PART 8: RACE DAY…….WE HOPE After dinner John took Kylie back home, then he went to the garage to tune Admiral up. He knew he was going to pull an all nighter. He stops at Hogg-mart for some beer and cigarettes. Then he went to the garage to start his night of hell. It was a very hot night for some reason, and the clouds were an ugly shade of yellow. John has seen this before, he knew a storm was coming, and coming quick. He turned the cb on, and put it on the weather band. In an robotic voice, “For the counties of Choctaw, Hutchie, Fulton, and Hazzard, we have a severe thunderstorm warning. Gusting winds, within the range of 60 to 65 miles an hour, with hail, and severe downpours are expected. Do not go outside, or travel during this event. Heavy lighting is expected.†John lightly cusses, and thinks, he better call the farm, and warn them. He picks up his cell phone, and rings them up, “Dad, listen there is a heavy storm coming the nightly chores are done, try to keep everyone inside. “A storm huh, where is it now?†Bo asks calmly. John puts the phone near the speaker of the cb, and Bo hears this message “For the counties of Choctaw, Hutchie, Fulton, and Hazzard, we have a severe thunderstorm warning. Gusting winds, within the range of 60 to 65 miles an hour, with hail, and severe downpours are expected. Do not go outside, or travel during this event. Heavy lighting is expected.†“Well it’s sounds ugly, be careful in that garage. That old tin roof, is old, and not that strong. John there’s something I’ve wanting to say. (Bo pauses to collect his words) I’m real proud of you, and you staying with us. I’m sorry I missed out, on you growing up.†John, wipes away a tear, “Same here dad, don’t worry I ain’t grown up yet. What you say after the race, we take off for a while and do something?†“You pick the date and time, and I’ll be there. Just remember, what ever happens with that race is racing and not personal†Bo tells him. “Same here pal†John chuckles. “Dad, do you think we should tell Mr. Hogg, about the storm, that way he can get the message out on the TV, and radio?†John asks. “I’ll care of that, you just get that car ready†Bo tells him. John hangs up with Bo, and gets back to the car. After tuning the carburetor, and fighting to fit the new belts. He hears a clap of thunder that sounds like God, coming down from the mountain. As he takes the front tire off, his cell phone rings. “John, this is Kylie, storms scare the stuffing out of me, can I come over and stay there with you?†Kylie asks, as if she’s scared out of her wits. “Um, yeah come on over, better get here quickly. We have a shower, and bed if wanna sleep here and get ready for the race. Oh yeah, can you pick up some sandwiches from the diner, and a jug of coffee?†John tells her, distracted by the front brake he’s looking over. “Ok baby, I’ll bring some clothes, and food. I’ll bring a few packs of cigarettes, I think I’ll need themâ€. She tells him. Just then the wind really begins to pick up, and raining lightly. John, goes back his brake job. He finishes the front side, as he rolls the tires over to the bead breaker, his cell phone goes off again. He mutters, “I hate cell phones, (he answers), hello†“hey Johnny boy, I’m in Hazzard County, mind if I come over and grab a beerâ€. A strange voice tells him. “Jamie….Jamie Bush, you old outlaw, I’m at a garage in the middle of town It’s called Cooters garage. Good thing you called, we need to talkâ€. John tells him. John thinks to himself, that Jamie is the perfect wheelman. He then walks over to the chair, and turns on the radio, as he goes down the black highway in his memory, he lights a cigarette, and opens a beer. “God, Jamie Bush, we used to run whiskey back home. He’s as big as a house, but a better driver you never ask for. He was 6’5 and 300 pounds of driving talent. I remember him grade school, as shy kid, always sitting by himself, usually reading a truck book. His father was a big time trucker, and always had stories from the time he went on the road with him. He always swore he would be a trucker just like his dad, but the poor kid, just never got it right on the road test he would always choke. He might not have made it with 18 wheels, but with 4 wheels, he passed the test first shot. He was the first of our friends to get his license. He drove this old beat up, GMC pickup. He was so proud of that truck. He used to fix every weekend in my barn. He was either messing with the engine, or tranny. One night, he put a new stereo, he thought he would be as cool as those city dudes. Until he put his big thumb thru the eject button, try to change sides of the tape. We got him into running shine with us, because his family like mine was dirt poor, and he needed the money. He loved the driving challenge, but the night he got caught he was mess. The federal agents, messed him over pretty hard. By the time he was tried, the agents had him beaten from stem to stern. The case got tossed, because they didn’t read him his rights, and the shine in the truck, was destroyed in the chase so they had no evidence. They ended up keeping his truck though. I think was more upset about that then anything else. The last I knew, he was working at the lumber yard loading the trucks, and milling lumber.†John is startled, by Kylie’s voice. “Baby you ok, you look like you were of in la la landâ€. She asks in a concerned voice. “Yeah, my friend Jamie is coming over for a bit. He’s a good guy.†John takes the food and coffee, and puts it on the desk. He then takes her by the hand, and leads her up to the old apartment. “Well sweetie here it is, le’ cooter’s shack. We have all your modern convience’s here. Couch, chair, bed, tv, with the optional cable and remote. Over there is the bathroom, and a hot plate for all of your culinary needs. The maid is by once every ten years, or when the mice are hungry“. John tells her. Kylie, is looking around, and she sees the craftsmen tool girl calendar from 1997, and a wall of beer cans. “This place looks like it could use a women’s touch, and a roach bomb, one thing is sure if we ever live together, you’ll need housekeeping lessons.†She tells him. She gives him a kiss, and shoo’s him outside so she can get a shower. He, walks down the stairs and goes outside for some air. As he opens the door, a gust of wind and rain hit him in the face. As he looks up the road, enjoying the cold refreshing rain, he thinks on how he would love to help Kylie dry off. He regains his thoughts, long enough to see a red Dodge Ram, barreling down the street. He thinks nothing of the truck speeding down the road, and he walks back in the garage. He mutters to himself, “Time to get back to workâ€. As he breaks the bead on the tires, he hears an engine rumbling outside the garage. He looks outside, and sees the big red truck come to a stop. The door opens and Jamie, jumps down from the 4x4. Jamie looks like something from a Clint Eastwood western. Tall, lean, with a full beard dark western shirt, dark jeans and big black cowboy boots. Always with his Marlboro, sticking out of his mouth. John motions him inside the garage. Jamie gives him a hug around the neck. John adjusts his neck, “Well, you look the same as you were when I left. How you been?†“I been ok, the lumber yard gave me a vacation finally so I thought, I’d come out here and look you up. By the way you got one hell of a storm coming at’cha. It followed me all the way from the gulf, and it ain’t let up. The cb, has been going crazy, we got roads closed, trees down, wires down all over. The guy in the radio said it should clear up by tomorrow or the next day.†Jamie tells him, as he dries his hair off with a shop rag. “I hope the storm ends quicker than that, I have a race tomorrow.â€. John tells him. “Well, it’s 11:30, and it’s only getting worse, and unless this car has water wings your stuckâ€, Jamie tells John. “Speaking of the race, I need a spotter. My cousin was going to do it, but he decided to race, and my girlfriend won’t do it.†John asks. Jamie thinks it over for a minute “Sure I’ll do it†“Nice truck you got there Jamie, how’d you get that?†John asks. “Well an uncle passed up Michigan, and he left me some cash, so I bought this, and saved the rest. It’s a 2001 Dodge Ram, with a 5.7 Hemi, and all the toys.†Jamie tells him. Just then Kylie comes bouncing down the stairs. John, looks in awe, at his beautiful girlfriend. She was wearing a pink tank top, and blue sweat shorts, cut just above the knee. Her hair was still damp. She jumps from the second step, and lands on Johns back. “Ughhhh, God, what the hell just hit. It felt like a rabid mosquitoâ€. John turns his back, oh it’s you. He shifts her over, and give her a kiss. “Did you miss meâ€, she asks. “No not really, can’t miss what you see in your head all the timeâ€, John replies. Jamie just looks under the hood of the Monte Carlo. He starts to adjust the ignition, and the timing. “Hey Jamie, this pretty little thing here is my girlfriend Kylie†John tells him proudly. Jamie extends his hand, and shakes her hand. “Well is this the car, your running, it’s looks pretty but can it run?†Jamie asks. “Oh yeah it can run, this is nasty, better than the mustang we used to run. By the way the mustang, before you even ask, is destroyed. I tried to do a jump, and wrecked it bad. Damn near wrecked myself.†John tells him. “You dummy, that was good car. Leave it to you†. Jamie shoots back, laughing. “How much work does it need to run, the race?†Jamie asks while he studying the engine. “Actually just need to put the new tires on and rewire the battery to put the box in the front seat with us. So we can use it as a kill switch.†John tells while getting some tools. Just then the radio broke in with a special report, from JD Hogg. “The race for tomorrow is called on account of this storm. We will reschedule it for 3 days from now. Hazzard, will be closed all day that day for the race, so everybody come on out. The first hot dog and, pop is free. If you haven’t heard the news on it yet, take cover, and close the windows. This storm promises to be real bad. Folk in Alabama, are currently without power, and trees are down with wires down too. So everybody please be careful.†Then the radio went back to the Montgomery-Gentry song it was playing. “Well that tears it up, the race is cancelled, well lets all hang here until it passes.â€, John moans. Jamie, shrugs, and walks to his trick, and grabs his bag. He then walks over to the table, and pours out a cup of coffee. “Hey, Johnny ease up, there hoss. An extra 3 days, is fine, I’ll be able to check the race course. Meanwhile, we can just hang out here for the night.†Jamie consoles him. He ambles up the stairs, for a quick shower. John goes over to the table, and makes a sandwich. Kylie pours him a cup of coffee. “Uh, John, how long have you and Jamie known each other?†Kylies asks trying to break the tension. “Gosh, babe I’ve known him for 20 years. He is the best wheelman, and spotter I ever saw. When we used to run these races back home, we used to switch off. I remember one night were making a run up to Brancton in Tennesee. He was driving, and I was spotting. With about 4 miles to go, he was 5th . He made up the time, he lost fixing a flat, and passed the leader in about 1 mile. The guy he passed, came up and hit the back bumper. Jamie spun the car around, put it in the dirt, went from 1st to 3rd in one shift. He then came up on his right side, and pressed the fender right in. Him and the other car were blocking everybody else. With about 100 yards to go, he slammed the brakes, grabs the gears and brings the car to the other cars left side, about then we were in a hard left curve. I looked in his eyes, and I saw a look of confidence, and ice. He taps the car in the side, and puts him in the weeds. By then the other cars were approaching. With 50 yards to go, he floored the Mustang, and all everyone saw was dust, and gravel. The kid can flat out drive. He has an eye for engines, and can tune them like a fine guitar. When we were kids he grew up, a lot like me. He was poor, but he made out ok. I’d just hate to pay his car insurance.†John tells her. By now Poor old Kylie, was wondering just what she got herself into with John. She, knows he isn’t like what he used to be. But she’s still concerned. “John, do you miss, those days in Alabama?†She asks. “No, just every once in awhile is it’s nice to visit the past. I don’t wanna go back to the old days. I enjoy not looking over my shoulder, and wondering who’s after me. If your thinking, that I’m going back to running shine, your nuts. There’s too much at risk. First thing, is prison, then what would it do to my family, and you. This is just a race. Besides I love you too much to lose you.†John, puts his arm around her shoulder as he tells her. By then Jamie came down the stairs, fresh from his shower. Kylie looked at John in shock. “Did I walk in on something I shouldn’t of†? Jamie asks. John shrugs no, and Kylie looks at John and gives him a kiss. The storm had passed over Hazzard, leaving little damage in it’s wake. Except the dirt roads, are nothing more than mud pits. John, Jamie, and Kylie, spent the rest of night talking and reminiscing. By the end of the night, Kylie knew John was the right man for her. Meanwhile, John and Jamie, spent the night talking about old times, and people they knew. Kylie, was planning to settle John down, and trying to figure how to do it. All she knew, was it would take time and patients.