A/N-This is based of of a 'Nightmare from Hee Haw', the girls and the guys went for a vacation in the woods and met up with a bunch of...well, mean ol' rednecks and this well, will be about them.
Earlier that afternoon, way before our girls met up with Daddy Jones and boys, daddy Jones was on his front porch smoking on his pipe and deep in thought and his boys, Junior, Rupert and Nubs are horsing around and you can tell that they are sweaty and dirty and Junior asks, "We just finished building the hog pen daddy, we can go get those big ol' hogs that Mister Hickory is givin' us daddy" Daddy Jones takes a smoke off his pipe then says, "That's good" Nubs then asks, "What's the matter daddy? You didn't even come down once to the hog pen, you've just been here smokin' that there pipe and with that funny look on your face"
He just smiles at his sons and puts down his pipe then says, "Aw, I was just thinkin' bout my granddaddy sons, sure do miss that man, wish you boys got to meet him" Junior then says, "Daddy, why don't you tell us 'bout where the family comes from"
His brother looks at him then says, "We come from here brother". Junior then says to his brother, "No, I meant where all the Jones's from why back come from, I did hear that granddaddy did come from someplace before he died 'fore I was born" Daddy Jones says, "Rupert, go get me that book under the table in the hallway for me" He says, "Sure daddy"
Daddy Jones then goes on to say, "I was told that we come from Minnesota, you know, that cold state up north, in fact I hear a lot of families from up there have settled down here...guess all that cold ran people down here" Rupert then comes out with a book, hands it to Daddy Jones who opens it up, goes through some pages then comes to a old tin photograph and picks it up and shows it to the boys then he says, "This here is my grandaddy, Emmett Jones, he's the one that came down here and settled in this part of the country" Nub says, "Why daddy, he looks like you" Daddy Jones looks at the photograph and laughs then says, "That there he does, fact is, a lot of us Jones men look alike" The boys look at each other then one of them says, "We don't daddy" Daddy Jones sits back, looks at his boys then says, "I said, "A lot of us ", no all, now just sit back and listen to this here story before I take each of you over my knee"
The boys hush up and Daddy Jones sits back and says, "Fact is, our last name should be Lamb, not Jones and I'll tell you why" The boys look confused and daddy Jones picks up a old letter then says, "His grandaddy was named Houston Lamb is what it says in this here letter and other family things...the story that goes through the family is that Houston was working as a janitor at a school for the blind when the state came in and took over. That meant new teachers, new people but there was one somebody that Houston already knew but she didn't know he was going to be there and neither did she" The boys look at each other and all ask, "What?" Daddy sits back and a picture of Houston comes in his mind as he tells the long history of the family.
"From what's been said, Houston was a man in his 60's, near 70 and still alone but one day...a woman of pure beauty, a tall woman with strawberry blond hair that was turning gray came walking in and Houston was up in his room talking with the new owners of the place...(Houston talks ) "All I want to know Mister Layman, is will I be able to stay on at this here place taking care of all that this here place needs? I've been doing it for a long time now" The a short, little man in a sharp three piece suit of that day walks around and says, "I don't see why not, it's just that I've been wanting to talk to you about staying in a room downstairs. With so many kids coming in, we need the room Mister Lamb" Houston smiles and says, "Shoot, is that all? That room will be more than fine for me and it's Houston, you call me Houston from now on, you hear?" Mister Layman smiles then says, "Let's go see that room" Houston grabs his little hat and they go out and down the stairs and opens the doors and in comes several ladies, young and old and the first lady asks, "Mister Layman?"
He looks at the lady in a pretty calico top and gray skirt and she says, "I'm Mrs. Rosewood and these are the rest of the ladies here to be teachers for the blind students that will be coming" She points to them and says, "Miss Bonner, Mrs. Flaxton and Miss Ghyllis and there is one more woman coming..." Suddenly, a tall woman with greying blond hair comes in and she says, "This is Miss Jones" Houston looks at the lovely woman who is also in her sixties and his mouth almost falls open and so does hers.
A few hours later as the night falls, Miss Jones steps into Houston's room and she sees him smoking his pipe and without even looking at her, he says, "Frances". She smiles and goes on in and sits down in a chair then says simply, "Houston" . Uncomfortable silence passes between them then he says, "It's been a long time Frances" She gets up and goes to look out the window and looks at her reflection and says, "45 years since I told you I couldn't marry you" He thinks about that then he asks, "Why?"
She shrugs her shoulders and says, "I was scared". More silence falls between them for a loooong time then he finally says, "I would have helped you get over the scare" She smiles then when she turns to leave, he finally asks her, "Did you ever get married?" She shakes her head and softly says, "No" She then leaves and he smiles and continues to smoke.
As the days go on , Houston and Frances dance around each other, getting to know each other all over again then one day as the wind starts to turn cool, Houston goes to pick up Frances at the house she is renting, knocks on the door and she opens the door and smiles at him and he feels as if the sun shines on him and he remembers his hat and he says, "I know I'm a little early Frances, I'm hoping you won't mind but..." She interrupts him then says, "Please come in Houston, you can sit down in the chair, I just have to get my shawl and books together" She turns and quickly walks to her room to get her things and she says while walking, "I appreciate this Houston, I really do. I hate that you have to come get me for work each morning but this house was the only house within school distance for me to rent but it's also so far!" "Oh, it's no problem, no problem, shucks, gives me a chance to excersise that horse mr. Layman has" She smiles and puts on her shawl then says, "That was nice of him" They smile at each other and she starts to pick up her books when a knock comes on her door, they look at each other and she says, "Come in"
In comes a man in his mid forties and he says, "Ma?" She looks shocked and runs to him and says, "Emmett!" She throws her arms around him and then she looks at Houston and she says, "Oh, this is my son Emmett, Emmett, this is Houston Lamb. He takes care of things at the blind school" Emmett and Houston shake hands and Houston says, "Pleased to meet you son" "Likewise" says Emmett then Frances asks, "What are you doing here, I thought you were still in Tracy" Emmett smiles then says, "Well, I was thinking of settling down here next to you Ma" She smiles then says, "That's my boy, always thinking of his maw" He smiles and hugs her again then says, "Okay, well, I just wanted to let you know I was in town mom, I got to go to work, I got a job down at the blacksmith shop in town" Frances smiles then says, "Come back tonight for supper Emmett" He gives her a hug then leaves and Frances turns back to Houston.
A short while later, she is sitting in the buggy with Houston and they are quiet then he finally asks her, "I thought you said you didn't get married" She looks down at her shoes then says, "I didn't...Emmett's your son" He quickly makes the horse stop and looks at her then asks, "Why didn't you tell me?" She sighs then says, "I tried, but you left town shortly before I found out, I tried to find you but I couldn't so I moved away so I wouldn't shame maw and paw and...I told everybody in every town I went to that Emmett's father died in a train accident"
Silence falls back between them and the only noise they hear is the wheels from the buggy turning as they get closer to town. Then he finally asks her, "Are you going to tell him about me?" She looks around at the birds in the air flying and the passing green trees then she says in a soft voice, "Yes, I think it's time...both of us meeting here and you finally meeting your son, I think the signs are telling me that it's time...do you want to come tonight?" He thinks on that for a moment then he says, "Naw, I think you and him should have dinner together after being apart for so long and you tell him" She shakes her head yes and they come into town and see children going to school and people going to work in the town of Sleepy Eye.
Back in time with Daddy Jones and his boys, they ask, "Well, daddy, did Emmett and his daddy ever met up?" Daddy Jones then says, "Yes, Frances told him that very night..." Daddy Jones pictures the meeting but doesn't hear any words...and he keeps talking, "Emmett didn't know what to think at first and Houston gave him time but a few weeks later, they met up finally and with tears in his eyes, Emmett finally gave his daddy a hug. From what those there papers say, Houston and Frances finally got married a few months later and stayed together for 15 years until they died together . Some parts of the family say that Emmett found them in bed holding hands when they died, don't know if that's true or not but I would like to think so"
They all sit around in quiet then Daddy Jones asks, "What have you boys learned from this story?" Nub takes a breath then says, "Well, I'm glad that great grandaddy didn't take the Lamb name or we would be called those 'Mary had a little Lamb boys" His brothers snickers and Daddy Jones smiles and rubs his knees then says, "So am I...what say you boys that we all go into town to get something to eat and see some pretty girls?" "Yeah!"
The hillbilly family runs and goes and gets in the family farm truck not knowing that they will meet up with the women and men from Atlanta to start the nightmare from Hee Haw.
A/N-A few personal facts are in this story, my name, my paternal's grandfather's name