by: Delilah Kelly

Christmas 1863

When Rosco arrived, folks would have hardly recognized him. Fortunately for him, he was spotted on the road to Hazzard, between the railroad station out of town and Hazzard itself. Toby, the Evans’ male slave, recognized him and invited him to get on the family buggy.

“Massa She’iff ! Massa She’iff !”

Rosco was so surprised to be called by his former position that he hardly turned his head. He went on, persuaded the Black man was calling someone else out. It even came to his mind who the Hazzard County Sheriff could be now.

“Massa She’iff ‘osco ! Massa She’iff ‘osco !”

This time, there was no mistake. The man in the buggy was indeed calling him. He recognized the Evans’ servant.

“Eh ! Toby !” Rosco gestured to the man.

“Massa She‘iff ! Please hop in!”

Rosco did not need to be told twice. He was exhausted and he was relieved only thinking that he would not have to walk the last miles that separated him from his home.

“I was on my way back to da fa’m. Do you mind if I go de’e fi’st ? Massa Joe’s gonna kill me if he don’t see me back !”

Rosco was too much happy not to walk anymore. He did not mind walking but one of his boot sole had a big hole and it made walking particularly uncomfortable. “Go back to ol’ Evans’ place first, I just don’t give a damn ! I’m so happy to ride instead of walking !”

The Black man grinned at the Sheriff of Hazzard. “Su’e thing, massa She‘iff, with dat big hole in ye’ boot, I can unde’stand !” Both men laughed together. Toby filled in Rosco with the County news and of course, with the most important he had deemed: Rosco was daddy to a marvelous little boy.

Rosco clutched Toby’s arm in surprise. “Say that again ?!”

“T’ue, massa She‘iff, ma’am Kat’ina, she had a lovely boy afte’ you left fo’ da wa’. He’s called ‘osco Lee and he looks ve’y much like you.”

Rosco quickly computed in his mind. He had conceived the child during the two weeks he had been with Katrina. He remembered they had made love almost everyday but he was still surprised a girl as young as sixteen could bear children.

“ ‘Tis bo’n in Janua’y last yea’,” Toby explained. “ ‘Tis a lovely lil’ boy, ye’ ‘osco Lee. Ma’am Ma’tha, she said massa Joe one day the lil’ boy, he was like you, because ma’am Colt’ane she said so.”

Rosco could not help grinning. He had no slave of his own but like many Whites around, he was always puzzled that Black people seemed to know everything going on in the County. “So Toby, make it quick so that I can come back home to see my little boy !”

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by: Kristy Duke

Staring blankly into the ugly peach cream colored wall that hangs hollowly across the room from where I sit in the large waiting room, the rythmatic ticking of the clock only adds agitation to the fear, anger, and frustration that eats lively within me. I sigh tiredly as I hide my tear stained face into the palms of my hands as my mind runs wildly within me, with clear thoughts and images of the past year and a half to what I had found out only a couple of hours ago. Ever since I had receive the frantic phone call from Bo over a year and a half ago, I had accepted the hard truth of Jesse’s death, accepting that it was a harsh way to leave this world, but it was his time to go. I accepted Jesse’s tragic death in knowledge that I didn’t have a choice, but to accept it and to move on. I knew I had to be strong if the farm had any hope of living and growing as Jesse would want it to. But most of all, I knew I had to be strong for Daisy and Bo, Bo needed my comfort, my strength in knowledge that I was there, even if he had trapped himself within the thick shell.

I feel myself tense up in surprise at feeling a soft gentle touch of reassurance land on my shoulder and I slowly force myself to look up to find Daisy sitting next to me. “He…they’ll be ok,” she finally says wiping her tears away.

“Maybe,” I sigh looking around at the half filled waiting room, “but things will never be the same…Drake came here and wrecked what once was, scarring them for life, mentally and perhaps physically.”

Tears boil up once again in my eyes and I push them away in my own pride as I fight back my emotions. “Luke,” she finally sighs, “You have been there for me when I needed you the most, but what is most important, is that you were there for Bo no matter how frustrate he may have gotten you. You held us together and you are the one that helped the farm stay together…thank-you. You are a great guy all around, but you also deserve to show your emotions, to let your guard down once in awhile.”

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by: Marty Chrisman

Bo paced the room anxiously. He wished Daisy and Uncle Jesse would hurry up. The doctor said he could go home as soon as they got there. He was still sore and stiff and his chest still hurt like hell if he coughed or tried to lift anything too heavy but he could handle it. The doctor said the bandages would have to stay on for at least another week. Bo couldn’t wait to get them off, he felt like he could barely breathe they were wrapped so tightly around his chest. He knew he was lucky. The kind of injury he’d had was one of the most common causes of death in car accidents.

But right now, his mind was on Luke, just like it had been for the last week and a half. He hadn’t had any dreams for the last two nights and that both worried and scared him. Jesse had promised that he could go see Luke. He planned on doing that before he did anything else and that included going home. His jaw was set in that stubborn Duke way that spelled trouble if anyone tried to cross him on that.

Jesse and Daisy finally arrived. After a few seconds of rather heated debate, Jesse finally agreed to take him to Atlanta to see Luke right away instead of waiting till later that afternoon but they would have to drop Daisy off at the farm first because she had to work.

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by: Kristy Duke

It was a dark and dreary winter day when the Duke elderly patriarch took a last look at the empty kitchen before stepping out onto the old porch. Despite the deep sadness that tears deeply within him, a small smile crosses his withered face as his thoughts slowly flash back to the many memories he had built upon this porch. Memories of rocking the kids on warm summer nights, playing matchbox cars with the boys on it, or sitting up on the porch swing as he wait for one of the kids to return home from one of their dates. Now as he steps off the thin and well worn steps down onto the dusty dirt drive way, he is forced to leave the house he had been raised on, the house he had raised his nephews and niece at, and to walk away with only memories. Over and over again he had told the boys and Daisy that it was only a house, only a farm, that there is much more to life than a louse building built with wood or the land and animals; it could be worse. Though now as he steps to his dirty truck, he is stuck asking and wondering what all he was talking about when he had attempted to comfort them. Truth is, the farm means the world to him. It was always family and the farm that meant the most to him and now he is left with only his family and memories.

Taking a deep breath, Jesse slowly turns around to eye the old farm house, taking it in for another long moment as his thoughts grudgingly fall upon the reason of their departure. Boss Hogg.  The man that Jesse Duke had grown up with, was friends with for a long while before things happened that made Boss and Jesse not just no longer friends, but enemies.  For years Boss has tried every trick he could imagine to get his hands upon the boys’ famous race car or the farm; now he has succeeded upon getting the farm. Anger swells rapidly within Jesse as his thoughts flash back to yesterday of when they had walked into Hogg’s office five minutes late in order to pay the mortgage. Hogg’s dark eyes gleamed in excitement as he ripped Jesse’s payment in half, declaring late is late, and that the farm now belonged to him. Forget the fact that it was Hogg’s own construction truck that had plowed The General off the road in order to make them late, they were late and the farm technically was owed to Hogg.

“Damn it,” Jesse cusses as he turns his attention to his truck bed that is full of the last goods that had been left behind from Cooter’s truck. Sighing heavily, he throws open the passenger door of his truck just as Rosco’s patrol car sharply turns into the driveway to force Jesse’s attention towards the town’s sheriff.

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by: Kim

Several days later after the accident, Daisy had finished the laundry and was putting the boy’s clothes away. After she put Bo’s clothes away into his drawer, she opened Luke’s drawer only to discover the pack of cigarettes under his shirts. Daisy knew that if anyone were smoking on the property, someone would get a whipping. She knew that she had to show her uncle what she had found. When Daisy went to her uncle to show him the cigarettes, Jesse asked her where she had found them. She said, “I found them hidden in one of Luke’s drawers when I was putting his clothes away.” When Jesse realized that Luke had been smoking and could have caused the fire that almost killed his cousin. He told Daisy that he would have to deal with Luke regarding the cigarettes.

When Luke arrived from visiting his cousin, Jesse was sitting in the front room and said to Luke ” BOY, GET IN THIS ROOM THIS MINUTE AND I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT SOMETHING. Luke was afraid of what was going to happen by the tone of his uncle’s voice. Jesse said, “DAISY FOUND THESE IN YOUR DRESSER DRAWER WHEN SHE WAS PUTTING YOUR CLOTHES AWAY. NOW I WANT TO KNOW WHY YOU HAVE THIS IN THE HOUSE. I WANT TO KNOW WHERE YOU GOT THESE FROM THIS INSTANT.” Luke answered,” I got them from a friend the other day at school.” Jesse answered loudly, “YOU GOT THEM FROM A FRIEND AND WERE YOU SMOKING.” Luke answered, “Yes, Uncle Jesse.” Jesse yelled, ” HOW COULD YOU BE SO STUPID TO BE SMOKING ON THE FARM. YOU KNOW THAT IF WE HAVE A FIRE, WE WOULD NOT ONLY LOSE THE BARN, BUT ALSO THE FARMHOUSE. WHAT WERE YOU THINKING, LUKE.” Luke was shocked by the anger from his uncle’s shouting said, “I am sorry for bringing the cigarettes home.” Jesse answered,” LUKE, YOU SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER THAN TO SMOKE, HOW STUPID AND CARELESS CAN YOU BE TO BE SMOKING IN OR NEAR THE BARN. YOU COULD HAVE KILLED YOUR COUSIN. WHEN COOTER AND I HEARD BO CALLING FOR HELP, I HAD NO WAY OF SAVING HIM AND WHEN COOTER PULLED HIM OUT OF THE FIRE HE WAS BADLY BURNED WHEN THE HAYLOFT COLLASPED BECAUSE YOU SMOKE THE CIGARETTE AND CARELESSLY DROPPED IT. HOW COULD YOU SMOKE IN THE BARN AND SO DAMM CARE LESS? WHERE HAS THE LITTLE BOY THAT I WOULD READ BEDTIME STORIES WITH HIS LITTLE COUSIN GO OR WHAT HAPPEN TO THE THINGS I TAUGHT YOU THAT A PERSON CAN BE SO CARELESS WHEN PLAYING WITH MATCHES. YOU COULD HAVE BURNED DOWN THE FARMHOUSE AS WELL AND WHERE WOULD WE LIVE NOW IF THAT HAD HAPPEN TO US OR WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPEN TO COUSIN. HE COULD HAVE DIED DUE TO YOUR CARELESSNESS. Luke answered, “Yes Uncle Jesse, I am sorry for hiding the cigarettes from you.” Then Jesse replied,” DO YOU KNOW THAT SMOKING IS A FIFTHLY HABIT THAT CAN CAUSE HEALTH PROBLEMS FOR YEARS. HOW COULD YOU GO FROM BEING A WELL-BEHAVED YOUNG MAN TO A YOUNG MAN THAT IS TURNING DOWN THE WRONG PATH? WHY DID YOU START THE FIRE, LUKE AND WHY WOULD YOU BURN DOWN THE BARN KNOWING YOUR COUSIN IS INSIDE.” Jesse comes up to Luke, grabbing him by both of his shoulders, shaking him and saying, ” LUKE, YOU CAN’T BE THAT DAMM STUPID TO START THAT FIRE AND NOT KNOW WHAT A FIRE CAN DESTROY. TELL ME THE TRUTH ON WHY YOU STARTED THE FIRE AND DON’T LIE TO ME.” Luke, who was so shook up about what Jesse had said to him, ” But Uncle Jesse I did not set the fire. I had gone into town to pick up the supplies when the fire occurred. How could I be there to start it.” Jesse replied,” DO I HAVE TO GET THE STRAP AND GIVE YOU A WHIPPING YOU WOULD NEVER FORGET. I HOPE YOU HAD BETTER NOT START TO LIE TO ME ABOUT NOT STARTING THE FIRE. ” Then Luke answered his uncle, “But I told you already that I didn’t start the fire.” Finally Jesse got so angry with Luke that he slapped Luke on the left side of his face. Shocked by his uncle slapping him, Luke began to believe that Jesse thought he was stupid and he no longer loved him. Luke was upset because he never remembered his uncle call any of the kids stupid. Jesse say, “Luke go to your room and don’t come out till I am ready to let you out.” During the next few days, Luke stopped talking to his uncle, but only talked to him when spoken to. Luke did not tell Bo about the fight that he had with his uncle because he did not want to upset him.
A week later, Bo’s burns began to heal, so he was ready to come home, but he would need plastic surgery to remove the area of skin that was burned by the fire. Luke kept his promise to his uncle that he would visit and help take care of Bo once he came home. When Bo came home from the hospital, Luke helped his cousin while he healed. One day when Bo was getting ready for school, he was having a hard time gripping the buttons on his shirt. Every time he had the button almost in the hole, it would slip out of his hands because he could not grip them very well. After several times, he was about to give up when Luke came in to see what was taking his cousin so long to get ready because they were going to miss the bus. Luke said,” Bo, do you need some help with your shirt.” Bo replied,” Yes, Luke can you help me, please.” Luke went over to where Bo was sitting on his bed and finished buttoning his shirt and Luke told him, “Let’s go Bo.”

When they arrived at school, Luke told Bo that he had to go to class and he will be there to eat lunch with him. Bo said,” Okay Luke I will see you later at lunchtime.” After Luke left, some of the students knew the situation of Bo’s accident, but had often tease him for several years, began to tease him again. Several students came up to Bo and said,” Hey Bo, with your looks you can star in a freak show. Bo, you know that Halloween has been over for three months, you can take off your mask now.” That is when one student started to grab at Bo’s face where it had been burned and it caused Bo to scream while another student push him down onto the ground and it forced him to fall down with his hands hitting the ground hard. Then Bo managed to get up and run to his first class. This continued through out the day till lunchtime. When Bo met his cousin at lunchtime, he noticed that Luke was very quiet and he noticed some bruising on his left cheek. He asked, “Luke, what happen to your face?” At the same time he was asking the question, he moved his hand up to his cousin’s face and Luke suddenly slapped his hand very hard. Bo cried, ” Ouch, Luke that hurt.” Then Luke realized what he had done and said, ” I’m so sorry Bo, please forgive me, I did not mean to slapped your hand, it’s just that you spooked me that’s all.” Then Bo says to Luke, “I know Luke, don’t worry I still love you and forgive you.”