If you haven't already done so, to get the full story leading up to this chapter, please click on the following and follow the chapters as will be shown at the close of each installment:
http://fictioneer.org/content/return-gorilla-island-chapter-1
A Lizzie Jane Story
Chapter 3
By Billie Sue Pilgrim
Arriving back at Uncle Jed's house, Lizzie Jane opened the front door and called, "Aunt Maudie!"
Maudie came running, thinking something was terribly wrong. As she saw all the children piling out of the car, she exclaimed, "My sakes, what is going on?"
Lizzie Jane said, "Let's go into the kitchen and I will tell you something you won't believe."
Aunt Maudie said, "I think I am about ready to believe anything."
"First, let me introduce my two friends who spent the year with me on the prehistoric island -- Shirley and Christie (the two young ladies bowed) and the rest -- well, they are from the prehistoric island, also. The most amazing part is this young lady here (Lizzie Jane put her arm around Linda). This is my great, great, great granddaughter who got trapped on the island and escaped the same way I did -- and these other children escaped the same way."
Aunt Maudie eyes grew larger and larger, causing Lizzie Jane to giggle. She soon gained her composure and continued, "We think all their parents were killed by the savages."
In the corner stood George, the small gorilla, looking like he was disappointed about being ignored, but Lizzie Jane walked over and took him by the hand, "This is George -- my little playmate and his mother was killed, too."
"What are we going to do with this group?" asked Aunt Maudie.
"Well, I am getting married and within a year, I will be 18 and I am going to adopt them all," said Lizzie Jane with a big grin.
"What do you think Jake gonna say about all this?"
"Well, he better say okay or the wedding is off."
"You would swap Jake for these children?"
"Yes. Linda is my great, great, great granddaughter and she rescued and accepted the responsibility of taking care of the other children. I think I can honor that by taking all of them, too. Besides, we have a common bond. We have all lost our mothers and we are all have traveled through time."
"Well, I always thought you were an unusual child, so I should not be surprised at something like this," replied Aunt Maudie.
Ruth Ann, Lizzie Jane's grandmother, overheard the conversation and asked what it all about. The entire situation was explained, beginning with Lizzie Jane's adventures on the prehistoric island.
"I dunno," wondered Ruth Ann. "With my adventures -- most of it being rumors -- and Lizzie Jane's and Linda's adventures, I must say that we have the most unusual family the world has ever seen. We have all rescued somebody when it looked like all hope was lost. All I gotta say is that Linda had better marry someone whose name begins with 'J'. Lizzie Jane is marrying Jake and my husband, Josh, is expected here tomorrow."
Needless to say, Jake was shocked when everything was explained to him. "You mean, we are going to have a ready-made family at the start?"
"fraid so," said Lizzie Jane. "Of course, if you wanna back out..."
"Oh no you don't. You ain't a-gettting rid of me that easy," replied Jake. "I have put up with so much to get you. I am a-gonna claim you and nothing is going to stand in my way. If I have to take a ball team to getcha..."
"I love you, too" said Lizzie Jane as she cut off Jake's comment and threw her arms around his neck. "Thanks for taking my new family."
The wedding wasn't anything lavish, but just a simple little ceremony with the young couple, Lizzie Jane's two girl friends, Doc Brown, her schoolteacher, Uncle Jed and Aunt Maudie, Grandmother Ruth Ann, and her great, great, great granddaughter Linda -- with five children in the background.
Getting married at the same time, making the occasion a double wedding, was Sam and Carol -- the two friends of Lizzie Jane that helped her through her amnesia.
So, thus began a new chapter in the life of Lizzie Jane and her soon-to-be-adopted daughter, also her great, great, great granddaughter -- Linda.
One cannot help but wonder what lies ahead for Lizzie Jane -- and Linda. We will just have to wait and see.
What happened to George, the little gorilla? Well, he was part of the family, too, spending most of his time in the forest on Uncle Jed's farm with his new playmates -- Linda, the other children-- and sometimes Lizzie Jane.
-- More adventures to come soon
© 2008 by Starla Anne Lowry
All characters and places are fictitious and any resemblance to places or persons, living or dead, are coincidental.
Comments
Billie Sue, Great Chapter, But There Is One Problem That You
Have, with George bing a gorilla, how will he be hidden even in the backwoods of Alabama? Since there are no local Bigfoots around here in Alabama, where will he stay because I doubt that people will not talk about him.
May Your Light Forever Shine
May Your Light Forever Shine
One problem..
George will not be hidden. I expect other citizens to know about him since he will be a playmate to all the children. We are going to have more swinging through the trees besides Lizzie Jane. That should be interesting. We may wind up with a "swinging society". -smile-
Uncle Jed had already prohibited hunting (if you remember) to protect the deers that were friends of Lizzie Jane.
Keep in mind that Carter's Bend is a very unusual place when compared to other parts of Alabama. I don't guess you are old enough to remember, but there wasn't any deer in most of Alabama in the 1950's. The deer were placed their by man later and were preserved until the population became large enough for hunting. That alone shows that Carter's Bend was an unusual part of the state.
The fictionary community of Carter's Bend is located in the extreme part of northeast Alabama, placing it not too far from the Lookout Mountain area. (That would place Carter's Bend on the northern edge of Sand Mountain.) Since the mountain ranges extend into the Appalachain Mountains, it is quite possible for there to have been deer in that area -- along with bears and panthers.
There is a lot of wild country in that area, so George should feel quite at home.
Love,
Billie Sue
Billie Sue