Chapter 22: Epilogue
-Epilogue-
It was a warm, sunny, spring day at Hazzard Pond, and Enos thought they might actually score a fish dinner tonight with the luck they’d had. He’d given up his own line some time before, finding it more entertaining to watch the kids than worry with catching any more himself.
A little girl with long, nut brown hair climbed up into his lap and sat down. “Daddy,” she said, “why do fish like worms?”
“I dunno, sweetpea,” he answered, “maybe they taste good. Have ya’ ever eaten one?” He laughed at the expression on four year old, Lilly’s, face.
“Ew! I’d never eat a worm!” She thought for a minute. “Ya’ know, momma says you are whatcha eat. If I ate a worm, would I turn into one?”
“Well, I reckon you eat fish an’ you ain’t turned into one, yet…wait…,” he looked closely at her, “You know, Lil’, I think ya’ might be lookin’ a little green an’ scaly…”
She laughed. “Daddy, you’re so silly.”
Enos ruffled her hair as she bounced away, going over to her mom around the other side of the dock to no doubt ask her the same questions. His eyes met Daisy’s and they grinned at each other. Turning back around, he watched puzzled as nine year old Zachary threaded his fourth worm onto his line.
“Son, you know puttin’ more worms on there ain’t gonna catch ya’ a bigger fish.”
“Jenny’s dad said that he caught a 18 pound bass in here last summer.”
“Jenny Davenport?” Jenny was the result of Cooter finally moving back to Hazzard and settling down…with a girl fifteen years his junior. “I think her dad’s been drinkin’ th’ pond water again if he thinks he caught a fish that big in here, Zach.”
“Dad, can she come over from school on Monday?”
Enos groaned. “Go ask yer mom. She’s th’ one’s gotta put up with th’ two of ya’.” He ran off. “An’ don’t tell her I said ‘yes’ this time!”
A horn honked behind him and Enos looked back to see ol’ Hank Wilson’s red pickup stopped on the bank above them. He stood and walked up the from the dock towards the road.
“Hey, Mr. Wilson,” he called, “how’s th’ plantin’ goin’?”
“Oh, just fine, Sheriff. Y’all catchin’ anything?”
“A few. They were jumpin’ earlier, but not much th’ last hour. Say, tell your wife we really appreciated the pie she dropped by the station last week. Sure was mighty fine.”
The man looked pleased. “I’ll tell her. She’s right proud of them grape pie’s of her’s. Well, I’ll let ya’ get back t’ yer family. Tell Daisy I said ‘hi’.”
“I will. You take care now.”
The truck drove off and Enos turned towards the pond again, smiling as he watched his wife and children, and thinking just how lucky he was to have them.
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