No Loose Ends

Chapter 1

Daisy stood pondering her next move with the heat from the General’s radiator breathing against her legs.  Why didn’t someone get back to her?  It had already been several minutes.  Boss, Roscoe, Uncle Jesse, Enos, or Cooter should have been in touch by now.  The boys would not be.  They weren’t even in range.  That is, if they were where they were supposed to be.  If they were really on an errand like they said they were.

            Daisy heard a car approaching and realized that standing out in the middle of the clearing just off the main road out of Hazzard was probably not the best place to be right now.  Someone might think she needed help and stop.  Unless it was one of the aforementioned, she really didn’t want to talk to anyone else right now.  They’d just ask a lot of questions, and that, she could do without…….

            It had been a normal morning in Hazzard.  Uncle Jesse had gotten up at his customary 5:00 am to gather eggs, milk the goats, feed MawDean the Mule, water the garden and pick tomatoes before breakfast.  Bo and Luke rolled out of bed closer to 7:00 and hit the bathroom.  They were all three sitting down to have their coffee, discussing the upcoming day.  The conversation almost came to a stop when they heard the sound of her high-heels approaching across the hardwood floors.  “Morning Uncle Jesse, Bo and Luke”, Daisy smiled. 

            “Daisy”, Uncle Jesse began.  “We’re kinda strapped on vehicles today, what with Dixie’s alternator goin’ out”.  Daisy’s smile froze on her face.  She’d forgotten about needing a new one.  “Ever-body’s kinda got plans today and thangs that needs doin’ and we on’y got the two good vehicles today….my pickup and the General Lee.  Now if you want Dixie a’runnin’ again soon, you gonna have to make a run to Capitol City to get a new alternator.  Then Bo and Luke can fix it while you’re at the Boar’s Nest.  You high-tail it up there quick as you get breakfast and get your tail end back here in time to go to the Boar’s Nest and one of the three of us will take ya”. 

            “But Uncle Jesse”, Daisy began, looking down at her outfit for emphasis, “I told Boss I’d open the Boar’s Nest by 8:00 this mornin’”.  Uncle Jesse scowled.  “Well if that don’t take the rag offen’ the bush!” he swore.  “Why in tarnation does he want you there so early today of all days?” he lamented.  “He’ll just send ya home again as soon as the customers dwindle down so he doesn’t have to pay you.  He keeps you a’runnin’ back and forth all day workin’ a little here and a little there.  Ya don’t have time to change outa your uniform into somethin’ else affore ya have to go right back again.  Comin’ home at midnight most nights and still don’t get paid for more than 8 hours a day.  It don’t seem right!” 

            Daisy her hung her head.  Uncle Jesse was right.  Boss did take advantage of her.  She never got to work more than two or three hours straight before the customers slowed down and he’d send her home.  Then he’d call her as soon as business picked back up again.  She’d dress for work each day, never knowing how long she’d have between shifts.  Therefore, she spent most of her time each day in her Boar’s Nest uniform.   Now the uniform wasn’t so bad.  It wasn’t just one set uniform that had to be worn each day.  As a matter of fact, MOST of the clothes in Daisy’s closet and dresser were acceptable for work at the Boar’s Nest.  Boss Hogg would allow her to wear almost any of her casual clothes that she owned: shirts, blouses, T-shirts, sweaters, pullovers, tank-tops, halter-tops, even tube tops.  Pretty much anything was acceptable up top, as long as she wore it with a pair of short-shorts, with pantyhose and high-heels. 

Since Daisy needed a sizable wardrobe for work, she’d had to sacrifice most of her jeans and slacks to make shorts out of them.  Therefore, she now had exactly two pair of decent blue-jeans, one pair of cowboy boots, 30 pairs of short-shorts she’d altered on a sewing machine herself, and 15 pairs of high-heels in various styles and colors, all with at least a 4 to 5 inch stiletto heel.  Henceforth, she spent most of her time in them, which was mainly the reason Uncle Jesse was not surprised to see her wearing her tight faded red denim short-shorts with a red and white striped sleeveless blouse and red high-heels at this hour.

“I’m sorry, Uncle Jesse”, she apologized.  “You want me to call Boss Hogg now and tell him I can’t come in?”  She pouted a little when she said it, evoking sympathy from her kindly old Uncle.  Luke spoke up.  “Hell—I mean, heck Uncle Jesse, Bo and I can make that run to Capitol City and get the alternator.  Daisy can take the pickup and we’ll swing by there on the way home and pick it up so’s you won’t be afoot”. 

“Won’t do, won’t do”, Uncle Jesse was already shaking his head.  Last time you two was in Chickasaw County in the General Lee, Sheriff Little said he was gonna put the two of you UNDER the jail next time he caught ya.”  He paused and caught his breath, then turned back on them.  “And who in THUNDERATION is gonna get the farm payment in to J.D. Hogg’s bank before the 8 am deadline this morning if the THREE OF YOU SIT HERE JAWIN’ ALL MORNIN’?” he yelled.

“I got it”, Luke snapped his fingers.  “Bo and I will take the pickup and run into Capitol City.  Daisy here, can take the General and run the payment by the bank on her way to the Boar’s Nest and probably get both places on time if she puts her pretty foot in the carburetor”. 

“Well not if she sets there drinkin’ coffee like she’s got all day”, Uncle Jesse snorted.  Daisy was already up out of her chair when Uncle Jesse picked up the flyswatter and made as if to swat her on her way out the door.  It had been many years since Uncle Jesse had given Daisy a whipping, but she wasn’t about to tempt him now that she was grown, especially when she had so much skin showing!  She was out the door with the envelope containing the cash.  She swung in over the General’s driver’s door with an easy grace that neither Bo nor Luke could accomplish, rolling up on the door on one hip, then swinging both legs elegantly through the window, and sliding the rest of the way in easily and fluidly.  She keyed the ignition, hit the horns for the first few bars of Dixie and was off in a cloud of dust for the bank.

Bo and Luke sat there grinning until Uncle Jesse picked up the flyswatter and started their way.  “And what in the blue blazes are the two of you a-gawkin’ at?”  At that, they were both out of their chairs and on their way to the pickup to run to Capitol City for the alternator.  Uncle Jesse watched out the window as the whole family was off on their respective errands.  He slowly poured himself a cup of coffee, grinned to himself and said “Well now.  This ain’t so bad”.  He made himself comfortable at the table with the newspaper and his coffee, put his worn workboots up on the chair across from him and relaxed for the first time all morning, humming to himself as he read.