Will Candy Cane Stand By Her Man

Will Candy Cane Stand By Her Man?

The Duke boys were on their way home one dark and stormy night. They had just picked up supplies for the farm.

“I’m really beat,” Bo told his older cousin.

“So am I…” Luke was interrupted by his younger cousin who was driving. “It’s the brakes!” The last word was barely uttered when the General veered off the rain drenched dirt road and into a muddy and slick grass ditch. The elder cousin looked to see the blond one out cold, the vehicle’s engine still running.

He crawled in the backseat and from there, moved his cousin to the passenger. Luke then climbed into the driver’s seat and turned to check his cousin’s vital sign. Bo didn’t appear seriously injured… heart rate and breathing were normal, he was just unconscious, so Luke backed the bright orange Dodge Charger out of the ditch and onto the road. He headed toward the hospital which was about five miles away.

He grabbed the cb, his thumb on the talk button. “Lost Sheep to Bo Peep and Carol Bell come back!”

Daisy was near the cb in the kitchen since she had just finished with dishes. “This is Bo Peep…” She paused while her older cousin voiced the news over the airwaves. “We’ll be there in two shakes of a lamb’s tail. Bo Peep out.” She listened to Luke sign off before she turned to her younger cousin’s wife.

“We’re got to get to the hospital. Bo’s been hurt.” She said and ran to the front hall closet to get raincoats for herself, Candy and little Honeybee. When Daisy came back, she saw Candy had been unable to stop the tears that were slipping down her face. The little girl looking puzzled about what was going on. Quietly she helped Honeybee with her jacket, then Candy before putting her own rain poncho on. She placed Honeybee in her mother’s lap and wheeled them outside.

Some time after arriving at the hospital, Bo woke up and Doc Appleby informed Mrs. Bo Duke that her husband might not be himself.

“What do you mean?” Candy asked.

“Sometimes people who suffer head trauma may have drastic mood swings,” The elderly gentleman replied.

“I understand- can I see him now?”

“Yes, you may all go in.” Doc Appleby gestured to the rest of the family as well. Daisy held onto Honeybee’s hand while Luke wheeled Candy through the door of room two.

Luke put Candy’s wheelchair next to the bed so she was closet to Bo who sitting on the bed.

Candy took her husband’s hand in both of hers. “I’m so glad you are alright. I was worried.”

Sandy colored eyebrows raised, the face was emotionless as the man ripped his hand away. “I can’t believe I married you. No one in his right mind would… I must’ve been drunk or something,” Bo replied coldly.

Tears fell down Candy’s cheeks, the nasty words cut through her heart inspite of the doctor’s warning. “I’ll see you when you get home.”

It was three days later when the backdoor of the kitchen opened, Honeybee went running to her father. “Daddy!” The little girl threw both arms around him. “Me and momma missed you so much!”

“Get away from me you little brat!” Bo screeched.

Candy injected quietly. “Honeybee, come here. Daddy isn’t feeling very well right now.”

“Who would… coming home to a ball and chain.” Bo snorted and looked at his wife, their little girl in her lap.

Luke grabbed his cousin by the shirt. “I know that you got hurt. Doc Applebee said you’d be out of your head but you’ve got no right to talk to anyone like that.”

Bo stormed off to his room and the rest of the family continued their evening routine like the spat had not happened. At bedtime, Daisy wheeled Candy into the room helped her and left without a word to her younger cousin. “Mind if I come go to bed?” Candy asked.

“It’s a free country,” Bo replied without looking at his wife.

“You know I love you more than anything and if you really want to be free, I won’t stand in your way. But please remember we’re got a little daughter and I don’t believe you’ve stopped loving her.”

“I’m tired, shut up and go to sleep.”

A few weeks went by and there was no change in Bo’s attitude. Candy wondered if her husband would ever be the sweet, loving man that she married. One afternoon while Honeybee was napping and everyone else was doing chores… she put her feelings into a song titled How Much Longer Can I Stand By You…

When we first said those tender words I do,

Life seemed like a sweet dream come true for each and every time you’d say

Sweet, I love you

And I always will until my dying day

But now it seems everything has changed

How much longer can I stand by you

You’re no longer the same sweet man that I said those words I do too

And tonight as the tears fall down my face

I’m wondering how much longer I can stand by you

You’ve become so heartless and cruel

And you’ve made this heart of mine so blue

Oh darling maybe I’m a crazy fool to stay and take your abuse

But crazy or not baby, I still love you

It was a few days later that Bo asked his cousin to give Candy a message. “Daisy, will you tell the old ball and chain that I’ll be gone for three days.”

“You should thank god that she doesn’t take Honeybee and leave after the way you’ve been so mean to her.” Daisy replied.

“Mean to her?” Bo snorted. “She is lucky I don’t bring Betty Jones back to the farm.”

“Betty Jones!” Candy hollered. Luke had wheeled her into the room and she caught the tail end of her husband’s words. “You mean to tell me that what I’ve been hearing is true.”

“Your dang right it is- you didn’t think that I’d go without a real woman for long did you?” Bo taunted.

“That’s it, I’ve taken all that I’m gonna take.” Candy reached her hands down so she could push her chair to her room so she could pack up to leave. “And on our honeymoon it was you that fell asleep not me, Bo Duke!”

She didn’t get very far because Luke was standing there as stunned as Daisy was when Bo fell to the floor at the moment after grabbing his head. The two older cousins carted Bo out to the van and put him in it to take him to the hospital, then they came back inside for Candy and Honeybee.

After Bo came around some time later and his cousins told him all the stuff he had done, he asked to speak to Candy privately in the waiting room.

Tears were in his dark blue eyes when he took her hands in his. “Darling, I’m sorry. Please don’t leave me.”

“What about Betty Jones?”

“I must’ve been out of my mind, you know how much I love you and Honeybee- Give me another chance please?”

“I’ve give you my answer at home.” Candy said and yelled for the others to come see Bo.

Honeybee was tucked in, Luke and Daisy had gone out for the evening when Mr. and Mrs. Duke retired to their room and snuggled under the covers with the lights off.

Candy sighed. “I’m so glad we’re back together. Please promise you’ll never leave me again…”

“I never will, I promise.” Bo kissed his wife and I reckon y’all know what happened next.

The End

Written by Juanita Ford