"Everybody alright?" Luke asked, sitting up on the door frame of the General.
"Yes, just a little shaken." A lady replied, he hands firmly grasping the wheelchair of a young boy that she had swiftly pulled to safety.
"That was really stupid of me. I didn't mean to scare ya'll" Bo replied, getting out of the General.
"Well, you might have scared Ms. Davis here, but you didn't scare me." The young boy in the wheelchair replied, his face snarled in a mock tough-guy image.
Bo laughed as he recognized Tommy Vineyard, a young charge at the Frothy Meadows Camp for Disabled Children, a foundation that the Dukes had helped put into place. "I suppose not. Anybody that's into snake handling ain't gonna get scared of some screeching tires."
"That snake wasn't gonna bite me." Tommy argued, remembering the snake he had picked up at camp earlier that summer, a copperhead.
"And chances are, I'm not gonna get struck by lightning. But that don't mean I make a habit of going outside during thunderstorms." Bo replied, ruffling the youngsters hair and receiving a flurry of boyish giggles in return.
"Uh oh." Bo heard Luke say, which diverted his attention away from Tommy.
Now when one of the boys says those words, it usually means their genuinely afraid of something, and most of the time it is one of two things. Either a 98 lb. girlfriend they've made mad, or an elderly man in overalls they've made mad.. Considering what just happened, guess which one it is.
"When I heard them tires screamin' and saw them youngin's scatterin' I thought 'somebody around here's raised a dang fool, and I'm embarrassed to say that somebody is me!"
"Sorry, Uncle Jesse." Bo replied, looking toward the ground as his uncle finally ceased his charge, stopping in front of him.
"Tommy, you alright?' Daisy asked, who had arrived along with her Uncle Jesse.
"'Course I am. Us snake handlers ain't afraid of no screeching tires." Tommy replied, smiling at Bo. Bo returned a wink and a smile of his own.
Uncle Jesse sighed as if he had been holding his breath. "I'd ask why you found it necessary to almost run down all these kids, but I already know the answer. I hope you've at least offered an apology."
"He did, Mr. Duke." Ms. Davis replied, finally able to take a deep breath of her own.
"In conclusion, I'd like to thank the good citizens of Hazzard County for your support during my career and for your interest in the car museum. Remember, 25 percent of the profits we take in during this event will remain right here in Hazzard as a donation to the Frothy Meadows Camp. Enjoy, ladies and gentlemen!"
Bo frowned as the crowd erupted in cheer. "Well, it looks like I did it all for nothing. I missed Billy Kay's whole speech!"
"Cheer up, Bo. At least you can still stand in line and get his autograph!" Daisy reminded him as Tommy and the other children waved goodbye to the Dukes.
Bo brightened at the thought of this and looked toward the podium once again to see Billywhispering to Boss. Boss took in what he said and frowned, arguing a bit. Billystood his ground, however, which caused Boss to jam his cigar in his mouth and take a short puff before approaching the microphone.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, due to unforeseen circumstances, Mr. Kay's autograph session will be limited today. He's agreed to sign for the first 50 people who show up over at the FFA building at the high school, where the museum is set up. "
No sooner had Boss spoke the words than people began to scramble to get to their vehicles.
"Where you goin', Bo?" Uncle Jesse asked as Bo jumped through the window of the General.
"Well, I gotta hurry or I won't get to see Billy at all!" Bo replied.
"I think you got something more important to do." Jesse responded jutting a pinkie toward the van that the camp counselors were hurriedly trying to load the kids on, so they would have a chance at an autograph.
Bo sighed and slid back out. He and Luke ran over and assisted the counselors.
"Get an autograph for me, will you Tommy?" Bo asked, patting the boy on the shoulder, realizing his chances to get one were now slim to none.
"Only if you'll come over and wrestle me this weekend!" Tommy replied, holding up his fists.
Bo laughed. "You got it."
They closed the doors of the van and patted it, giving the driver the all clear.
"Hey ya'll." Cooter said, approaching the group and motioning to the General. You might want to go ahead and get that thing off the road. After that little announcement Boss just made, its amazing it hasn't already been trampled in the stampede.
The Dukes agreed and Bo and Luke slid back into the car, driving it over to Cooter's garage. As soon as they had parked and got out, they were joined once again by Jesse and Daisy who had walked.
"Hey, since you're missing out on the autograph, how about a free look-see at the latest addition to Billy Kay's collection?" Cooter asked. He then walked the Dukes over to the Ford Roadster, which was still parked where Rosco had left it. Luke let out a low whistle. "This is something you definitely don't see every day. Wonder where he came across this?"
"Boss Hogg." Cooter replied with a sly smile.
"Boss Hogg?" Daisy questioned. "Where'd Boss get it? Con some little old woman out of her late husband's last possession with a ridiculous past due note?"
Cooter laughed. "That I don't know, but if I were a bettin' man, I'd say you ain't far off."
Bo leaned through the passenger side window admiring the interior when an unfamiliar voice spoke behind him. "It's always a pleasure to see someone take a genuine interest in an American classic."
Bo stood back up and turned to find himself face to face with Billy Kay himself!
"Oh, uh, uh….." Bo stumbled, he then looked at his family before looking back at Billy with a big grin. "You're…..you're Billy Kay!" He said, grabbing the drivers hand in a firm handshake.
"Well, that's what it says on my birth certificate, anyway." Billy replied jokingly. "And who might you be?"
"Oh." Bo quickly let go of Billy's obviously aching hand and blushed a bit. "I'm Bo… Beauregard Duke, Bo for short. This is my cousin Luke." He continued, slapping Luke on the back of his shoulder to which Luke replied with a sidelong glance. "And that's Daisy, my other cousin, and my Uncle Jesse. Cooter Davenport here, he's a good friend of the family. He's the local mechanic around here and he was just showing us your car. I'm sorry if we caused you any trouble. It's a fine looking car, that's for sure. I can't wait to see the rest of your car collection, this will make a great addition, I'd put money on it."
Bo stopped to take a much needed breath. Billy Kay and the others chuckled in amusement at Bo's obvious excitement over the encounter with his favorite driver.
"No trouble at all, Bo." Billy Ray replied. "The Ford's a rare antique, that's for sure, but they can be found elsewhere. As for unique, that honor belongs to your orange car over there." He concluded by nodding toward the General Lee which was still parked at Cooter's garage a few feet away.
"Bo looked at the General then back at Billy Kay in astonishment." You saw us in the General Lee?"
"The General Lee? That's a fitting name. But in answer to your question, I'm afraid the whole TOWN saw you in your car!"
Everyone chuckled as a new wave of blushing appeared on Bo's face. "I guess I got in too much of a hurry."
"And I'll bet that car has a lot of 'hurry' in it. Any chance you could hurry me over to the FFA building before the late comers start arm wrestling each other for the last few places in line?"
Bo grinned. "Are you serious, you want ME to give you a ride in the General?"
Billy Kay shrugged. "Looks like an authentic race car to me, I was just hoping you could show me what it can do."
"Yes sir!" Bo beamed in excitement. He ran over and hopped through the window. "Doors are welded shut, Billy, you'll have to climb in." He instructed the driver as Billy got in the car. "Come on, Luke!"
There was no way Luke was going to interrupt Bo's shining moment. "That's okay, Bo you go ahead. I'll hitch a ride with Daisy."
"You sure?"
"Positive, now git!" Luke waved him away.
Bo smiled, gunned the engine, then blasted the Dixie horn before speeding off toward the high school.
"This thing sure has some power to it." Billy admitted as Bo closed in on 80 mph in no time.
"You think that's something, watch this…." Bo replied.
He shifted gears and looked for a ramp as they neared the Chikotowee River. Finding the perfect one, he increased his speed and sailed over the river, landing with as much grace as possible.
"Wow!" Billy Kay's face brightened with a huge grin as he held on to whatever he could for support. "That certainly doesn't happen in Nascar, well, not on purpose anyway."
"Well the General here, he's one of a kind." Bo replied, patting the dashboard.
"Bo," Billy began as Bo returned to normal speed. "Would you be interested in selling your car to me?"
Bo's face slowly fell as he looked back and forth from Billy to the road. "Sell the General? I don't think I could do that."
"I'd be willing to make you a real nice offer." Billy pressed.
Bo was torn. He didn't want to give up the General, not for any price, but he also didn't want to cross Billy.
"Well, I couldn't. First off, it ain't all mine. Half of it belongs to my cousin, Luke. We took this car out of the junkyard and built it to what it is today. Selling the General would be like, well, it would be like selling a member of my own family."
"Don't you even want to hear my offer?" Billy asked.
"You can tell me what it is if you want, but I can't sell the General."
"Twenty-five thousand dollars." Billy replied. "And…."
"And?" Bo questioned in amazement as Billy continued.
"I can arrange for you to have a guaranteed position as a poll starter in next weeks Daytona 500!"
(picture pauses with Bo looking at Billy in shock as Billy grins at him)
Now if ya'll don' know it, a poll starter is one of first the two racers out in a typical Nascar race, and that chunk of money ain't exactly Sunday morning change in the offering plate.. Sounds like Bo might be tempted to sell a member of the family. Wonder what he thinks Luke's worth?