Hard Tack

by: Chet

“Desperado” Dedicated to my cowboy….who ever he maybe.

Desperado
Why don’t you come to your senses
Ben out ridin’ fences, for so long now
Oh, you’re a hard one
But I know that you got your reasons
These things that are pleasin’ you
Can hurt you somehow
Don’t you draw the queen of diamonds boy
She’ll beat you if she’s able
You know the queen of hearts is always your best bet
But it seems to me some fine things have been laid upon your table
But you only want the ones you can’t get
Desperado
Oh, you ain’t gettin’ no younger
Your pain and your hunger, they’re drivin’ you home
And freedom, oh freedom, well that’s just some people talkin’
Your prison is walkin’ through this world all alone
Don’t your feet get cold in the wintertime
The sky won’t snow and the sun won’t shine
It’s hard to tell the nighttime from the day
And you’re losin’ all your highs and lows
Ain’t it funny how the feelin’ goes away
Desperado
Why don’t you come to your senses
Come down from those fences, open the gate
It may be rainin’, but there’s a rainbow above you
You better let somebody love you, let somebody love you
You better let somebody love you
Before it’s too late……..

 ~The Eagles

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“Shut up or I’ll kick your ass!” A deep angry voice shook the kitchen of the Dukes old farm house.

“I’m your father boy, dont you ever tell me to shut up!” Bo Duke’s destinctive voice rattled the windows an echoed through the house.

“I’m 21 years old I’ll say or do what ever the hell I please!” Chet Duke shouted back at his father his mismatched eyes glaring, his black goatee twicthing around his mouth with anger.

“Get out!” Bo Duke pointed towards the back door of the farm house, his back strate, he stood tall an wise with age. His face tight with anger at his son who seemed to have no respect for the roof that he lived under an didnt seem to care about his responsibilities.

“No!” The dark haired young Duke said angerly standing his ground against his older blonde haired father.

“Go on! Get out! You dont wanna work for your keep here then get out!” Bo Duke said stepping forward to usher his son towards the kitchen door.

“Fine you dont want me here!” Chet halted his words abrutly picking up his black stetson and his sky blue long sleeved shirt, he tucked the black hat down on his head hard glaring at his father as he turned for the door. “The hell with you old man!” He said opening the kitchen door an slamming it behind himself.

The plates and cups in the cupbords rattled and shook threatening to break into a million pieces in there holding places as the walls of the old farm house shook from the slammed door. Bo Duke shook his head and sat back down at the kitchen table with his cup of coffee just pearing into the cup at the dark brown liquid wondering where he had gone wrong in raising sucha son. Bo thought to himself, Breyer, Chet’s twin brother had turned out alright and so much easier to get along with, he simply did what he was asked without question an went on his merry way.

But not Chet, no he had to fight an make life difficult for himself and everyone around him every step of the way, and when it came down to lessons needing be learned he learned them the hardest way possible. Bo shook his fist at the door that his son had just disapeared through, he had no idea what to do with that boy. He had considered sending him away to boot camp, but at the age of 21 Bo knew he couldnt force his son to do what he didnt want to. He had tried to persway Chet to enroll in the Army for his own good, but Chet had thrown it back in his face an it had ended in a shouting match much like this one.

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Critical Decisions, ch. 10

by: Marty Chrisman

Daisy, Uncle Jesse, Bo and Luke were all gathered around Kelly’s bed, each of them lost in their own thoughts and feeling their own pain. In a few minutes, Doc Applebee would turn off the machines and they would let Kelly go so that she could rest in peace. Earlier that morning, she had suffered a stroke. After conducting further tests, Doc Applebee told the family that she was now brain dead. All hope was gone, she would never wake up. Luke had no choice but to agree to let them turn off the machines but he had insisted on being there when they did. Jesse stood on Luke’s left, with Bo on his right side and Daisy was standing slightly in front of Bo. “Do want us to go?” Jesse asked Luke quietly “So you can be alone when it’s time?”

Luke shook his head slowly from side to side. “No,” he said in a ragged, broken voice “I need you guys to stay. I don’t think I can do this by myself.”

“We’re right here with you, Sugar.” Daisy said gently, reaching out to take his right hand and squeezing it tightly. Her eyes were filled with tears. Her heart ached so much for Luke. He and Kelly had been through so much, now it had to end like this. It just wasn’t fair. And Kelly had been like a sister to Daisy, the sister she had never had.

“You got that right, cuz.” Bo said, putting a comforting hand on Luke’s right shoulder, while Jessie clamped his left. “We’re all right here with ya, boy.” Jesse told him. The three of them silently offered up their strength and their love to help Luke get through this. Tears gathered in Luke’s eyes as he reached out and took Kelly’s hand.

Doc Applebee reached out and turned off the machines one by one, until the only one still operating was the monitor that was registering Kelly’s heartbeat. The silence in the room suddenly felt eerie and out of place. Daisy felt Luke grip her hand tightly, squeezing her fingers together painfully, as they waited in silence for the inevitable.

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Critical Decisions, ch. 9

by: Marty Chrisman

Luke made his way to the hospital cafeteria. He was hungry but nothing appealed to him. He settled for a cup of coffee and looked around the room for a place to sit. He saw Doc Applebee sitting at a table eating a sandwich. Walking over to his table, Luke said, “Hi, doc. Care if I join ya?”

“Of course not, Luke.” Doc said, looking up from his meal. “Have a seat.”

“Kelly’s not going to get better, is she?” Luke asked. No use beating around the bush. Luke needed to know.

Doc sighed, he hated having to give his patients or their families bad news, especially when they were old friends like the Dukes “I wish I could tell you that she was but I’d can’t. Right now, it’s the machines that are keeping her alive. We’re gonna be running some tests this afternoon and hopefully, they’ll tell us something more.”

“I wanna stay with her.” Luke said “Can you arrange that? I need to be with her, Doc.”

“I’ll take care of it.” Doc assured him. “I’m sorry, Luke. I really am.”

“Thanks.” Luke said, shoving himself to his feet and leaving is untouched coffee sitting on the table. “I appreciate you being honest.” Luke suddenly felt very very old. He knew that life wasn’t always fair, and sometimes bad things happened to good people, but this felt like getting kicked in the head by Maudine the mule.

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Critical Decisions, ch. 8

by: Marty Chrisman

Both boys were sleeping when Jesse and Daisy returned later that evening. Letting them sleep, Jesse talked to one of the nurses to find out if they could see Kelly. When she came back a few minutes later and said that they could but only for a few minutes, Jesse gently woke up the boys to let them know. They took the elevator up to the sixth floor where the hospital’s intensive care unit was located. Jesse identified himself to the nurse on duty at the desk and told her that they were there to see Kelly. She told him that only two of them could go in at one time. Luke and Jesse went in first.

Kelly was in a private room right beside the nurse’s station. There were a smaller number of patients on this floor since most of them required more skilled nursing and some of them, like Kelly, required twenty four hour care and constant monitoring of their condition. Much to the Dukes’ surprise, Boss Hogg was the one who had arranged for the private room and was even paying the hospital bill, proving that somewhere underneath that fat little body and greedy nature, he did have a soft spot. At one time, Jesse and Boss had been the best of friends, running shine together in the old days.

When they walked into her room neither Luke nor Jesse was prepared for Kelly’s appearance. Bandages or casts covered almost all of her body and her beautiful face was deeply bruised and swollen. Her head was wrapped in bandages, leaving only her eyes, nose and mouth visible. And her beautiful honey blonde hair had been cut.

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My Best Friend

“Luke, you once said that my horse ‘Red’ was my best friend and only companion in my early years. You were right, thank you for all that you have done for me.” ~Chet Duke

By: Chet Duke.
Dedicated to Luke Duke & Sarah Stodola.

“Alllll right Chet Duke! Pull it on over! I mean…. khee… ooo….git. Stop! Just stop!” Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane hollered into the cone shaped megaphone.

The young Duke astride the galloping Thoroughbred horse didn’t slow down though, he glanced over his shoulder at the police car and veered off into a big field. Frustrated Rosco followed, bottoming out his patrol car and tearing through the waist high hay. The tall reddish colored horse galloped mightily through the field, ears laid back in a all business sort of way. The big animal could understand his masters need to escape and found great pleasure in pleasing the young renegade Duke.

Grass flew over the hood of the Plymouth Furry and the sheriff turned the wipers on to brush it away as they crossed the field. Nearing the other side of the field Chet guided his horse to the slow running creek and they plunged into the water fearlessly. Man and animal working together as one, they galloped up the opposite bank and into the woods. Weaving and springing over the dangerous floor of the forest, branches and leaves whipped at them but they didn’t slow. The tank like patrol car was less fortunate and was forced to stop just inside the thick growth of trees, unable to go any further.

Rosco angrily got out of his car and stood in the open door watching as the outlaw horse and rider disappeared. There was no way of catching them now, it would be impossible to drive his car into the woods and it was impossible to catch the lightening quick horse on foot. The stolen goods were lost forever to a no good low down Duke. It was not a good day to be Boss or Sheriff of Hazzard County, Rosco looked to the heavens and stuttered a apology removing his hat.

“I’m sorry little fat buddy, I tried the best I can, it just ain’t no use. Git… Chet Duke’s a career criminal. But I’ll git him… I’ll git him.” The Sheriff placed his hat back on and got into his car and drove back to town.

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