good as Uncle Jesse's. Bet y'all didn't know he could cook so well.
I smile as the orange Dodge Charger and black Chevy
Silverado pull up in my drive way. My place on
The family seems cheerful as they get out. Kristy is holding Shay, Jamie darts in between her uncles Bo and Garrett while Luke, Daisy and Daney are behind them. "Thank you miss Jamie for givin' them my message." I say as they come up to where I am standing. She blushes, "Your welcome."
We follow Cooter inside and sit down at the table where everything is waiting. I look around the table after we get done thanking the Lord for the meal as the plates of food slowly gets handed around the table. I smile as I watch Kristy helping make plates for Shay and Jamie, where Jamie fights to help make her own plate.
To Kristy's left Bo sits next to her and Luke where they keep elbowing each other and kicking each other under the table almost as if they were ten again. I sit by Garrett and Daney of whom seem to be lost in a trance of their own thought while Cooter sits at the end with the look of pride and satisfaction reach his face.
"Thank-you Cooter," Jamie says as she climbs off her chair and hugs Cooter. Cooter smiles largely as she motions for him to bend down and she kisses him on the cheek. "Thank-you for supper."
"Hey, anything for my little princess," Cooter smiles as she hugs him again before climbing onto her chair once again and Kristy hands a plate to Bo who stops elbowing Luke for a moment to fill his plate. "Why y'all so quiet? Ya know, I like a little conversation amongst us, all this silence makes me nervous."
"About what, Cooter?" I ask jokingly, "Sorry, was just thinking about something is all. Hey, how long is LB staying for? You got room for him? If not he -"
"I got plenty of room for my cousin," Cooter grins, "besides, Daisy, he'd only drive you up the wall, you know how him and Bo are when they get together, you'd end up beating them up side the head with the broom before they left until he had to go. He will be here a couple of days...enough to drive everyone up the wall."
"He ain't that bad," Bo kicks in as he looks up as I recall the last time they were together when they began racing any vehicle they could get their hands on until Bo drove LB into the Hazzard Car Wash, something LB will never be able to forget about, "we may get the chance to wash his car for him again."
Cooter chokes up laughing at Bo's comment as does Luke while Garrett and Kristy stare blankly at them. "Bo drove LB into the Hazzard Pond the last time LB was down here," I explain to them, "when they were racing one another."
All too soon the meal and cleaning up the mess are over with. Now we sit on the porch, talking of the good ol' days. Yet there are still good times to be had because we are young.
I look out to where Cooter, Bo, Luke and Garrett are playing football. Jamie is throwing a Frisbee with Kristy while Shay lays on a blanket in the soft green grass.
It's the simple things in life that most people take for granted but not any of us Dukes or Cooter. I wouldn't trade anyone of my cousins or the friends we have in Hazzard for all the money in the world. Although that sure would help us alot. I'd miss them too much.
I turn to Daisy, "I hate to say it but we probably should get goin'."
"What for?" She asks, looking at the others.
"It's a big day and all tomorrow." I comment quietly.
She smiles, "Yeah."
I look up as Daisy yells at us that it is time to go and Bo makes a face before he runs with the ball and yells while throwing the ball down, "Touchdown!"
"C'mon Bo," I grin at him as I place my arm around his shoulder and Garrett quickly races to get caught up with us. "We all need our rest to be ready, after all we have to get up early to do our chores to get 'em done and all."
"Thanks for the reminder cuz," Bo says to me in a dreadful tone, "I think I'll sleep in tomorrow and let y'all do the chores, I've been tired lately."
"Dream on Bo," I answer as we reach our orange car, "yer helping us with the chores for your first part and second of all, judging how ornery you have been lately, I don't think you've been tired, you just like to sleep; you'd sleep all day if given the chance to."
"You know me too well," he smile climbing into the drivers seat and I look at him and smile, seeing him behind the wheel just seems so natural, as if the driver's seat was made for him, "One day, that's all I ask, to be able to sleep all day and not be disturbed by your cold hands on my back at four thirty in the morning."
"Nah that'd ruin all the fun," I grin at him as we head for home as the others follow closely behind us, "You ready for the derby?"
"I guess so," he shrugs, "I just have a bad feeling about it, Hogg has something cookin' I don't know why y'all aren't worried about it, he has to have something up that white sleeve of his. He's been quiet too much to not have something cookin' and when else has he forced us behind a wheel without having a plan to make us loose and loose something with it? Never...he has something up that sleeve...I just hope it ain't a slammer car."
I look at him as his reasons of why he wasn't excited about it pours out of him as he shrugs once again as he pulls into the driveway of the parking lot. "I know," I finally answer softly before climbing out.
"Rosco, you made sure all of them Dukes were gonna enter," I say as we exit the Cotton Mill where my car is stored at.
"Well of course Boss!" He replies and steps to his patrol car while my driver holds the passenger door of my white caddy for me to get in. "I don't want nothin' goin' wrong tomorrow onconna you and them pea brains you call officers makin' a mistaken."
"I don't know why you worry all the time when you always got something up those sleeves of yers, Khee!" He replies.
"Well it doesn't matter, no matter how many times that has been the case, something always goes wrong-- You didn't tell Enos or Cletus about this did you?" I question as the vehicles are started.
"Are you kiddin' me little fat buddy?" What would I do a thing like that for?" His blue eyes hold a hint of sadness.
"Ok, ok, I was just makin' sure. You know those two can't be trusted." I reply.
"Well I don't know about that Boss but I'd bet a meal of mama's that yer car is gonna win! And it will be good news, good news for you." I smile and see a slight smile cross Boss's face as he waves good bye.
I head my patrol out toward the county line, now you see with this derby, Boss is expecting people from all over the state. So he wants me to see what kind of competition is showing up.
@-->-->--
I watch the crowd begin to swarm into the fair ground, fighting with each other for seats as they talk amongst themselves. My heart feels as heavy as a heavy piece of metal as images of all that could happen at the derby swarms in my head.
I jump as caring hand lands on my right shoulder and I turn to find Luke standing there and he grins comfortingly at me. "Ya alright, cuz?" he asks as his bright blue eyes shine with concern, "We's all worried about you."
"I'm fine," I answer as I see more cars climb into the fair grounds and more people swarm through the stands, "Just thinking of the derby, I mean what if -"
"You stop right there, Bo," he smiles at me, "Why is it that I am the one that always worry and you don't, now I am not worried and you are? Relax, you'll have a good time, we will back for one another and protect one another. How's that? You know we wouldn't let you drift out there by yourself."
I smile slightly at him as I see Cooter walk in with LB who smiles crazily at us as he runs up behind Luke and pushes him slightly. "Well howdy LB," I grin at him as I shake his hand and he turns and shakes Bo's, "Glad to see you made it."
"Yeah so we can take ya swimming again," Bo smiles at him and LB tossles up Bo's bright blond hair that seems to be aglow as the hot summer sun shines upon it, "Hey it gave you a free and lazy way to wash your car at the same time and take a bath yourself...I mean geeze you should be grateful to us for that...so should Rosco, Cletus, and Enos...at least they know their car is clean."
I smile at him as my arm remains resting on his shoulders and Cooter says, "Hey, I never thought of it that way, Bo, all I looked at it as is y'all bringing me business; though I'd prefer my customers not be related to me, like LB here...make it Rosco, Cletus, and Enos; they'd go in that pond without chasing y'all, you just help give them that little shove."
"You mean we can't take LB swimming again?" Bo questions, "How come, Cooter? I found that entertaining."
"You may have, but me personally didn't find it entertaining," LB grins at Bo.
"Well LB, maybe you'll like the singer they are gonna have later!" Daisy says and hugs him. She turns to her cousins, "This is Daney and Kristy."
A little voice finishes the rest, "I'm Jamie and this is Shay." She points to the little boy in her mom's arms.
"It's a pleasure to meet all of you," LB says. An announcement comes over the loud speakers for all the drivers to get ready. The derby will begin in 20 minutes.
I smile as the girls, Jamie, Shay and LB get seated while Cooter, Bo, Luke and I head to the front of the grandstands where our cars are waiting.
@-->-->--
"Well that sure was a surprise!" I exclaim looking as my two cousins take the helmets off.
They smile. "Did you honestly think we'd let you lose the farm or your cars?" One of them says.
"You girls shouldn't have done it, girls don't belong in races." Bo quips.
"Oh please, spare me the macho attitude." The other one says.
"So that's where you two went this some morning!" Kristy says, with a smile at Daney and Daisy.
"Yes," they say and look to Garrett who sipping a paper cup of water, then to me and Bo. "We didn't have time to do it yesterday, so after chores we ran into town and talked Enos into letting is sign up."
"Tiddy Tuddly, you know them Dukes'll do anything to keep that farm and those clunkers." I say, watching my brother in law of 35 years puff on a cigarette. His plans for strip mining dashed onconna Enos letting the Duke women in the derby in his place.
"I know, ROSCO you ain't gotta remind me. Now c'mon, we need to go check on the gate receipts and you need to make sure all the people got tickets for that concert." He says.
"Khee, yeah I do. Still can't believe we got that fella," I stare to the stage where Tim McGraw is walking.
I glance around everyone as we begin to walk toward the gate for the concert and feel a smile creep across my lips. "Tim McGraw," I say in amazement, "How did Rosco ever pull off getting him?"
Luke shakes his head before responding. "How you think he did it? Pulling him over for some flakey ticket," he says skeptically as we reach Rosco and Boss to hand them our tickets.
I watch as they scan our receipts as is scanning with expectations of them being face. "Hurry up Bo," Luke rushes me through the gate as I walk along and LB butts past us in example of Luke's impatientness that he holds.
"I'm hurrying," I grunt as we walk in to find nice seats in the middle of the fourth row. "How 'bout here?"
"Looks fine to me," Cooter smiles.
"Oh," Luke says as he takes a hard metal chair, "Thanks ladies for helping us out on the farm, excuse my cousin's rude behavior. Thank-you."
Everyone starts laughing as 'Down On The Farm' starts playing over the loud speakers just then.
What a great last night of the weeklong fair, midway rides and food. Kristy wipes the sticky remains from Shay's face after Jamie gives him some cotton candy. She smiles at them and they walk over to where Garret and Daney are beating Bo and Luke at balloon darts.
Daisy takes Shay from Kristy after my cousin L.B. asks if
she would like to go on one last ride before everything shuts down. Tomorrow
the boys, Daisy, Daney and Kristy will probably all help me with the mess of
cars, because that's how it is in
The End
@-->-->--
Copyright 2002