A Sad Day in Hazzard
by
Chapter 1
Luke Duke awoke with a start and lay there in the darkness trying to figure out what had awakened him. He glanced at the alarm clock on the nightstand between the two beds and saw that it was just after three in the morning. He lay there listening to the gentle sounds of the night and the familiar sounds of the old farmhouse where he had lived all of his life.
He decided he'd better check it out and make sure everything was all right. Reluctantly, he swung his legs over the side of his bed and shoved himself to his feet. He glanced at the other twin bed in his room. His cousin, Bo, was sleeping soundly, the blankets tangled around his legs and his face buried in his pillow. Without bothering with his jeans, Luke quietly crossed the room and opened the door. He stepped into the hallway, carefully closing the door behind him with a soft click.
He slowly went down the stairway to the first floor of the house. He didn't bother turning on any lights. He knew every inch of the old house like the back of his hand. There was enough light filtering through the windows from the moonlight for him to see by. His eyes scanned his surroundings but didn't see anything out of the ordinary. He checked out the living room and the kitchen. He even glanced out of the windows into the barnyard but didn't see anything suspicious. Satisfied that there were no intruders or unseen dangers lurking in the shadows, he turned and climbed back up the stairs to the second floor.
While he was up, he decided to check out the upstairs rooms too. His Uncle's bedroom was at the end of the hall with Daisy's room directly across from it and the bathroom was in the middle between Luke's room and theirs. As he started down the hall, he saw the sliver of light beneath the bathroom door. Daisy or Uncle Jesse must be in there. That must have been what he heard. He turned intending to go back to his own room when a soft sound caught his attention. A sound that sounded like a moan. Turning back, he knocked lightly on the bathroom door.
“Daisy? Uncle Jesse? Is anybody in there?” he said softly. Nobody answered but he heard the soft moaning sound again. He reached down and turned the knob, opening the bathroom door. The sight that met his eyes would forever be branded into his mind. His Uncle Jesse was lying on the bathroom floor, his breathing heavy and labored, a death like pallor to his skin. “Uncle Jesse!” Luke cried out, instantly rushing to the old man's side and kneeling down beside him. He gently slipped one arm under the old man's head. The old man's blue eyes which normally sparkled with life stared up at him, dull and cloudy. “Uncle Jesse!” Luke cried again, struggling to control the fear that clawed at his guts threatening to overwhelm him. “Hang on….you're gonna be okay. I'll call Doc Applebee….” Luke told him even though there was a part of him that knew it was already too late.
“Luke….” Jesse's voice said so weak he could barely hear him “It's too late….it's my time….”
“No!...” Luke cried fiercely refusing to listen to the old man's words “You're gonna be okay. Just let me go call Doc.”
Jesse slowly shook his head. With a trembling hand, he reached out to touch the face of his oldest nephew in one last loving caress “It's up to you now, Luke….you're the oldest….You're the head of the family now…..” He whispered “I love you….I love all of you kids so much….But your aunt Martha's waiting for me…she's been waiting for a long time…”
Luke choked back a lump that rose in his throat threatening to choke him as the tears gathered in his eyes, blurring his vision. There was so much he wanted say to the man that had raised him, the man that he had always considered his father instead of just his Uncle but he couldn't speak. The words were locked in his throat as he watched the life slowly fade from the eyes of the man lying in his arms. “NO!” Luke screamed in a strangled voice full of pain and rage. Gathering the old man's lifeless body in his arms, he buried his face against the old man's neck and began to cry, deep gut wrenching sobs torn from deep inside of him, howls of grief he could not contain.
Bo Duke was jerked away by Luke's scream. His heart pounded frantically in his chest as he jumped to his feet and ran out of his room. In the hallway, he saw his cousin, Daisy, running down the hallway towards him, her eyes wide with fear. They met at the bathroom door. Glancing inside, they saw their Uncle lying on the floor with Luke kneeling beside him, holding the old man in his arms as he cried brokenheartedly. Instantly, they both realized what had happened.
“Uncle Jesse!” they both cried simultaneously, as they ran into the bathroom and knelt down on the floor beside their oldest cousin and their Uncle. Like Luke, they both broke into deep heart rending sobs as they gave way to their grief at the death of the man they all considered their father. Bo and Daisy clung to one another as they cried, seeking comfort in each other's arms from their shared grief. Luke barely noticed their presence as he continued to hold his Uncle's body in his arms as his own grief tore him apart.
Chapter 2
Luke forced back his tears and raised his head to look at his two grief stricken cousins who were both still crying softly. They were huddled together, holding each other tightly. They both looked towards Luke for guidance, too wrapped up in their own pain and grief to know what to do. Gently, he laid his Uncle's body back down on the bathroom floor. He knew there were things that had to be done, calls that needed to be made. And he would have to be the one to do those things since neither Bo nor Daisy was in any condition to take care of anything right now. Luke pushed his grief to the back of his mind where it wouldn't interfere with what he had to do. He pushed his emotions deep down inside of him and shoved himself to his feet.
He swayed unsteadily for a moment, then quickly regained control of himself and slowly walked out of the bathroom. He went down the steps and over to the phone. Picking up the receiver, he called Doc Applebee at home. After three rings, the doctor's sleepy voice came on the line.
“Doc, this is Luke Duke. Uncle Jesse passed away ….” His voice broke as he said the words out loud and he couldn't continue.
“Luke, just hang in there. I'll make a couple of calls and be there just as soon as I can.” Doc's reassuring voice said in his ear.
Luke hung up without saying goodbye and went back upstairs to the bathroom to wait with his cousins. In his absence either Bo or Daisy had gotten a blanket and covered Jesse and placed a pillow under his head, simple gestures of comfort that were no longer needed.
“Maybe we best all wait downstairs.” Luke suggested, his voice sounding oddly flat and strained even to his own ears. With saying a word, Daisy and Bo both followed him out of the bathroom and down the stairs into the kitchen. Bo flipped the switch on the wall to turn on the overhead light and then slumped down at the table in his usual seat.
Needing to stay busy to keep her mind off of what had happened; Daisy started making a pot of coffee. They all knew that none of them would be going back to sleep. The silence hung heavily in the air; none of them knew what to say to either of the others to ease the grief and loss they were all feeling so keenly. Luke knew that it was too early to start calling any of the other family members. That would have to wait until later.
Doc Applebee arrived within the hour. He was accompanied by the County Coroner , and Deputy Enos Strate, who also happened to be a close friend of the Duke family. Luke quietly told Doc Applebee that Jesse was upstairs in the bathroom. Doc and the coroner slowly started up the steps to the second floor while Enos stayed downstairs with the family.
Enos took one look at the grief stricken faces of his three closest friends and almost started crying himself. He knew how close the Duke family was and how much the three cousins were hurting and grieving for their Uncle. “Bo, Luke….Daisy…” Enos said, his own voice cracking with emotion “I'm so sorry…is there anybody you want me to call for y'all?” he asked trying to offer comfort the only way he knew how.
Luke shook his head. “I'll take care of it later…it's too early to call anybody right now…” Enos noticed how flat his friend's voice sounded and he knew that Luke was holding everything tightly inside. That was Luke's way and Enos knew that under the circumstances it was the only way that Luke could function right now even though he was badly shaken and falling apart inside.
Bo was sitting at the table just staring blankly at the floor, seemingly unaware of the activity going on around him and Daisy was standing by the stove, crying softly with tears running down her cheeks. “Daisy, honey….” Enos said gently, walking over to her and slipping his arm around her waist “Why don't you sit down?” He helped her over to the table and sat her down in her usual chair.
“Thank you, Enos.” She said softly, breaking into fresh sobs and burying her face in her hands. Enos shifted nervously from one foot to another. He longed to take Daisy in his arms and comfort her but he was too shy. He didn't want to offend her or upset her even more than she already was. Enos had loved Daisy since they were kids. But it was totally one sided since he had never been able to tell her just how he felt. He glanced over at Luke who looked back at him blankly, those sapphire eyes unreadable. Enos wasn't sure which one of the three cousins he should be worried about the most. They were three completely different personalities, each with their own way of dealing with personal grief.
Bo was the most emotional of the three cousins even if he was a man. He felt any emotion strongly and he reacted accordingly. He struck in anger or shed tears when he was hurting emotionally. He would be the one to express his grief more openly and verbally than Luke or Daisy.
Daisy was more reserved but expressed her emotions just as strongly and openly as Bo. She had a quiet inner strength that had seen her through some tough times in her life and that inner strength would see her through this. She would grief but her grief would be expressed more through her tears than her actions.
Luke, on the other hand, was most closed off emotionally of the three cousins. He would hold his feelings deep inside of himself, letting them fester like a wound that refused to heal. He would remain strong and in rigid control on the outside while he fell apart inside. And when those emotions finally surfaced and spilled out, he would be the one who suffered the most. His immediate response to his grief would be anger and he would be more likely to lash out at someone else than either one of his cousins.
Doc Applebee came into the kitchen. He looked at the faces of the three young people sitting at the table and felt his heart go out to them. He had known the Duke family for many years and had treated them all as their doctor and their friend. He felt his own sense of loss and grief at the passing of the Duke patriarch. “It looks like he had massive heart attack.” He told them quietly. “There's nothing anyone could have done. Is there anything I can do for any of you?”
“No, thanks.” Luke said, again speaking for himself and his cousins. Always the family protector, Luke would continue in that role throughout this crisis. All eyes turned towards the archway between the kitchen and the living room as they heard the sound of the Coroner and his assistant coming down the stairs, the soft thumping sound of the wheels on the portable stretcher as they brought it down the steps. Although the stretcher looked empty as the two men pushed it through the living room towards the front door, Luke knew that there was a hidden compartment underneath that held Jesse's body. He blinked back the tears that burned his eyes refusing to let himself cry. He finally looked away as the coroner disappeared out the front door.
“I'll be going too.” Doc said quietly, addressing Luke in general. “If you need anything…anything at all…don't hesitate to call.”
“I need to get back too.” Enos said reluctantly “Are you sure you're all gonna be okay?”
“We'll be fine, Enos.” Luke said, just wishing that everyone would go and leave them alone for now. This would be the last chance they had to be alone for awhile. Family and friends would be arriving as soon as they received the news of Jesse's death. And most of them would end up staying until after the wake and the funeral.
Chapter 3
Shortly after eight A.M. , Luke made a long distance phone call to his Aunt Pauline, who lived in Ohio with her husband and 3 children. When his aunt's voice came on the line, he had to choke back the lump that automatically rose in his throat. Pauline was Jesse's youngest sister and Luke's favorite Aunt. She had lived in Hazzard County until two years when her husband had been transferred to Ohio .
“Pauline….it's Luke…” he managed to choke out
“Luke, darling…is something wrong?” Pauline asked, hearing the tension in her nephew's voice and sensing that he was calling with bad news.
“Uncle Jesse passed away this morning…:” Luke told her before his voice failed him again and he couldn't continue.
“Oh, my lord…no!” Pauline said her own voice filling with emotion. Besides being Luke's favorite Aunt, she had also been Jesse's favorite sister. “Honey, are you all right?” she asked, concerned about her nephew in spite of her own grief.
“No….” Luke said flatly in a forlorn voice that sounded almost like that of a lost child.
“Honey, I'll be there as soon as I can. Have you called anybody else yet?”
“No….”
“All right. Then let me call Uncle Vern and Uncle Henry. They can take care of calling everyone else so you won't have to. Okay?”
“Okay…”
“Alright and as soon as I finish calling them, Jed and I will be on our way there. Hang on, honey till I get there….”
Luke hung up the phone without replying, relieved that Pauline was taking care of making sure that the rest of the family was notified so that he wouldn't have to. That was why he called her first. He wasn't sure that he was up to any of this. He just wanted to crawl deep inside of himself until the next few days were over with. Daisy and Bo had both gone back to their rooms, to grieve in private but Luke didn't have that option. There were still things that had to be taken care of and arrangements that had to be made. Jesse had left him in charge. With his dying words, Jesse had passed the role as the head of the family on to Luke. It was not a role that he wanted but it was one that he could not escape or refuse. But it was not one that he was ready for.
There was a light tap on the back door and then it opened. Cooter Davenport , a close family friend of the family, stepped into the house. He looked at Luke and without a word, crossed the room to where he stood. Cooter reached out and pulled him into a bear hug that threatened to break his ribs. “I'm sorry, Luke…I'm so sorry.” Cooter said his own voice husky with emotion.
“Thanks, Cooter.” Luke send, gently untangling himself from his friend's embrace. “I'm glad you're here.”
“I came right over as soon as Enos called me with the news. I hope you don't mind but I called L.B. and B.B. too. They'll be here in a little while.” Cooter told him “And I think Enos called the preacher and I know he told Rosco and Boss.” Luke nodded his head without answering. “Why don't you sit down, buddyroo?” Cooter suggested noting the vacant look in Luke's eyes. Cooter's last name might be Davenport but he was a Duke at heart and he was here to grieve with the rest of the family. He knew that the three cousins needed all the support they could get right now. Jesse was the only father any of them had ever known. He was such a major part of their lives that his death could destroy the entire family.
Luke slumped down at the table in his usual chair. He leaned his elbows on the table and buried his face in his hands. Cooter's first instinct was to comfort his friend but he knew Luke well enough not to approach him. Luke didn't like to be touched when he was in pain emotionally. At times like this the only person he would accept physical contact with and not object to it was Bo but since Bo was hurting himself right now that comfort wasn't available to Luke. Cooter decided to check on Bo and Daisy and see if there was anything he could do for them.
He climbed the stairs and went down the hallway to Daisy's room first. He rapped lightly on the door. “Who is it?” Daisy's teary voice said from inside the room.
“Daisy, it's Cooter….is there anything ya need? Anything I can do for ya?”
“No, thanks, Cooter.” Daisy's voice said “I just wanna be alone for now.”
“Okay but I'll be downstairs if you need anything.”
He turned and walked back down the hall to the room that Bo and Luke had shared since childhood. He knocked lightly on the door. “Come in” Bo's muffled voice said from inside the room. Cooter opened the door and slowly stepped into the room. Bo was lying face down on his bed, his face buried in his pillow.
“Hey, buddyroo…” Cooter said quietly “How ya doin'?”
Bo rolled over onto his back at the sound of Cooter's voice and looked at him through red tear dimmed eyes. He made a feeble attempt at a smile but failed miserably. “Where's Luke?” he asked in a husky voice, struggling to control the tears that threatened to start flowing again at any minute.
“He's downstairs.” Cooter told him
“Is he okay?” Even in his own grief Bo's first thought was for his older cousin. The two boys were closer than brothers and inseparable. They always had been.
“About as well as can be expected.” Cooter said “How about you? Can I get you anything?”
“No….I just wanna be alone for awhile.” Bo told him giving him the same answer as Daisy. “People will start showing up pretty soon and then I won't be able to be alone…..”
Cooter nodded in an understanding way. “I'll be downstairs with Luke if you need anything.” Bo nodded and then rolled back over onto his stomach and buried his face in his pillow. Cooter sighed and left the room, closing the door quietly behind him. Downstairs, he found Luke still sitting at the table with his face buried in his hands. Cooter had never felt so helpless in his life. When the phone rang, he hurried to answer it. At least that was something he could do to help out.
“Duke farm. This is Cooter Davenport speaking.”
“Cooter, this is Pastor Mark. I was just calling to see if there was anything I could do for the family.”
“I don't know….I think there's some other family coming in pretty soon.” Cooter said not really sure what to tell him.
“Well some of the ladies from the church will bringing out some food….just have someone call me if there's anything else I can do.”
“I'll do that, sir.” Cooter agreed hanging up the phone. Hearing a car pulling up out back, he crossed over to the window and glanced outside. He saw Jesse's brother, Vern, climbing out of his car along with his wife, Mary, and their son, Jeb. Cooter breathed a sigh of relief as other members of the Duke clan began to arrive.
Chapter 4
By evening, most of the Duke clan that lived in the surrounding three counties had arrived at the farmhouse. And most of them would be staying until after the wake the funeral. The women took over the kitchen, making sure there was plenty of food prepared and the men took over setting up cots and sleeping bags out in the barn. Three of the other cousins, Coy, Vance and Jeb would be sleeping in Bo and Luke's room. And two of the female cousins, Anita and Connie would be sleeping in Daisy's room with her. Cooter and his cousins, L.B. and B.B. would also be staying at the Duke farm until after the funeral.
Neighbors and other friends of the family had also been stopping by throughout the day as the news filtered through the community of Jesse's passing. The Duke family was well liked and respected in the county and Jesse had had a lot of friends, including all the old ridge runners that he used to run shine with. Everyone was grieving along with the rest of the Duke family. Everyone was concerned about the three cousins who had been raised by Jesse. He had been their father in every sense of the word and their pain was felt keenly by everyone gathered at the farm...
There were still some Duke family members, including Pauline and her husband, who were expected to arrive sometime the following day. Luke had made the decision to wait and not make any of the formal arrangements until Pauline and her family arrived. He felt strongly that Jesse's surviving siblings, his three brothers, Vern, Henry and John and his sister, Pauline, be involved in making the final arrangements. There wasn't that much to take care of since Jesse had prearranged most of the plans himself.
Jesse had made sure that his last wishes were known and he had spelled those wishes out clearly in his will. Aside from a few family heirlooms and keepsakes that he had left to his brothers and sister, the Duke farm and the land went to Bo, Luke and Daisy to be divided equally between the three of them. They each had been left sixty acres of farm land. Since Luke was the oldest, his sixty acres included the land where the house and the barn stood. Of the three cousins, Luke was the one who loved the land and the farm just as much as Jesse did.
Bo and Daisy were all walking around in a daze, barely able to function. Daisy cried almost constantly while Bo just sat and stared into space with tears in his eyes. Luke was the only one who appeared to be functioning normally. But Luke's eyes remained dry, his tears held deep inside, and only the anger was visible to those around him. He was cordial and polite, accepting the condolences and sympathy with grace and hiding the smoldering rage that boiled inside of him. But to those who knew him best, they knew there was good reason to be concerned that Jesse's death may have dealt the oldest Duke cousin a blow that he may never recover from.
Of the other three boys who were at the farm, Jeb was the one who was the closest to Bo and Luke. He quickly appointed himself as Luke's shadow. In this time of sorrow, he assumed the role that Bo would normally have taken at Luke's side. He knew his dark haired cousin and he knew that this was one time that Luke didn't need to be left alone even if that was what he wanted. Jeb was the only other member of the family besides Bo and Daisy who knew the truth. That Luke had been the one to find Jesse and that Jesse had died in Luke's arms.
Jeb noticed that Luke was becoming progressively agitated dealing with people coming up to him and offering their condolences. Walking over to him, he touched his arm lightly and said “Come on, cuz….let's get some fresh air.”
Luke looked at Jeb, his blue eyes dark and unreadable, but he didn't argue. He followed his cousin out the back door and into the barnyard. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. His nerves were stretched to the limit and he felt like he was ready to explode.
“Where does Uncle Jesse keep his shine?” Jeb asked quietly
“In the barn.” Luke replied flatly, leading the way into the old barn. He walked over to the feed bin and opened the lid. Reaching inside, he rummaged through the grain and pulled out a jug of Jesse's finest. Jesse had made a deal with the government not to make or sell anymore shine if the boys were given probation when they got caught making a run, but Jesse still had some jugs hidden around the farm.
Jeb took the jug from Luke and the two cousins walked to the back of the barn where they sat down on a bale of hay. Jeb uncorked the jug and took a swig, feeling the liquid fire burning his mouth and throat on the way down. He handed the jug to Luke, who expertly tipped the jug and took a long swallow. Jeb knew that Luke needed a drink right now before he lost control of his emotions entirely. The shine would help calm him down. He made a mental note as to where the shine was hidden. He would slip away later and hide it somewhere else so Luke didn't get into it by himself. Jeb took the jug back from Luke and re-corked it, sitting it down on the ground beside him.
“Why don't you lie down for awhile when we go back in the house?” Jeb suggested “I'll make sure nobody bothers ya.”
“I'm okay….” Luke said firmly, refusing to consider the idea even though he was totally exhausted. Jeb wisely decided to let the subject drop. That Duke pride and Duke stubbornness was like coming up against a brick wall when a Duke didn't want to do something. The two cousins sat there in silence for a long time which gave Luke time to regain some measure of control. Finally, they stood up and went back into the house.
Luke immediately sought out Daisy and Bo. Daisy was sitting on the sofa with Enos who seemed to be doing a good job of consoling her, so Luke simply smiled at them faintly and continued looking for Bo. He found his younger cousin on the front porch by himself, sitting in the porch swing. He glanced up at Luke as he stepped onto the porch. With a word passing between them, Bo stood up and walked over to his older cousin. The two men embraced, sharing their pain in silence.
Still without saying a word, they stepped down off of the porch and walked around the side of the house to where their car, The General Lee, was parked. Bo slid under the wheel and Luke climbed in on the passenger's side. Bo turned on the ignition and the powerful engine roared to life. He pulled out of the drive and tore off down the old dirt road.
Luke braced one hand against the dashboard as Bo pushed the General up to ninety miles an hour. He knew that driving was Bo's way of letting off steam and relieving his stress so he kept silent as Bo expertly maneuvered the car around a series of curves and then cut across county, pushing the speed up to over a hundred miles an hour. Suddenly, Bo slammed on the brakes and brought the car to a shuddering halt. Both boys were thrown forward in their seats, their seatbelts keeping them from being thrown into the windshield. Bo burst out in tears, leaning his arms against the steering wheel and laying his head on his arms. Luke slipped his arms around his younger cousin and held him close while he cried. Luke felt his own tears burning in his eyes but he refused to cry. He had to stay strong for Bo and Daisy, in spite of his own pain and grief. It was almost two hours before they finally returned to the farm.
Chapter 5
Aunt Pauline arrived late the following afternoon, along with her husband, Jed, her sixteen year old daughter, Michelle, and her twin 6 years old daughters, Stacey and Kacey. She immediately sought out her niece and two nephews. She found Daisy first. She broke into tears the minute she saw her favorite aunt, and threw herself into Pauline's arms. Pauline held her close, comforting her and making gentle soothing sounds. When Daisy finally stopped crying, Pauline said “Where are the boys?”
“Bo's in the barn with Coy and I'm not sure where Luke is.” Daisy told her. Pauline nodded and left to look for her two nephews to let them know that she was there. The twins threw their arms around Daisy, hugging her happily. They loved Daisy and the boys and had missed them terribly since they moved away from Hazzard. Daisy smiled faintly and led them into the living room.
In the barn, Pauline found Coy, Vance and Bo sharing a jar of shine. Bo's eyes were glassy and Pauline wondered just how much he'd had to drink. When he saw his aunt, Bo immediately went to her for a warm comforting hug. He held her close and she felt the hotness of his tears on her shoulder. She gently stroked his hair, comforting him much as she had done when he was a child. “It's okay, honey….I'm here now.” She whispered softly
“It hurts so bad….I miss him so much…” Bo whimpered, his tears starting to fall freely.
“I know you do, baby…..but it was his time to go…..” Pauline said quietly. She gently cupped his chin in her hand and make him look at her “Why don't you go lay down for awhile? I don't think you need any more shine right now.” Bo nodded obediently and Pauline looked at Coy and Vance with a frown “And you two should know better. That's the last thing he needs right now.” She scolded them
“Sorry, Pauline….we thought it would help.” Vance said sheepishly. Both boys hung their heads in shame at being scolded by their aunt.
“Well, it isn't.” she told them. She slipped her arm around Bo's shoulders to lead him back into the house. She took him upstairs to his room and made sure that he laid down before continuing her search for her oldest nephew.
She didn't find Luke anywhere in the house but then a thought crossed her mind and she went back out to the barn. She climbed the ladder up into the loft where she found Luke huddled in a corner, with his knees drawn up against his chest with his arms crossed on top of his knees and his head resting on his forearms.
“Luke?” she said softly, not wanting to startle him. Slowly, Luke raised his head at the sound of her voice. His eyes were red and he looked like he hadn't had any sleep. There was a haunted look deep in those sapphire eyes that tore at her heart. She smiled and sat down in the straw beside him, gently slipping her arm around his shoulders. Luke leaned toward her, resting his head on her shoulder. It was a gesture that he wouldn't have done with anyone else besides her. Pauline could feel the slight trembling of his body beneath her touch and she knew just how hard he was struggling to keep his emotions under control, even in front of her. “It's okay, honey.” She told him “I'm here now…..and I'm gonna stay just as long as y'all need me to.”
“I should go back in …” Luke said in a quiet muffled voice
“Nobody's gonna miss us for awhile….there's no hurry.” She knew her oldest nephew and she knew that until he let go and gave into the emotions that were raging deep inside of him, he would only hurt that much more. She hoped that now that she was here, he would be able to vent some of the feelings that he was keeping bottled up inside.
Luke sat there for a long time leaning against his aunt and gaining comfort and strength from her presence. He knew he was close to breaking down emotionally but he held fast to the rigid control that he had learned in the Marines. He had to get through the next few days and then he could break down but not until then. He was relived that Pauline was finally here. Now he didn't feel so alone and lost. As a child, he had spent a lot of time at her house and had become closer to her than either of his other two aunts that lived in the area.
“Have you had anything to eat or slept since yesterday?” Pauline asked gently. When Luke shook his head without answering, she said “Okay…then we are going in the house and you're gonna to get something to eat and then you're gonna lay down for awhile and you are not going to argue with me about it. Understood?” The tone of her voice left no room for argument. Luke sighed and nodded his head to let her know that he heard her.
They stood up, brushing the loose straw off their clothes, and climbed down the ladder. They went into the house where Pauline made him sit down at the table while she made him a ham sandwich and poured him a glass of milk. She sat down at the table beside him and watched, making sure that he ate it all. Then she escorted him upstairs to his bedroom. Bo was lying on his bed, sleeping. Pauline made sure that Luke lay down on his own bed, then she sat down on the edge of the mattress beside him and smiled as she gently brushed a lock of hair back from his face. “Get some rest, darling….you're not gonna help anybody if you wear yourself out.” Luke's eyes were already growing heavy as his body screamed for the rest that he had been denying himself. When she was sure that he was sleeping, Pauline left the room and went downstairs to visit with the rest of the family members that she hadn't seen since moving away.
Chapter 6
The next day, Pauline, Vern, and Henry accompanied Bo, Daisy and Luke to the funeral home to finish making Jesse's final arrangements. Since Jesse had already taken care of most of the details himself, there wasn't that much left to do except to pick out the casket and finalize the time for the service. Jesse would be brought back to the farm for the traditional three day wake and then buried in the Duke family cemetery on the hill behind the barn. He would be laid to rest beside his darling Martha for eternity. Daisy had brought along Jesse's good black suit which she left with the funeral director.
Everyone was quiet on the ride back to the farm, almost two quiet. Pauline was still worried about Luke. He still refused to talk much to anyone and seemed to be distancing himself from what was going on around him. Some of that was natural, his own way of dealing with death, but Pauline was still worried. Daisy and Bo seemed to be relying on each other instead of their older cousin like they usually did. Considering Luke's relationship with his two cousins, especially Bo, that was totally out of character for all of them.
When they got back to the house, Pauline stopped Luke before he could go into the house with the others. “Let's take a walk.” She suggested. Without giving Luke the chance to refuse, she took his arm and starting walking towards the old path that led alongside the barn and back to the woods that surrounded the Duke farm.
Once they were safely out of earshot from the house, she looked at her nephew and said “You can't keep this up, Luke and we both know it.” Luke looked at her with dry eyes, still refusing to break down and give in to his emotions. “You have to allow yourself to feel the pain…… to grieve for Uncle Jesse. Otherwise, it's just gonna keep eating away at ya.”
“I'm fine.” Luke insisted “I just wanna get through the next few days so things can settle down and get back to normal….”
“Baby, that's just it…..things won't ever be normal again….Jesse's gone. You, Bo and Daisy are gonna have to go by yourselves now….”
A single tear ran down his face before he brushed it away. “If I'd found him sooner…..maybe I could have called the doctor…..” Luke said so quietly that Pauline barely heard the words.
With a sudden flash of understanding, she cupped Luke's chin in her hand and made him look her in the eyes “Honey, is that what this is all about? Are you the one who found Jessie?”
Luke nodded, blinking back the tears that flooded his eyes “He died in my arms, Pauline….he wouldn't let me call the doctor….I should have done it anyway….”
“Oh, honey…” she said feeling his pain keenly. She wrapped her arms around him and held him close. “It wasn't your fault….it was his time. Even if you had called the doctor, it wouldn't have helped…..” She felt Luke's shoulders starting to shake and then the tears finally came. All she could do was hold him as he cried for the man he considered his father, the only father he had ever known. Luke wrapped his arms around her as if his life depended on it and at that moment, maybe it did. Burying his face against her shoulder, he let the tears come without shame as he finally let go of the guilt he had been carrying around inside of him. Pauline knew that Luke would never have allowed himself to break down like this in front of other people which was precisely why she had brought him out here away from everyone. She just hoped that this outburst would help and that he would be able to get through the wake and the funeral without any other problems surfacing. She waited until he had himself under control again and then they started walking back towards the house.
Back at the house, Luke found Bo and said something to him, then the two boys disappeared out the front door. Pauline watched but didn't try to stop them, as long as Luke was with Bo she knew that he would be alright. She went into the kitchen where Daisy was sitting at the table trying to eat but picking at her food. Pauline smiled as she sat down across from her niece.
“You have to try and eat something.” She told her “You need to keep your strength up.”
“I know. It's just that…..it's so hard to think that Uncle Jesse's gone….and I'll never see him again….” She choked back the lump that rose in her throat.
“I know but time will ease the pain….and he's at peace now….he's with Martha again…”
“Is Luke okay? I saw the two of you talking….”
Pauline smiled faintly. Even in the midst of their own grief, the cousin's love and concern for one another was undeniable. “I think he is for now. This is really hard on him….he doesn't remember anything about his parents the way you do.”
“If he just wouldn't hold everything inside all the time like he does…”
“I know….but that's always been Luke's way…you know that. He has to deal this in his own way and all any of us can do is be there for him when he needs us.”
“I know. How long are you going to be able to stay?”
“As long as you need me to, darling.” Pauline told her “”Now eat some of that food instead of just picking at it.” Daisy smiled sadly and tried to do as her aunt instructed.
It was late evening before Bo and Luke finally returned to the farm and they went straight upstairs to their room. Pauline smiled noting that they seemed to aligned themselves together again as usual. She smiled as Jeb came up and sat down on the sofa beside her. He had seen the boys come in too. Smiling at his Aunt, he said,
“Guess this means I won't have to be a stand in for Bo any more.”
“No, I don't think so.” Pauline agreed with a chuckle.
Chapter 7
The next day, Jesse was brought home for the last time. For three, the family would mourn and then he would be laid to rest. The silver coffin was set in the living room in front of the fireplace. Jesse looked at peace, as if he were simply sleeping. For next three nights, in the time honored southern tradition of mourning, someone would sit up all night with the body. Cooter and Jeb volunteered to do it the first night, the second night Pauline, Vern and Henry would do, and on Jesse's final night in the house it would be Bo, Luke and Daisy's turn to sit up with him.
People came by throughout the day to pay their last respects, some left after a few minutes and some stayed to visit. Before long the house was crowded with people. Coy was in charge of passing out the shine to anyone who wanted a drink and two of the aunts were keeping an eye on the food, making sure that there was a well supply on the table at all times. Luke avoided the living room as much as possible. He couldn't bear seeing Jesse lying there in his coffin. And the words of condolence from well meaning friends and neighbors was starting to get on his nerves. His eyes darted around the room anxiously, looking for a way to escape without being noticed.
The back door opened and Rosco P. Coltrane, the local sheriff, came into the house. He had his hat in his hand and the traditional black mourning band on his left upper arm. He offered Luke a feeble smile. “I'm right sorry about Jesse, Luke.” He said sincerely. Luke almost felt sorry for the older man. He looked like he was ready to start crying. “He was a real good man.”
“Thank you, Rosco.” Luke said automatically. The sheriff and the Duke boys didn't always get along but they didn't really dislike each other all that much. The boys knew that Rosco was just following Boss Hogg's orders when it came to trying to frame them for something so Boss could violate their probation and throw them in jail. And since Boss was Rosco's brother-in-law, Rosco really didn't have much choice in the matter. As Rosco disappeared into the living room, Luke saw his chance to slip outside undetected.
He made his way to the barn grateful to find that it was empty. He walked over to the feed bin and lifted the lid. Reaching down in the grain, he felt around but couldn't find any of the shine jugs that should have been there. He frowned in annoyance. Somebody must have moved them somewhere else. He knew that he shouldn't be drinking anyhow but it was an easy way to make the pain go away at least for a little while. But unless he could find where someone had hidden the jugs he wasn't going to find any relief that way. Then he smiled to himself as he remember another stash of shine that he knew nobody knew about because Luke had hidden it himself a couple of years ago.
He climbed the ladder to the loft and went over to the far corner near the loft door. Pulling up a loose floorboard, he found two pint jars of shine just where he had hidden them just after he got home from the Marines. Plagued by terrible nightmares about the three months he had spent as a prisoner of war before finally being rescued and sent home, he had often come out to the barn in the middle of the night when he couldn't sleep anymore. He would sit in the loft and drink until he finally passed out so he could sleep without dreaming. When the nightmares finally stopped, he had forgotten about the remaining two jars of shine he still had hidden away until just now.
He took out one of the jars and settled down in the corner, unscrewing the lid. He tipped back the jar and took a long swallow, the shine burning his mouth and throat like liquid fire. He felt the pleasant warmth that spread out through his body and finally exploded in the pit of his stomach. He felt himself slowly starting to relax. The stress of the past few days was starting to catch up with him. He could feel the pain that seemed to seep into every pore of his body but he still refused to give in to it. Crying in Pauline's arms the day before had let off some of the pressure but he could feel it starting to build up again. He sat there and drank until the jar was empty and then finally he slept.
It was later that evening before Bo noticed that Luke was missing and that he hadn't seen him in quite some time. Slipping out of the house, he went looking for him and the first place he decided to look was in the hayloft. He knew that was where Luke retreated to when he needed to be alone. Bo wasn't surprised to find him there, sleeping on the straw in front of the loft door. What did surprise him was finding the empty fruit jar lying beside him. He knew that Luke normally didn't drink much and he usually only drank Jesse's shine on rare occasions. But under the circumstances, Bo couldn't really say that he was surprised.
He knew that Luke was suffering terribly, even more so because of his tendency not to let his feelings show. Sighing softly, Bo lay down on the straw beside Luke and curled up against him just like when they were kids. Luke had always been there for him and so Bo would be there for him now. Slinging an arm around his cousin, Bo soon slept too.
It was bedtime before Pauline realized that both boys had apparently disappeared and they weren't in there room because she had already checked there. Finally, Cooter told her that he had seen Bo walking towards the barn earlier. Acting on a hunch, Pauline walked out to the barn and climbed the ladder to the loft. She knew those boys. She grinned when she found them curled up together in the straw sleeping. They had always done that as children whenever Bo had a bad dream and crawled into bed with Luke. Apparently they still did it in times of stress. She quietly climbed back down the ladder, leaving them alone to sleep. As long as she knew they were both safe she wasn't worried.
She went back into the house to help straighten things up.
Luke awoke the next morning, blinking against the glare of sunlight that streamed in through the open loft door. He wondered why it felt like something was lying on him until his sleep fogged brain realized that Bo was sleeping in the straw behind him. He should have known that Bo would come looking for him when he didn't go back into the house. He shifted positions, trying not to wake Bo up, as he shoved himself to a sitting position. In spite of the moonshine he had drank the night before, he was clear headed without any sign of a hangover. He knew that he should go into the house so he could take a shower and change clothes but he just couldn't seem to find the energy to move. Pulling his pocket watch from his jeans, he saw that it was six-thirty in the morning. In the bottom of the barn he could hear Coy and Vance as they moved around doing the morning chores. They had taken over doing all the chores once they arrived so that Bo and Luke didn't have to. The unaccustomed change in the routine they had followed since childhood only added to the disorientation and surreal feeling that overwhelmed the boys.
Bo yawned and opened his eyes as if he realized in his sleep that Luke was no longer lying beside him. Seeing that his cousin was already awake, he sat up and gave him a sleepy smile. “Morning, cuz.” He said “I wondered where you disappeared to last night.”
“Sorry….I didn't mean to worry anybody. I just needed to get out of there for awhile.”
“Where'd you find the shine? I thought Jeb hid it.”
“He did.” Luke said with a sly smile “But he didn't know about a couple of jars I had hid up here.”
“Take it Uncle Jesse didn't either.” Bo said with a grin
“No, he didn't.” Luke said, his voice turning flat at the mention of his Uncle's name.
“I miss him, Luke….” Bo said, scooting over so that he was sitting in the corner beside Luke. “I miss him so bad already…..”
“I know.” Luke said, slipping his arm around Bo's shoulders and pulling him close “I do too…” The two cousins sat there, gazing out at the early morning sunlight, each lost in their own grief but comforted by each other's presence.
Chapter 8
Jesse's last night in the house was the hardest night of all. That was the night that Bo, Luke and Daisy sat up with the body, spending their last moments alone with the Uncle who raised them and loved them all of their lives. Bo and Daisy kept going over to the casket, gently touching Jesse's face and speaking to him softly. But Luke remained at a distance, still unable to approach the coffin. Daisy tried to talk her oldest cousin into saying his final goodbyes in private while there was still time but Luke steadfastly refused.
Daisy kept a close eye on her oldest cousin. She was worried about him but didn't know what to do to help him through this. She had never seen him take anything as hard as he was taking Uncle Jesse's death. It was devastating for all of them but she was scared by Luke's refusal to show his grief. She knew that Luke was a very private person and that he hated showing emotion in front of anyone, somehow feeling that it made him look weak and out of control. She had a feeling that when he finally did allow himself to feel that grief someone had better be there to pick up the pieces.
Luke knew that Daisy was worried about him. He was worried about himself. The pain was almost unbearable but he still couldn't let himself cry. He felt as if his heart was being torn out of his chest and that each breath he took only made it worse. Everytime he closed his eyes, he could see Jesse's face and hear his final words as he died in Luke's arms. By the time morning finally arrived, Luke was hanging on to the edge by a slender thread that was ready to unravel.
Around noon , the funeral director and his assistant came to the house to take Jesse's body to the church for the service the following day. Luke stood silently by and watched as Jesse left the house he had been born in and lived in all his life for the last time. As the front door closed behind the funeral director, Luke leaned heavily against the kitchen counter and took several deep shuddering breathes. It was almost over. Just one more day and Jesse would be laid to rest beside Aunt Martha.
He jumped slightly, startled, when someone put a gentle hand on his shoulder. He turned around and looked into the sad compassionate eyes of his Aunt. Pauline smiled gently and helped him to sit down at the kitchen table. She poured a cup of coffee and sat it down on the table in front of him. Standing behind him as he drank it, she gently rubbed him back in a soothing, comforting gesture. She knew how fragile Luke was at the moment and how close he was to the breaking point. Her heart ached for him but she knew there wasn't much more she could do unless Luke let her.
As the day passed, Luke became more withdrawn and quiet, a vacant look settling deep within those sapphire eyes. Even Bo noticed it and started to get worried. Luke wasn't acting right at all. When Bo tried to talk to him, Luke just brushed him off and walked away, something he had never done before at least not with Bo unless he was angry with him about something. And Bo knew it wasn't him that Luke was angry with right now. Bo was worried enough that he sought out Pauline and told her about Luke's increasingly strange behavior.
“I know, baby.” Pauline said with a trace of sadness in her voice “I'm worried to but there's not much we can do until Luke lets us.”
“You don't think he'd try to do something crazy, do ya?” Bo asked voicing his greatest fear “I mean….like hurt himself or something like that?”
“No, I don't think so….” She said slowly, choosing her words with care to try and ease her youngest nephew's fears. “I'm more worried about him losing control completely…..if that happens…..I don't know what we're gonna do…”
“I'm scared.” Bo admitted “I've never seen him like this…not even when Aunt Martha died.”
“I know….I've never seen him like this either. Maybe you better keep an eye on him…at least as best you can.” She looked at Bo “Is there anyway you can make sure he doesn't take off in the General? He shouldn't be driving in his condition.”
“I can take care of that.” Bo told her “And I'll take care of the truck and Dixie too so he can't take off in them either.”
“Good.” Pauline said “It's better to be safe than sorry the way he's acting right now.”
Bo nodded and left the house. He carefully removed the coil wire from each vehicle effectively disabling them from being driven. He hid the coil wires where Luke wouldn't find them and then looked around for his cousin. He couldn't find him anywhere. Frowning he tried to think of where Luke might have. He couldn't have went far, not on foot. Acting on a hunch, he followed the path alongside the barn that led into the woods that surrounded the farm. Ten minutes later, he came to the hidden pond deep on Duke land where the boys often went skinny dipping. He saw Luke, standing at the edge of the pond, staring vacantly into the water.
“Luke?” Bo said quietly, as he came up behind him. At first Luke didn't seem to hear him “Luke?” he said again, a little louder this time.
Finally, Luke slowly turned around to look at his youngest cousin with a lost, forlorn look on his face that tore at Bo's heart. Instinctively, he reached out and wrapped his arms around his oldest cousin, pulling him close and holding him tightly. “It's okay, Luke…” he said softly “We're gonna get through this…..together just like we always do.” He could feel Luke's body trembling in his arms but his cousin still didn't say a word. “Come on. Let's go back to the house.”
He was surprised when Luke didn't try to argue, he simply let Bo lead him back to the farm. When they got to the house, Pauline took one look at Luke's eyes and immediately told Bo to take him upstairs and make him lay down for awhile. Now she was really worried. Something definitely was not right. She decided that if Luke wasn't any better after some sleep, she was going to call Doc Applebee and have him take a look at him.
Bo got Luke upstairs to their room and helped him to lie down on his bed. Luke threw one arm up over his eyes, his chest heaving with each breath he took. Bo sat down on the edge of the bed and spoke to him gently, trying to calm him down so he would start breathing easier. Finally, his breathing slowed to a more natural rate and then deepened as he fell asleep. Bo continued to sit there beside him until he was sure that Luke was sleeping soundly, then he quietly left the room, praying desperately that all Luke needed was some rest.
Bo joined Jeb in the corner of the living room where he was quietly talking to Coy about an upcoming race in Atlanta . Soon the three cousins were laughing and discussing the pros and cons of the drivers competing in the race. Pauline smiled and went into the kitchen to help do the dishes.
Pauline had just dried a glass bowl and was reaching up to put it in the cabinet when a bloodcurdling scream echoed through the house. Startled, she dropped the bowl to the floor as she turned and ran towards the stairs followed closely by Bo, Coy and Jeb.
Chapter 9
As they ran up the stairs, they could hear crashing sounds and the sound of shattering glass coming from the Bo and Luke's room. Pauline had a sinking feeling that Luke had finally lost control and from the sounds of it was completely destroying his room. Bo stopped Pauline before she could open the door.
“You better let me do that.” He said with a faint smile. He opened the door, barely ducking in time to avoid being hit by a heavy trophy that the boys had won at one of their races that Luke had thrown at the door. “LUKE!” He yelled trying to get his cousin's attention before he threw anything else. But Luke didn't seem to even hear him as he continued to trash the room. Bo, Coy and Jeb carefully crept into the room. They knew that they had to stop Luke before he hurt himself or someone else.
It was a good thing they were all good at ducking flying objects as Luke continued to throw things around the room in a violent rage. The three cousins slowly surrounded Luke carefully watching for their chance to subdue him. Bo saw his chance when Luke turned his back. He rushed forward, tackling Luke around the waist but not in time to keep Luke from slamming his fist through the window. Bo took Luke to the ground and held him there with help from Jeb and Coy. Still out of his mind with rage and grief, Luke continued to fight them for several minutes.
“LUKE! STOP IT!” Bo screamed in his cousin's face. Finally, Luke's eyes seemed to clear and he stared at his three cousins with a confused look on his face. The other boys continued to hold him down for a few more minutes until they were sure that Luke was back in control.
“Bo!” Pauline said anxiously as she hurried into the room and over to where they were holding Luke down on the floor. “He's hurt!” She had seen the blood flowing down Luke's arm that none of them had noticed yet.
“You gonna be okay if we let you up?” Bo asked Luke, waiting for his cousin to nod his head before finally nodding at Coy and Jeb to let him go. Bo gently helped Luke to sit up so that Pauline could take a look at his arm. Luke had a deep jagged gash running from his left wrist and up his forearm for four inches, apparently having cut it when he broke out the window with his fist. His knuckles were also bruised and bleeding.
“Get me some alcohol and bandages.” Pauline ordered. Coy jumped to his feet to do as his Aunt ordered. Pauline gently took her nephew's arm to examine the wound. She knew the doctor would need to have a look at it to make sure there was no glass in it and it was probably going to need some stitches too. But first she wanted to get it cleaned up and the bleeding under control. “Bo, go call Doc Applebee and tell him what happened.” She said “Tell him that Luke's gonna need some stitches.”
“Yes, Ma'am.” Bo said jumping to his feet and heading for the door to go downstairs and call the doctor.
Luke sat docilely, staring at his aunt as she examined his arm. Now that he had calmed down enough to realize what he had done, he felt deeply ashamed of himself. He lowered his eyes unable to look into the kind gentle eyes of his aunt.
When Coy returned with the bandages and alcohol, Pauline said quietly, “I'm sorry, honey but this is gonna hurt.” She held his hand tightly, as she poured some of the alcohol over the cut on his arm. Luke cursed sharply under his breath and would have pulled his arm away if Pauline hadn't been holding so tightly to his hand. The alcohol burned like fire, bringing tears of pain to his eyes. Pauline blew gently on his arm to try and help relieve some of the sting.
“I'm sorry for making such an ass out of myself…” Luke muttered quietly, still refusing to look into his aunt's eyes.
She reached out and gently cupped his chin in her hand, forcing him to look at her. “I figure you needed that…..but you could have done without hurting yourself.” She smiled fondly as she gently wrapped his arm in gauze until the doctor arrived to finish caring for the injury.
Suddenly, Luke began to cry, deep heart wrenching sobs tore from somewhere deep inside of him. Pauline gently gathered him into her arms and held him close as he finally gave in to the grief that had been eating him up inside. She rubbed his back soothingly and let him cry knowing that this was the best thing for him. It had to come out so that he could finally start the healing process. Jeb and Coy quietly left the room, leaving Luke alone with their aunt, knowing that this was a private moment for Luke.
A few moments later, Bo appeared in the doorway. He saw his cousin sobbing in his aunt's arms and paused in the doorway. Glancing at his aunt, he nodded his head to let her know that the doctor was on his way, then made his own retreat leaving his aunt to care for his cousin.
Luke was still crying but starting to regain some measure of control when Doc Applebee arrived ten minutes later. Doc took a look around the destroyed room but didn't say anything as he crossed the room to where Pauline and Luke were still sitting on the floor. Smiling at Pauline he said,
“How is he?”
“Better….but he cut his arm pretty bad. He put it through the window.”
Luke straightened up when he heard Doc Applebee's voice and quickly wiped away the tears from his eyes. Doc took his arm and carefully unwrapped the gauze so he could take a look at the wound. “It's pretty deep, it's gonna need some stitches and I need to make sure there's no glass in it.” Doc said directing his comment to both Luke and Pauline.
“I put some alcohol on it right away and got the bleeding stopped.” Pauline told him
Doc nodded, directing his next comment to Luke. “Luke, I'm gonna have to numb your arm so I can check for glass and give you some stitches. Do you want your aunt to leave or to stay?”
“She can stay.” Luke said calmly.
Doc nodded. He opened his bag and took out a syringe in a sealed package. Tearing it open, he pulled small vial out of his bag and punched the needle through the protective covering, drawing the Novocain into the syringe. “This is gonna sting.” He warned Luke, as he gently took his arm and started injecting the Novocain around the edges of the wound. Luke winced but kept his arm still as Doc finished injecting the area. He waited a few minutes to give the medicine time to numb the area, then he took a pair of tweezers out of his bag and gently began probing the wound looking for pieces of glass. When, he was satisfied that there was no glass in the wound, he quickly threaded the catgut and started putting in the stitches. By the time he had finished, Luke had fifteen stitches in his arm. Doc re-wrapped his arm. “Keep that dry and see me in two weeks to take out the stitches” Doc told him. Luke nodded to show that he understood.
Doc put away his instruments and then pulled two small bottles of pills out of his bag that he handed to Pauline. “One's for the pain. Make sure he takes a pill every 4 hours for the next two days. The other pills are a mild sedative in case he needs them.” Pauline nodded.
“Thanks for coming, Doc.” Pauline said, shoving herself to her feet and walking him to the door. They left Luke sitting on the floor, staring dejectedly at the floor.
“I think he's going to be alright. Just keep an eye on him.” Doc told her as he paused in the doorway. He glanced around the room and added with a faint smile “I think he pretty much got it out of his system.”
“So do I.” Pauline agreed with an answering smile. She left Doc to show himself out while she went back over to Luke. “I'd tell you to lay down for awhile but you'd have to put your bed back together first.”
Luke blushed in embarrassment as he thought about his violent outburst. Slowly his gaze swept around the room as he surveyed the damage he had done. Sighing quietly, he let his aunt help him to his feet and back down the stairs where she could keep an eye on him.
Chapter 10
The next morning Bo and Luke quietly dressed in their best suits, preparing to leave for the service at the church. Bo had put their room back in order along with Coy and Jeb's help. They had taped plastic over the broken window until the boys had a chance to replace it. There were a couple of the dents in the walls where Luke had thrown stuff at them but those could be repaired too. Nothing of value had been broken and what had been broken could be replaced. Luke still felt ashamed of what he had done. He had a temper but usually didn't react so violently. He knew that it was his own fault for letting things build up inside of him until he lost it completely and swore that he would never do something like that again. Although he was still in pain and still grieving, he knew that what he was feeling now was more of a normal reaction than he had been experiencing.
“Ready?” Bo asked in a quiet, sad voice. Neither one of them was looking forward to what lay ahead.
“No.” Luke said with a sigh “But we don't have any choice.” The two boys left the room and joined the rest of their family downstairs. Bo, Luke, Jeb, Coy and Vance were riding to the service together in the General Lee, while other family members followed in the other vehicles.
Jesse service was being held in the old Baptist Church that he had attended all of his life. The tiny church was so crowded with friends, family and neighbors who had come to pay their last respects that there were people standing at the back of the room.
The service started with Pauline singing “Amazing Grace”, Jesse's favorite gospel song. Then the preacher spoke briefly. After that several friends stepped forward to say something about Jesse. After that several family members stepped forward to speak. Daisy, Bo and Luke all planned on saying something at the end. Daisy went first.
“Uncle Jesse took me in when I was six years. He was my father in every way that counted. He gave me love and he gave me a home. I always knew that he would be there no matter what.” Tears started falling slowly down her cheeks as she continued to talk “I will miss him more than words can ever say. I loved him and I still love him….” Unable to continue, she walked back to her seat between Bo and Luke, leaning her head against Luke for comfort as Bo took his place facing the congregation.
“I was just a baby when I came to live with Uncle Jesse and Aunt Martha. They were the only parents I ever knew or ever wanted. Jesse taught me everything I know. How to hunt, how to track, how to fish…..” he flashed just a hint of a smile “And how to make the best moonshine around.” Several people laughed softly at that remark “He taught me how to drive and I'm sure some people wish he hadn't taught that so well…” that remark drew another soft laugh. “He was my father, the only father I ever knew and I'll miss him. I love you, Uncle Jesse….” With those final words, Bo took his seat and then it was Luke's turn.
Luke walked to the front of the room, his sapphire eyes sweeping across the room before he began “I was pretty young too when Jesse took me in. I had just turned four. He didn't have to take any of us but we were family and the one thing that Jesse taught all of us was that family meant more than anything else. And he was our family. He did his best to give us everything we needed even if he couldn't give us everything we wanted. But the one thing we never did without was love. We always knew that he loved us unconditionally and he showed that love in everything he did. Especially when he used the mortgage money to bail me and Bo out of jail or to help out a neighbor who was having a harder than we were. I'm the man I am today because of Jesse Duke and I'm proud of that. Just like I'm proud of being a Duke. I will always love him and remember him and I will never stop missing him. I just hope that someday I can be half the father that he didn't have to be.” Several people had tears running openly down their faces as Luke went back to his seat, including Pauline, Bo and Daisy.
The preacher closed the service with a few more words and then Pauline sang the closing hymn “Peace in the Valley.” Slowly, everyone filed out of the church, except for the 6 pallbearers: Bo, Luke, Jeb, Coy, Cooter, Uncle Henry and Uncle Vern. After they had carried Jesse's casket out to the waiting hearse, the boys walked back to the General and climbed inside as they prepared to follow Jesse on his last ride back to the farm.
At the farmhouse, the hearse drove through the field up to the old family cemetery on the hill behind the barn, while most of the mourners parked their cars in the barnyard and the road, walking through the field up to the cemetery. They all gathered solemnly around the freshly dug grave next to his beloved Martha. Since Jesse was a veteran, his casket was draped with an American flag that two members of the local VFW carefully folded and handed to Luke with a salute. Automatically, Luke returned the salute, standing at attention as the bugler played taps and seven VFM members fired their guns three times into the air. To conclude the service, everyone present stepped forward and threw a handful of dirt into the grave. Then they turned and slowly made their way out of the cemetery and back down the hill towards the farm. Bo, Luke and Daisy each paused briefly in front of the graves of their parents before joining the others.
Chapter 11
Pauline stayed at the farm for two more weeks before returning home. The three cousins had decided that they would remain at the farm just as they knew Jesse would have wanted. As the unofficial head of the family now, it fell on Luke's shoulders to make most of the decisions concerning the farm while any decision directly involving the family was made by all three cousins. A part of all of them had died with Jesse and they had all grown up a little more too. Realizing how short and precious life was, Daisy had finally admitted her true feelings for Enos and they had started seeing each other on an official basis.
The boys had decided to concentrate more on their racing talents to help supplement the income from the farm itself. In addition, they both would also be helping Cooter out at the Garage in town whenever he needed them between races. The family would survive even if it was without Jesse. Jesse's room remained as it was for several months, none of them able to go inside. Finally, Daisy arranged for some ladies from the church to come to the house and pack Jesse's clothes to be donated to charity. But the room would remain empty. None of them had any desire to make it their own. Eventually, it would be turned into a guest room but none of the three cousins would ever sleep in it.
They all knew that eventually they would all marry and have families of their own and the farm would remain their home for as long as they needed it to be. Memories would be passed on to the next generation and along with stories about Uncle Jesse and the Duke families glory days of running shine. And the love that had always held the family together would continue to hold it together throughout all eternity.
THE END