Beverly Hillbillies Fan-Fiction

I do not own the copyrights to the show, or movie, Beverly Hillbillies

RIVER OF TEARS

RIVER OF TEARS

Ch. 1

River of tears, river of pain, I just want the river to dry up. My thoughts ramble on and on as I stand on the old manson's grounds. It's been a year since I shut the house up and left. Granny had passed on first, then JD; Jethro had already been to, and finished college. How he managed is beyond me, and Ella-Mae? She married and moved back to hills. I chuckled thinking That is one rich redneck who is skilled as coming across as a pauper. Dragging my feet I find a cold hard-stone bench to sit on. Now my mind raced, momentarily, back into time.

You don't belong here! Don't let anyone see you! Laura's voice hissed in my ear. I thought I knew her, but I now refuse to call her anything but 'that fake French broad'. I never was seen the whole time she was here. I laid so low no-one but Ella-Mae knew I existed.

"You can come in, Pa won't mind." He wouldn't have either, but I just stood outside the gate shaking my head.

"No, if I come in there will be bloodshed. And it won't be mine." I left the area and only came back when I heard 'that woman' had been arrested; along with that pip-squeak, Tyler.

"Been a long time, Arianna, I thought I'd never see you again." I turn my head and give a lop-sided grin as Jane Hathaway's niece is pushing the old woman up in a wheelchair. "Thought you might not ever come back when JD passed away." Her hair was totally gray, but her smile and eyes still shouted the young Jane was still in the wrinkled body.

"I wasn't going to …" I gave a lopsided grin to the woman who really did have a big heart, even if she'd been in lala land when it came to her love life, "…but I couldn't seem to stay away any longer."

"He really did love you." Jane's eyes lit up and then scrunched up as she tacked on, "I dare say Jethro hated that. He had one date with you and figured he had it in the bag with the gorgeous black haired beauty."

"I dare say you're right, at least on the first part. I never did win any beauty contest." She scoffed and said my olive toned skin and pitch black hair made me drop dead gorgeous. I only shook my head and grinned, but allowed our minds began to wander down the path of time as it just seemed so natural to yak with Jane around.

The moon's rays filtered through the pool window's cause light to dance off the water and balls Jethro, Ellie-May, and I were using. "Catch!", I shouted as I tossed the ball and jumped up from more shallow part of the pool. The ball swerved and smacked JD just as he'd entered the room.

"Oops, sorry, Mr. Clampett." I was sure my face had turned bright red, a fact which was not helped by Jethro's insensitive teasings, ones I am not about to repeat.

"That's enough Jethro, I don't need a medic and she doesn't need a lawyer." JD's eyes had to have been cut out from the night's sky. It was something I didn't say, but I swear the man saw for his mouth twitched upward and a twinkle spread itself all over his face as he tossed the ball back.

"I dare say Jethro, was just a youth trying to find his place. And I think, without realizing it at the time, he knew who was going to get a ring on your finger." Jane spoke in his defense.

"I know, but the fellow had his chance, not my fault he messed it up." My fingers interlocked themselves as I remembered our first dance.

"Where is Jethro and Kent?" I asked Ellie-Mae as neither one of our dates had shown up.

"I don't know." We both looked around the dance hall. Multi- covered lights were sparkling off the ceiling onto the floor, people had the tables packed, while the dance floor was semi-filled. The double date was supposed to start by 7 and it was nearly 8. "There's Kent." Ellie-May spoke up pointing towards the door the college student had just walked through.

"Yes, but where's Jethro." It was supposed to be our second date. I stood up (and) started walking towards the door only to freeze; I could see him through the glass windows, flirting with another female. Before I could say, or even think, a single word I heard a voice off to the side speak directly to me.

"Seems my nephew is ignoring all common sense." JD walked up to my side, "How about a dance?"

"When he had asked, I knew it was just him being polite. A yes was given because I didn't want to hurt his feelings..," I tilted my head and gave a wispy smile towards Jane, "By the end of the dance, he had me hook, line, and sinker."

"Darling, he said the same thing." She laughed at the shocked look on my face. "Honest, he did."

The building where Mr. Drysdale had his bank was silent except the tap, tap, tapping of typewriters. JD walked down the halls until he reached the one he knew would hold Miss Hathaway behind it.

"Mr. Clampettt, how my I help you? Is Jethro with you?" That statement set Jane and Arianna laughing.

"I still can't believe you had a thing for Jethro." Arianna managed to pull her laughing under wraps.

"It wasn't Jethro…" Jane admitted, "…it was just the idea of being with someone who might make me feel young." She then turned back to the day JD had come into her office after the dance.

"No, Jethro is not with me, and…" JD took off his hate and twisted it around. "How well, do you know Arianna Campton? I mean is she another Laura Jackson?" Before Jane could answer the realtor came into sight.

"We'll have to talk over dinner, Jane. I need to talk to Miss Randall." Neither woman talked about the place going up for sale for the realtor had got within earshot shockingly fast.

"Later, we'll meet at my place." Miss Hathaway's niece, who had been sitting so quiet they'd forgotten she was there, pushed her aunt towards their car leaving Arianna to deal with the sale of the mansion.