Dinner at Cletus and Reba’s
Cletus was running around trying to satisfy Reba’s request for everything to be perfect for the new guest. Arthur dropped by early to help and to inform his parents that the other three brothers would be there too.
Reba cut her eyes at Arthur and exclaimed, “Your brothers better understand they better be on their best behavior.”
Arthur nodded and informed her he had already covered how etiquette would be of utmost importance. He hadn’t informed them that Rosa and Tex’s relationship was slowly progressing.
The girls showed up a bit early, so Reba invited them into the kitchen to try to create camaraderie among the three. Soon, Cletus and Arthur could hear noisy laughter coming from the kitchen.
Cletus popped his head into the kitchen, only to have a kitchen towel hit him in the face as Reba exclaimed that he should go entertain the boys; they had dinner under control.
Cletus and Arthur stepped outside just in time to see the other three guys show up. The five of them sat outside on a limb and talked about community restructuring.
Exciting times…
Soon, the dinner bell rang, and all of the guys made their way to the dinner table. After being seated, Arthur started to get up to help Reba bring dinner to the table. Cletus put a wing on his shoulder and motioned for him to be seated.
He understood.
Reba came out with the entrée, and the guys were speechless, all wondering what special occasion warranted such an extravagant meal.
Thistlewyn soon walked out with the drinks, and then all the boys were puzzled.
The boys greeted Thistlewyn, thanked her for the drinks, and expressed the joy they felt having her in their parents’ home.
Soon, Reba stepped into the kitchen and invited Rosa to join them.
Rosa stepped in and immediately made eye contact with Tex. Tex was speechless but stood up, pulled out a bench next to him, and invited Rosa to dine beside him.
Rosa accepted, with a gleam in her eyes.
Dinner went well, and afterward, Tex invited Rosa for an after-dinner stroll. Before the two could get away, Reba exclaimed, “Boys, sit down!”
Tex looked at Rosa and said he would be with her in a moment.
Tex looked at his mom with curiosity in his eyes. Cletus and their sons sat silently.
Reba looked at Tex and inquired as to the origin of the comment Tex had made at the creek upon Rosa’s arrival at T-Bone’s Place. Tex looked embarrassed.
At this moment, Arthur looked at Reba and Cletus and suggested that the birth story of the four brothers be made known to all four brothers. The brothers sat silently as they were informed of their true origins.
JJ stood up and said, “Well, duh! Don’t take a detective to figure that out.” He had been a peace officer for a couple of years now.
Cletus looked at Tex and firmly asked him where he had gotten his bias toward Rosa.
Tex replied, “Uncle Conrad.”
Conrad was Cletus’s brother. Cletus was well aware of Conrad’s biased ways, which was why he had never taken the other three boys to visit him. He had taken Tex along on occasion, but only when Cletus was there because Conrad usually behaved himself in his presence. What Cletus hadn’t known was that Tex had been visiting Conrad without him.
Preston laughed and exclaimed, “Well, you won’t have to worry about that anymore. I ate him last week. Tasted kind of sour. Sorry, Dad, but no loss. The kids thought he was good.”
All but Preston sat with their beaks agape.
What Happened to Uncle Conrad?
Arthur, JJ, and Tex stare with their beaks agape. Reba proudly embraces Preston while a ruffled Cletus looks on at the dinner table in Cletus and Reba’s home.
Reba looked at Cletus, smacked him on the back of the head, and exclaimed, “Why did you ever take any of your sons over to see that man? Did I marry a dodo bird?!”
Then Reba broke down laughing while caressing Preston and expressing her pride in his actions.
Cletus looked at Preston and replied, “Meh, the cycle of life.”
