Chapter IV Dukes and Clampetts

 “Morning Mr. Clampett.” Luke smiled as he and Jethro came down for breakfast the next morning followed by Daisy and Elly.
 “Morning Luke. What’re you young’uns up to today?” he asked
 “Well, Jethro said that we were going driving in that old truck of yours. I don’t know what the girls are doing.”
 “Well Daisy what are you two doing?” Jesse asked her, Jed having asked the boys.
 “Well, Elly was going to show me around the mansion and show me some of the ‘critters’ as she calls them.”
 “Well hope you girls have fun.” he chuckled.
 “Yeah. I told Elly that we’d get our chance to drive when the boys get the General fixed. Then we can drive Mr. Clampett’s truck.”
 “That I reckon you will.” Jed answered “Luke told me yesterday that he and his cousin ain’t driven anything but that since they got it.”
 “That would be right Mr. Clampett. They haven’t except on a few occasions and I think Luke mentioned that he and Jethro were driving to go and get it today.”
 “Good, good.” Jed smiled looking over at Granny who was bringing over a plate piled with eggs and bacon for their breakfast.
 “Well I reckon this’ll be enough, but you never can tell with Jethro around.”
 “Normally I’d agree with you ma’am. I saw the way he did last night and normally that’d be Bo and Luke too, but today I think they’re just excited about the General” he looked over at his niece “Daisy could you take some of this up to Bo’s room and give him a little company?”
 “Yes sir Uncle Jesse.” she nodded and left to do his bidding.
 “I’ll go too Pa.” Elly smiled following her.
 Jed smiled knowing that Elly may not have been Granny’s idea of what a proper girl ought to be, but she was diffidently raised right to her morals.
 “So Jesse what is it with that girl?” Granny asked joining the men at the table.
 “Well, I really can’t explain it. I mean where we come from she is different. You know when she was only six her parents died on a shine run as Bo‘s who was only about three or four at the time, but I only knew because ol’ Roscoe, that’s the sheriff in our town just came around to me one day and had Bo in his arms as well as Daisy beside him and said that I was to take care of them. Course it wasn’t but a week or two later that Luke was brought to me and so I had three young’uns to look after. Naturally I did, but well . . . Not long after the three kids came. About half a year or so after I lost the love of my life Martha. That was real hard on them ‘cause they loved her, but I knew how to cook and such so we got on all right. In fact I taught Daisy most of what she knows. I gave them the best life I could.” Jesse sighed taking a bite of his breakfast as Luke looked around apparently thinking that his Uncle picked an odd time to say such a thing.
 “I know what you mean Jesse.” Jed smiled “I had to raise Elly most of her life. Her ma died when she was real young and Granny couldn’t come around to help me till’ she was about ten or so because her ma was sick and needed to be taken care of. I sometimes wonder what would have happened if she had been raised with me and her ma, but I’m proud of her. That girl could out do every boy in the Tennessee hills in about everything.”
 “Well like you two have nothing better to talk about.” Granny pointed out apparently not liking such pitiful talk.”
 “Yeah, I reckon so Granny, but ain’t nothing wrong with talking about the young’uns.”
 “Yeah. I reckon.” Granny answered shaking her head.

 Meanwhile up in Bo’s room the girls and Bo were having some conversations of their own.
 “So Bo, what would you like to do today?” Elly asked.
 “Nothing I guess. Wish I could at least go with Luke and Jethro to get the General.”
 “I know sugar, but you have Elly and me.” Daisy said in an attempt to comfort him.
 “I know Daisy. I just wish I was out there. I know Luke and I will need Uncle Jesse, but in a city like this I wish we could keep an eye on you.”
 “Oh Bo.” Daisy shook her head “You know I’m perfectly capable.”
 “I know.” he replied bowing his head in defeat “We just love you so much Daisy.” she nodded, this having been a fact that she had known all her life. She had two cousins, both which were overprotective of her.
 “You know we care Daisy.” Bo smiled handing her his empty plate.
 “I do. I reckon I’ll take our plates downstairs and then I guess Elly and I will be around until Jethro and Luke come back with the General.”
 “And I can send Bessie up to give you some company Bo.” Elly smiled turning to leave with Daisy.
 “Thanks you two. Could you ask Uncle Jesse to come up?” he asked as the two knew because he was bored. At least he had plenty of people to talk to who cared.
 “We will sugar.” Daisy smiled and she and Elly headed off down the stairs.

 (So now I guess y’all figured out by now that the Dukes and the Clampetts are becoming good friends, well just you wait and see what springs between them)

 Later that afternoon Jesse and Jed sat out front and whittled while talking about the young’uns and other things.
 “So Jed what was it like back in Tennessee?” Jesse asked.
 “Well . . . Between Californy and Tennessee I’d rather live in Tennessee. We had a little one-room cabin and well what I thought was everything we needed. Out here it seems we have too much. It ain’t quite as simple. I don’t know what I can say about it.”
 “Yeah. ‘Bout how we feel about Hazzard. Of course out there everybody is related to each other. I wouldn’t have raised them anywhere else.”
 “Yeah.” Jed sighed agreeing when suddenly they heard the sound of two vehicles coming up the driveway. The two men smiled hearing the familiar horn of the General and after looking up saw Jethro and the truck following it.
 “Why look-it thet thing.” Jed chuckled as the girls came ruining out front, Elly with Bessie in her arms. “Right fine thing you got there Luke.”
 “Thanks Mr. Clampett.” Luke smiled climbing out the window.
 “So Luke, where’d thet pretty music come from?”
 “Oh. The horn Mr. Clampett.” he answered giving the middle of the steering wheel a gentle punch to which it immediately began to play Dixie. At which Granny came rushing out to the front of the house.
 “Where the Yankees?” she asked then saw the General “What you boys up to?”
 “They’re not up to anything.” Jesse smiled “This little horn in the middle of their steerin’ wheel does that.”
 “Oh. Well it’s nice to know thet we have some real southern boys around here.” she looked at Jethro who just shrugged.
 “Right nice Luke. So how come you climbed out the window?” Jed asked.
 “Well Mr. Clampett when Bo and I first got her we figured we could turn the General into a racing car so we naturally started doing that. From the day we got her she’s been the best car we ever had.
 “Reckon so.” Jed smiled.
 “Well you boys ready fer supper?” Granny asked heading toward the door.
 “Yeah. Reckon we are Granny. Come on boys.” Jed nodded to Bo and Luke as he and Jesse followed Granny into the house.