|
John-Boy can’t concentrate on his writing with the noise outside that Ike Godsey, Zeb, Erin and Elizabeth are making as they try and help Jim-Bob boost start his car.
Ben sells Mr. Jarvis on a larger more expensive ad placement in the Blue Ridge Chronicle. He is impressed by his sales approach and calls him a “Go-Getter”. His daughter Darlene is impressed too and seems to have increased her romantic feelings towards Ben. She offers to drive Ben back home.
Darlene and Ben arrive back at the house and she expresses her enthusiasm to see him the next day with some encouraging kisses. Mary Ellen sees them but promises to cut him some slack and not tell his Mama.
John-Boy is under pressure to finish the printing of his latest newspaper edition. He gets upset with Ben who has made a typeset paperweight for Darlene which he drops into the press which almost damages it. They exchange heated words. Ben’s threatens to quit stating that he can get a job selling cars for Mr. Jarvis. When John-Boy suggests that maybe he should in fact do that, Ben storms out leaving John-Boy alone to finishing the printing of the edition all by himself.
Ben secures a job as a salesman at Jarvis Used Cars.
Ben talks to his first customer who is looking for a bargain on a truck. Ben convinces him to buy the truck even though the upholstery is shot because he’ll get a good discount. He comes home late for dinner all excited at having made his first sale. He has made a commission of $8. He hopes that he will get some more respect now. John knows the history of the truck and asks Ben if he advised the buyer of it’s problems. Ben makes excuses that it is still a good value for the price.
Flossie Brimmer arrives at Ike’s complaining about her aching feet. She learns from Mary Ellen that Ben is selling cars at Jarvis Used Car lot. When she arrives Mr. Jarvis convinces Ben to sell her one of the less quality cars on the lot. Ben knows that the car needs work but is convinced when he is promised a $5 bonus.
Ben is flying high when he comes home after making another sale. He’s made $25 in commissions so far. He suggests that his father trade-in his old truck for a LaSalle Roadster and when he sees Jim-Bob outside working on his old jalopy he hurts his feelings stating that it will still be junk that nobody will want to go for a ride in when he finally gets it working. Jim-Bob mutters that he’s acting like a “bigshot”.
When Ben learns that Mrs. Brimmer’s car’s timing belt has broken he take it on himself to try and repair it for her. He tows the car back to Walton’s Mountain with help from Erin and Blue the mule. Jim-Bob takes pleasure in watching Ben fail in his attempt to fix the car but later that night after everyone has gone to bed he makes the repairs for his brother. Seeing the two brothers work out their differences inspires John-Boy in helping him to complete his novel about the family.
|
