Author's Note: This is a story I wrote about the Dukes and their first years at the farm. I tried to keep it with them from the point where they got to the farm, and carry on throughout a couple of years. It's a growing and learning experience for all of them. There are also notes at the end of each chapter, a credit of sorts to a father from his son.
Warning : The warning is placed here for vinsmouse, who wanted a spew warning here, claiming it might be a bad idea to drink while reading the funnier parts. So please keep in mind that drinking any kind of beverage while reading this, might be hazzard'ous to the health of your screen.
Disclaimer: The Duke Boys are not mine, I don't own the Duke boys, nor the General Lee. I promise that once I'm through with them, there will be nothing broken that a trip to Cooter's garage can't fix….
Learning To Love…
Chapter 16 …..Birthdays
Waking up early in the morning Luke looked around in the darkness before going back to sleep. Ever since they decided Bo was big enough to change from the rocking crib to the one that looked much like the playpen, and moved him into the room where Luke slept, he kept waking up at night.
He wasn't used to having someone else in the room, and sometimes Bo were doing weird stuff. Noises and such, if something was wrong he would be screaming and then it was impossible to sleep. Now he was kicking with his legs, so Luke had to get up, cover him up with the blanket again before he crawled back into his own bed.
The next time he woke up it was morning, and both his aunt and uncle was there to wake him up, Martha carrying Daisy. That was very unusual, in fact it had never happened before.
As soon as Martha dropped Daisy on his bed she was scrambling over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Happy birthday Luke," she cried in his ear, and he realized what day it was. His birthday, he had forgotten all about that, but he was six now, no longer five. It seemed like a big difference.
"Look what I've got ya," Daisy exclaimed, she jumped from his bed and took of, returning shortly with a folded sheet of paper and a half mangled flower.
"Thanks Daisy," Luke told her as he unfolded the paper, it was a drawing thought he was not entirely sure what is was. He thought it was a car, it looked a lot like a car, but Daisy never drew cars so it was kinda hard to tell.
His aunt had written the words 'happy birthday Luke' on it, but Daisy had signed her name more or less by herself.
"We've made ya a special birthday breakfast before school," Jesse told him. There would be presents for the boy after school, they were spoiling the boy a bit, just a little. It was after all his first birthday without his family and they were worried he would get really sad. Trying to make it a bit happier they had decided to spoil the boy just a little. The business was doing good, so they could get him a few things. They had also invited a few children to come by in the afternoon for a small birthday party.
Not very many, just the few that he played the most with.
"Now, come on Luke, let's get ya dressed," Jesse told him softly. "Might be yer birthday, but chores still needs doing."
"I know," Luke rubbed the sleep from his eyes before scrambling out of bed and getting his clothes. He didn't mind the morning chores as much anymore when he was used to them. When he was dressed he followed his uncle outside as Martha and Daisy finished the last of the things for breakfast.
When Luke came back inside it was to find blueberry pancakes on the table, with grits and milk. He eagerly scrambled up on his chair and waited for his uncle so they could eat. The flower Daisy had picked him was in a vase by his seat and he thought it was pretty nice of her.
Then Jesse came inside and sat down so Luke folded his hands as he said grace. Eagerly handing his plate to his uncle so he could serve him of the pancakes.
"Now Luke, I want ya to mind yerself in school, best behavior," Martha cautioned him as she helped him to put on his jacket.
"I always try," Luke insisted, much as he always did.
"I know, but I want ya to try extra hard today," Martha nodded. "Can ya do that for me?"
"Okay," Luke agreed, he didn't understand why it was so important, but if it was, he would have to try.
He did make sure he behaved himself the whole time until his uncle came to pick him up. Even when an older boy teased him. It felt really good when he got home to his aunt and he could tell her he had been good the whole day.
Martha smiled at him and ruffled his hair. "That's good Luke, really good, now, we are gonna give ya a bath, an' then we're gonna put on yer Sunday clothes."
"Why?" Luke frowned.
"Because Cooter, Enos an' Brody is coming over to eat cake with ya since it's yer birthday," she explained.
"Really?" Luke shone up.
"Really," she nodded. "I've made a big chocolate cake, an' they are coming over to eat it with ya."
"Okay, in that case, I don't reckon I mind a bath at all," Luke decided. "But do I have to wear my Sunday clothes? I can't ever keep them clean."
"I want ya to look nice Luke, Daisy an' Bo are gonna be dressed up as well," Martha told him.
"Don't I have any nice clothes that ain't Sunday clothes?" Luke pondered. "Cause if Cooter is coming, I ain't gonna be able to keep clean."
"Alright Luke, ya get in the bath, an' I'll check if there are any nice cloths in yer closet," Martha gave up, Luke had a point, even if he remembered it Cooter would not and she didn't want him to get grass stains on his Sunday clothes.
Luke got into the bath and washed himself as fast as he could, eager for when the guests were coming, though he knew it would be a while yet. Cooter was in the school longer than he was.
Martha then waited for him with a pair of dark trousers and a pale blue shirt. It was better than his Sunday clothes, but he was still looking dressed up.
"There, what a handsome boy ya are when yer dressed up like that," Martha mused as she got a comb. Luke did not like having his hair brushed, all the curls made it naturally tangled and it was a small torture for the boy.
"What am I when I ain't dressed up?" he wanted to know.
"Then yer my little scruffy boy," Martha smiled at him. "Now try to keep still, I'm gonna be as gentle as possible, I swear."
When all three children were dressed up Martha only had time to make a few sandwiches for them before Cooter, Enos and Brody arrived. Mrs. Strate had driven them all out there and would be staying with Martha while the boys were there.
"Hey Luke, happy birthday buddy," Cooter cried out as soon as he saw him. True to his habit Luke ran over to him and shortly found himself hung upside down.
"Hey Enos, hi Brody, Good day Mrs. Strate Luke greeted the others as soon as Cooter had put him back down on the ground again.
"Happy birthday Luke," Mrs. Strate greeted him. "Yer sure growing up to be a fine boy."
"Ma, can I give Luke his present now?" Enos asked tugging at his mother's arm. With his tendency to stumble over everything she had decided it was best to hold on to it.
"Yes," Mrs. Strate gave him a nicely wrapped box and Enos hurried over to hand it to a very confused Luke. He had never thought they would give him anything, it was his first birthday party, and it was his parents that were supposed to give him presents. Now that he had no parents anymore, he had assumed he wouldn't get any presents.
"Luke, what do you say to Enos?" Martha chided him softly, hoping the boy hadn't forgotten his manners completely.
"But aunt Martha, I shouldn't be getting presents," Luke objected looking up at her pleadingly.
"Is something wrong Luke?" Mrs. Strate knelt down beside him. "Ya look mighty sad, fer a boy on his birthday."
"I thought we's just gonna get cake, I didn't know we were gonna give presents," Luke explained, or tried to explain.
"Luke, it's one of them good things when ya have a birthday party," Cooter explained. "See, I've got ya a present to, it's supposed to be that way."
"I ain't ever had one before," Luke told him. "Aunt Martha only told me we were gonna have cake."
"Well Luke, then ya should enjoy yer first party," Mrs. Strate told him kindly. "So why don't ya open that an' see what it is?"
"Okay, thank ya Enos, thank you Mrs. Strate." As soon as he was certain it was as it should he was able to remember his manners before he started unwrapping the paper. Inside the box was blue race car and Luke's whole face lit up in a grin. It looked like a really big race car.
"Thank ya," he beamed as he ran it over his palm to test the wheels.
Brody handed him another wrapped box and Luke unwrapped it to find a lunchbox for school, one with pictures of cars on it. He thanked his friend and then opened the box Cooter handed him.
"I figured that way we could play cowboys," Cooter beamed as Luke help up the cap gun.
"Thank ya," Luke beamed before pointing it at Cooter. "Bam!" He cried and Cooter fell over instantly, in less than two seconds it had turned into a game since Brody and Enos took of running. Luke chased after them, and whenever he shouted 'bam,' one of them would usually fall over, until Martha ended the game.
"Come now children," she called. "Time to eat some sandwiches, an' then ya can eat the cake."
All four kids hurried to the picnic table outside the house that Martha had set for them. Daisy was already sitting there waiting patiently, Martha was carrying Bo on her arm and the boys all squeezed in. Mrs. Strate sat down with her son beside her on one side, and Daisy on the other. Since Jesse was working in the fields and would be back later Martha said a quick grace before telling the boys they could just help themselves.
Mrs. Strate helped Daisy to reach a sandwich and poured her lemonade while Cooter poured for the boys. The pitcher was a bit heavy for Luke and Brody, and so he helped them. Enos sitting next to his mother didn't need any help like that.
When all the sandwiches were gone Martha got the chocolate cake from inside the kitchen. It sure looked good Luke though, and it had six candles on it that he got to blow out. Then she served them all of the cake and Luke thought it was the best cake he had ever tasted. Even Bo got to eat a little, as Martha fed him some of hers. Bo seemed to like it a lot, for when she stopped he started trying to reach her piece on his own.
Luke ate two large pieces of the cake, and then he felt as if he was gonna burst. All of the boys feeling pretty full they decided to get some cars out instead. Luke played with his new one, but the let the others try it. It was a really good car to.
They were still racing when Mrs. Strate told them that it was time for them to go home, and Martha suggested that Luke changed back to his ordinary clothes, and even take a nap. She had already put down Bo and Daisy.
"I ain't really sleep, just tired," Luke explained as he put the new race car on the table by his bed and started unbuttoning the shirt.
"Lie down then, an' if ya fall asleep a little it's okay," Martha suggested. "Yer Uncle is gonna be back later, an' then we're gonna have supper."
"Okay," he didn't really mind. Sitting down at the edge of the bed he pulled of his boots and the trousers that did have a few grass steins on the knees. "Aunt Martha," he started slowly.
"Yes Luke," she took his trousers and shirt so that she could put them in the laundry.
"I think I like birthday parties, can' I have one next year to?" he asked.
"What did ya like the most about it?" she asked sitting down on the edge of the bed as he crawled in under the blanket.
"Cooter an' Brody an' Enos coming over," he declared after he thought about it. "It was all special like. Not like any other time we's play. I like it."
"Well, yer birthdays are kinda special," Martha told him brushing back the dark curls from his forehead.
"I didn't think I's gonna have one really," Luke admitted. "I mean, nothing ain't really like it was before."
"No Luke, it ain't exactly like it was before," Martha agreed. "But yer Uncle Jesse an' me, we still want ya to be happy. We love ya so much."
"I love ya too Aunt Martha," Luke sat up again and wrapped his arms around her neck.
"Now, get some rest so ya ain't too tired at supper," Martha told him as he released her from the hug and he laid back down again. She tucked the cover around him, and as soon as she had closed the door Luke reached out and picked up the car from the table, running it over the mattress and his pillow. Very quiet so that he wouldn't wake Bo up, but he just had to play with it.
Eventually he fell asleep for a short nap, he didn't really take those all that often anymore, just at times.
He woke up again when he heard Bo move around in his crib.
"Uku, uku," Bo repeated, Luke had come to understand that was him. Bo had also grabbed the bars of the crib and had pulled himself up to standing. He lifted one foot against the wooden bars as if he was trying to find a foothold to climb out of the crib.
"Uku, uku," Bo pleaded reaching out his hands through the bar.
"I'll go get aunt Martha," Luke told him, he wasn't supposed to try and get Bo out of the crib, it was hard to reach over the sides good enough.
He padded out into the kitchen to look for his aunt.
"Luke, couldn't ya get dressed first?" Martha chided him gently as he came out in nothing but his underwear.
"Bo's awake an' wants up," Luke explained.
"Oh, alright." Martha wiped her hands on the apron before going into the bedroom and picking the baby up, dressing him while Luke dressed himself.
When Jesse came home they ate, and once they had eaten they all went into the family room where Jesse brought out the presents for Luke who just stood looking at them with big eyes.
"Well, go on Luke, open them," Jesse urged him with a smile, watching amused at the boys marvel. Oh yes, they had been spoiling him just a tiny bit there, but that didn't mean it was all toys. The first thing Luke unwrapped was a new shirt, then there were some pencils and crayons, but in a case he could bring to school. Two books, one with stories for children, and one copy of Tom Sawyer.
They gave him those first, leaving the ones with toys for him to open next. Luke's eyes literally sparkled when he got a baseball and a mitt. Pulling the mitt on and beaming at them. There were two more cars, one ordinary car and then a tow truck. Luke threw himself around the neck of his uncle when the last present was a hammer, it was a little smaller than his Uncle's one, and couldn't believe his Uncle had gotten him one of his own.
"We're gonna put that one with the rest of them," Jesse stated. "But it's yer own hammer, so ya don't have to ask me when ya wanna use it."
"Thank you," Luke beamed again, going between all of them and hugging them several times.
In credit of the man who gave me my first own hammer when I was six…
TBC
Please review, the Cricket is hungry……..