Chapter 5: The Punishment
The ride home was quiet to say the least. Jesse was pondering on how to handle the situation. Luke was still trying to figure out just what had really happened. Bo rode in silence staring out the side window. He was mad, hurt, scared and so unsure of everything that he could barely contain the tears he felt building. He was so lost that he didn't realize when Jesse pulled the old white pickup to a halt in front of the farmhouse. He got out and followed his uncle and cousin inside. Looking up at Daisy, he got a little smile in return, but he could also see the disappointment in her eyes.
"Bo, go on to ya room." Jesse said, his back to the boy.
"But Uncle Jesse…"
"NOW BO!" Jesse said turning to face his nephew.
Dropping his head, Bo mumbled, "Yes sir."
Luke watched as his cousin walked into the room and shut the door softly behind him. Turning he saw Jesse sit down in his chair and sigh. "Uncle Jesse?"
"What is it, Luke?"
"What are ya plannin' on doin' with Bo?"
Looking up at Luke, Jesse asked. "What do you think I'm plannin' on doin'? The boys got a whippin' comin'."
"But…"
"But what, Luke? I don't wanna believe it either but what choice do I have? That there shine was mine." Jesse told his nephew.
"Ok, the shine was yours, but how do we know that Bo took it? Why is it so hard to believe that someone else coulda got their hands on some of it?" Luke appealed to his uncle.
"There ain't nothin' I'd rather believe than that, but we both know it ain't likely… now don't we?"
Realizing his uncle was right. No one else knew of where the stills were, so it wasn't likely anyone could've gotten their hands on it, Luke sighed. "I just don't wanna believe Bo would do this. The shine is one thing, but the pot? I mean come on Uncle Jesse, I just don't think he'd do that."
"I didn't think so either, but look at the facts, Luke. It was my shine, there was pot there, and they were both in his locker… locked. Tell me what else I can think. If you have any answers, please tell me. The last thing I wanna do is go in there an take the boy to the barn."
"Will you let me talk to him first? Maybe, if it is his, he'll tell me the truth. The kid looked so scared when we got there."
"Go on Luke, but tell the boy I'll be in to see him in awhile."
"Yes sir." Luke said as he walked toward the bedroom he and Bo shared.
'Things ain't lookin' so promisin' for Bo, that is unless ya count the promised tannin'. That Boss is just down right mean, don't cha think?'
Luke pushed the bedroom door open and looked across the room where Bo lay face down on his bed. Walking over and sitting down he patted the boys leg. "Come on Bo, sit up here and talk to me."
Sniffing and quickly drying his face, Bo asked. "What's there to talk about? Ya'll don't believe me nohow."
"We wanna believe ya, but ya gotta tell me what's goin' on."
Rolling over and pulling himself up against the headboard, Bo looked at his older cousin. "It wasn't mine, Luke."
"Bo…"
"See, I told ya ya'll didn't believe me. Just leave, will ya Luke."
"No I won't leave. Not til ya tell me the truth, kid."
"I did tell ya the truth, but… oh what's the use?" Bo said sliding back down in the bed.
"Bo, is there anyway that someone coulda got ya combination?" Luke asked.
Bo looked over at his cousin, the tears in his eyes breaking Luke's heart. "No. But it ain't mine."
Sighing, Luke knew the boy would never change his story. He wanted to believe his cousin and stop what he knew would be happening next. "Bo, if ya would just go on and admit to it, Uncle Jesse wouldn't be no where near as hard on ya, but ya know what ya got comin' don't ya?"
Sniffing again, his back to Luke, Bo nodded. "Yeah, I know, but I can't admit to it. I didn't do it."
Rubbing the boy on the back, Luke stood. "I'll see what I can do, but Uncle Jesse's mind is made up. Doubt I'll be able to change it." When he didn't get an answer, Luke opened the bedroom door. Looking back he noticed how Bo's shoulders shook as his cousin cried softly.
Jesse looked up when he heard Luke entering the room. He could tell by the boy's face that he'd had no luck. "Well?"
"He's stickin' to his story. He swears he didn't do it. I don't know Uncle Jesse; it just ain't like Bo to lie. But then again, the facts don't lie either." Luke said sitting down beside Daisy on the couch.
"I don't think he did it." Daisy said.
"Daisy, it's like Luke said. The facts don't lie, and for the life of me I can't see any other way they got in his locker. I hate to say it, but I think the boy's lying." Jesse stated standing from his chair. Reaching up and taking his strap from the wall, he added. "And I won't stand for that."
"Uncle Jesse." Daisy said.
"Come on Jesse." Luke added.
"No. I don't wanna hear it. This is hard enough on me as it is. Now the two of ya stay in here while I go and see ta Bo."
Jesse took a deep breath and steeled himself for what he had to do. Knocking on the door, he didn't wait for an invitation before entering. He walked over and looked down on the boy that lay sleeping. Jesse noticed the tear streaked face and wet lashes and shook his head. "Bo, come on son. Wake up." He said gently shaking the boys shoulder.
Bo opened his eyes and set up. He noticed the disappointment on his uncle's face and the strap he carried. "Yes sir?"
"Bo, I'm gonna give ya one more chance to tell me the truth before we take a walk to the barn."
"It wasn't mine, Uncle Jesse. Why won't ya believe me?" Bo asked.
"I want nothin' more than to believe ya, boy. But I can't just act like I don't know the facts. And the facts is, that that there marijuana was in ya locker, and MY shine was in there. Ya locker was locked and ya the only one that knows the combination to it. Now ya tell me what I'm supposed to believe."
Bo knew there was no way to convince the man, and knew that if he were in his uncles place that he too would have trouble believing his story. "I don't know."
"So ya ain't gonna change ya story?" Jesse asked.
"No sir." Bo said standing.
Opening the bedroom door, Jesse nodded toward the kitchen. "Let's get it over, son."
Luke and Daisy watched as Bo walked across the kitchen and out the back door with his head down. Jesse followed him outside pulling the door closed behind them. Turning around Daisy laid her head on Luke's shoulder. "Oh Bo." She said.
Luke put his arm around her and looked out the kitchen window as the barn door closed.
Jesse walked over to the stacked bales of hay and waited for Bo to join him. "Drop ya britches, boy."
Bo looked up at his uncle shocked. It had been a long time since he'd had the strap on his bare behind. The time he'd lied to his uncle in fact. "Please, Uncle Jesse…"
"Bo, I said to drop 'em. Don't make this any worse than it's gonna be."
Unfastening his jeans, Bo slipped them down along with his underwear. Seeing Jesse motion for him to lie across the hay, he slowly leaned over.
"I expect ya to hold still, til I'm done." Jesse said raising the strap.
"Yes sir." Bo replied as he braced himself for the first of many lashes. He made it through the first five lashes, before crying out for his uncle to please stop.
But Jesse set out to make sure the lesson was learned. After the fifteenth time the strap found it's target, he stopped. Rubbing the boy's back he spoke, "It's over now, son. Fix ya clothes."
Bo stood and pulled up his pants, fighting the urge to cry out. He stood with his back to Jesse, not wanting to look the man in the eye. He was embarrassed and ashamed. "May I b-be excused?"
"Go to ya room, Bo. I'll be in to check on ya in a bit." Jesse watched the boy leave, walking stiffly toward the house before he sat down on the hay bale to shed a few tears of his own.
"Ya alright, Bo?" Daisy asked as she and Luke watched the boy head to his room. Neither was surprised when they didn't get a reply. "Oh Luke, he was cryin'."
"He'll be ok. No one ever died of a tannin'. Give 'em some time, then I'll check on 'em." Luke told her.
Bo closed the door and lay across his bed on his stomach. His backside was on fire, and his heart ached at the thought that he'd lost his family's trust. 'I'll prove it to ya'll. One way or the other I will find out who did this to me. Then ya'll will believe in me again.' He vowed to himself as he finally drifted off to sleep.
'Well ole Boss accomplished one thing. He done gone and put a whole lot a doubt in that there family. But will his plan work, or will they figure out what really did happen? Stay tuned to find out.'