Lizzie Jane has lost her memory, but little things keep coming back -- but how much? How fast? Why did she pick Lizzie Jane as a new name, not realizing that was her old name? Will she find a new love? There are many questions yet to be answered. Maybe we can find out these and other things together.
 

YOUNG LOVE, CHAPTER 4

"How do you like being a waitress?" asked Carol.

Lizzie Jane, who had only had one hour experience in the occupation replied, "Well, it is okay, but I don't know about that guy over there pinching me on my butt."

Carol smiled. "That is part of the job. None of us like scum like that. The best thing to do when that happens is to just turned to him and smile. To make an issue of it would lose customers. From then on, just don't get close enough for him to do it again. If he is your customer, check his table as soon as he leaves. He will probably leave a large tip. I know him and he is a big-shot timber man."

As a beginner, Lizzie Jane had only worked during the rush lunch hour. She found out that it was not easy -- trying to keep the orders and prices straight. Also, she had to put up with the advances of the male customers. She figured she must have turned down at least a dozen dates -- some good-lookers, too.

The rush being over, Carol and Lizzie Jane sat down to a cup of coffee.

"Another thing -- when business is slow, the waitresses try to push the juke box," stated Carol. "The owner gets half of what it takes in. Often we will match coins and get to pick the songs. I know that is gambling, but it is all in good fun and it doesn't cost us anything if we lose. The owner lets us take a nickle out of the cash register. Even getting half of it back, he makes more than he loses."

"I am getting hungry. What does the food costs us?" asked Lizzie Jane.

"Oh, not anything. If we want to eat or drink anything, we just get it. There is not any charge. You are not going to eat enough to break the owner," replied Carol.

Lizzie Jane looked at the menu. A vegetable plate lunch was 50 cents -- with meat, it was 60. Hamburgers and hot dogs had gone up from ten cents to fifteen cents. Soft drinks had gone up to ten cents. Prices were steadily rising.

Waitress uniforms were a plain white or green button-up dress with pockets on the side to hold a ticket book and a pencil, although most of the time the pencils were placed behind the ear. Although it looked nice for a waitress to wear nylon stockings, Sam did not require it.

"Do you have any more clues to who you are?" asked Carol.

"No, most everything is blank. I remember some things, but not people," replied Lizzie Jane.

"What kind of things?"

"Things that you would not believe. Sometimes I wonder if I am just remembering dreams. Some are just too fantastic," answered Lizzie Jane. "But, the name 'Sam' rings a bell and it is connected to a restaurant."

"Do you think you have been here before?" asked Carol.

"No, or at least I don't think so," answered Lizzie Jane. "Another thing, why cannot I remember my name?"

"Why don't we just name you. You need some kind of name," said Carol. "I know a good name -- Elizabeth -- and we could call you Liz -- you know, kinda like Elizabeth Taylor. You look kinda like an 'Elizabeth' or maybe a 'Jane'?"

"Sounds okay to me," replied Lizzie Jane. "Somehow those names seem familiar and they seem to fit. How about calling me Lizzie Jane? That would be putting the two names together."

"So it is -- from now on out, you are 'Lizzie Jane'."

Lizzie Jane's brain was working overtime -- why did the name 'Lizzie Jane' sound so familiar? Did she know someone by that name?

"Hey, Sam," called Carol to the manager working in the kitchen. "Little Miss Lost Girl has a name now -- it is Elizabeth Jane and we are going to call her Lizzie Jane."

Lizzie Jane became very proficient in waiting on tables and she particularly like the tips she received. Some weeks she could pocket $200 after Carol and she split the tips. No one else she knew made that much money in 1955.

"Before the season ends, I had hoped to go somewhere and go deer hunting", stated Sam as he walked up. "Wish people had not killed all the deer around here."

Carol spoke first. "I understand that the government is thinking about restocking Alabama with some deer, so it may not be too long until you can can hunt deer with your bow.

"Bow?" asked Lizzie Jane. "Could I see it some day?"

"Sure, I have it here in the office," stated Sam. He located the archery set and proudly presented it for Lizzie Jane to examine. "Takes a real expert to shoot one of those things."

"May I try?" asked Lizzie Jane.

Sam laughed. Surely Lizzie Jane did not realize how difficult it was to properly hold the bow, much less hit something. To have some fun and since it was a sunny afternoon and there wasn't any customers at the time, he decided that they could go outside and he could put up a target about 50 feet away.

"Isn't that kinda close?" asked Lizzie Jane.

"Well, okay -- how about twice as far?"

"How about five times further," suggested Lizzie Jane. She did not know why, but she felt that she could hit a target further than that.

"Okay, but don't say it was my idea," answered Sam.

Lizzie Jane placed an arrow properly and pulled back on the string, took aim, and let it fly. Bulls eye!

"Beginner's luck," teased Sam.

Lizzie Jane repeated the motion and the next arrow found its mark beside the other arrow, both touching. Sam, still not satisfied, threw an apple in the air and Lizzie Jane brought it down with an arrow. She seemed very pleased that she was a great marksman in archery.

"Wow!" exclaimed Carol each time.

"Where did you learn that?" asked Sam.

Without giving it a second thought, Lizzie Jane replied, "in the jungle." Surprising herself, she thew her hand up and covered her mouth. That came out without thinking.

Sam stood there looking strangely at Lizzie Jane and Carol had her mouth open. Here was something that may be important -- but what jungle, and when? What strange things are there that Lizzie Jane cannot remember?

Lizzie Jane could not answer their questions. All she knew was that she had said that she learned archery in the jungle -- but when and how was not readily available.

Perhaps, her family were missionaries. Ah yes, that would explain it. As for now, that must be the only reasonable answer, so with nothing else to go on, Sam and Carol accepted it -- at least, for the present.

The trio walked back into the restaurant hoping to find a couple of customers even though it had been a slow afternoon. Sam went into his office, came back out and handed Lizzie Jane a composition book. "Thought it might help if you kept up with every little thought and eventually maybe put them all together. Might help you find out who you are."

As Carol and Lizzie Jane sat at a table, each with a cup of coffee, Lizzie Jane remarked, "Maybe I should write what I think might be my dreams, too. I wonder where I have been and what I have done."

"It must be rough, not knowing what-is-what," mentioned Carol.

While Lizzie Jane wrote in her journal, Carol left to wait on a customer that just came in. It wasn't long until both girls were busy as patrons started arriving for their evening meal, many travelers passing through the area.

"Hello, Bright Eyes," smiled a young gentleman as Lizzie Jane came up to his table. "Where have you been all my life?"

"Oh, just hiding in the woods, swinging from tree to tree," answered Lizzie Jane. Suddenly she thought, 'Now, why did I say that?'

"Well honey, you can swing my way any time," said the young man. "By the way, my name is Philip. Everybody knows me, so I am not a stranger, so hows about you and me get acquainted?"

"Maybe some day", smiled Lizzie Jane. She did not want to be rude to a customer.

"Well, tomorrow is someday and I know you are not busy all day, so how about a walk in the park?" replied Philip.

A walk in the park? Lizzie Jane thought, 'Now, that is a new one. We are out in the country now', so she asked, "What park?"

"Oh, there is one up the road where kids play. Has swings, sheds and everything. We could make a picnic of it," answered Philip.

"Well maybe, some day," replied Lizzie Jane. "I am having a few problems right now."

"Well," stated Philip, "I assure you -- a picnic is just the thing to get rid of problems."

"Well, I appreciate the offer, but not right now. May I take your order?"

Well, I would like to have -- ah, you haven't told me your name."

"Lizzie Jane! Now, may I have your order?" Lizzie Jane was getting a little angry.

Philip noticed that, so in a nice manner, he answered, "A good juicy hamburger and a glass of milk with a nice, cute Lizzie Jane to boot."

"Not now -- please," replied Lizzie Jane.

"Okay -- not now -- but I will be back. You will find me very charming," replied Richard.

'Yeah', thought Lizzie Jane. 'Carol can wait on you next time.'

But aloud, Lizzie Jane said, "Thank you sir. One of our famous delicious juicy hamburgers coming up."

During the meal, Philip kept eyeing Lizzie Jane until she became very embarrassed. Philip saw her red face and smiled.

Philip paid his bill and started out the door, turned around and said (loud enough for all to hear), "See ya later, Bright Eyes."

'Not if I can help it', thought Lizzie Jane as she began to clear his table. Her eyes fell on the tip. It was a fifty dollar bill. Philip must have been serious about wanting to walk with her in the park -- and furthermore, he must be rich.

When it came time to share the tips between the two waitresses, Carol smiled when she saw the fifty dollar bill. "That is a special tip from a special man so you need to keep it" said Carol.

"I don't think he is so special. His name is Philip," answered Lizzie Jane

"Philip York? Why he is wealthy and the girls swoon over him. He must be looking toward you as a trophy girlfriend," said Carol.

"A trophy girlfriend?" asked Lizzie Jane. "What's that?"

"You must be playing hard to get..."

"I am not playing. I am not interested," interrupted Lizzie Jane.

"Well, he thinks you are and he wants to win you over to him so he can have his way with you and, afterwards, dispose of you like an old rag," explained Carol.

"Well, I can assure you -- I have no interest in him and do not intend to have any," insisted Lizzie Jane. "And that is final!"
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(To be continued)
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Copyrighted 2008 by Starla Anne Lowry
under the pen name of Billie Sue
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