Lizzy One Year Later

 author's note:  To catch you up, one year has gone by.  Nicolas is still struggling to make friends but has made friends with one boy from school with similar interests who also has trouble fitting in but is very smart like Nick.

     Lizzy made up with her parents and they sent Daniel to Berkeley School of Music in Boston.  

     It is September, 2008, and Lizzy is planning to vote for Barack Obama, the Illinois Senator.  She is still working at the 'Water Well' and now going out with Jim Wallace, the owner, over which she and Charlie have parted company once and for all, at least as far as she is concerned.

     Lizzy's parents of course are voting for McCain, but Lizzy has decided that she will not let their differences get between them.

     She did not take Dr. Epstein's advice and move to the city, but chances are she will move in with Jim closer to Burlington, a fairly big city.  She does not want Nicolas to fall into the wrong crowd, shielding him all the while wanting him to have friends.

     The TV was on in the bar as Lizzy served drinks quickly.  Jim was helping behind the bar this afternoon.  Happy hour was busy today.

     Sarah Palin, the governor of Alaska, who was John McCain's running mate is talking about "a bridge to nowhere," and "I sold that plane on EBay", using phrases like "you bet ya," and "ya know", in a twangy mid-western accent.

    "Oh God," Lizzy rolled her eyes still pouring drinks for the men at the bar.  She went to change the channel to sports, when Tommy, a regular having had too much to drink said, "you liberal hippies and your ultra-liberal media brain

w-" in his strong New England accent.

    "Stop, right there, Tommy, I think you had enough to drink.  I'm calling you a taxi."

     "Taxi?" drawled Tommy, "there's only one o' those around here it's gonna cost me a hundred dollars to get home."

    "Then you drink coffee and I'll drive you home.  You don't talk to Lizzy that way."

    "Aw, come on," Tommy drawled on in his slow drunken voice.  Jim hated this part of running a bar, especially one in the middle of nowhere.  He had a policy of not calling the cops unless it was absolutely necessary.  They all knew each other.  It was like Cheers at the 'Water Well.'  

    Lizzy just kept working in her black hooded sweatshirt and jeans, hair in braid pulled back.  College basketball was blaring on the television screen.

     On the walls were old license plates and vintage posters of stars like Marilyn Monroe, Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, Ella Fitzgerald, Cole Porter and there was an old vintage jukebox and a fireplace which was going, as well as hunting trophies and vintage knives on the walls.  Old apothecary bottles lined the back shelf of the bar under the shelf with the stained glass, blue martini glasses and high end liquors like Grey Goose vodka and Bombay gin.  The cheaper stuff was down lower and they sold several types of beer and wines.

     Just then, Charlie also drunk, comes crashing through the door almost falling down.  "Oh geesh, what is this?  Mercury in retrigrade?" Jim sighed.

     Tommy stood up just then and Jim began to go around the counter expecting trouble.  

    "Hey Charlie", drawled Tommy, "you another ultra-liberal media, brain wa-"

Before Jim could get to either of them, Charlie punched Tommy out and went to punch Jim, but Jim blocked him and dragged him outside.

    "Should I call the po-" began Lizzy still behind the bar and everyone gawking at the fight, some cheering and shouting.

    "No, I got this," Jim yelled back.  She ran over to put a cool towel over Tommy's forehead.  His nose was bleeding and he was out cold.  "I apologize", she looked up, "we don't usually have this kind of craziness."

    A costumer named Rob came over to help her.  "Here I'll get one of the other guys to drag him to the back.  He's OK.  He probably was ready to pass out anyway, poor geezer."  Another man came over to help him, and Lizzy ran outside to see what was going on with Jim and Charlie.  They were punching each other although Jim was doing better being sober, but Charlie was getting a few in.  

     "Stop, you guys!  What the hell is wrong with you guys?  Stop!  Charlie, get out of here or get in here and drink some coffee and sober the hell up!"

     "I don't want no coffee, damn it!," yelled Charlie.  "I would have given you the world, Elizabeth and you settle for this all time major loser!!!  What the hell?!!"  Jim had him in a head lock now.

     "Stop both of you or I'll call the cops and have you both go to jail!  You too Jim, damn it!  What are you, a couple of neanderthal rednecks?!!!

     They seemed to not hear her.  "OK", she said.  "I'm counting to five, one, two..."

    Jim let go and held Charlie back with his hand.  He was sober and knew better than to provoke Charlie all the more with a verbal come back.  At that point with the threat of the cops coming, Charlie jumped in his car and left, not a good thing considering  his drunken state.

     Lizzy helped Jim stagger back in.  His nose and lip were bleeding.  She went to get an ice pack.  Everyone cheered when he came in like he had won the big fight.
     Jim just said, "you should see the other guy."  They laughed.

     By this time Tommy was asleep in the kitchen.  Lizzy hoped this was the end of the drama.  Maybe if she stayed with Jim they should sell the bar and start a different kind of restaurant like a family restaurant that did not serve alcohol or a bed and breakfast.  That was it.  They could take the money, buy and remodel her big farmhouse she rented, into a bed and breakfast.  That is if Jim would agree to it, and their relationship became completely solid.  She was forty-six now, too old for this child's play.