Written: Winter/Spring 2002 by the following contributing authors: Essy Jane and Kristy Duke.
Edited by: Essy Jane
CHAPTER FIVE
The next few days, Bo and Luke were attached at
the hip. Luke and Bo spent
every day together for at least three hours. Bo and Luke were like
two peas
in a pod. They would finish each other's sentences and just plain old
work
hard. It wasn't easy but slowly and surely Bo and Luke got their old
ties
back. The General never looked better. It had received a brand new
coat of
paint. I love it so much.
As for me, I began to get over things. I just figured
life was too short to
be waiting on my high society feelings. I had to get some help though.
I got
into a program with a shrink. He was an older man but seemed to understand
where I was coming from. You want to know the other interesting thing?
He
was free, this man didn't cost my family anymore money than I had cost
them.
It made me feel much better about myself.
I couldn't believe the change in my feelings. I
felt so much better about
myself and everybody else. Especially about Luke. He was still following
me
around on dates. I could even see him sneaking through the bushes.
He mostly
did it when I wore these awesome dresses. That's when the guys would
do dumb
things. He kind of took our dates like one of his field missions. I
thought
it was strange but that's okay
It was now the middle of August. You wouldn't believe
what happened. Mom
came in a limo and drove up to our farm and got out of the car. She
had a
horrible look on her face as she saw her surroundings. Mom was wearing
a hot
pink dress that was trimmed with fur. She was wearing a pink coat and
these
awful sunglasses. Mom was smoking. Now I don't like the smell of cigarette
smoke all that much. It bothers my nose and makes everyone else smell
like a
shoe. But I guess that wasn't my business. "Where's my daughter?
She
shouldn't be in a place like this!" Mom exclaimed.
I couldn't believe this was starting all over again.
"She's on a double date
with her cousins and a very nice boy," I replied. Mom tapped her
foot
impatiently.
"Go get her!"
"How about no. I don't see why your daughter can't have a little fun."
"Well you wouldn't would you?"
"What's so wrong with her being down here?
My sister has earned the right to
live in society."
"Well maybe I don't want my daughter playing
around with some country boy. I
don't want to see her turn into you."
"Mom, you put me here for a reason. I am so
sick of you! You don't remember
anything. You don't even remember you roots. You too came from a poor
family."
"Yeah and I promised myself never to become
this again. I will never join
over here." Uncle Jesse walked out and looked at his sister-in-law.
"Well, well, look at you. Patty you look like
a Barbie doll," Uncle Jesse
joked.
"I do not Left!" Mom exclaimed. What
was with the left? I didn't understand
why she called him that.
"Using my old nickname still?"
"Well yes I am."
I seriously missed something here. A nickname?
Uncle Jesse had a nickname.
It didn't seem like him to be called lefty. He's commonly known as
a right
handed man so I really didn't get this.
"Lefty?" I questioned.
"Your Uncle won all his races by sticking
to the left side. I guess that's
what I liked about him. It was between Jesse and Andrew. I wanted Jesse
more
but he didn't want me," Mom explained.
"What do you mean?"
"Well I was asking home out while he was busy
playing Dad. He wasn't into
that thing at first. I didn't know why but Lavonia caught him in her
net."
"Uncle Jesse, did everyone go after you?"
"Miss Tizdale, your mom and your Aunt Lavonia
were the major ones. But every
other person wanted me I ‘spose," Uncle Jesse replied. I
guess he was a big
tease.
"Your Uncle acts a lot like Coy only...he's
brighter," Patty remarked. Then
he was more like Bo. I couldn't believe that. Everyone always said
that Bo
and Luke were like Uncle Cooper and Uncle Jesse. I wondered about that.
I could picture Uncle Jesse driving his car and
racing from the law. But
with a person like Bo by his side? I guess both were lucky. They were
raised
by the best. As was I.
Mom walked into the house with a suit case full
of clothes. Her driver
brought it in. She was as lazy as Mora was when we first brought her
here. I
wondered how we had ever changed her.
Mora, Luke and Bo walked in late that night. They
were carrying Mora in the
house. Taking turns putting her on their back. Mora was well dressed
that
night. She wore a plaid shirt that was tied up. It showed her belly
button
quite well.
She looked at Mom sitting at the table. "Ma,
nice to see you. You should try
getting piggy back rides. These boys are so entertaining and the date
was
fabulous," Mora exclaimed. I couldn't believe she was sill acting
normal
while Mom was sitting here.
It drove me up the wall how Mom just tapped her
nails on the table. "You're
coming home Mora," Mom mumbled.
"No Ma, I'm staying here. I love it here.
It's like I can be a kid and do
everything else. I am old enough to decide where I stay and this is
the
place."
"No! You will pack your belongings and come
along. I am not taking your
country attitude. Not here or anywhere."
"You can't take me away from here! I love
it." Suddenly Dad walked in the
door. He was wearing overalls and a dirty old shirt. Apparently, he'd
been
working on the fields all afternoon while I was at Cooter’s. I
couldn't
believe it. My dad came home.
"How'd you do Andy?" Jesse asked.
"I cleaned up the whole field. Your boys are
good at planting seed. I will
tell you that this is the best crop I've seen on the farm," Dad
said. He
looked at Mom who was red faced.
"She's coming home," Mom told my Dad.
Dad shook his head. "What do you mean
no?"
"I sent her here for a reason. I guess you
wouldn't understand though. I
sold our house and decided to move here. I bought a piece of farmland
and
didn't have to go to JD for a loan. We're staying here permanently."
"Are you crazy?"
"I must be. I lay off all the staff at our
home and gave them 10,000 dollars
each."
I couldn't believe the fit mom had, she just started
yelling about every
cuss word at my dad. Jesse just stood and watched, giving Andrew an
I tol'
you kind of look. Suddenly mom got real quiet and real fast and everyone
just looks around at one another, waiting for what is going to come.
It is
like the calm before the storm and it sends shivers up and down my
back.
"Fine Andrew, if that is the way you want
it, then fine," mom says looking
at everyone, "but I want a divorce and I am going to get all the
money and
get all that I want. Everything!"
"You ain't taking Mora if that is what you
wish," dad throws in as if not
caring about the money.
"Fine," she glares, "I'll find a
man that I can handle and have my kids to
raise them the way I want them to be raised…and not on some trash
heap
farm!"
With that she roars out of the house, the screen
door slams shut behind her.
Outside we hear the limo drive off and Jesse slowly hugs Andrew
uncomfortably after so many years apart. "It is fine Jesse, I
have been
thinking of the same…just didn't do it 'cause what dad woulda
thought," my
dad says to Jesse before he turns to Mora, "You ready to see our
new farm?"
"Uh huh…but will I be able to see Daisy?" she nods.
"Of course honey," my dad says to her
before he hugs me and they slowly walk
out of the farm house, to their new life that awaits them.
I was excited to see my Daddy's farm. And as we
drove past the old Donavan’s
place I was surprised that he owned it. It was the biggest farmland
in all
of Hazzard County. I looked at the house that was built where the old
one
had been. It wasn't the biggest but it was amazing.
"Daddy, how in the world could you pick such
a beautiful farm?" Mora
questioned. I was biased and thought ours was. But then again maybe
because
ours was well made up. It was a farm of love.
"I decided to get one close enough to Jesse
and Daisy. I didn't want you to
part from your sister ever again. You two are more than family you're
friends. And maybe someday, you two can be each other's bride’s
maids. I
want to be a part of that," Dad replied.
"I want to be a part of that too. I don't
want to be separated from this
family."
"I knew you wouldn't want to."
It was even more amazing when I walked into the
farm. It was huge and yet
had warmth to it none like their mansion. He shows us around to the
bed
rooms and every other room in it; his blue eyes shine with pride that
was
but out when I first met him in California. "I hope you like it
sugar," dad
says to Mora, "A lot of hard work comes with taking a farm."
"I know daddy; I have been with Uncle Jesse remember?" Mora
asks, "Can Daisy
live with us? We have enough rooms."
"We sure would honey, but it is up to Daisy,"
he answers, "all up to her,
she has been with Jesse her whole life."
"Will you?" Mora says with admiringly
eyes.
Thoughts spin in my head like a Ferris wheel in my head as I realize
that
this is what I may need, to get away but yet live so close. "I'd
love to," I
finally smile at them.
I couldn't believe it. My sister in Hazzard. This
was a dream come true! I
wasn't going to live with her but I would see her every other day.
I loved
her now. This young woman was inspiring. She went from riches to rags.
That
was my sister. She was an inspiration to all those girls out there
that
think they can't make it.
My sister even surprised me as did my father. He
lived a life on the farm
and yet he could still go to riches with no heart and no truth to it
all.
Now look at him, he was about to take a major step. He was moving his
business on half of the farmland. It was going to make it a chain.
Many jobs
would open up here and Hazzard county would grow large in numbers.
"Daddy?" I asked. He looked at me with those blue Dukes eyes.
"Yes baby?" He answered. No one could
understand the amount of questions
rolling through my mind. There I was looking at the man who I called
Father.
"Do you think that you can start making up
for lost time?" He stood there
still unsure of what to say to me.
"I don't know if that's what you need. Right
now I am going to go through
some heavy changes that will show inside and out. I don't want to distress
you or hurt you again."
"You won't." But still in my heart I
had the feeling of lost hopes and
non-trust for him. Luke could understand what I mean. This was the
only
secret he hadn't revealed to Bo.
Luke had told Bo that both his parents were dead.
That wasn't true at all.
His Dad was alive. Where? Luke didn't know as I didn't for many years.
I
hated that feeling of no knowledge of where my Dad was. Luke's still
feeling
that pain.
"Dad? Why did you choose to keep my sister
and not me?" I questioned. Dad
gagged, he didn't know what to say to me. I think that he was pondering
on
telling me the truth or some lie that he had made up.
"I...I loved you. Daisy I didn't want to give
you up but with us moving all
the time...it wasn't healthy for you. You were in 12 different schools
by
grade one. It wasn't right to keep it up," Dad responds.
"So that's why you kept Mora huh?"
"Your mom wanted to settle down then. She
wanted to have her daughter in a
secure place."
"I still can't buy that, no matter how many
times you say that. I love my
sister but...I wasn't even told I had one. I wasn't told about anything."
"We didn't want to hurt-"
"Well you already did!" I couldn't believe
what I had said. I had to say it
though. I ran off once again. It wasn't to another city this time.
It was
just away.
Bo followed me as usual. I ran straight through
to the woods. I guess I was
angered deeply. I kicked off my shoes for it made it easier to run.
Bo was
still on my tail. He picked up my shoes. I climbed up the top of the
highest
tree I could find. I sat there just staring upwards.
"The thing about people is that they can't
seem to forgive," Bo commented
out of breath as he climbed the tree higher and higher. "And you
know, the
people that feel it most are the ones who have been hurt by it."
He was right again. I hated when he did that. I
was surprised about how well
he could climb in his condition. But there he was going at it again.
"Bo, I
hate this! Why can't my feelings stop?" I demanded.
"You have to face them before they go away
and that's what you've been
doing. Look at yourself. You have gotten over being alone while I was
by
your side. You got a job and still went to school."
"But I still feel so wrong." Bo sat up
beside me finally reaching the top of
the tree. He ripped his boots off and threw them by my carefully placed
shoes.
"Everyone feels a little out of place once and a while."
"But is it this common?"
"If it wasn't would you feel this way?"
"I suppose not."
I loved my cousin more than anything at the moment.
I couldn't believe how
he changes so much by the moment, one moment he can be as dumb as a
rock and
at others as smart as Luke. Though he never cares one way or the other
he is
always he same person; he has made his way past letting people's making
fun
of him not to hurt him any more; he just ignores them or at least hides
his
feelings as he wasn't able to do in the past. He sits there next to
me
looking around as if he never was in the woods before; as if foreign
to him.
Though while looking at him I can't believe how
selfish I am or can be. Now
I know why Luke never told him the truth about his parents or at least
his
dad. Perhaps we didn't have them in our life any more for one reason
or
another, but at least they we know they are still out there; to give
us some
hope of finding them in the future. Yet I have and yet I still complain
and
remain angry at him; complaining to anyone who would listen, most cases
it
was him. Both of Bo's parents died when he was only two years old due
to his
dad's involvement with a gang with his moonshine, he don't have that
hope
that burns within Luke and I.
All he has known is Uncle Jesse, I smile to myself
at the memories that Luke
told me through stories of how many times Bo called Uncle Jesse dad
when he
was a toddler. Even a couple of times that I remember of him calling
Jesse
dad when he was five or so. It was clear to me that he wasn't my dad,
he was
just an uncle when I came to the farm and Luke knew due to the fact
that
Jesse never hid the fact that his dad is still out there with his moonshine
getting drunk and all. His dad is too numb to take care of himself
than to
take care of a child. Luke never let it bother him, he took it as the
better
as I should have.
Bo still doesn't know anything about his parents;
Jesse refuses to explain
to him. Bo has a feeling I believe from everyone in town talking. Jesse
is
still hurt by his brother's death more than anything, not because he
loved
him, but because of the different feelings that they had between each
other.
They never got along, I remember when I was little a fight they got
into
that had everyone panicked, Bo's dad even brought out a gun to show
and wave
in Jesse's face. Jesse never forgave him and viewed his death as his
own
doing since he knew what he was dealing with; though what made him
even more
upset was how he treated Bo from day one. He didn't care, I remember
at a
town picnic where Jesse found his parents off dancing away, both drunk
as
anyone ever get.
Jesse kept asking where they set Bo at or who is
watching; he knew they
brought him along. Though each time no one would answer. Finally after
looking for a few hours he found Bo lying alone in the car seat under
a
large willow tree around fifteen feet from the picnic's location, though
children kept running over him, kicking the seat around. Jesse was
upset
enough to find him alone by himself at yet only a couple months old,
then to
find bruise marks on his upper arms from them shaking him made it even
worse.
The argument plays vivid in my head of all the
yelling that went on. Bo's
dad was upset that Jesse would actually think Bo mattered to him, they
didn't care if their only son died; he was an accident and they would
rather
him die. Though they wouldn't let Jesse take care of him either. After
that
fight they didn't see them again, for two years until Jesse received
a phone
call from a police station in Alabama asking if Jeremiah was his brother
and
if Robbie was his sister n law. When he answered them that they were
related
that way they said that a neighbour called with a child yelling and
screaming for the past three days non-stop and when they got there
they
found Bo badly abused and neglected.
I remember Jesse rushing up there and after a couple
of days returning home
with Bo for good. I couldn't believe how badly off Bo was, it was
unbelievable that someone would treat someone as cute as Bo was so
bad. But
they did, Jesse hated them both for that and couldn't stand them, he
was so
upset. Only a month later he heard the news that they both were killed
in a
house fire where they were staying with a friend to hide.
Here I am being so selfish running away with my
problems and crying about my
dad and mom; where as he don't know the truth about his and most likely
never will unless it is from a school bully that won't leave him alone.
They
all know and try to make fun of it because of it, but Bo refuses to
believe
them over Uncle Jesse even though they are right. He loves Uncle Jesse
and
even though he has made it past calling him dad, he is more like a
father to
him or more of a father than what his was.
As I look at him I know how lucky Luke and I are
to know the real truth
other than believing that his parents died in a plane crash as he believes;
though Jesse won't say anything more about it. Though Bo doesn't ask
or even
acts like it bothers him, as long as Uncle Jesse is there he is happy
and
appreciative of Uncle Jesse; he still tells him everything like he
did when
he was five and he still looks up to Luke like he did back then. Some
things
will never change and Bo is neither one thing that won’t change
nor his
feelings.
I sigh, thinking of how Jesse is getting up there
in age and I know all of
us will take it hard when he goes, but of all of us Bo will take it
the
worst. I don't know how he will react, but I do know that he will never
be
the same afterwards; most likely he will crumble down inside. He is
fine as
long as Jesse is there near to him to hug and to run to like a child;
Jesse
loves him no matter what, he knows that he is slower than anyone, but
it
don't seem to matter to him or to Luke. I sigh angrily at myself for
taking
him away from the two people he loves most in his life, I know I am
close
behind, but Luke and Jesse are the highlight of his life in his eyes
and I
admire him for that and for his simplicity of it all.
I was killing him inside when I tore him apart
from his family especially
when Jesse was so sick, I can't believe how selfish I am or have been
acting. In Bo's eyes Jesse and Luke is everything, everything. Without
them
he will die completely inside, walking around in life like a zombie.
With
them he shines with life, holding the innocence of a child
I look over at him thinking of the past year and
all that I had placed him
in. Looking at him, I realize just how much he cares not only about
Jesse
and Luke; those are obvious to anyone; but to me. I realize that he
had
taken on that jail guard job to help put me through school not as something
to get back at me for, but because he loved me so much. He never really
showed that to me before he chased after me. I knew he cared, I just
didn't
know how much. I have been so jealous of their relationship, Boss and
Luke's
that is; but I was the only girl and both of them viewed me different.
Sitting up in the tree with him I realize that we did have a good
relationship, it was just different than the one he had with Luke.
Now that I have Mora it won't have to be that way
and I am glad to have my
sister in town and I know that if it wasn't for Bo supporting me and
all
that he did, I would never had been able to build the courage up to
go see
my family. I smile to myself in amusement that he should do the same
with
Luke.
I just stare over at him who just looks around
the woods, who is lost in his
own thought. My mind lost in his own back ground that he doesn't know
he
have. He has a thick scar on his back and the back of his neck, though
Jesse
only told him it was from when he was little that occurred in a car
accident. I sigh at how sad it is that Jesse is too angry to tell him
the
truth about his past, it may not be an enjoyable story, but everyone
needs
to know the truth about the past; even if it does explaining that he
was
never loved by his parents and was abused.
He has to know that there is more behind what Jesse
is telling him, but yet
he doesn't seem to care and I know he doesn't. Bo is just that way,
he is
thankful for Jesse of whom he use to call dad and to him it isn't important
whether or not what Jesse say is true, because he got Jesse who is
the best
man to have lived; that is in Bo's eyes. I wish I could have the same
outlook on things as Bo has; he is so forgiving even through his temper.
To him what matters is that Jesse is there for
him to run to, to hug when he
needs someone to comfort him or just someone to talk to. Bo is like
no one
else, he is happy to have Jesse and Luke and doesn't ask for anything
else
even if he suspects something that hasn't been told to him that should
be
told to him.
"What's wrong?" Bo asks noticing me staring
at him, "You want to talk about
it? Other than just staring at me?"
"No," I shake my head at him, "I
was just upset that he could do this to me
and expect to get away with and expect me to forgive him."
"People do things that they regret later,"
he says simply nodding, "and he
is here to try to make it up to you, isn't he?"
"Yeah I was just realizing that, by just being
here with you," I say and an
odd silence comes between him. He just glares down at his boots as
Luke
comes into eye sight, "Bo, can I ask you something?"
"Shoot," he grins at me.
"Don't you ever think about your parents,
what they may have been like? Or
anything?" I ask him, "I mean I have been going on and on
about my dad to
you enough to start rehearsing my lines and yet you just listen. I
never
heard you even say a thing about your parents or anything like that.
I would
be asking Jesse non-stop about them."
"Why? Look I know what happened Daisy, I'm
not that dumb to not figure
something wasn't right," he says simply and I look at him in shock
of what
he is telling me as more questions run in my head, "Cooter told
me the truth
five, six years ago."
"What?! And you didn't say anything about
it? To me or anyone?" I ask him
confusingly, wondering why and how he kept it so silent for so long.
"Say what about what?" he asks going
around my questions as if he don't know
what I am asking him.
"Like why Jesse lied to you about it for so
long?" I ask reaching for
answers, "Or why your dad was the way he was?"
"Easy, I was a mistake that wasn't suppose
to happen and me being here only
prove hat he is human and makes mistakes; he has too much pride to
say or
show he made a mistake so therefore he was angry at me for being here
to
prove to everyone he made a mistake," he answers as if it was
nothing, "plus
he was the same person as he was before with his drinking and playing
around, I didn't help matters any. He was angry at me at the whole
world for
putting me here in front of him to display his mistake to everyone."
I look at him amazed my mind swirling around with curiosity about
everything. "Look Daisy I know what you want to know, why I didn't
tell
Jesse? Why should I? He don't want to remember it, it brings up a painful
memory of the past; I'm sure just looking at me does a pretty good
job in
itself at doing that not alone for me to step up and say why you lie
to me?"
he answers my unspoken question, "And why am I not upset at Jesse
or anyone
else for not telling me the truth of my origin? It is simple really…it
don't
matter any to me, it doesn't.”
"Perhaps it should bother me and if it were
you or anyone perhaps y'all
would be upset at Jesse for not telling you the truth; but it doesn't
matter
to me and I don't care what anyone else thinks. I am thankful that
I got
Uncle Jesse and you and Luke. I would rather be here with Uncle Jesse
than
anywhere else…even if my parents weren't like the way they were.
I got Jesse
and y'all and nothing else matters to me…not even of my past that
Jesse
hasn't told me."
"Why? I would be furious?" I say as Luke looks around.
"Because it doesn't matter to me Daisy, it
doesn’t. OK at first yes I was
upset, but I wasn't going to say anything, because I didn't want to
upset
Uncle Jesse," he admits, "Then I realized that it doesn't
matter to me, if
that was the way they were, then I got nothing to be upset about and
everything to be thankful about to Uncle Jesse. He didn't have to take
me in
and like I said it don't matter to me because I would much rather be
here
than anywhere else. . .I am happy here with y'all. . .it just doesn't
matter
Daisy. . .the simple truth of it. I got what I want and what I need
and that
is Uncle Jesse and y'all; that is what matters to me not something
of the
past that I can't change or something Jesse didn't tell me either because
it
is too painful for him to say or to protect me...it doesn't matter
one bit."
I look at him for a long moment unsure to believe
him, but the looks is
clear in his eyes; he doesn't care that Jesse didn't tell him. I sigh
in
amazement at how mature he seems, but yet at the same time holds the
innocence of a child and simple at others. He nods as he begins to
climb
down the tree, "I'm going to get something to eat." I watch
as he puts on
his boots and disappears from the woods.
Climbing down I grab my shoes and walk up behind
Luke where I startle him.
"Sorry," I then go into full detail of all what was said.
"He knows and isn't saying anything?" he asks just as astonished as I was.
"Yep, he says it don't matter, because he
got Uncle Jesse and us," I sigh,
"and all I have been doing is complaining about it."
He shakes his head in disbelief as we head home
together, lost in our own
thoughts of what Bo has said and feels.
We reach the Duke farm in time to find Bo helping
Jesse in the kitchen with
supper. I sigh worriedly at the thought that I am supposed to do that
kind
of stuff while Jesse and the boys work outside. "I'm sorry, Jesse,"
I
apologize.
"No need to be," he says hugging me,
"Things will work out and no one
expects you to take kindly to your dad at first; it will take time
for him
to gain anyone's respect; especially yours."
I look over to Bo with anger at first for bending
my trust, but I knew he
would tell; he tells Jesse everything, nothing goes by Bo without going
to
Jesse. I sigh past the grief and sadness and confusion that I have
been
feeling. "Bo go and feed the cows for me, you'll be done before
this will
ever get done," Jesse says to him, remembering what was left out
this
afternoon.
"Yes sir," Bo says obediently grabbing
his coat and heads out the screen
door that slams shut behind him.
"Bo knows," I say breaking the silence.
"Knows what?" Jesse asks standing up from looking in at the stew.
"About his parents," Luke says with annoyance
in his voice, he has been
upset that Jesse hasn't told him the truth, "I tol' you should
have told him
the truth; he deserves to know whether or not want to talk about it.
He
deserves to know the truth and not by Cooter, but by you."
"Cooter tol' him?" Jesse says angrily.
"You know what? I can't believe you Jesse
at the moment," I say calmly to my
uncle,
"Just a couple of moments ago I was talking to Bo and all he could
say he
loves you too much to upset you and that it don't matter to him one
way or
another, because he got you. . .but yet you are upset at Cooter for
telling
him? Bo is 19 years old and should know where he comes from; even if
it was
what did happen."
He looks around the room before he disappears into
his bedroom. "I don't
believe him," Luke says finally, "Bo should have known before
kids started
making fun of him 'cause of it and all he can say is being angry at
Cooter.
He wasn't going to tell him if his life depended on it…too much
pride to
tell his own nephew."
I nod as Bo renters the kitchen to look around,
seeing our disturbed looks
he asks, "What?"
"Nothing cuz," Luke smiles at him evenly,
trying to hide his anger as he
hugs Bo closely to him.
I look into the stove at Jesse's stew as the door
opens and slams shut
behind them. I gasp in surprise as Mora runs up and hugs me tightly.
Slowly
I hug her back as dad follows her in. I smile slightly up at him before
I
turn away nearly running into Bo. "Look at you boy," my dad
grins at him, "I
never imagined you would turn out like this…almost like your dad."
Suddenly Bo glares at him before turning away back
to where he came from. "I
didn't mean to scare him o-" he cuts himself, "I wasn't even
thinking of how
his dad was. Sorry."
"Tell him that," I throw back at him,
"For now you can help by going out
back and helping Jesse with the wood."
He shrugs before walking out the door to help Jesse. Slowly I walk
into the
living room to find it empty and walk into the boys’ room to find
Luke
polishing his boots. "Where's Bo?" I ask him.
"He ran out the door to the barn," Luke shrugs, "what is wrong?"
I explain what he said and he angrily gets up.
"You know I can't believe
that he would say that or Jesse not saying. I can't imagine how BO
must have
felt when Cooter told him," he says before he slides past me to
go look for
him, "Look Daisy, he will be fine; just let me go out and talk
to him."
I nod as I watch as he walks out to the barn before
I walk back into the
kitchen where Jesse and my dad are talking about Bo. "You stop
talking about
his dad," Jesse snaps,
"He doesn’t need to know."
"He already does and he does deserve to know
the truth even if it is one he
doesn’t like it!" I yell at my uncle, "Look Jesse, I
know it is hard to talk
about, but Bo shouldn't have had to learn from Cooter; he should have
learned it from you."
Slowly he nods in agreement before he looks back
at me. "He really said all
that about me even though he knew the truth?" he asks with shock.
"Yeah and he was sincere about it too,"
I answer as the boys walk in, Bo
pushing Luke jokingly.
"Bo," Jesse calls. I stand a few feet
away as Jesse explained all that
happened and why he didn't tell him the truth sooner. "I am sorry,
I just I
don't know, I am sorry."
Bo shrugs as he looks from one another to another before saying, "I
already
tol' ya it don't matter to me so drop it."
It goes silent for awhile then Jesse says, "You can't mean that…it has to -"
"Bother me? A little, but not as much as y'all
think it should, I got all
that I need and that is what matters," Bo answers before walking
out and
Jesse smiles proudly for Bo and all that he has said.
Dad stopped Uncle Jesse from talking to us kids
about what happened with
Jeremiah, his brother. Dad told Uncle Jesse to go inside and get breakfast
ready. He took us on a walk that would change our lives. “Bo,
you never got
to hear about your Mom,” Dad started.
“Yes I did, she ignored me!” Bo exclaimed.
“No, your real mom Bo, not the one that ignored
you. Not the one that left
you in the car and turned on carbon monoxide. This is your real Mother.
” I
wondered what he was talking about. I mean Bo and a real Mom?
“What do you mean?”
“Her name is Jean. The most amazing person
you will ever set your eyes on.
She was so amazing that your Dad fell in love and made the most foolish
of
mistakes. Back in those days, there were no means of preventing things
like
that from happening. Usually the women were disgraced by any bad decisions
they made. Well Jean left you on the doorstep of our house. There was
a note
left for Jeremiah along with you on the doorstep.”
“Are you saying that witch in the picture isn’t my Mom?”
“That’s right fella. Your Mom left Hazzard
County after that. I haven’t seen
her since. Your father re-married a woman named Angel. Some Angel she
was!
She would play mind games with your dad Bo. I mean big ones, like
introducing him to alcohol. He wouldn’t touch a drop before. Now
he was
drinking like a mad man on a binge.”
“What else did she do?”
“Angel did the worst. Under the suggestion
of the drink your father listened
to every word and took it literally. She would tell your Dad to forget
about
you and always say that you were an accident. It was unbelievable.
I’ve been
hit by Angel before because of this.”
“I hate her!”
“What has your Uncle told you?” Bo remained
silent. He didn’t even want to
answer his Uncle.
“Uncle Andrew, I don’t care anymore.
She was evil. I can’t believe anyone
would do this to someone like me. I hate her more than anyone. This
wasn’t
fair for me to have to deal with.”
“What did your Uncle teach you?”
“To forgive everyone that has wronged me!
But how can I? I can’t forgive
this woman. Uncle Jesse hasn’t.” Just then a woman was walking
down the road
with deep blue eyes and blonde hair with streaks of grey. Dad stared
at her
softly.
“Does Jeremiah still live here Andy?” She asked.
“Well! If it isn’t the one who left her
son,” Dad muttered. Bo went wide
eyed. That couldn’t be who he thought it was.
“I am sorry Andy; I had to you known I had
my reasons. I am sorry about what
I did but…”
“Tell that to your boy.” Dad pointed
to Bo and stormed off. Jean was amazed
at the size of her son.
“Bo?” Bo stood there with his mouth open.
His Mom was dead! Angel couldn’t
have been the person that gave birth to him. Her brown hair just didn’t
match. But this young she devil was the one. She had to be; even her
nose
looked like Bo’s.
I watch as Dad talks heatedly toward her about
what she had done. He even
went through that entire Angel done to her son, her eyes turning angrily
wild with rage about it all. "I couldn't take care of him; I couldn't
for my
own reasons. I would have had an abortion, but Jeremiah wouldn't allow
it."
"Good for him," my dad snaps at her,
"he was a very good man until you left
him…it tore him apart. Angel didn't help any."
"I never imagined he would let her do something
like that…he was so good
with Luke when he was a baby," she says in disbelief and she starts
to walk
to her son.
"No," I say grabbing her arm, "Leave him be…he
is very temperamental and
needs his time alone."
She glares at me before snapping, "Who you
think you are girl? I'm his momma
and-"
"No you ain’t' you think that just because
you bore him that he is still you
are wrong!!" I yell at her, "you left that on Jeremiah's
door steps and they
left him on Jesse's when they abused him so much."
She glares at me with anger flaring in her blue
eyes. I watch as she
approaches Bo who sits on an old log. I smile to myself as she tries
to hug
him and he shoves her away from him and gets up to run home.
Bo stops and looks at me and then at his mother.
"Bo! I didn't want an
abortion. You weren't an accident. The trouble was the only way I could
feed
you was to work in a dirty job setting and I didn't want to put my
boy
through that," Jean told her son.
"Why didn't you tell Daddy that?" Bo questioned angrily.
"I did sweetie. I tried every moment of the
day but honestly, it was all
wrong. I loved your Uncle Jesse when I broke up with your Dad. We shouldn't
have made that mistake that we did but look at you. You're the golden
child
and I love you for that. Every little movement you make is a miracle
to me."
She glared at her son esteemed. She loved him with
all the love in the
world. I couldn't see that at first. Just like with Mora I guess. I
could
see Jean's story through her eyes. Every wrinkle on her face was a
story. I
couldn't believe I was ready to miss all of that.
"Mom, I wished you would've stayed. We could've
had quite the life," Bo
mumbled.
"Here, I wrote this when I gave you away.
I kept it all these years along
with the picture I took of you. I wanted to hold you in my arms forever
when
you were small. I wanted to love you always even when you got tall.
To fix
your owies and calm your fears. I wanted to see your mind grow throughout
the years. I never will let you go in my eyes or heart. In my world
we will
never part," Jean finished. As her poem came to a close, Jean's
eyes were
filled with tears. Her heart filled with sorrow for lost years with
Bo.
"Mom, I'm sorry about what I said. I just
hate all the things that have
happened. All the lies I have been thrown at me," Bo responded
finally. They
hugged.
"I can't lie to you anymore. I will never
be able to again to you. Let's
start by talking about your life. What was your first word?"
"Bottle." Jean laughed. I knew that already.
That's what Uncle Jesse would
say to both of them constantly. Bottle this and bottle that. I guess
if it
was anything else for Bo it would've been cookie.
"Honestly. Uncle Jesse says I had an ache for food."
"You were quite the hungry little tyke. I
saw that too. My first was bear;
my dad was upset because it wasn't Daddy or anything like that."
I wondered
how these two were ever going to get along. I saw a bond between them
though. Bo was an easy person to get along with. He just was that kind
of
guy.
I couldn't believe how they were talking. After
all of this there they were.
Mother and son. She wasn't like how I pictured her to be. They were
just
sitting there together. I could picture how they would be if Bo was
still a
kid. His mother throwing him in the air. I saw the kid in Bo again.
I wasn't
going to miss this for the world. It wasn't enough that I got my dad;
Bo has
to be happy too.
Jean kicked her shoes off as we headed back to
the farm. I wondered why but
Bo sat down and removed his boots having the same feeling as his Mom.
It was
amazing; I had that feeling to do it to. Everything she did with that
amazing grin made you want to do it all the more.
"So what were you doing before you came here?" I asked.
"I was in Broadway creating on of those magic
careers. I love the spotlight
but missed my son and I just had to come back again."
"What do you mean again?"
"Jesse wouldn't allow me to see him while
he was awake. I watched him as he
slept. He was so precious. I loved him so much that I watched him sleep
at
12 years old. I haven't seen him since then."
"You mean Uncle Jesse has been keeping this from me?" Bo questioned.
"You already knew that," I laughed.
"Yeah but I wanted her to know I didn't."
"Bo, you are like your momma, you have a lot of the arts in you."
"I know."
"So you like to sing too?" Jean asked.
I was suddenly in shock. She loved to
sing? Probably act too. I mean they looked like soul mates almost.
"I sing all the time. I love to sing,"
Bo replied. That was just strange. I
was guessing. I didn't know that she had a passion for singing. But
I guess
every Broadway baby did. But not many were like her. I mean she came
from a
country town with casual country folks. Now she was a Broadway star?
Finally we reach the old farm house and Jean stands
in place just glaring at
the farm house with amazement. I can see the flash backs roll in her
blue
eyes as Bo looks at his mom with a mixture of happiness and grief fill
in
his eyes and I wonder why. Only a couple moments ago he was glad to
see her
and was getting along real well and now I see his hesitancy in his
eyes.
Slowly he walks in before us all and through the
screen I see Jesse saying
hi to him and he walks quickly to his room. We follow closely behind;
Jesse's eyes light up with mix feelings. "Jean," Jesse says
wearily, "What
brings you down after so long apart?"
"My son," she sighs as they hug one another for a short moment.
"Yeah I see you meant him already," Jesse says sitting back down.
"Where did he go? I want to talk to him more…to
get to know him more," she
says excitedly.
"Hmm to his room, most likely to talk to Luke,"
Jesse says, "Give him some
time Jean, don't be rushing in on him; it'll only push him back."
She nods sadly as she sits down on another chair.
"Look at this place…it is
so homey; like I remember it being," she smiles.
"How long ya back for?" Jesse says sceptically.
"For good, want to know my son," she
says though in her eyes I read her
lies.
"No you are not, you could never walk out
on your acting job or that so
called new husband you got back home," Jesse says, "Which
means one thing;
that you-"
"I want to take Bo with me Jesse, he is my boy and he is so precious
I don't
want to miss a thing more than what I have to," she says.
"He's old enough to make his own decisions,"
Jesse says and she smiles at
that as she gets up and leaves into the living room.
"Husband?" I ask him.
"Yeah Jack Daynens they have a five year old
daughter and three year old
son," he answers as he slowly gets up.
We follow him to the boys' room where we find her
talking to him about it,
sitting next to him on his bed with his arm around his shoulder. She
finally
spills her questionably and angrily he flings her arm off him again.
I look
at Luke who was glaring out the side window who knows quickly storms
off
into the kitchen. I follow him there and sit next to him at the table.
"Why?" he questions me, "Why she have to show up? It
ain't like she done
anything for him, other than spy on him while he sleeps and threat
Jesse
that she will take him away from him one day."
"You say yourself that people change…she seems to have," I answer.
"I don't care; I don't want him to go,"
he says, "I know it is selfish, but
I don't want to loose him Daisy. He is my best friend, I didn't even
know
what to do when he was with you in Chicago…I was lost. He is my
best friend.
. ."
"I know how you feel Luke, but he has to make
his own decision," I answer as
Jean walks into the kitchen, tears in her blue eyes.
Luke suddenly gets up and disappears into the living
room where I follow him
into their room where we find Bo glaring out the window while smacking
his
old scuffed baseball into his black baseball glove. "I'm not going,"
he says
sensing us behind him, "If that is what you are here for."
"Nah," Luke says sitting next to him,
placing his arm around his shoulders,
"Why not? Your mom is here for your forgiveness and it could be
fun."
"No it wouldn't. I don't care what she wants
or why or why she abandoned
me," Bo says slowly, "I don't want to leave without Uncle
Jesse even if she
is my mom. I need to be here with Uncle Jesse and y'all. I belong here
and
not there."
Luke smiles to himself as he hugs onto his friend
who looks over at us. "We
are here for you," Luke says, "if you need someone to talk
to."
"Thanks," he smile slightly, "perhaps
they all are right when I say I am a
sissy boy and that I rely on Jesse too much."
"No they aren't, there isn't anything wrong
with your closeness to Jesse or
relying on him. We all understand…it is them that don't understand,"
Luke
responds and I watch fondly as they talk to one another about the changes
in
the past few days as Jesse walks in.
"Jean is leaving if you want to say good bye," Jesse says slowly.
"Why so soon?" I find myself asking.
"She came down to get Bo; she got her answer,
one she didn't like," Jesse
says, "C'mon Bo."
Bo slowly gets up and makes his way past Uncle
Jesse and hugs tightly upon
him before he walks to the kitchen. Jesse smiles slightly, feeling
the love
from his nephew; the need from his nephew. We walk to Jean as she hugs
Bo
tightly. "I guess I should of known better to ask. . .I just have
to be at
the set for a rehearsal which is worth a lot," she says, "I
will be back
soon, I will not forget you like I never have."
"Same here mom," Bo says oddly, "I'm
sorry that I am not coming, I belong
here; this is my family now."
Jean nods hurt by what he said, though knows that
he is right. "I will write
you," she says giving him a peck on the cheek before she climbs
into her
black Pontiac and drives away.
I look over at Bo who is fighting back tears of sadness and happiness
of
finally meeting his mom. Under his breath I read him saying "I
love you
mom."
I couldn't believe it, two sets of parents with
the same answer. Now I too
was like Bo only my Dad loved me enough to live out here. It's weird
how
these things work out. I sit on my bed and look towards the light on
my
wall. I wonder what is going to happen. Everything has been messed
up since
my sun has run away. I don't know, I think I want to have children
and love
them like Uncle Jesse loved us.
Luke walked in and sat on the edge of my bed. He
had torn stricken eyes.
Luke was pail and didn't look at well as he could've. I guess it was
because
of Bo and all the things that he had to go through. "Are you okay
Daisy?"
Luke questioned. I wondered what he was talking about. I hoped I wasn't
getting into that sick state again.
"I hope I am, this is just all too weird.
You know, I can't believe Bo was
almost taken away from us. He's been such a friend all these years."
"My Momma died giving birth to Judd and he
ended up burning in that fire
along with Daddy. When Bo was left on the door step, I thought he was
meant
for me. I wanted him to be my brother more than anything else."
"I know. But your Daddy wasn't burned."
"He was killed in that fire!"
"Okay, I don't care anymore."
"Anyway, when I heard that Bo wasn't being
treated right, I told Aunt Angel
she was doing wrong. I was slapped in the face. At that moment I knew
Bo
would never be safe with her. I prayed and prayed that she would just
die."
"And it happened right?"
"Yeah, afterwards I wondered how I could be
happy about it. How could I
possibly feel any better about it? I saw Bo's face while growing up.
Every
moment was splendour. I didn't ever want to see him hurt again."
"I understand now Luke."
I suddenly realized how much Luke felt for Bo.
Everything that happened to
him hit Luke like a knife. He wasn't willing for his cousin to feel
the pain
anymore. It wasn't like opening a gift and sending it back.
Bo was a package that would last for an entire
life time. You can't fix
someone's broken heart with tools either. I guess that's what made
life so
hard. Bo would remember the suffering forever. Forever is a long time.
That's why when people have that kind of knowledge, they have to use
it to
their advantage instead of leaving it all bottled inside. I think that
Bo
didn't have this problem because of the way he dealt with it.
"You know we need to do something fun."
"Like what?"
"Think of something!"
I look at him for a long moment, wondering what
was going through his mind
at the moment. My hear aches at the thought of how Luke is feeling.
I find
myself smiling at the thought of how close we are to be only relatives
from
not a family made up of brothers and sister, and a mom and a dad; but
of
three cousins and an uncle. Even though we are not like everyone else
with
their family, but in a sense we are; or even better with the closeness
that
runs in the family.
"I know," his face brightens up, "You
could get into your Road Runner and Bo
and I could race you with the General; that always seems to bring a
smile to
Bo's face."
With that he gets up and walks to Bo who is in the kitchen, sitting
at the
table looking at a car magazine. His clear blue eyes show freely the
sorrow
and sadness that he is feeling; fighting back tears for all that has
happened to his past; to him. Though yet through the sadness and sorrow
there is also a look of pride and gladness.
"hey Bo, you wanna do a little racing?"
Luke questions as if it was only
another day.
"Naw, not today," Bo answers refusing
to look at us and Luke walks over to a
chair that faces him.
"That don't sound like the Bo we know,"
he says worriedly for his cousin,
his best friend,
"Why not?"
"I don't want to, that is why," Bo says sniffling through his pain.
"Look I know this must be hurting you, it
hurts me a lot to see you like
this or anything like this happen. You are more like a brother to me
than a
cousin; you are my brother; forget about what others think," Luke
starts
out, "It hurts me as much as it is hurting you to see you like
this or see
you get hurt. . .I understand what you feel. It happened with my dad
being
drunk all the time after he lost his wife and other son; but I also
looked
where he is coming from.
"It is hard to do, I know that is," Luke
says, "but you also got to realize
that you have me, Daisy and Uncle Jesse by your side whenever you want
to
talk; even if it isn't about that, anything."
"Thanks Luke," Bo finally says closing
the magazine to look at Luke with
love and affection in his eyes, "It means a lot to me to know
y'all are
there, I just have to sort stuff out."
Luke nods, "We have all been there, trust
me Bo. Things are better the way
it worked out by going to the farm; just think of how it would be if
you
weren't; how different your life would be," Luke says, "Things
will work
out, it always does; it just takes some time; how about that race?”
"I suppose it's been a while. And besides
that I would love to see Daisy
drive. After all, she has only had her licence for two years,"
Bo joked.
"Hey! I can drive!" I boosted.
"Well everyone says that when they think they're awesome."
"Well there's a difference in seeming awesome and being awesome."
"Bring it on Bo Duke!" This was going
to be the race of all races. One where
I could bring my cousin so low that he would be aching on his knees.
The
funny thing was we had the same teacher.
I mean after I took that course in California,
Uncle Jesse made sure I had
the rightful Hazzard Instruction. It comes in handy. I mean if you
are being
chased by a local craving your butt on a platter it's good to carry
some
speed.
I sit in my yellow Road Runner as I look over at
the boys, Bo sits behind
the wheel and Luke rides shot gun. I sigh doubtful that I could out
run Bo
in his own game, of which he use to do all the time before I took him
away
from it; he won a lot of big trophies for it too with good cash that
he
always gave to Uncle Jesse.
Our engines roar to life as Cooter signals us on.
I sigh as The General gets
a head start from my road runner. I step more hard onto the accelerator
and
smile over at my cousins as I pass them. I hear them yelling at me
something
about it won't last long.
I smile at them as the wind brushes through my
long hair. I feel a sense of
pride to be able to run with the boys for the first time; to get it
through
Luke's head that I can race just as good as they can. I yelp in surprise
as
Bo pushes the bumper of my car and I scrape alongside the hill side
as they
pass me. Luke smiles thickly at me as they pass and I back my car out
and
begin to chase them. My heart aches with discouragement, which was
an unfair
trick they had played; a trick they learned from Jesse with their moonshine
running.
The General is only a few inches from me now as
I speed up and I finally hit
their bumper trying to do as they did to me. Though Bo only drives
with it,
not loosing control as I had done. I flush with anger at them for doing
this
to me, to doing that trick on me knowing that I don't know how to do
it.
Slowly they reach the finish line by Cooter and
I park next to them. I climb
out and get into Bo's face, "What do you call that? You never
said anything
about cheating!" I yell at them. "That wasn't fair so technically
I won!"
"No you didn't Daisy," Luke says to me,
"You didn't say that he couldn't use
any of his moves while we raced either; he wasn't cheating."
"What you call that?" I yell at the two
of them and I look back to Bo who I
see is begging to feel down once again that the fun is done. "It
wasn't
fair!"
"Life ain't fair either," Luke says,
"You want to be treated like a woman in
the real world and not have me look out for you, then fine; but you
will
find out real soon just how hard life is, how unfair it is."
"Ah I see, this is all a lesson to me to learn
from," I snap at him and Bo
slowly walks into the woods to be alone, "A lesson?"
"You had to learn one way and I would prefer
it not be the hard way," he
says as he disappears after Bo. I follow a feet behind him to listen
to them
talk, Luke trying to comfort his friend.
I smile in amazement at Luke; I should have given
him a chance instead of
just running as I did. He is so smart and intelligent that is scary
at
times; Jesse says he was very understandable and smart as a child as
well. I
listen to Luke talk to Bo understandable; Bo feels so comfortable around
him
that he would tell him what he feels uncomfortable telling anyone else;
that
was what made it so hard while he was gone. Bo just stuck to himself
at
times and no one would be able to pry the answers out of him as Luke
always
seemed to do. Now isn't any exception, just as he was able to show
me what
he wanted to say but in his own way.
Bo smiled for a moment which confused the heck
out of me. He looked at me
softly and walked over towards me. "Put your arms up," Bo
said. I wondered
why he would want me to put my arms up. Maybe it was so I would be
tickled
to death. There was no way I was going to let him get me. I shook my
head
no. "I promise I won't tickle you." Now I knew he had something
up his
sleeve. Well I did it anyway. Luke looked at me.
"Daisy, stand up straight girl slouching won't
get you anywhere," He said
with a smile. I just didn't trust this. I didn't know why but I couldn't
believe him.
"What are y'all planning?" I questioned the two.
"This!" Bo exclaimed. He threw me over
his shoulder as he began to run with
me. I slapped his butt over and over. I wanted down but I knew they
wouldn't
listen to that. My cousins are brats.
"Let me down!" I screamed.
"You really think I'm going to?"
"No Bo I don't." Both Luke and Bo were
running somewhere. I wondered where
but could only see the ground. "Where are you taking me?"
"To our tree house." He began to run faster.
"You mean the apartment tree house?"
"The same."
"Then will you let me down Bo Duke?"
I wanted to walk on my own. But I knew
he wouldn't let me.
"Maybe if you're good." I know saw the
green grass on the ground with twigs
and mushrooms covering the top. I knew we were getting closer to our
tree
house. I had been ages since any of us had been there.
I remembered it well though. The boys hated when
I followed them there
because I would always bug them. So they built a section on it just
for me
and my friends. When Bo and Luke found out how wonderful girls really
were
they began coming up to my section of the tree house. We then called
our
club, 'The boys and girls of Hazzard'.
Well as we got older, we ripped down the top section.
I guess it was so we
could add onto this tree house. You see, we were all getting taller.
We
loved that tree house so much that we added six foot planks onto it.
Every
year one of us went to go fix it up. Maybe it was to replace boards
or give
it a fresh coat of paint.
When anyone of us was feeling down we'd spend the
night there. It was our
special place. We had sleeping bags in there and lanterns with extra
oil.
Bo finally let me down. I looked at the tree house.
It was still as
beautiful as it had ever been. It had windows and everything. "I
missed this
place," Bo mumbled.
"Oh I know what you mean. There are so many
memories. You know what we
forgot last year?" I replied.
"What?"
"To add to our memory box."
"Daisy, you still remember that?"
"How could I forget Bo Duke? This was always
a tradition." We dug up the
large circular cookie tin. In there were memories. Not just any memories,
our memories. I have my baby booties in there along with pictures.
Bo has
his first tooth in there. I told him that was kind of gross but he
didn't
care.
Luke had the first model car in his hands. He remembered
making it with
Uncle Jesse and remembered how much time it took him to do it. Luke
glued
his hands together. He had to soak them in water for an hour before
they
came apart.
So many things that we remembered. I remember waiting
in the tree for Luke
and I ended up nodding off. He looked at me with an open heart. He
lie down
beside me. As I awoke, I noticed an arm around me. I couldn't believe
he
stayed all night.
With Bo we would make these giant puzzles and glue
them all together. We
would then hang them on the wall. We had one of Mickey Mouse that took
us
both two weeks to finish. It was worth it though.
"This is our place," Bo commented as
he pulled out his bow tie from the
memory box.
"Do you remember when you spilt grape jelly
all over that tie?" Luke
laughed.
"Uncle Jesse looked like he was going to blow
a gasket. It was Boss Hogg's
wedding."
"Yeah and Lou-Lou made me her flower girl," I recalled.
"And as I remember, Bo ate a whole lair of
wedding cake and had it all over
his pants," Luke commented. I began to laugh. I remembered that
well.
"Is it my fault Uncle Jesse wouldn't let me eat anymore?" Bo grumbled.
"We's family, I don't think we'll ever separate.
My goodness. Look at us
now, we're all grown up," Luke stated.
"Not really, all of us are children at heart," I told my cousins.
Watch as Luke pulls out a photo of the boys and
Jesse while they were
fishing. Bo was six and had the pole with a small fish on the line,
though
he was covered in mud and water. Luke looks up at Bo who had walked
to the
window to look out. "Look what Luke found," I call out and
he slowly walks
over and looks at it.
"Yeah I remember that," Bo says as Jesse calls out for us
to return home. I
smile as I remember all the times we were called home when we were
up here
together. Bo looks at us before he moves to the ladder and climbs down
before us all.
~End Chapter Five~