Hello everyone! I got a little sidetracked here this week, and it put me a little behind in my posting, but I'm still shooting for this to be done by Christmas:) Hope that these next few chapters aren't 'too' strange:) Thanks again for the comments and reviews. I really appreciate them, and they keep me going.
Disclaimer: I don't own the Dukes, and no infringements intended.
A DUKE'S CHRISTMAS CAROL
CHAPTER 7
HOME SWEET HOME
Luke gave a little squeal as his legs carried him faster toward the little farm house and his loved ones. He may not have consciously been aware of it, but this was the moment he'd been dreaming of since the day he'd set foot off the Duke property. He understood that some things may not be exactly as they were when he left. All things change, and his own face showed the hard changes he, too, had endured. He only hoped that his uncle and cousins had been spared such harsh adjustments, and that they would be somewhat happy to see him after such a long period of time.
Making that final sprint, Luke wondered if Daisy had married Jeff, if Bo had settled down, if one or both of his cousins now had children, and just what they'd done with their lives the last ten years. While he knew it was possible that one, or each, of his cousins may have decided to follow a path that also led them away from Hazzard, deep down, he really doubted they would have. Neither Daisy nor Bo had ever had a desire to wander too far from home, and somehow, Luke didn't believe that they ever did. Still, he knew that it was possible, but he had no doubt that even if one, or both, were re-located somewhere else, the approaching Christmas holiday would probably call them home, and in a few short steps, he, too, would be home.
As his foot landed and the farm house he grew up in came into view, Luke Duke stopped dead in his tracks. Looking around, he could hardly believe what he was seeing. He wondered what he might find, but in all his dreams, this was not something he had ever anticipated. Turning completely around, Luke Duke stared as he tried to catch his breath, and his mind tried to comprehend what was in front of him.
The grounds surrounding the house had never been neatly manicured, but never had they looked like this, either. Overgrowth taller than his waist grew rampant, fighting for existence from shorter weeds that threatened to suffocate the long strands. Little animals scurried about, but these were not the same critters or chickens that Bo had so loved to chase as a child. With the overgrown brush, wildlife had claimed what the Dukes would have called their yard. The clothesline where his aunt, and then his cousin, had hung laundry to dry, bathing clothes and linens alike in the scent of fresh air, was hanging on the ground, and Luke doubted that anything had hung on that line in a long time. Turning around, the barn where their animals had been kept, where he had helped deliver a life, where he and Bo had become blood brothers and had spent more time in the hayloft talking and exchanging secrets then they did in their room, looked like it would topple over if he blew on it. While barns were not always known to look sturdy, the missing planks of wood and the holes where they didn't belong told Luke that their barn wasn't structurally safe. His uncle would never house livestock in such a dangerous building, so Luke had no doubt that none was in there, leaving him to wonder just where all the animals were.
Luke around to face the house, wondering whether his uncle was inside. As he stepped on the second step from the ground, the plank gave out under his weight. Catching himself, Luke avoided falling, but noted that the steps would have to be fixed before someone really did get hurt.
When the eldest Duke boy reached for the door to open it, the hinges gave way, detaching it from the house. Luke caught it before it could hit him, leaning it up against the side of the house, and adding another project to his list of things needing to be fixed. Looking to the side, Luke saw the porch swing that he had spent many an hour on, alone, as well as with one member of his family or another. He could see that it also hadn't been used in quite some time. No longer suspended, it wasn't capable of swinging. Now it was sitting in the corner of the porch, another task needing to be tended to, and Luke couldn't help but think that he hadn't set foot inside the house yet.
Realizing that if someone were inside, they would not be expecting him, Luke decided to knock. It almost killed him to do so, too. Never would Luke Duke have ever thought he'd have to knock on the door of the house that he had grown up in, called home, but he reminded himself that he had no one else to blame but himself. Ten years ago, he had been the one who had decided to leave everything behind, and now, he couldn't even remember why. He didn't have to wait for an answer, though. As soon as his knuckles made contact, the door slowly swung open.
"Hello?" he called before stepping inside so not to startle anyone. "Anybody here?" he asked, purposely using the word 'here' instead of the presumptuous word 'home'.
When he received no answer, Luke set one foot over the threshold, knocking the cobwebs out of the way. Except for the several inch dust that covered everything and the never ending supply of spider webs, everything inside the house looked about the same as he remembered. The kitchen table and chairs were still in the same place, and Luke noted a few dishes in the sink, wondering how long they had been there. The living room was in about the same condition, as Luke's eyes roamed over the old chair that his uncle had always favored.
Room by room, Luke checked in each one, seeing that except for articles of clothing and personal belongings, nothing else appeared to be missing. When he finally approached the last room, Luke had to take a deep breath before he entered. It also looked the same, yet nothing was the same as it had once been. In all the other rooms, Luke had simply wandered through them, visually inspecting them for any clues he could find as to what had happened to have caused an abandonment of a property that had always been a source of pride for the Duke family. Once inside that last room, Luke walked over to the bed and sat down. Of all the rooms in the house to see in this shape, this one was the hardest; this was his and Bo's bedroom.
Looking around, Luke's memory took over, replaying image after image like a homemade movie. He could recall each and every one as if they had happened only moments ago, from the time Bo had slept in a crib in this room to the last night when Luke had observed that when asleep, Bo looked like a little boy, despite his growing physical appearance. How long he sat that there, Luke had no idea, but when the reality of the situation truly hit him, Luke returned to the present as the tears slid down his face.
Fear suddenly gripped his heart. His family wasn't there, hadn't been there for a long time, that was easy to see. That left the question as to where they were. Luke feared one of the answers, but had to know. Bolting up, Luke scurried through the house. Carefully stepping over the unsafe steps, once Luke's feet hit the ground outside, he pushed them as fast as he could, carrying him to a place that he hoped would not provide the answers he was looking for.
Breathing hard, Luke slowed only after reaching his destination. Opening the small gate, Luke entered the sacred area. Slowly walking among the markers, Luke Duke searched each one, praying that new ones had not been added since his departure. Relieved and satisfied when he found neither his uncle's name or either of his cousins', Luke bent down a minute to pay his respects to his parents, then did the same to the aunt that had helped raise him after his own parents had been called from this world.
Grateful, but even more confused, Luke retraced his steps back to the house, this time not running, but moving very slowly. Standing in front of the dilapidated structure, Luke could barely look at it. While it was true that the little farmhouse was always in need of repairs, it had never looked like this. Seeing its saddened state, Luke's own state of mind plummeted. Turning to sit on the step, not caring if it collapsed under him, Luke put his head in his hands, trying to digest all that he had seen, and all that he had not seen that day.
"What happened here and where is everyone?" he asked to no one but himself.
Feeling a movement next to him, Luke's head snapped upwards and sideways. Sitting next to him was the stranger from the road.
"Who are you?" Luke asked him, "and what do you want?"
"That's a ridiculous question, Luke. You know who I am. You've know me all your life," the gravely voice replied.
Luke vaguely recalled hearing those words before, in what seemed like a lifetime ago, but at that moment, his home was in shambles, his family was no where to be found, and he had neither the patience nor the energy for games or riddles.
"I sure as the hell don't know you and I have not known you all my life," Luke shouted. "Now, just who in the hell are ya?"
Movement from the path leading to the highway caused Luke to look away for only a second, but when he looked back, the stranger was gone. Now wondering if he had lost his own mind, Luke turned to watch a new figure approaching, wondering if this would be another stranger full of answers that made no sense.
"Can I help ya?" the voice called to Luke.
Thinking this was the most reasonable dialogue he had heard since the motel manager wished him a good trip, Luke Duke rose to his feet as the man arrived to stand in front of him.
"Name's Luke Duke. I'm looking for my family."
"Duke?" the older man repeated, rubbing his chin with his fingers. "Duke, huh? You relation to the folks that used to live here?"
"Yes sir. This is my Uncle Jesse's farm. Me and my cousins, Bo and Daisy, we all used to live here with him."
"You been away for a while, son?"
"Yes sir."
"Well, this here ain't your uncle's farm no more. Lost it to Boss Hogg when he defaulted on the mortgage. Ole Boss just let it sit here for a while, but now he's planning on leveling everything to build a new supermarket on the very spot where we's standing."
"He can't do that!" Luke spat angrily. "My uncle never missed a mortgage payment in his life. Boss was always trying to weasel the farm away from us, and I don't know how he did it, but I aim to stop him."
"Well son, I don't know nothing bout all of that. I'm just the construction foreman in charge of this job. Anything you got to work out, you'll have to work out with Boss."
"And I will," Luke stated.
"Better hurry, though. Bulldozers start knocking everything down day after Christmas."
"Thank you," Luke said, offering his hand to the man. Grabbing his gear, Luke knew that he didn't have much time. He was going to have to get to town and get to the bottom of all this, but that still didn't answer his main question. He knew he could ask in town, but taking a chance, he decided to see if this man knew anything about his family. "Say, you wouldn't happen to know anything about the whereabouts of my cousins or my uncle, would ya?"
"I'm not from Hazzard, so I'm not familiar with the locals. What did you say your cousins' names were?"
"Bo Duke and Daisy Duke, though I suppose Daisy might be married now and have a different last name. Maybe Adams?"
"You sure they's still around?"
"No, but I always thought they wouldn't go far," Luke admitted.
"Well, I can't say that the names Bo or Daisy ring any bells, but Boss did mention something about Jesse. Think he said he was over in Capitol City at the old folks home."
"Thanks," Luke replied, glad that he now had something to go by, but wondering how in the world Jesse had let Boss get the farm, and just how he had ended up in an old people's home.
Jogging back to the highway, Luke hadn't been walking long when he heard a car approaching. If they were going to save the farm, they had less than two days to do it, and Luke didn't know for sure where any of his family was. Wanting as much information as he could get before confronting Boss Hogg, something told Luke that he should pursue his uncle's whereabouts first. He wanted to hear Jesse's version of the story about how Boss had cheated them out of their farm, and something told him that Capitol City was the right place to start. Yet, walking was a slow form of transportation and time was now working against them. Hitching rides with anyone you didn't know was a dangerous practice, and one that Luke rarely used. Safety wasn't Luke's main concern, however; he always felt that he could defend himself in most situations. For him, walking had become almost therapeutic. In his present predicament, weighing the likelihood of a psycho serial killer cruising the backroads of Hazzard county against the need for speed, Luke stuck out his thumb, becoming almost gleeful when the car slowed down.
"Thank ya, much obliged," Luke said as he crawled into the passenger side. "I'm headed to Capitol City, but I'm grateful for as far as you can get me."
The driver just nodded, and Luke couldn't believe what he was seeing. "You again? Who are you?"
"You know...,"
This time Luke finished for him. "Yeah, yeah, I know. I know who you are, I've known you all my life. Look, whatever game you're playing, I ain't got time for right now, so just drive." Luke didn't have to add anything about being quiet. Whoever this person was, he preferred nodding to speaking, and right then, Luke wasn't in the mood for idle chit chat anyway.
