Travelling through the streets of Hazzard was different with Pauline. She made cheerful conversation and Jackie couldn't help but smile at her bubbly attitude. Of course as it was in country towns, everyone knew everyone else. Jackie was pinned to her seat several times, after Pauline lunged herself over the passenger seat to wave to Tom, Dick and Harry.
"Harry's a real laugh, always having one of those clever riddles and that. Good man," she said, after regaining control of the steering wheel.
Pauline pointed out Sheev's bait shop, Betty's Mower repairs, George's Grocer and other such "quaint" dwellings.
Jackie sited the orange car that had become the bane of her existence this very morning. She frowned, she didn't like that she got so worked up about one stupid car. But a lot of things angered her these days. It seemed her extreme change in situation irritated her so much that anything else was blown out of proportion. She would probably have to see someone about that.
"Now this is the Boar's Nest," Pauline explained, turning into the gravel car park in front of the decrepit shed which Jackie assumed to be the bar.
"Boss Hogg the County Commissioner owns it, he practically owns Hazzard. Hell, he's tried every trick in the book to try and scrape some extra cash, not that he has enough already," Pauline scoffed, "I hope the Duke boys are in, they're just about your age, and great fun. Although they're a little crazy, and they get into a hellova lot of trouble," Pauline chuckled to herself and the two of them walked through the cliché swinging western doors, opening to a very musty and ill-lit hick haven. Dollar bills were stuck randomly with god-knows-what to the ceiling. The bar consisted of three taps and one segment of the wall behind it decked with a small selection of spirits.
A few people were scattered about, drinking and eating. A couple of men were having a heated discussion about the quality of the steak. Jackie snorted, wow, this is a happening place.
"Ah boys, there you are! Boy is Kev peeved! He said you boys only clocked ninety five around his farm and he'd had a bet with Sheev," Pauline smiled as she chided the men playfully. They greeted Pauline with a kiss and a hug. Jackie thought they looked like family. Immediately she wore a sour look; 1. Because she hated the idea of family and 2. Because she had recognised one of the gentlemen from earlier this morning. Oh THAT'S who it is.
"Come on over Jackie, I'll introduce you'" Pauline beckoned. Jackie slouched towards the group at the table in the very farthest corner of the bar.
"Now Luke, Bo, this is Jackie. She just moved here to look after Harold's old farm, bless his soul," Pauline had to shoved her in front of the boys, since Jackie was reluctant to do the polite greetings right now. She forced a smile and breathed a "Hi."
"So, you here for Harold's? By golly you got a handful." The attractive brunette, who she now knew as Luke, beamed up at her "Where you'd say you from anyhow?"
"Um, Australia" Jackie mumbled, she had an idea what the reaction would be. Almost everyone she had come across since she had dropped in the Land of the Free had inundated her with enquiries as to whether she had a pet Kangaroo and which way the toilets flushed. But luckily these people weren't the most inquisitive and there would be no asking after Roger the roo.
"Australia huh? Yo Bo, didn't Katie have a friend from Australia?" Luke turned to the other young man sitting there, and so did Jackie (with disdain). Bo's blue eyes met Jackie's own green ones and they had a stare off.
"Yeah maybe, so what?" he said, still looking at Jackie as he spoke "What you gonna do with the place?" Bo's tone was accusatory, and Jackie didn't like it.
"That old farm got alotta heritage and I'd hate to let it waste away," He seemed to be implying that she had the intention of ripping it apart. For some reason she wanted to piss this guy off, a lot. Which was the reason for what she said next.
"Yeah I've got a few quotes for housing commissions. They say the more they can cram in the more dough I get. The carbon emissions are the only set back, but hey, you've got to put up with these things, you know?"
Jackie instantly regretted saying it. Of the few people in the bar, all of them were quiet, starring. She'd known that the threat of development to these people was the equivalent of genocide in Rwanda. She smiled wickedly to herself, though she didn't know why she was so intent on distancing herself from everyone here, it seemed to be a tick she was developing. She might have to see someone about that too.
"Well uh, we best be going," Pauline shifted awkwardly around to get a good grip on Jackie, "Jackie still hasn't seen the lake and… other stuff," and Pauline left pulling Jackie behind her.
"See ya'll,"
"Gee we'll miss her," Jackie heard Bo mutter as she was dragged through swinging doors. She scowled to herself. It was only when Jackie was shoved in the car did Pauline turned to Jackie.
"What in the blazen' hell were you thinkin'?" Pauline asked with a stern expression.
"I dunno," Jackie mumbled, feeling as if she were five years old. She thought her actions were very juvenile, and so did Pauline.
"D'you have any idea of the impact of what you said?" Pauline looked at Jackie, as Jackie sat slumped in the passenger seat, facing forward.
"Hazzard is a quiet place, full of people who like the quite life. The threat of anything changing that is the worst thing that could happen to some of these people. Now we already got Boss Hogg taking the totalitarian globalisation front and we don't need someone else coming in from another side. Now I realise Bo was bein' rude, but that doesn't give you an excuse to frighten everyone else,"
Jackie just sat, feeling ashamed. Pauline started the pickup and backed on to the road. The car started to slow, and Jackie straightened up in her seat so she could see. She peered out to a wide landscape of water spreading across the horizon. Both got out of the pickup and stood on the soft grass on the bank of the lake.
"Now this," Pauline said, seeming to have forgotten the previous episode, "is the Hazzard Lake. It's the largest in Georgia, and maybe the clearest. Mind you, Bo and Luke have left enough car parts under there for an auto shop,"
The two of them stayed there for a while, taking in the serenity and peacefulness of the moment.
"I'm sorry I snapped at you before," Pauline said suddenly, not taking her eyes off the water. "You just surprised me, the way you'd just say that, without even thinking. I understand that you don't know the way it is out here, and I'm trying to help you with that, but," She now turned to Jackie, and Jackie looked over to Pauline "This place means a lot to everyone here, and anything that might change that scares them." Jackie nodded, not wanting to say the wrong thing.
She got a glimpse of what everyone saw in Hazzard, this "beauty" everyone was talking about. She'd made silent vow not to upset Pauline too much. Jackie had an inkling that the older woman had been through a lot.
"There's something else about this lake you should know," Jackie raised her eyebrows. Pauline looked at Jackie with a measured expression.
"This is where your grandfather died,"
Jackie's face didn't change. Somehow the word "grandfather" seemed weird, foreign even, like it was a connection she didn't want. Harold had always suited her just fine. She looked down at the soft grass, as if imagining her grandfather's dead body lying there. It was a dark thought, but one that didn't disturb her.
"Can we go?" Jackie said finally. Pauline jumped slightly and made towards the car.
"Yeah, come on, let's go,"
..oo00oo..
"I've put some tuna casserole in the ice box, just put it in for half-an-hour," Pauline called out the driver's side window as Jackie unlocked the front door. She simply smiled and waved to Pauline as she drove off.
Jackie sighed as she entered the kitchen grabbing a glass. She faced the window and gazed out over the green fields as she filled the glass.
Jackie thought about her situation. It was today at the lake that Jackie realised how permanent this arrangement was becoming. The way she had pictured Harold made her see that. Everyone was expecting her to carry on the legacy of this grand estate. The way they had talked to her, the way they had been all smiling and happy acquaintances made her feel as if they were expecting everything not to change.
What a stupid way to think she thought. She knew of all people how fast everything can change.
And that Bo character. What a stupid name. He didn't even know her and he was throwing accusations around. He had looked into her hazel eyes and his expression showed the same expectation as his neighbour's except he seemed angry.
But why? What did I ever do to him? Jackie frowned. A trickling noise brought her back to the dank kitchen. She looked down and saw that her glass was overflowing from the still running tap. She gasped and quickly shut it off.
Jackie took one more glance out the window and sighed again, making her way towards the freeze box.
That's Chapter 2 for you. It's shorter than the last time, but it was really a filler... so hope you enjoyed it.
PLEASE READ AND REVIEW
