Ballad of the Sad Cafe, pages 23 - 48 Summary

Four years pass. During that time, the cafe expands and becomes more official. Amelia serves food along with drinks. Saturday is the busiest night, and nearly everyone from town comes to her cafe. Lymon convinces Amelia to buy a mechanical piano, which spits out lively tunes.

Cousin Lymon has risen to a clear level of authority over Amelia. She tends to his every need, feeds him, showers him with attention, takes him to nearby picture shows or cockfights. It is clear to the townspeople that Amelia loves Lymon. The author describes this kind of love as one-sided, in that Amelia is the lover and Lymon the beloved. Lymon does not love Amelia like she does him, and so he can take advantage of the situation and get away with a great...