The Ballad of the Sad Cafe

In the center of a small, rural Southern town, there once was a café that used to be a store. Miss Amelia, who now lives in the rooms above, inherited the building from her father. She first turned it into a store with a still outside of town that provided the townspeople with liquor. She also practiced basic medicine. Miss Amelia was strong and independent, not caring what anyone thought of her.

The narrative flashes back to the year Miss Amelia turned 30. A small man with a severely curved spine approaches the store and, through tears, introduces himself as Lymon Willis—Miss Amelia’s cousin. The townspeople watch as Miss Amelia listens. She has no family and enjoys her solitude. They are surprised when she offers Cousin Lymon some liquor for free.

After midnight, Miss Amelia invites him inside, giving him her leftover dinner. Afterward, Miss Amelia invites Cousin Lymon upstairs to her rooms, where few townspeople have ever been. The next day, Miss Amelia opens the store. Soon, the townspeople begin speculating wildly, with some saying Miss Amelia murdered Cousin Lymon in the middle of the night. On Saturday, Miss Amelia does not open the store; the townspeople grow anxious.