by: Essy Jane

Luke wasn’t able to move his legs. Bo and Cooter were working on trying to
get him to walk. After all, he was basically a sitting duck if he wouldn’t
learn. It seemed the more that they worked with him the less Luke wanted to
do it. “Come on Luke! One little movement,” Cooter began to encourage. Luke
rolled his eyes as he tried to kick the stick away.

“This isn’t working,” Bo stated as he hit his head. “Cooter, I need you to
kidnap someone in Calgary for me.”

“Who do you want, that nurse lady that was crying for you, Bo?”

“She was crying for me?” Cooter didn’t answer. “Come on Cooter! Tell me.”

“Yeah, she said she was scared for your lives. What’s her name anyway?”

“Tara, Tara Garrison. She’s so amazing. I-I love her I guess. She’s done so
much for me. Is it bad to love your nurse?”

“I don’t know, don’t ask me. You want me to abduct anyone else?”

“Don’t bring Jud here, he’s safe where he is. Don’t tell him you’ve found us
or he’ll want to come.”

Cooter didn’t want to bring him in the first place. Though he knew Jud could
take care of himself, Cooter just didn’t want to risk it.

“No problem.”

“I want my brother though. What if those guys find out about him being
placed as my cousin? They might try to use him against us. You should get
him,” Luke retorted.

“You have no say in this,” Bo jumped in.

“He’s my brother!”

“Yeah but it would be bad to put him in this much danger. He’s safer where
he is. You know it and I know it.”

“No he’s not, if he was I wouldn’t be yelling at you.”

Bo took a deep breath and slapped his cousin in the back of the head. He was
so angry.
“You know that I’m right. Cooter go!”

Cooter jumped into the General and sped off. Luke gave Bo a sour look. He
hated him with a passion. It was bad enough that he was in the middle of
nowhere.

Without his brother, Luke felt weird. He’d seen him everyday since the
shooting and just then was when he was getting scared. “You want something
to eat?”

“You know why I felt like not eating?” Bo looked at his cousin; he wondered
what he was talking about.

“What do you mean? What time period are we talking about here?” Luke took a
deep breath and cleared his throat. He wanted to tell Bo about what had
happened.

“When I arrived in the hospital, the only person on my mind was me. I didn’t
want to think about you or Jud or anyone. I didn’t care about what was going
on in the world. I knew I’d never walk again.”

“You will.”

“What if I don’t? The bullet in my back was quite close!”

“Then we’ll work through it together. Go on with your story, Luke.”

Luke explained on how much pain he felt after the first two weeks. He wanted
Rosco to be there though he didn’t really know why.

Of all people to miss why would Luke choose Rosco? When he explained he
missed the chases with Bo, he got the picture. “You were always egging him
on. You loved to tell Rosco off. I don’t know why but…I think all that jail
time we had made us closer. Everything made us closer.”

“Yeah well, we were meant to be together. Just like you and Jud are.”

“I guess.” Bo looked up just as he said those two words.

“What does that mean?”

“I don’t know him. I don’t know why but sometimes I can’t get that close to
him…not like with you.” Bo smiled. He began to cut up carrots and things
that Cooter picked up for them to share. Bo gained a skill since he’d been
at the farm. He could cook really well.

Cooter pulled up after about an hour and a half. But someone had followed
him all the way down. It wasn’t Cal and Kevin. It was a Chevrolet, Luke’s
father’s Chevrolet. In there was Jud and of course his daddy. Luke smiled
when he saw Jud but when he came across his father’s face, Luke was angry.

“Luke why didn’t you tell me dad was alive?” Jud questioned.

“Because he’s dead, and I know you don’t want to be hanging around dead
folk,” Luke replied.

“I’m not dead and you’re gonna have to face that Luke. If I were dead you’d
know it,” Jacob Duke stated.

“You caused so much pain!”

“Well I guess we’re equal then, you didn’t tell me about Jud.”

“I didn’t want you to screw up his life too. You don’t know how a child
feels until he’s told that his father is never coming back. Not because he’s
dead but because he doesn’t want you.”

“I wanted you! I just thought you’d be happier with Jesse than me. I mean I
was always on the road. I didn’t know what to expect. I met a new woman and
she changed my life. I have four children now.”

Luke hypothesized about his father’s selfish life. He thought about the
things he’d done by himself. But they weren’t true. “You’re lying.”

By then Bo had just about enough. He punched Luke in the face hard. Luke was
still, he didn’t move out of the shock of what Bo did. Bo’s eyes were filled
with tears. He looked at Luke and his dad. Jud crocked an eyebrow.

Everyone marveled at Bo’s mysterious behavior. “Y’all are probably wondering
why I did that just now…I guess I should tell you,” Bo mumbled to the crowd.
He felt hot, uncomfortable; he didn’t want to tell them why he did so. Tara
had a pretty good idea why he would. She understood Bo like no other person.

Bo shook his head and walked off towards the city. He didn’t know what to
tell them or why he should. He just couldn’t believe how incredibly arrogant
Luke was being. After all, here was his father, ready to come to him and
Luke wouldn’t accept his hand.
Bo wasn’t able to reach for his father. The only man that ever came close to
a dad was his uncle.

Back over at the camp, Luke blamed himself for Bo running off and decided to
go look for him. He found him sitting at a store that reminded him of the
post office back in Hazzard. Luke wheeled over to Bo. He wondered how they
were going to get through this one. Bo had tears in his eyes. Luke pushed
himself out of his wheelchair and somehow managed to get up onto the step.

“Do you remember that song?” Luke questioned.

“I couldn’t ever forget that song.” Bo replied. They had always sung a song
because the words sound so silly that they’d laugh away their problems. It
went like this:

‘Were you ever in Quebec
Stowing timber on the deck
Where there’s a king with a golden crown
Riding on a donkey?
Refrain
Hey! Ho! Away we go!
Donkey riding, donkey riding
Hey! Ho! Away we go!
Riding on a donkey.
Were you ever off the Horn
Where it’s always fine and warm
Seeing the Lion and the Unicorn
Riding on a donkey?
Refrain
Were you ever in Cardiff Bay
where the folks all shout, “Hurray!
Here comes John with his three month’s pay!”
Riding on a donkey.
Refrain
Were you ever in Miramichi
Where you tie up to a tree
And the skeeters do bite we
Ridin’ on a donkey?
Refrain’

“The only reason I made it here in my wheelchair was because I remembered
that song. We have so many memories.”

“We do, going way back.”

“Do you remember when I painted ‘education is for dim-wits’ on the wall of
school?”

“Yeah, I took the blame for it so you wouldn’t be kicked out of the soccer
team. Uncle Jesse always thought that I was a trouble maker because of you.
You remember when you hung up that boy by his pants and strung his up the
flagpole?” Luke began to laugh.

“Hey I mellowed out a lot. I guess I was a bit eccentric. I had a lot of
pain. I blamed a lot on you.”

“Your biggest trouble was when you would…” Bo didn’t really want to talk
about that subject.

Luke was a touchy person at times and this was a bad subject.

“When I’d what?”

“You’d get presents from people and never open them. You didn’t accept
them.”

“I know. I had big problems. You were the perfect brother, friend and
cousin. You remember when Daisy came in?” Bo rolled his eyes. He hated that
day.

“You locked me in her closet… I was her first big surprise.” Luke smiled. He
remembered how close those two got. Bo and Daisy really got into messes when
they were younger. But they were always there for each other just as Bo and
Luke had been all along.

A shadow came over them as they looked up there was Kevin and Cal. “So we
find you in the mountains huh?” Kevin laughed.

“Leave us alone! We’re bonding here!” Luke yelled.

“I don’t think you boys understand the danger you’re in. Get out of here
before its too late,” Calvin stated.

“Oh we know what danger we’re in. We know and we’re tired of being chased. I
personally want to go home and not you or anyone else is going to stop me
from doing so. I’m sick of not having a life. I miss my family and so does
my cousin here!” Bo shouted. He stood up and kicked both guns out of the
men’s hands. Luke grabbed them and threw them as far as he could, which is
quite far.

Bo picked up his cousin and threw him in the wheelchair.

Cal tried to run away from Kevin but was attacked by him. “There’s no way
you’re getting away. I’ll kill you with my hands if I have to,” Kevin said
through his teeth.

“And away we go!” Bo said as he begins his run. He can run pretty fast now.
Calvin was quite surprised.

“Don’t watch them, find your gun!” Kevin commands.

Bo and Luke run for their lives. They didn’t stop for nothing. “You think
they’ll find their guns?” Bo asked.

“Let’s not stick around to find out,” Luke replied. Some one was right in
front of them. Of course they too had guns. “I thought that gun laws were
suspended in this country.”

“We hid them naturally. You guys come with us? We were paid to kill you,”
The man stated.

Bo was getting angry; every time he had the moment he had to bump into
another set of bad guys or problems.

“You know, there’s a law that you can defend yourself if something happens
to threaten your safety. Now you know what? I feel threatened so I’m going
to take some action,” Bo commented. Bo kicked the gun out of the man’s hand
and shot both men in the leg. “I sure showed you.” Luke looked at Bo like he
was insane.

“What was that all about?” Luke asked.

“I want to see Uncle Jesse. He’s so important to me that I am willing to
clobber some men in the process.”

“Well I am too but not with guns.”

“Did I have much of a choice?” Luke thought about it for a moment. That man
would’ve killed them. Luke shook his head no.

Bo and Luke began were on run once again. Now Kevin and Cal were on their
tail. Kevin was sure to get the boys to the ground even if they didn’t have
their guns. He knew one thing for sure, Luke wouldn’t be able to get
anywhere without his wheelchair and Bo wouldn’t go anywhere without Luke.

So what was Kevin do? Steal Luke’s mode of transportation from under him.
Kevin grabbed a nearby fallen branched and aimed real low. He threw it as if
he were shooting a Javelin. The wheelchair went crashing to the ground.

Bo heard the noise and stopped in his tracks. He picked up Luke and began to
run faster. Calvin stopped running. He was too tired. But Kevin was on a
rampage. It was either strike hard, strike fast or die trying. This would be
the challenge of his life.

Bo couldn’t do it anymore. He couldn’t carry Luke and run the way that he
was. He had to rest or he would faint. Bo put Luke down on the grass.

Kevin smiled as he got the chance. “You finally stop?” Kevin questioned.

“Yeah well not everyone is afraid of you. You’ve changed so much. From that
happy go lucky guy to nothing but a spineless sponge,” Bo answered.

“I may be spineless but I am alive. You have no idea the challenges of the
day. I am never going to be the same again.”

“Let go of your hate, let us go.”

“Not on your life, Bo Duke. You have it easy. You had the money and the
right people surrounding you. We had nothing. Not even a simple part in our
car that could out beat everyone.”

“I’m sorry. I tried to help as you recall as did Luke.” Kevin didn’t care
anymore, that was a year ago. Now Bo and Luke were toast and he would
finally be free. Bo and Kevin began to fist fight.

Punching each other over and over again. It was non-stop fighting until
Kevin used his knee sending Bo to the ground. He took out his gun and was
ready to shoot Bo. “No!” Luke screamed.

“Oh so you want it first?” Kevin questioned. He walked towards Luke. Bo was
still half awake. His eyes were red. Bo’s nose had blood oozing down from
it. He wiped it away with his shirt. Bo looked at Kevin with his double
vision. He had to bring him down. Bo grabbed his legs, Kevin fell to the
ground, dropping his gun close by Bo. He kicked it hard, then bashed Kevin
in the back.

Bo looked over towards his cousin, sitting by the water. The gun landed
right by his feet. It was just sitting there like a toy that was completely
and totally useless.

“It’s over?” Bo asked.

“I hope so,” Luke replied. Out of the blue, Kevin’s eyes popped open, he got
up and walked toward the gun.

“Luke! Kick it in the water! Do it or we’re dead.”

“I can’t” Luke turned red in the face as he tried to move his leg.

“Luke you can do it!”

As Kevin got within a foot of him, Luke’s leg moved slightly. He moved it
again and again. Finally Luke kicked it in the water. Kevin looked up as he
heard the roar of an engine. It was the General Lee. Bo smiled.

“What are you going to do with me?” Kevin asked.

“Take you back to the states,” Bo told him cheerfully.

Two months later, at the Duke farm…

Luke fell down again as he tried to walk with the crutches. Tara laughed at
him and Bo giggled under his breath. Tara had gotten a work visa so she
could stay down with Bo and Luke. She’d apply for citizenship in about four
years. But in the meantime, the Duke family would be her sponsors.

Jesse stood on the front porch with Jacob Duke. “You know, I never really
knew what I was missing with Luke until I found him again,” Jacob said
softly.

“He is quite the young man. He was in boxing, Jacob. What a strong boy he
is. Both of them are. Bo’s hair is just starting to grow back the way it
used to be,” Jesse answered. He looked at Bo, one of the people he raised as
a son.

“I’m sorry. I should’ve listened to you. Luke did need his Daddy.”

“Oh, he had the replacement.”

“Well those boys are truly special as is that Daisy,” Jesse looked at her
being carried by Bo on his shoulders. They were entertained.

“Just remember you have two sons. They love you more than anything in the
world. They just need some time.”

“Oh they do and I know it.” Jacob and Jesse walked into the house to make a
meal for the family. It was another typical day for a place called Hazzard
County.

THE END

© 2001