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 17 …….Bicycles
"Hey Jesse," Josh greeted his friend as he came to pick Luke up, the boy was playing with Cooter again, something that was more and more common these days.
"Hello Josh, I swear y'all got two boys on yer hands these days rather than one," Jesse grinned.
"Oh, like we were any different at that age," Josh chuckled. "I tell ya there were times I though yer ma' was gonna tuck me in wi' the rest of you boys cause she forgot I wasn't one o' her own."
Jesse chuckled himself, "can't say I mind them taking to each others."
"Me neither, but I was thinking the other day, Cooter tried to talk Luke into taking a bicycle trip down yonder to the pond, an' the boy said he ain't got a bicycle." Josh explained.
"That's true," Jesse nodded. "None of them kids does. I reckon his parent's didn't think he was old enough or sumpthing,' but he didn't have one when they passed on."
"Don't ya think that would be a good idea?" Josh suggested. "Cooter's been all over the county, an' if Luke had one, them two are old enough to be let out on their own."
"So ya reckon it would be a good idea to get him one then," Jesse nodded, it made sense, he just hadn't thought about it.
Josh chuckled, "Ya'd be surprised what comes outta Cooter, see, part of it was his idea. He reminded me we still got his old bicycle in the barn, it's about the right size for Luke, an' we's got a tricycle there as well that could be good for Daisy an' Bo."
"Well, if that is the case, I reckon it wouldn't be too hard to get him one huh?" Jesse grinned.
"Not at all, I looked them over the other day when Cooter figured on giving it over to Luke, a bit of rust here an' there, sure does show some wear an' tear, but they are still holding together an' I touched them up with some oil."
"Look like my mind's already made up for me," Jesse grinned. "Alright Josh, what do ya want fer them?"
"Don't want nothing, they's Cooter's old ones, he wanted to give them over to yer boys, but I didn't want to let him do it without ya knowing about it first." Josh stated.
"Generous little boy," Jesse nodded. "Tell ya what Josh, I'll give ya a couple of dollars fer them, an' then ya can add them to that savings account ya told me ya had fer him in the bank."
"Sounds fair to me Jesse," Josh grinned, the account was one they kept so that when Cooter was older he would have enough money to get himself a fair start in life. "Better tell him now though, he's been dying to show the bikes to Luke all day."
They called the boys over and Josh told Cooter he could go ahead and show the Duke boy. Cooter gave a loud holler before grabbing Luke by the hand and take off running towards the barn, the younger boy keeping up by sheer willpower.
"Look at this," Cooter cried to Luke as he pulled out a small bicycle that was leaning against he barn wall. It was a cross between yellow and orange with scratches in the paint, but Cooter had washed it up before helping his father oil up the chain, and it was in working condition.
"Looks nice," Luke stepped over and ran his hand over the frame. "Is that yer new bike?" he asked curiously.
"Nope, it's my old one, I had it when I was yer age," Cooter explained. "Gonna be yer's
now?"
"Mine?" Luke frowned confused.
"Well, ya see Luke, Cooter has outgrown that," Josh explained. "But yer about the right size for it, so he figured if ya had it the two of you could go riding them together, an' then when you've outgrown it, Bo can take over." It was a boys bicycle so it wouldn't really fit Daisy he thought.
"I can have a bicycle?" Luke frowned looking at his uncle.
"Yes Luke," Jesse nodded. "Now ya be sure to thank Cooter an' Mr. Davenport here."
"Thank ya," Luke threw himself around Cooter's neck, before bowing to his father and repeating his thanks.
Cooter helped him push the bicycle out of the barn while Jesse simply picked up the tricycle and carried it to the pickup. That one was orange with a black saddle on it.
"Now, ya learn to ride that till I come over next week, an' then we can go somewhere," Cooter grinned as Jesse lifted up the bicycle into the truck bed as well.
"Ya bet I will," Luke declared.
Back at the Duke farm Jesse went inside to explain things to Martha while Luke started to try to learn how to ride a bicycle as soon as his uncle had lifted it down for him.
Daisy came out to play with the tricycle, and declared that she was better than Luke, because she didn't fall off at all, and Luke didn't do anything else but falling off.
Luke had pushed the bicycle to an old crate that he climbed up on to reach to get into the saddle, but he was never able to get anywhere before he just fell over.
"That's cause ya's got three wheels an' I only got two," Luke declared pouting as he rubbed his elbows. Climbing to his feet he raised the bicycle up and leaned it against the box before heading inside.
"Oh Luke, what have ya done to yer clothes?" Martha exclaimed as she overlooked stained jeans and grazed palms.
"I'm trying to learn like Cooter told me too, but it won't go forward, it just falls over," Luke complained. "I need help Uncle Jesse, how do I make it go forward?"
"Well Luke, that is a trick ya learn in time," Jesse told him. "Now, I've got a few chores to take care off, so maybe ya should leave it for now, then when I'm done, I'm gonna help ya."
"Okay, but I'd rather just go out an' keep practicing on my own until ya can help me," Luke stated thoughtfully.
"Are ya sure, yer probably just gonna fall until ya's found yer balance," Jesse explained to him.
"Yeah, but Cooter told me that he still falls with his bicycle, so I reckon I might as well practice on doing that too," Luke stated.
Jesse found himself hiding a smiled behind his beard, what a way to look on it the boy had.
"Before ya do though, we are gonna find them jeans I patched for ya to wear, an' another shirt," Martha declared. "I don't want ya to tear up the ones that yer wearing."
"Okay," Luke went into the bedroom and pulled off the cloths that he wore while Martha found the other clothes for him. Then he was back outside to practice on how to fall off a bicycle.
When Jesse had finished with the chores he came in time to see Luke climb up in the saddle and simply fall sideways.
"Luke, come here son an' I'll show ya how to do that," Jesse grinned as he watched the boy climb back to his feet. Luke pushed the bike over and Jesse gripped the middle of the handle bars. "Okay boy, swing yer leg up over the back of it, an' put yer foot down on the pedal," Jess instructed him.
Luke did as he was told, standing on tiptoe to reach over the frame.
"Now, push up with yer other foot and sit down in the saddle." Jesse smiled. Luke pushed hard with his foot and nearly toppled over to the other side before he grabbed a hold on the frame and kept himself from falling.
"That's how ya get on them," Jesse grinned, "Because then ya just push down on the pedals as ya get up. Now, lets try it again son."
This time he grabbed a hold of the frame instead, and when Luke hoisted himself up in the saddle he grinned at him. "Push down the pedals now," Jesse encouraged him and helped him to hold the bicycle steady as Luke carefully pushed down the pedals, amazed that he was actually going forward this time.
"I did it Uncle Jesse!" He cried happily as his uncle ran beside him.
"Good Luke, now ya keep doing that as I let go." Jesse let go off the frame, and Luke wavered a few feet forward before he fell over.
"I did it!" he beamed again as he untangled himself from the bike.
"Ya sure did son, now lets try it again," Jesse encouraged. Every time they did it the boy came a little further before he fell down. By the time Martha called them in for dinner Luke could get started on his own.
Luke was bruised and sported several graces but he was grinning as big as Martha had ever seen him grin before, insisting that she came out and watched him after supper.
"Watch me too!" Daisy begged. "I can ride bike better than Luke can."
"It ain't a bike, it's a tricycle," Luke pointed out.
"Children, ya behave yerself," Jesse cautioned. "I don't want to hear no bickering who can do it better than the other."
"An' I'm gonna watch both of ya," Martha decided. "But first the two of ya need to eat, ya have been very busy today."
Luke concentrated on eating, he was hungry and even asked for seconds while Daisy was too busy telling Martha how good she could ride the bike, never falling, to really eat a lot. Then they followed the children outside, Martha carrying Bo on her arm as she watched Daisy go around the yard on the tricycle. When she was done Martha told Luke he could go ahead and he got the bicycle and pushed off. It was a bit unsteady, but he wanted to show that he had really learnt it, so he concentrated on what he was doing an' got really far before he finally fell over as the front wheel hit some uneven ground.
"Ya are both really, really good," Martha encouraged them. "But it's gonna be bedtime soon so I want ya to put them in the barn for the night. Ya can continue practicing in the morning.
"Okay," Luke reluctantly obeyed pushing over to the barn and leaning it against the wall inside.
"I were still lots better than ya were," Daisy grinned at him as she put the tricycle next to the bicycle. "I didn't even fall over one time."
"Well I don't care," Luke shot back. "Because yer just a silly girl, so I'm still better than ya are." He knew it wasn't nice, but she wasn't any nice either.
"Aunt Martha, Aunt Martha, Luke called me silly girl!" Daisy cried out, running to their aunt.
"Luke, now why did ya do that?" Martha frowned, it wasn't like the boy to be mean to Daisy for no reason.
"Cause she was being mean an' saying I was bad cause I fell over," Luke explained. "Ain't no fair."
"Luke, she's too small to be mean by intent. Now apologize to yer cousin," Martha told him.
"If ya can't behave yerself about it, then ya can't ride that thing either," Jesse added.
"Alright, sorry Daisy, I didn't mean ta call ya silly girl," Luke stated with a small pout.
"Don't do it again," Daisy commanded.
"An' Daisy girl, I don't want to hear ya say anything to Luke about him falling off that bicycle. Luke did might good learning to do that so fast on a so big bicycle," Jesse cautioned the young girl who nodded a bit chastised. Luke smiled to himself, at least they told Daisy to.
In credit of the man who helped me to learn to ride my own orange bike by asking me not to crash into anything I might dent, like his cars, and stood watching as I thought falling over was about as much fun as riding the bike….
TBC
Please review, the Cricket is hungry….