Written: Winter/Spring 2002 by the following contributing authors: Essy Jane and Kristy Duke.
Edited by: Essy Jane
CHAPTER NINE
"Daisy...Daisy? Come on baby wake up,"
Luke was saying. I fluttered my eyes
open and wondered what was going on.
"I think she's coming to," I heard Dad
say. I looked at my arm. The cast
that I had put on was still there. My leg was still broken. I looked
around
and everyone was there. Bo was sitting beside me holding my hand. I
was back
in reality. But the other one seemed so real. We got into a car accident.
No, I really did kill Hank. I had a dream of what
I wished would happen. But
not all of it was what I wanted. Luke wasn't with us and well...it
wasn't
the same.
"Luke, you were mad at me," I mumbled.
"For what Daisy? You have been unconscious for two months," Luke replied.
"Bo you broke your leg. You were in pain and you couldn’t race."
"No Daisy, I am fine. I had problems breathing
before but I am good now. You
had problems with your surgery and they were complications. The doctor
said
that you might not wake up but I was hopeful. Daisy, you kept me alive.
When
Hank beat me up the first time, I wanted you to come back to Hazzard
with
me. When you didn't I waited," Bo replied.
"It all seemed so real."
"Don't worry, a lot of dreams seem real."
"Bo, I am sorry."
"You didn't do anything."
"I won the car race." Everyone laughed
though I didn't know why. "What's so
funny?" The pointed to the TV. There was a young woman who won
right there
on the TV set. Her name too was Daisy. Only her whole name was Daisy
Joan
Robertson.
"That was quite interesting."
"I am not making this up."
"We believe you baby. You had a dream,"
Uncle Jesse answered. I rolled my
eyes and knew that I couldn't win with this one.
A month later…
I look out my window, the pain that I had suffered
has slowly disappeared
and it should be soon that everything should get back to how I was
before.
Though the pain has receded the memories continue to flood in my head,
I
wish they would disappear. What really haunts me is the look on Hanks
face
when he slowly died. I can't believe I actually killed him! I didn't
want
to, I just wanted him to leave Bo alone, and Bo didn't do anything
to him.
Out my window I see Luke and Bo washing the General
together. I smile at
their unique friendship that strengthens with each day, they are always
together. Mora has been with me for most of the time, taking care of
me and
all, along with the boys. I am really beginning to know all of them
and feel
close to them. My dad has helped out as well, I love him so much; non
like
before when I felt so much hatred toward for leaving me with Uncle
Jesse.
Thinking of it, I remember how Bo placed his abandonment and being
with
Jesse instead of his mom. He so understands about it, loving toward
Jesse.
It is hard for me to do, to feel that way toward him. I love Jesse
dearly
and am grateful for all that he has done for me, but he shouldn't have
had
to do that. If my dad had taken the responsibility
Jesse wouldn't have so much to deal with or worry
about with the farm and
the boys; especially Bo. Bo doesn't look at it that way, Bo loves Jesse
more
than anyone with Luke and I close behind. They use to call Bo an uncle's
boy, like a momma's boy, though Uncle since that is who he lives with.
They
taunted him over for how close and how he feels about Jesse, though
he never
let it get to him.
I sigh wishing I could take that point of view
toward it. I love Jesse very
much, but I always wanted to know how it would be like living with
my
parents. I watch as they continue to wash the car when Bo lifts the
hose and
sprays Luke Square in his stomach and Luke returns it. I watch as they
continue their playing before Bo splatters my window. "That's
it," I smile
running out of my room and out the back door. Outside I grab Luke's
hose and
spray Bo who returns it, I step back out of the force, though get most
of
it. I spray him back, hitting him in the chest and he yelps as he looses
his
balance and falls forcefully to the wet ground.
He grunts in pain as he hits right side of his
head on the sharp edge of the
boys' metal tool box. "Bo!" Luke and I yell out together
and rush over to
him where he lies still on the ground. His whole right side of his
head is
covered thickly in his thick sticky blood. Quickly Luke bends down
and
checks his pulse and breathing. "Well he is just unconscious,"
he responds
to me, "his breathing is real rough-like...almost like it was
when his lungs
were shattered."
"I'm so sorry!" I cry out in fear and
guilt, "I didn't mean to hit him in
the chest or to -"
"We know, Daisy," he responds as Jesse runs up from hearing the commotion.
"What is going o-" he says dropping to
his knees besides Bo mid sentence.
Quickly he grabs his clean handkerchief out of his back pocket and
places it
on the large cut which is thick as it can get. "What happened?"
"We were washing the General before Bo sprayed me with his hose and-"
"We all were messing around with the two hoses,
I went to re-spray him and
miss aimed," I interrupt Luke, "instead of hitting his stomach
I hit him in
the chest and it knocked him over and he hit his head on that there
tool
box."
Jesse watches Bo nervously, questioning what to
do. "Well I am glad to see
you finally leave your room," he smiles slightly at me.
"Yeah, well look what happened," I cry out, "I should have just staye-"
"I am not going to listen to such talk Daisy
Mae Duke!" Jesse lectures me,
"This isn't your fault, but an accident...goes get me a bucket
of cold water
and a rag."
"Yes sir," I say and run into the house.
In the kitchen I find the old grey
bucket that Jesse brought in the other day from milking ol' Bessie
to place
in jars and wash it out thoroughly before filling it up with icy cold
water.
While it fills up I grab an old cloth and turn the water off.
I walk steadily out the where everyone is squatting
down alongside my still
cousin. As I slowly approach I can see Bo slowly awake, attempting
to sit
up. "Hang on there, Bo," Jesse says worriedly, "We have
to have a look at
ya; get all of that bleeding to recede and take you to a doctor."
I set down the bucket and Jesse slowly dips the
rag into the cold water as
Bo tries to sit up and Luke holds him down. Bo jumps as he places the
cold
rag on the cut, yelping out in surprise and pain. "Hold on, cuz,"
Luke says
comfortably, "this will be done and over with before you know
it!"
"Yeah sugar, we got to get ya all fixed up,"
I answer sadly, "It is going to
be OK, Bo."
"Bo? Cuz? Bo?" Bo asks confusingly, looking
at us all with a deep fear in
his deep light blue eyes. "Who are you? Who am I?"
I look at Jesse and Luke who look at one another.
"This is worse than I
thought," Jesse says, "we need to take him to the hospital
and get it
stitched up and work on his breathing."
I look down at Bo whose chest heaves in and out
for air. "I hurt," he
finally says bringing his right hand to his head, his right hand covers
instantly with his own blood, "I wanna go home...where is that
again? Who
are you?"
"It will be OK Bo," Luke says as he helps Jesse lift him up into the truck.
We have been waiting a good hour on news on Bo.
We all fidget nervously and
impatiently in our seats, hoping for the best for our cousin. Guilt
explodes
within me as I think of what happened over and over in my head. I didn't
mean to and yet it happened.
"Dukes," calls a small Asian man with salt and pepper hair
and thin leased
and silver framed glasses.
"How's my cousin?" Luke question, worry
and fear shine in his eyes for his
cousin.
"I am Doctor Sheen, his doctor," he introduces
himself, "Bo has what we call
amnesia...hopefully it will be temporary and will come back soon, though
has
a chance of it being permanent. We placed twenty-three stitches in
his head
and he has a minor concussion."
"His breathing?" Jesse asks worried.
"Ahh his breathing...well it looks like the
force of the water had
re-bruised his lungs, which can restrict his breathing as it was when
he
punctured, though not as bad," he explains, "he will be fine,
but it will
take your patience and help to regain his memory or to help him know
who he
is and where he comes from...it won't be easy."
"I know, but he is worth it," Luke grins
looking at all of us, "Can we see
him?"
"Yeah he is in the emergency room getting
redressed...he is able to go home
with you," he smiles, "We'll send him out when he is ready."
We nod as he walks away and take our seats to wait
for Bo to reappear. This
whole thing is so odd that it feels like I should awake at any second,
though I know it isn't a dream. It is reality, I hurt my cousin and
thanks
to me he is in pain and don't even remember anything.
I look up as Bo reappears from the halls he looks
confusingly around the
room, he looks at us squarely, though yet doesn't recognize us. Jesse
and
Luke get up to greet him and take him to me. Quickly I step away from
them
and Luke looks oddly at me. "I'm sorry I can't," I say running
out.
I find a bench to sit on to think and it takes
Luke a few seconds to find
me. "What is that about?" he asks welcoming himself to sit
next to me.
"I can't get close to him, I can't,"
I tremble, "I hurt him Luke...I could
do it a-"
"You can't be serious, this isn't your fault...he
started it," Luke says
comforting me,
"Look it was an accident, it just happened
and it isn't anyone's fault, not
yours not anyone. He will be fine."
I look at him for a long moment before responding,
"Fine it wasn't my entire
fault and perhaps he will be fine, but I am not going close to him
not now
anyway or for awhile. I hope that you and Jesse will understand, but
that is
how I feel at the time...when I am ready I will; just not now."
"Well okay, I guess it is up to Jesse and
me to work with him," he sighs
getting up.
"I am sorry, this is how I feel at the time;
I can't see him getting hurt
any farther," I tell him and he nods as he walks away. Thinking
of him hurt
I think of Hank, seeing his face and reading his plans he had to do
with Bo.
I knew it was coming, he was going to kill Bo; he gave Bo more chances
than
he normally does. Then think of the fear I had of going to jail for
it, but
after one meeting with officials in court they cleared it as self defence.
I
was relieved, but felt guilty, feeling like I should go. After all
I did
kill a man...
I think of Bo in there who don't know who he is
and what is going on. He
hurts because of me, he got hurt by Hank, because of me. I know one
day I
will trust myself enough to approach him at least to apologize, but
for now
I keep my distant.
I get up as they walk out and I climb into the
bed of the truck, Jesse gives
me a weird eye before he crawls and starts the truck to go home.
Before we left, the doctor told us that Bo's lungs
weren't all too bad. It
would be a couple of weeks before he could play football again. Jesse
said
his face looked real sad because he didn't know who he really was.
I sat by the window that day as Luke was trying
to show Bo things that might
bring back his memory. I couldn't look at him. I would turn him to
stone. If
it wasn't for me no one would be in this mess. I didn't know exactly
how to
get him out of it. But I knew one thing for sure; I had to get out
of here.
I was poison, pure poison that couldn't be fixed or cured. I couldn't
let
myself continue on this.
My dreams were pointing in the direction of going
to Chicago. I still had
dreams about after the race and how it all came to. Bo was okay in
my
dreams. But then when I would wake up it was a horror novel.
Thing after thing, time after time I had the worst
luck. I caused everyone's
stars to change because I was selfish. I admitted to it many times.
I was
only thinking of me and not the long term affects.
There must've been something I could do. I didn't
really know what but there
had to be something. I decided that I was going to drown myself in
community
service. That's what happened too. When I wasn't working, I was helping
others. My family only saw me first thing in the morning and when I
went to
sleep. I guess it was a way of avoiding Bo.
I knew I would have to face him sooner or later
but I didn't want to. In the
back of my head all my thoughts were devoted to him. I didn't care
for it
though. He was getting his memory back which was a blessing. I guess
he
remembered where Uncle Jesse kept his checker board. Bo was getting
better.
All of his memories were hitting him hard. He remembered everything
now and
wondered why I was keeping a distance.
One night he went to visit me at the homeless soup
kitchen in Capital City.
He tapped me on the shoulder and I jumped. "You've been avoiding
me these
past few months and I want to know why," Bo demanded. I didn't
want to
answer him. I was quiet and didn't make a noise. "I don't want
to have to
say it again. Talk to me Daisy." He put a hand on my shoulder.
I ripped it
off as if it were threatening my life. "What's this all about?"
"I am ruining everyone's life. It would be
better if I just stayed away from
everyone that means something in my life. I ruined you, Luke and I
almost
killed myself. I am bad luck," I replied.
"No you are not Daisy."
"Bo go find a mountain and climb it!"
I walked into the lady's room hoping
that would stop him from coming in but he yelled 'Man entering' and
walked
in.
"Just because a few things happened doesn't
mean that it has changed
anything."
"Yeah, it has changed everything. I have ruined
it all and for what?
Independence? Freedom to do what I want when I want? It wasn't worth
it and
you know it."
"But you had to learn it for yourself. I knew
the costs of running away. You
had to find that out. It wasn't me that had to learn all of this it
was you.
I couldn't let you fall though in the process."
"You should've! No one would be hurt right now."
"Except for you."
"Well I am a different story."
"Why don't you quit worrying about what's
going to happen to me. Let's take
a vacation."
"To where?"
"Choose and I'll drive you there. It has been
so long, three months is a
little too long not to talk to a guy."
"I'm sorry."
"I know, you didn't mean to."
"I don't want to go anywhere, I'll just ruin
things again. Let's stay here
and do it right. I don't want to not be here for another moment."
"Alright Daisy, alright."
Life slowly returned to the way it was before Hank
even showed up. I was
glad to hear that I wouldn't be charged with the death of Hank, due
to self
defence. I was so happy last week when I heard that in court and yet
felt so
guilty. I should be in jail; I mean I killed a man with my own hands!
I
never meant to hurt anyone or kill anyone, just wanted him to leave
Bo
alone. I know he would have killed Bo if I hadn't gotten to him, but
there
should have been another way to stop him than what I did.
In a haze I clear a table at work in time to see
Luke and Bo walk in with
Jesse along with Cooter. I smile at them and Bo hugs me and asks, "Is
he
here yet?"
"Who?" I ask numbly, still lost in thought.
"Alan Jackson, that's who," he grins
at me and I am brought back to reality
to where the sheriff had trapped the famous Country artist in one of
his
celebrity speed traps.
"Oh no, not yet," I answer looking at my watch, "Any minute now."
"You ok Daisy?" Luke questions as my
dad walks in with the boys and Mora.
Mora runs in and hugs me tightly, who is almost as tall as I am. We
have
spent a lot of time together along with the boys. I have gotten to
know them
as who they are and gotten to love my dad almost as much as I love
Uncle
Jesse
I sigh as I look at Bo, remembering his outlook
at living with Jesse instead
of his mom. He is so thankful for Jesse and wouldn't want it any other
way;
people in Hazzard taunts him about being an uncle's boy, almost like
a
mama's boy, though he lives with his uncle. A few times it ran into
fights
though most time he doesn’t let it bug him. If only I could have
that aspect
of the situation, though I can't. I mean why couldn't he take the
responsibility for me as he had with Mora? It isn’t fair.
I slowly return to work as the bar begins to pack
up to it's limit. I grin
at the sight of Rosco, Enos, and Boss selling tickets and pop corn
for the
event. Suddenly the crowd roars to life then becoming an eerie silence.
I
look up to see a tall lengthy man about Bo's size with bright blond
hair, a
moustache, a white cowboy hat, tight light blue pants, red leather
snake
skin boots, and a red plaid shirt. Bo lets out a rebel call and Luke
places
his arm around Bo's shoulder with care.
Alan walks to the stage area and his crew of band
members go to work on
putting up the equipment. "Hi y'all, y'all ready?" he asks
and everyone
cheers and yells, "It sounds like it." he responds modestly
with his cute
charming smile. I stare at him for a long while and back at Bo to see
a lot
of resemblance between the two.
The band finishes setting up the equipment and
Alan goes into his latest
song, "Where were you" everyone watches in amusement and
excitement. From
there he moves to "Chattahoochee" which makes the rowdy bar
roar even loader
to life.
I move and sit next to Uncle Jesse who asks, "You OK?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," I grin at him as I
really do feel fine. I did what I had
to do and perhaps there could have been other ways to stop Hank from
hurting
Bo, but not without anyone else getting hurt; perhaps worse than how
I was
hurt.
"Itty Bitty" he sings on into a third
song, the most that was sang at a trap
like this. Alan himself seems to feel at home and comfortable on stage
in
front of the Hazzard fol. Slowly the song comes to an end and he sets
his
black guitar down and says, "Wow, y'all are a great audience...now
we would
appreciate your sheriff to rip that ticket he gave us for going fifty-four
in a fifty five mile per hour speed zone."
"Rosco!" I yell at him as he walks by,
"How could you do such a thing? He
didn't do nothing wrong!"
"Ghee ghee," he says walking to the stage
and hands him the ticket. Alan
smiles largely as he tears the ticket up and drops the pieces onto
Rosco's
black cowboy hat. "khee," Rosco says angrily getting out
his ticket book,
"That will be another ticket.”
I look over suddenly as Bo and Luke get up in unison.
Jesse and I watch as
they walk up to Rosco and Luke shoves Bo harshly. "What you think
you doing
cuz?!" Bo yells angrily and Rosco stops writing to look at what
is going on.
"What you think you are doing leaving me the
tab?! You know it is your turn
to pay, I paid last time when we were here; so pay up!" Luke yells
shoving
Bo some more that shoves him back.
"You wanna make me? I ain't paying nothing
because I paid last time...you
just don't want to pay it so you decided you would just drop it off
on me!
It ain't gonna work, Lukas; it is your turn so you pay it!" Bo
yells at him,
anger shines in his blue eyes
"Yeah I will make you all right!" Luke
yells punching Bo in the face. Bo
backs up into the wall where he holds his jaw in pain. Alan watches
in
amusement as Rosco tears the ticket out.
"That is it! You deserve what is comin' Lukas
Duke, so don't say you didn't
ask for it!" Bo yells back running at Luke, elbowing Luke in the
stomach and
as Luke bends down in pain he punches him in the cheek and Luke is
thrown
back into Rosco who drops his ticket and pen.
Jesse and I can't stop but to laugh as Luke takes
the ticket and rips it up.
Rosco yells at them as Bo says, "Well Ok cuz, I will pay this
one more time,
next time you are going to pay the tab."
"Why thank-you Bo, though it is your turn
to pay," Luke smiles as they shake
hands and Bo pulls him into a hug. Rosco hunches over them and Luke
yells,
"Run cuz!"
Everyone watches as Bo and Luke run out the doors, escaping in the
General.
Rosco wasn't about to take this laying down. I
knew I had to slow him down
somehow. So I dipped Rosco and began to kiss him. It was a long and
complicated kiss. It lasted a whole three minutes. But when Rosco got
up
from it he shook his head and smacked himself in the face.
"I loved the kiss but...mmmm...I gotta catch
them Duke Boys. Jit Jit
OoooOOOh I love it I love it," Rosco exclaimed. As the door hit
his butt you
could hear a yahoo.
I got back to work and looked at Uncle Jesse. There
was something in his
eyes that directed me to happiness. I had done much in these past four
years. Maybe more than any country girl would do. But personally I
like the
slow life better. It seemed to work for me.
Bo was so much better. He looked healthier by the
minute. You wouldn't even
think that he was ill to begin with. I mean that smile on his face
before he
ran out the door was priceless.
Luke had forgiven me for everything I had done.
I mean running out on Bo to
get revenge wasn't exactly the way I had planned to live my life. But
we're
friends now. Though sometimes I still catch him following on my dates
that
are fine.
I smile at the sight of life returning to the normal
tracks of life, normal
to Hazzard style. Bo and Luke work hard in the fields with Jesse while
I
work on the house and so on. When they are at the house Bo and Luke
seem to
goof off mostly which reminds me of my relationship with Mora. I never
would
have imagined that I would get this close to her. We seem to do a lot
of
things together when she isn't in school and I am out of work and done
with
chores.
Jesse seems to be reunited with his brother as
well as me with my dad. I
could never see this happening when we first met, but I am glad that
I gave
them all a chance.
I watch out my window as Jesse and my dad talk as Jesse helps my dad
bring
in the pot roast into the kitchen to the feast to celebrate life coming
back
to being normal and no one hurt as they have been for the past four
years!
Bo grins as he sees the food being brought out
and as I take out Jesse's
crawdad bisque along with side dishes. There is nothing more he loves
most
than being with family, the General, and eating. He sits down at his
spot
and Luke gradually joins him.
The meal goes on and everyone talks and eats as the love radiates through
the room that we all feel for one another, which is a warm and comforting
feeling.
We thought back about good times and old times.
It was the best night I
could ever have. We all said goodnight and were so tired that day.
Many years later...
I sat with my husband that night eating with our
daughter Lily-Rose Hogg. I
looked at her radiance and remembered back to my childhood. I had a
wild
childhood. I had told her many times about her Grandfather and how
he got
into a tracker accident. That wasn't the only thing on my mind though.
I tried to get these memories out of my head. But
these stories all about us
crossed my mind over and over again until I just had to write them
down. I
didn't know why but at that moment I knew that if I didn't do it now
I
wouldn't ever get it done. So I got out my pad of paper and began to
write.
I went through several drafts. I didn't know how to begin.
At first I wrote about Luke coming home and wondered
if I really should tell
my feelings on that. I mean I was so spiteful that he didn't even want
to
talk to me.
I then started writing about the General Lee and
how it was made with all
the love and care in the world. But I knew that this story wasn't mine
to
tell. It was Bo and Luke's story.
I got to thinking about how mad I was at Luke and
it hit me. I needed to
show something that was mine. Something of great expression that showed
a
window into my life. What had happened the past couple of years would
prove
to be the one thing that I thought was important in my life.
I guess when my daughter asked me if her cousin
Bo ever did anything
remarkable that's when I thought about this story. How could I start
it
though? I thought back to Chicago and thought that split decision Bo
made to
come was what stuck in my mind. So I started writing it down and it
went
something like this:
The night was quieter than I was ever used to before.
As I stepped of the
bus into my new home I wasn't the least bit frightened...
~The End~