The Dukes of Hazzard
Only What We Can Handle
I don't own anything. Plus I don't know the whole story behind the Dukes (does anyone) so this story is just my idea of what might have happened and I've made up a few names just to make the story more believable.
Part 1: Moonshine Jars and Toy Cars
"Running Moonshine locally is one thing but running it all the way to Savannah that's just plum foolish if you ask me. You all got families to think about." Jessie Duke watched three of his brothers pack crates with jars of their Family's Moonshine and shook his head at their plans.
"Jessie you couldn't understand, you only got you and Martha to feed, John, Bailey, and me we got our kids to support and this draught is threatening to destroy all our crops and bankrupt us." Tom's words stung Jessie it was true he didn't know what they had to deal with; he was the only one of his Brother's with no youngens. Tom's son Lucas was nearly two. Bailey and his wife Catherine had a darling baby girl just over a year old they called Daisy and John just had his first son Bo who was just about six months.
"Isn't there another way you all can go about getting some more money, you know the revenuers have been snooping mighty close recently. You fellas shouldn't risk being thrown in Jail for a few extra dollars." The other's continued on like they all had in the past. The Dukes had been making and running Moonshine for hundreds of years, it was not an unknown business to them. Jessie in fact was one of the best and had complete trust in his brothers. What was bothering him was them going so far out of familiar territory.
"Look Jessie we got us a plan. Our wives want to go down to Savannah to visit some friends so we take them down there and drop them off then we make the run to Bailey's contacts and we're done. We'll tell the girls that we want to go look around the country side and none of them will be the wiser. Besides we can't call it off now we've already given our word we'd make the delivery and the Girls are all packed and ready and Martha already agreed to watch the children for the weekend. We'll be back Monday evening, so you needn't worry about us. Just take good care of the children." John the fair hair Duke brother loaded the back of his truck and covered the crates with a tarp.
"You know Martha and I love those children as our own and wouldn't let no harm come to them." Jessie did love spending time with his niece and nephews and was looking forward to that part of the weekend.
"We know Jessie and we love you for it." Bailey slapped him on the back.
"I still wish you'd reconsider." Jessie tried once more to stop them he had a bad feeling about this run.
"If wishes were nickels Jessie we'd all be rich. Look don't worry we'll see you in a couple of days and we'll all go get a drink over to the Boars Nest." Tom winked at him and smiled. Jessie had brothers as stubborn as himself and knew there was nothing he could do at this point but wish them luck and pray for their safe return.
When Jessie reached his Farm house the place was already a twitter with little feet and curious hands. "Howdy Martha Darlin I see the other girls have already come and gone." Martha sat in the front yard in a rocking car rocking a sleeping baby boy in her arms with a little girl crawling at her feet; his wife looked the very picture of feminine beauty when Jessie greeted her that evening.
She laughed softly "They were a mix of emotions all at once heart broken to leave and chomping at the bit to go. Of course I don't see how anyone would want to leave sweet little ones like these." She nodded down to Bo who yawned in his sleep and Daisy who was content sucking her pacifier and she smiled.
"Little Luke on the other hand already has me worn out. He's the spitting image of the Terrible Twos and he's still got Three months before it's official. Jessie turned to see a pint sized dark haired boy in little overalls barefoot casing a chicken.
The little boy spotted Jessie and forgot the flustered chicken. Running to Jessie Luke tripped and fell. He caught himself on his hands and was stunned for a moment, he looked to Jessie to see if he should cry or not. Jessie scooped the toddler up into his arms and smiled
"Let me see." Jessie looked at Luke's tiny hands they were dirty and a little scraped. "You'll be alright. Let's go inside and wash off and get something for supper. Jessie knelt down and picked up Daisy with his other arm and followed Martha into the house.
Jessie and Martha were always thrilled to have children brighten up their home but usually when they were there it was with their parents or they were only watching one of the children for the night. They had never handled three at once and it was turning into a new adventure.
Martha set Bo in the baby carrier on the Table. Jessie put Daisy in the High Chair and helped Luke wash his hands at the kitchen sink and then sat him at the table and turned his back to get the plates. This proved unwise because when he turned back Luke was gone.
"Luke?" Jessie checked under the table. Martha came back into the kitchen with a bag of baby food jars for Luke and Daisy.
"What about Luke?" She asked her husband who was in a very amusing pose crouched looking under the table.
"Did you see where he went? I looked away for a second." Jessie headed into the living room and jumped into action as he saw Luke reaching up onto a table to grab one of Martha's flower vases.
"Whoa there Luke, that's not a toy son." Jessie took the vase out of the little boys grasp.
"Mine." The little boy said defiantly.
"It's not yours now back to the kitchen with ya." Jessie moved the vase to a high shelf and took a look around the living room. "Martha we've got to child proof this house."
"I know dear, we'll do it later, let's eat." Jessie moved another of Martha's knick knacks to a higher place and then went back to the kitchen. Martha had put a pot of beef stew on the table and Luke promptly stood up on his chair and started to reach for the pot.
"Luke stop that's hot." Jessie again ran interference for another impending disaster. Martha turned around from where she had been heating a bottle for Bo in time to see Jessie grab the hot pot with his own hands.
"Yyaaaoooww" he hollered as he dropped the pot back on the table.
"Jessie!" Martha Jumped up and Grabbed a towel. Jessie ran his hands under the kitchen faucet. Luke was wide eyed and upset. Daisy giggled, and Bo began to cry. "It's not all lost is it?" Jessie asked Martha as she cleaned off the table.
"No not much was spilled it'll be fine. Did you burn yourself?" She threw the rag she had used in the sink and went to comfort Bo.
"No, I'm not burnt." Jessie went back to the table were Luke was sitting and pouting. "Stick that lip back where it goes sonny. It's time to eat."
"That was exhausting" Martha climbed into her and Jessie's bed that night.
"I know." Jessie looked down at Daisy and Bo who were in the crib at the end of their Aunt and Uncle's bed sound asleep and Luke was tucked in tightly to the guest bed.
"Luke is just a little ball of lighting. But they're all sooo cute." Martha mused
Jessie Climbed in Beside her. "I know."
"I'm kind of sad we have to give them back on Monday." She whispered in his ear.
"I know dear. Maybe someday we'll have a couple of our own." He whispered back
"I hope so"
"Yeah me too, just not all at the same time maybe we'll space them out a little more." Jessie kissed her goodnight and turned out the bedside lamp.
Jessie knew it was too early to be up when a tug on the blanket on his side of the bed woke him up. He rolled over, opened his eyes and jumped when he saw Luke staring back at him. Little Luke was just tall enough so that on his tip toes his eyes could be seen.
"Hey there Luke what are you doing up so early?" Jessie softly climbed out of bed so not to wake anyone else, picked up the Luke and went into the kitchen. It was 4:30 in the morning and was very dark out so Jessie turned on the light over the kitchen sink and got one of Luke's sippy cups with juice in it and handed it to Luke. Luke drank the juice and then Jessie guided him back to bed. While tucking him in the toddler asked in a very toddler way. "Uncle Jessie where Mama and Dada?"
"Luke there on a trip they'll be back soon. Now go back to sleep." Jessie tucked the boy in tightly and then went to get dressed; he would have been getting up in an hour anyway no sense in going back to bed now.
"You haven't heard anything from your brothers yet Jessie?" Martha hung the wash on the line as Jessie came back from the barn with a bucket of chicken feed. Luke followed Jessie the little boy had grown attached to his uncle in the two and a half days he's been on the farm.
"No Martha, I haven't heard anything." Jessie was getting worried and anxious. He should have heard something from them by now. If nothing else Catherine, Susan, and Willow May should have called to check in on their children.
It was late in the afternoon on Monday when the world stopped for the Duke Family. The phone call came from Savannah. Martha answered and spoke with the man on the other end. Before the conversation ended she was in hysterics and Jessie came running in from outside.
"Who is it? What's the matter?" Martha held the phone out to him as she sat down at the kitchen table sobbing. Jessie took the phone and spoke to the man on the other end. Luke who had followed his uncle in climbed up on his Aunt Martha's lap and hugged her tightly.
Jessie and Martha sat in the funeral home. Both were very quiet and calm, after hearing of the deaths of their family members in a car accident in Savannah they had composed themselves and got to work making phone calls and plans. They were on autopilot, shocked and in a state of disbelief but they moved they had to.
"Well Tom was a veteran so his arrangements will be taken care of by the state. That leaves my brothers John and Bailey. Tom's wife Willow May and John's wife Susan who didn't have any other close relations. Bailey's wife Catherine's arrangements are being taken care of by her parents."
They were both thinking the same thing but Martha said it "How are we going to pay for this funeral and three children?" She looked at the three children at her feet who were nearly oblivious to what was going on and her heart broke.
"Martha we've got kin that'll all help and well if I need too I'll…I don't know double my moonshine run and get an extra job. And you could do some sewing for the lady's in town to help out." Jessie looked threw a book of tombstones and broke a little inside.
The day of the Funeral was cold and rainy, a fitting day for a funeral. All of Hazzard County gathered at the church to mourn its lost sons and daughters. Dukes from all over came to pay their respects and all the family of Jessie's sisters in law were there too. People wept and women wailed, hands were shook solemnly and hugs were given freely.
And people whispered. They whispered about 'how such a think could happen?' 'Hadn't they had all been such experienced drivers' and 'what a shame they were all so young' then 'Was the Law to blame' and most of all they whispered about 'who would take the children.'
The first thought most Hazzard folk thought was that Jessie and Martha should take the children being they were all so close to the deceased and the youngens, but then there were those who thought otherwise.
It was at the wake back at Jessie and Martha's home that things were said out loud.
"Jessie we need to talk." Catherine's Father stopped Jessie outside the house. Jessie had met Catherine's family on a couple of occasions, they were pleasant people, they had a horse farm a few counties away.
"What can I do for you Joel?" Jessie sadly looked at the man who had also suffered a great loss.
"Well Jessie, The misses and I we'd like to take custody of our grand baby." Joel looked at him square and Jessie returned his gaze knowingly.
"You've got every right to raise Daisy, Joel. Martha and I will miss her but we won't argue with you." Martha would be broken up to let the little girl go. Though Jessie had a special place in his heart for the little girl he knew she belonged with her grandparents, besides he and Martha would have their hands full with just the two boys.
"I just wanted to have a talk about her, I'm glad she's got family on her Daddy's side because after me and Betty their ain't no one else. It'll do her grandmama's heart good to know that we'll have a little piece of our Catherine with us." Joel and Jessie shook hands and went in the house to join the rest of the mourners.
"I knew they'd want to take her." Martha got teary eyed in the kitchen when Jessie told her what Joel had told him.
"It'll be alright Martha, Daisy belongs with her Grandparents and they aren't that far away, we can go and visit her." Jessie took Martha in his arms and comforted her as he had a lot in the past few days since the accident. He still wasn't sure what happened in Savannah and it grieved him something awful. All he knew was his brothers were dead and he had to carry on the Hazzard county Dukes alone.
"I know. I know it. It just…" Martha looked up into her husband's eyes, they had gotten older and maybe wiser in the past few days and she knew what had to be done. "I'll go put her things together so Joel and Betty can take her back tonight."
"Thank you Darlin." Jessie kissed the top of her head and held her close for another moment, and then they both went to do what needed to be done.
Jessie spoke to a few kinsfolk and condolence givers and headed into the living room where he saw Daisy on the lap of her Grandmother and he saw Bo in the arms of his Great Aunt Edith, but he couldn't seem to find Luke. "Now where did that boy run off too?" Jessie muttered under his breath. It was becoming a pattern with the little boy, if someone wasn't paying close attention to him every second he'd wonder off and then Jessie wouldn't be able to find him for a good while. Jessie was starting to think that maybe he wasn't cut out to be a parent, maybe he just didn't have the skill, or maybe Luke was just really good at hiding.
Jessie first peered under the tables, not seeing the little boy he was inclined to ask his Great Aunt Edith who was eyeing him suspiciously "Aunt Edith have you seen Luke?"
"I thought Martha had him." Jessie breathed a sigh of relief. As long as someone was with Luke he couldn't get far. Jessie went back to his bed room and found Martha packing Daisy's things in the little girl's bag.
"Jessie, have you seen that little outfit Daisy had on when she got here, the pink one? I know I washed it and now I can't seem to find it." Martha was concentrating on the work at hand and Jessie didn't see his little nephew anywhere.
"Sorry Martha I haven't seen it. Have you seen Luke?" Martha looked up from her work and scanned the room.
"OOhhh dear. He was here just a second ago." Martha's eyes began to water again. "Jessie how are we going to do this, I can't even keep track of him for five minuets. I'm not fit to be these children's keeper." Martha folded onto the bed.
"Now Martha you need to stay strong, this is going to take some learning but we'll raise'em the best we can." Jessie brushed her long hair off her face and wiped a stray tear from her cheek. "Come on Darlin, we've got to find that youngin."
It didn't take long find Luke; he had only been in the next room. He had gone into the guest room and opened the closet to find in the back corner among some old boxes a little wooden car with wheels that really spun. Out of the closet it could be seen that the little wooden car had a faded 01 painted on both sides, though the little boy was too young to truly know that. He had then started crawling around pushing the little car and that's how Jessie and Martha found him.
"Aawww isn't that cute? That's the little car you made when you were a boy isn't it."
"It is, I'd forgotten we still had that." Martha kissed Jessie on the cheek; she knew he was recalling playing with that little car with his brothers.
"I'm going to go check on our quests, why don't you stay here and keep a close eye on young Lucas." Martha squeezed his hand and Jessie went and sat on the bed and watched Luke use the oval throw rug on the floor as racetrack for the little car. It was in this moment that Jessie knew he could raise his brother's children, that all it would take was a lot of love and a lot of patients. His family was counting on him and he wouldn't let them down.