(OK folks, I know where I'm going with this story but getting there can be quite a challenge. I just had to say chapter 7 was a PAIN! It was written and rewritten many times over and still I'm not 100 happy with the turnout. However, I'm tired and want to move on. I just want to thank you for the applause in your reviews so far and I encourage you to point out any inconsistencies in the chapter that I may have overlooked. I am more than willing to submit a chapter revision if anything is found. We writers can use a proofreader every now and then. Thanks!)
"Bo, let's talk about this." Luke attempted as he followed his cousin who made a beeline for his bedroom. Uncle Jesse wasn't far behind.
"I don't want to talk no more, Luke. For years no one's had anything to say to me until today and after all I've heard, I'm afraid to find out anything else. If it keeps up my Mom may turn out to be an alien or something."
Now it was Luke's turn to hold back a smile. "Okay. Look, it's late, we're all tired and…."
"……and you don't look so good." Uncle Jesse finished, moving forward to feel Bo's forehead. "Boy, you're runnin' a fever. You're flushed too."
"I'll be alright." Bo replied, moving Jesse's hand away. "Besides I ain't your problem anymore. I'll just get my stuff and be out of your way."
"Now you listen to me, Beauregard." Jesse said firmly. "I know you've been dealt a low blow today, but you're the same person you was yesterday and the day before. When you're in my house, you'll do what I say, and I say to git ready for bed and git in it.. Ain't nobody goin' nowhere tonight, especially in your condition. Understand?"
"Yes sir." Bo replied. He sighed and began to get undressed, too tired and weak to argue. Luke, who was just glad he was home, decided not to aggravate the situation with words and did the same.
Moments later, after the boys were in bed, Uncle Jesse arrived with some of his best shine. It had set under the sink for years, taken out on occasion to cure illnesses, cuts, and bruises. The concoction had successfully kept many a friends and family members out of Doc Applebee's office over the years.
He poured a shot for Bo and commanded him to drink it. Bo did so and lay back, falling asleep almost instantly. Jesse and Luke looked at each other and sighed in relief. Jesse then poured a rare sip for himself and for Luke. "If ever we deserved a drink, it's now." Jesse confirmed as he downed a shot with his nephew. He then took the bottle back to the kitchen and placed it under the sink before going to bed, welcoming a restful sleep thanks to the effect of the alcohol.
Although it had been a late night for the family, the rooster was right on schedule as he began crowing at 5:30 the next morning. Jesse woke up, intent on feeding the livestock himself although it was normally the boys' job. He thought they deserved the rest.
Two hours later after the animals had been fed, some clothes had been hung to dry, and breakfast had been made, Luke emerged from the bedroom.
"Uncle Jesse, why didn't you wake me up? I could have helped with the chores." Luke scolded his uncle.
"I suppose, but I thought after yesterday you could use some sleep."
"Well you're right about that." Luke replied. "I'm glad Bo's feeling better, anyway."
"Oh? Did his fever break?" Jesse asked.
Luke looked at his Uncle. "Jesse, I assumed he was doing chores. He wasn't in bed when I woke up."
Surprised, Jesse rushed to the boys bedroom as if he had to see Bo's empty bed for himself. He then checked the bathroom and the rest of the house. He knew not to check outside because he had been there all morning and hadn't seen Bo.
Luke emerged from their bedroom which he had checked thoroughly. "Uncle Jesse, the suitcase is gone along with most of Bo's stuff. Looks like he took off last night."
Uncle Jesse sighed, his hair turning grayer by the minute. "Well, let's get some breakfast then go looking for him. I ain't done talkin' to that boy yet."
Meanwhile Boss Hogg arrived at the county jail to find Bo Duke sprawled across the steps, asleep. He got out of his car and smiled smugly. "Well well well, ain't that just like a Duke? Drunk and passed out first thing in the morning, and on the jail steps as if he were begging to be put behind bars. Ernest!" He shouted to his driver. "Go down to the newspaper office and tell Mark to git over here. I have a great picture for the front page."
"Boss." Bo stretched as he attempted to wake up. "You ain't never caught a Duke drunk nowhere and you know it!."
"Tell your story to the newspaper." Boss said harshly.
"Okay." Bo agreed. "We'll both tell our version to the newspaper. Then they'll splice our stories together and put out an article about how the county commissioner's son ended up drunk on the jail steps."
Boss grunted and quickly placed his cigar in his mouth. He then quickly turned around and looked to see if anyone had heard them. He spied Mark and Earnest quickly running up, Mark snapping pictures all the way.
"NO no no no no!" Boss shouted, rushing down the steps to Mark. "No pictures! Don't take no pictures!"
"But Boss, you said……."
"Never mind what I said." Boss said, jerking the camera out of his hand and removing the roll of film. "You didn't umm……….hear any of that conversation did you?"
"Well no, Boss. All Earnest said was that Bo was drunk and…."
"I have to apologize for my driver, Mark." Boss interrupted as Earnest stood dumbstruck in the background. "Earnest has been havin' some vision problems lately. I'm gonna have him set up an eye appointment with the doctor. Why, Bo is a good boy, he's not drunk. Now you take this $20.00 for your film and your time and we'll forget any of this ever happened."
"Oh…………okay Boss." Mark said, pocketing the money and going back to the newspaper office.
"Bo, let's go in my office where we can talk." Boss said, ushering Bo inside rather quickly.
"Mornin' Boss, Bo." Enos greeted them once they arrived inside. "You need me to lock him up Boss?" He asked, knowing Bo had never been to the jail without being in trouble.
"No, I want you to git in your car and go help Roscoe on patrol." Boss replied, letting go of Bo long enough to push Enos out the door.
"Who's gonna watch the jail, Boss?"
"What do you mean by that? There ain't nobody behind bars and if anyone comes along I'll take care of 'em. Now go!" Boss said, shoving Enos out the door and locking it.
"Sit down Bo." Boss said after he was sure Enos was gone.
"I'd rather stand, thank you." Bo replied.
Boss chose to sit on his desk, facing Bo. "I'd ask you what you was doin' sprawled out on my steps this morning but from what I heard, I imagine it's because Jesse Duke finally told you who you really were."
"He didn't say anything to me. I found something that said I was your…..son…" Bo struggled with the word. "…and Luke told me that Jesse confirmed the fact with him ."
"And you came this morning to ask me if it was all true?" Boss pressed.
"Oh I know it's true. Uncle Jesse told it to be true and he don't lie. I came to ask….why? If you knew I was your son, why didn't you raise me?"
"Because Jesse didn't let me!" Boss fumed. He then told Bo how Olivia had told him that Bo was his son after she and Matthew had been together again for some time. He also said that Jesse was extremely jealous when Olivia had fallen in love with him after Matthews disappearance. "Jesse couldn't stand the idea of your mother being in love with me and not him. So after Matthew and Olivia got killed in that fire and it showed Matthew as your father on your birth certificate, I had no way of proving I was your Papa. So Jesse took advantage of the situation, claimed to be your uncle, and kept you. Not because he cared about you, but just to get even with me."
"Boss, I don't believe your story. First off, why would Jesse spend all these years raisin' and nursing and paying for someone he didn't really care about?"
Boss shrugged his shoulders. "Jealousy will make you do strange things."
"Second of all, Uncle Jesse couldn't have been interested in my mother in 1962. He was married to Aunt Mary at the time."
"Bo, you're old enough to know bein' married don't stop those kind of things from happening." Boss said, puffing on his cigar again.
Bo began to get mad. "My Uncle is an honest, God fearin' man and nothing you can say is gonna make me believe he had a 'thing' for my mother."
"Jesse Duke an honest man? The same man who tells you the truth and doesn't lie to you?" Bo sat with a hurt expression as Boss paced back and forth in front of him, his voice rising as he continued his rant. "I suppose this is the same man who asked you to call him 'Uncle' all these years. The same man who told you Daisy and Luke were your cousins, who told you that that pitiful little farm you were raised on was built by your great-grandfather. The same man who told you your daddy was cold and in the ground!"
He stopped and looked at Bo who had his head lowered, sniffing. He then sat down and put his arm around him. "Bo it's the truth. Now I ain't never told you the truth about who I was but I you gotta admit I ain't never lied to you about your family, not like that man you call Uncle." He looked at Bo. "What exactly did you read that told you who you were? Matthew's name is on your birth certificate."
"It…it was A letter my mother had written."
"I see." Boss said, standing up again. "You know, I'm glad this is all out now, glad. And you should be too. You know why? Because you have money now, my boy. Together we'll work to bring Frothy to Hazzard County and well make enough money that you can do anything you want. Enough money that you can buy anything you want, for anybody."
"Like….like buy the farm for Jesse?" Bo dared asked.
"I had a feelin' you might want that farm. But you don't have to buy it, I'll give it to you."
Bo almost had to laugh. "You, Boss Hogg, would give me the farm."
"Now I didn't say it was totally free. You see, I want that land real bad for Frothy. But if you could agree to help find another suitable piece of land for the place, and help to get it built, I don't see any reason why I can't sign that farm over to you right now."
"That sounds almost too good to be true." Bo admitted.
"Bo, you're my son, and we've missed too many years together. I'm happy to give you the farm if it means that you will come and be with me help me with the business." He finished by going to his safe and opening it up. Once he did so, he took out two envelopes and emptied the contents, pointing first to a contract. "This is the contract I signed to go into business with Frothy. If you will just sign below my name to show that you're going into business with me, I'll sign the farm over to you right now." He finished by holding up the deed to the farm.
"You mean I just gotta sign here right now and you'll give me the title to the farm?" Bo asked.
"Well, you'll get the title today, but I'll expect you here bright and early tomorrow to help me set up for Frothy."
"Well, Uncle Jesse always told me to read everything before I sign it, but seein' how I ain't got nothing' then I ain't got nothing' to loose." Bo said, taking a pen and signing the contract.
"Now I will sign this." Jesse said, signing over the deed to the Duke farm. He then gave the deed to Bo. "Now you go on and give that to Jesse and collect your things. I'll call home and have Lulu get a room ready for you. This is going to be the start of a new life for us, son."
Bo went to the door and turned around. "You know, I can't believe I'm saying this, but maybe you're not such a bad person after all."
Boss smiled at him. "See you at supper tonight."
Bo closed the door as Boss sat at his desk, looking at the contract Bo had signed. It wasn't long before Roscoe came into the office.
"Boss, I couldn't believe my ears. I just saw Bo Duke outside and he was waving the deed to the Duke farm in my face, telling me you just signed it over to him."
"Yeah, I did." Boss laughed.
"But why? Why would you just give the farm away like that?"
"Because that farm ain't nothing but small potatoes. Besides, I didn't just give it away." He held the contract up and shook it at Roscoe. "He paid dearly for it."