A CHRISTMAS GIFT
HAZZARD
"Come on. Wake up, guys. There're a lot of things to do today", uncle Jesse's voice fills the farm at 7 a.m. of a special day: Christmas eve.
All three cousins come in the kitchen, still yawning.
"What time is it, uncle Jesse? Outside it's still dark", Bo rubbed his eyes mumbling.
"It's time to wake up. It's Christmas eve, and we have to prepare dinner for our guests, you know, Boss with Lulu, and Rosco, Cletus, Cooter. Come on. Daisy, I need your help in the kitchen. Bo and Luke, you do the cleanings and decorate the farm"
Bo and Luke sigh, "Yes sir".
Daisy yawns, sitting at the table while uncle Jesse looks at her with his deep eyes.
"Daisy, honey, have your breakfast and then get ready. I need your help".
Daisy sighs, "I don't know why we have to invite so many people at the farm. I'd only like to go bed early this evening, and I'd stay in bed all day long tomorrow".
Uncle Jesse shakes his head, "Daisy, you've always loved Christmas since you were a child, so, please, cheer you up, or you're goin' sadden all our guests. Come on, dress you up"
Daisy stands up silently, heading to her bedroom, uncle Jesse's eyes on her; the old man knows very well what's bothering his niece, but he prefers don't talk to her 'bout it: Daisy is very stubborn, and she doesn't like to talk about her deep feelings, especially if these feelings concern Enos.
LOS ANGELES
Enos is packing his bag with everything he needs, wandering here and there in the little apartment.
He's in a hurry. He thought he had to spend Christmas in Los Angeles, but Lieutenant Broggi gave him some days off, days he knews very well how to use.
He looks carefully all around the little apartment, hoping he put everything he needs in his bag; he's gone off duty after his night shift and his mind isn't very clear.
Finally he closes his bag, sighing; he regrets he didn't buy a gift for Daisy, but he didn't know he'd have spent Christmas in Hazzard, and now there's no time to buy anything.
Daisy….
He looks at the phone thinking to call her to tell her he's coming, then he looks at the clock: it's late. No time even fro a phone, and Turk is already waiting for him to bring him to the airport.
"I'll phone her when at the airport", he thinks as he rushes down the stairs.
Few after he relaxes in Turk's car, his mind to Hazzard (and to Daisy) till he realizes what's goin' on outside the car: they are stuck in a traffic jam, a devasting traffic jam as it can be in a city like L.A.
"Gosh. What's happening, Turk?"
His colleague looks at him, smiling, "Enos, it's not a long time since you arrived in L.A., but you should know L.A.'s traffic. Moreover, today is Christmas eve… Gifts… arrivals….. departures… you know"
Enos leans his head against the car's window, trying to keep calm.
"What if I don't reach the airport in time?".
HAZZARD
Uncle Jesse and Daisy are in the kitchen, both intent to prepare one of the famous Duke's meals.
Uncle Jesse sometimes looks at her niece frowning as she has not a good time as usual in the kitchen.
After they cut the firewood, Bo and Luke come in the kitchen rubbing their hands.
"Today it's very cold. One of the coldest Christmas I remember, don't you think, Luke?".
Luke nods; he's older than Bo and his memory is stronger than his young cousin's, but this time he agrees with Bo instead of poiting out his age and his presumed greater wisdom, "Yeah cousin. This is one of the coldest Christmas I've ever seen".
Suddenly Daisy shouts, holding tight her right hand, "Oh my God, I've cut my finger"
Uncle Jesse quickly comes by her side, taking gently her hand among his ones, "Let me see", then he sighs in relief, "It's only a small cut, don't worry, disinfect it and then cover it with a band-aid"
Daisy nods, with tears in her eyes.
"Are you crying for such a small cut, cousin? You should be careful when you have a knife in your hands; you should think 'bout what you're cutting and don't think 'bout other things". Bo trise to minimize, smiling to Daisy.
Daisy glares at him, her look perfectly telling him she's not in the mood for joking. And not only her look, but her tone too, "What do you mean? think 'bout what I'm cutting and not 'bout other things? I hate these vegetables, cut them by yourself if you're so good, maybe your head is enough empty so you can think only 'bout the knife and these vegetables"
"DAISY MAE DUKE!", uncle Jesse raises brisk before to return calm as usual, "Go to the bathroom and disinfect your finger, then take a break".
Daisy goes to the bathroom in a fury, slamming the door, her uncle's and her cousins' eyes pointed on her back.
LOS ANGELS
Enos is now sitting in the airport's waiting room, his elbows on his knees and his hands on his face. He's missed the flight despite his one mile running; in effect, by foot, he reached the airport earlier than by car (which probably was lying still in the traffic), but his running didn't help.
He sighs sinking in the chair and looking at the clock. There's still a hope: at 3 p.m. there's another flight to Atlanta, unfortunately fully booked, but, in case some passenger doesn't arrive at the airport, he'd be the first on the waiting list.
He looks at the phone in the room, wondering if he should phone at the Duke's farm and tell Daisy he's arriving … maybe. He shakes his head, sighing again: what if he can't leave? It's better not to phone.
3 p.m….. and a 7 hours long flight, it means that he'd land at Atlanta at 10 p.m….. then 2 hours by car (a rental car, 'cause he doesn't want to bother his friends) to reach Hazzard.
Enos stands up and he starts wandering the airport, like a soul in torment. Finally he buys some comic books and he starts reading them, trying to distract himself, till the tiredness of his previous night shift overwhelms him and he falls asleep.
HAZZARD
Lunch time: Bo, Luke and Uncle Jesse are eating their lunch silently, in the kitchen only the sound of their forks on their kitchen, whereas Daisy's in her bedroom trying to sleep because of a bad headache (or al least she said so).
"I don't know what's happening to Daisy", Bo breaks the silence, "she usually loves Christmas but today she's more poisonous than a rattlesnake. Our guests will risk a poisoning".
Luke stops eating, he looks at Bo and he sighs, his presumed greater wisdom peeping out in his voice, "Bo, sometimes you're very naïve. Don't you really understand why Daisy is so bed-tempered? Think of our guests, and guess who's missing".
Bo nods, "I know, Luke. Enos won't be here tonight, and I'll miss him; everyone'll miss him, but it's Christmas, and we have to enjoy this day".
Uncle Jesse stands up, starting to clear the table, "I hope Daisy'd understand her behaviour is saddening us, and it can't make Enos happy. We know he's spending this Christmas all alone and so far away; he's usually spent Christmas here, and the only thing we can do is to pray for him and for his happiness, hoping he'd spend next Christmas here with us".
Bo and Luke nods to uncle Jesse's words.
Meanwhile, in her room Daisy is staring at the ceiling. She can't deny she's sad because Enos won't be there, but she's also worried 'bout him: how is he goin' to spend Christmas? She knows how much Enos likes to spend Christmas at Dukes, and how much Dukes mean to him (his only family).
Finally Daisy closes her eyes, falling asleep.
LOS ANGELES
Enos wakes up because of a gentle shake.
He looks around him, a strange silence in the airport, averyone seems gone: is he dreaming?
"Hey boy, wake up, you have to leave".
Enos rubs his eyes and he checks his watch (1 p.m.), "Leave? But I missed the flight, and the next one is fully booked".
The cop looks at the woman by his side: she's long raven hair, hazel eyes and a sweet smile. He knows her, but he can't remember who's that woman, like if a mist's layer is covering his mind.
The woman shakes him again, "Come on, stand up, there's a seat for you on the next flight. Have a happy Christmas with your beloved friends, especially one of them", she winks at him, making him start: how does she know?
"Yeah, Ma'm, thank you". His voice is hoarse, and the mist's layer become thicker and thicker so he can't help but closing his eyes again.
Again, a gentle shake.
"Mr Strate? Wake up, there's a seat on the next flight to Atlanta".
Enos opens his eyes, looking at the blonde hostess in front of him. The airport is now crowded, and, looking his watch, he sees it's 2.30 p.m. He looks around him; where's that raven-haired woman? A dream? He knows her, but he can't remember: it's like to try to catch something foggy (when he's close to catch it, it disappears). She looks like …. Is it possible?
"Mr Strate? Do you want to take the flight?"
Enos stands up, "Yeah, of course, thank you".
The hostess smiles at him, "Come on, now boarding to Atlanta"
He follows the hostess as his eyes catch a phone on the wall: he sighs thinking there's no time to phone.
HAZZARD
In front of the mirror, Daisy is gazing at her silhouette wrapped in her best dress: a tight red dress.
She tries to smile at her figure in the mirror: after she slept she feels better, in particular thanks to a sweet strange dream. She hears again her mother's words as she tells her Enos's coming for Christmas: a beautiful Christmas gift. She can even smell her sweet scent.
"What a strange dream. Anyway, I'm goin' to have a great Christams eve with my family and my friends. I know Enos's telephone number, so I'll call him….. Or maybe he'll call me. I don't have to be so sad. My mother doesn't want to see me sad".
Heartened by that dream and by her decision to have a good time with her family and friends (despite Enos' absence), she comes out her bedroom approaching her cousins and her uncle, hugging them and thanking them for their patience and their Christmas party.
"I'm sorry uncle Jesse, I don't want to ruin all your work for tonight,… it's only…."
Uncle Jesse touches gently her arm, "I know, Daisy. There's no need to apologize. I know what you're thinking of. But don't worry, Enos will be fine, he'll call us, don't worry, otherwise we'll call him".
When finally guests arrive at the farm, Daisy takes a deep breath, looking at the phone for a moment before to hug everyone's coming.
Midnight.
Everyone is near the fireplace: Cletus's sleeping, almost drunk; Rosco's joking with Flash; Lulu's squeezing Boss's hand (and Boss seems a bit embarrassed 'bout it); Cooter, in his best dress, is spouting with Bo and Luke (obviously 'bout cars ... and women); uncle Jesse's enjoying Christmas peace, his beloved nephews and niece around him in his farm.
Daisy's staring the fireplace, wondering why Enos' phone rang vainly when she tried to call him, and why he's not yet called her; worrysome starts to grab her heart as she tries to stay calm, repeating herself maybe he's on duty, and probaly he's goin' to call her tomorrow.
Suddenly a knock at the door interrupts her thoughts; she stands up, wondering who could be out there at midnight. What if…? She shakes her head, "Don't daydream, Daisy".
When she opens the door, in the moonlight she sees the figure of a man with a bag on his shoulder.
Daisy's eyes open wide when she looks carefully at him, then her shout of joy fills the silent farm as she wraps her arms around his neck.
Few after everyone is around Daisy. And Enos.
The night is so peaceful and the farm so warm (a warmth not only because of the fireplace) that nobody wants to leave.
While everyone is still near the fireplace, Enos and Daisy are in the kitchen, and Daisy's heating something to eat for Enos.
"You know, Enos…. It's strange but…. Today I dreamt of my mother telling me you're coming for Christmas. A gift from her, I think so".
Enos starts. Finally he remembers who that woman in his dream is: her mother. She passed away when he was only a little child (few after his birth, then his father married another woman whom he learnt to call "mom"), but he remembers her thanks pictures scattered in his father's farm before he died (pictures now cherished in a closet in his apartment in L.A., and before in his room at the boarding house).
"Yeah, a gift from our mothers". He stands up and he kisses Daisy gently.