A Lapse of Memory

By Alice Heaver

Lara, who is in her early 30's and suffering from amnesia caused by trauma to her head, awakes to find herself all alone in an old farmhouse. The man who lives there arrives to find her and feels resentful that she has intruded in his life. Becoming accustomed to having her there, he tries in his crude way to help her. She meets a waitress who becomes her close friend and, with some influential friends, Lara discovers who she is and the reason for her amnesia. A surprising ending to this story.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: May 13, 2004
• ISBN: 9780595768585

Alice Heaver

Alice Heaver Born and raised in New Castle, Pennsylvania and graduated from Union High School. I attended Nursing school in McKinney, Texas and graduated in 1982 from Collin Memorial Hospital School Of Nursing. I am married to a wonderful man, Andrew Heaver, and reside in Fort Myers, Florida for the past 19 years. I have written and published 26 novels since the year 2000. This book is my first non-fiction.

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A Lapse Of Memory

All Rights Reserved © 2004 by Alice Heaver

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or by any information storage retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher.

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ISBN: 0-595-32055-4

ISBN: 978-0-5957-6858-5

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 1

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The silvery moon, peeking through the dark, moving clouds, cast eerie shadows on the lawn below.

The empty, lonely, old farm house creaked at the howling wind. The old boards clanked and squealed at every attempt of the strong winds to blow it down.

Lara, a young woman in her early 30’s, sat huddled in the corner of the large, dark room. Cuddling an old, dirty blanket in her arms. Her head hurt, throbbing with the pain shooting down her back.

She didn’t know why she was there, and really didn’t care. She just needed to keep warm. I don’t know where they all went. Maybe they’ll come back some day and take me with them. She stood up and walked to the dirty, sooty window, looking at the shadows on the ground. I think I see someone. I wonder if they came back and are afraid to come inside. She walked to the door, carrying the old blanket. Opening the door, she stepped outside. Hello……….hello whoever is there. Did you come back for me?

It was silent…except for the howling of the wind through the trees.

Well then……….don’t answer me……if that’s the way you want to be…then go back to where you came from.

Lara couldn’t remember who had been with her, and didn’t know where she was. She just knew…she was lonely, and someone had left her there……by herself.

She walked into the farmhouse again, and into the little corner of the room, she sat down on a pile of old newspapers, her eyes were playing tricks on her.

Thinking she was seeing people that weren’t there. Wrapping herself in the old blanket, she fell asleep.

When the morning sun came streaming in the window, Lara sat up straight and looked around the room. Hello……is anybody here? Where am I? Can’t someone talk to me?

It was calm outside. The wind had ceased, and there was a gentle breeze now. Last nights wind had brought down several large branches from the trees. They were scattered about under the trees, on the ground. Lara walked to the door, and stepped outside. Goodness……you left a mess out here. You need to come home and clean this up. Always running off when there was work to do. She walked to the large oak tree, and sat on the sparse grass under the tree.

Time seemed to be going back. She had visions of herself as a young child, sitting under that same tree with someone. She didn’t know who the young man was……but she seemed very happy. Ahh…yes…I was very happy here at one time. Let me think……who was that handsome man with me? I don’t remember…but…I really liked him. Oh where did he go? How long has he been gone? She stood up, and leaned against the tree. Did you leave me here all alone. Was it him?

She felt something running down her cheeks. She reached up with her hand, and wiped away the tears flowing down her face. Why am I crying? Oh I wish I could remember something……everything is a blur, and my head hurts so bad.

She began walking around the large yard. Slowly she walked, touching every tree she passed. Talk to me……why won’t you say anything to me?

There was no other houses around. Only the long, long dirt road leading to the old farm house. There was only one old, rusty mailbox at the end of the road, which was about a mile away from the house. The leaves on the old oak tree had started to turn yellow, with the change of season.

Lara was in her early 30’s now, but she didn’t know how old she was. She had lost all track of time, and now she was all alone, not remembering how she came to be at this old farmhouse, and not remembering who left her here. She had a terrible headache and felt hungry…but didn’t know what to eat. There was nothing in the way of food in that old house, and nobody left her anything.

Oh I wish I knew who left me here. Did they mean for me to die here? I can’t go on like this. Oh please somebody……….help me.

She sat down on the grass by the dirt road leading to the house. Looking up the road for some sign of a live person to talk with. Maybe somebody could tell her where she was, and why she was here.

Several hours later, she heard the sound of a motor. She looked in the direction of the sound. There coming down the dirt road was an old dirty, red car.

She let out a yell. Hello……hello……did you come for me?

The car pulled into the driveway. An older man got out of the car, and walked to her.

What are ya doin at my place……lady?

I don’t know……weren’t you the one that left me here?

"Lady……I ain’t never seen ya before. Yer trespassing on my property. Who are ya?

I don’t know……somebody left me here…………and I think it was you.

Tweren’t me lady. Ya don’t know who ya are? Ya need to git outta here. I don’t want some old lady here with me that don’t even know who in this world she is.

Please don’t send me away……I’m awfully hungry, and I don’t have anything to eat here.

How long ya been here Lady?

I don’t know……….I guess a long time. I don’t know.

Well…………come on in……….I’ll cook us some grub, then ya can leave.

He took a bag from his car, and started walking to the house.

Zeke Baker was in his early 60’s, and had owned this old farm since the death of his parents. His mother and father had built this home before they had married, in the early 1900’s.

Zeke had gone as far as the 4th grade in school, and quit then to help his father with the farming. He was illiterate, and talked with a crude accent. His older sister, Matilda also illiterate, quit school very early to help her mother with cooking, and running the house. She helped raise Zeke when their mother passed away.

Neither of them ever married, and as time went on, Matilda worked to raise enough money to buy another old house near the old homestead. Eventually, when she was in her early 30’s, she moved into her own house, and Zeke took over the care of the homestead.

Their parents passed away when Zeke was just 16 years old, and Matilda was

36.

She followed him into the house.

Where am I? Can you tell me that?

Yer here in my house……….don’t ya know that?

Yes but…………where is your house?

Lady……….yer in it……….good gracious……don’t ya know a house when you see it?

Oh……but that’s not what I meant……

Well……what is it ya want to know?

Where we are.

He turned around to face the old cooking stove, mumbling "Ya must be plumb out of it……I keep telling ya where ya are……and it doesn’t sink in……

Oh just forget it……what are you cooking?

Grub.

What is grub?

Food……….don’t ya know nothen lady?

Ok……….that’s not what I meant.

He turned around and looked at her with a glare in his eye. I wish ya’d start saying what ya mean……yer making me nuts.

I’m trying the best I can……but you don’t understand me……I guess.

I understand one thing lady……….ya are confused. Ya don’t even know who ya are.

I know my name is Lara……but I don’t know anything else about me, or why I am here.

Well……that’s a start. What’s the matter with ya?

I don’t know……do you live here by yourself?

Ya don’t see anyone else, do ya?

No……but……do you have a wife?

Lady……ifen I had a wife……she’d be doin the cooking, and I wouldn’t be standing here talkin to ya.

Oh……well…I’m sorry.

I’m not……I’m happy by myself lady. I don’t want no nagging female here with me.

We’re not all nagging women……at least I’m not.

Lady……….are ya askin me to marry ya? He said looking at her with a smile on