[NOOB] "remember" function

["Shane Lee" <shaneplee@...>]

Warning: What follows is a 'noob' question; Proceed with caution!

Okay, I have tried to find the solution to this on my own, but it is
apparently such an easy-to-fix problem that no one has bothered to
write the list about it or put it in the book, unless of course I am
unable to wrap my head around the proper language to describe my
problem in the various search utilities at my disposal:

I have this function in a lua file:

-------------------------code-----------------
remember = {}

function check_memory(who)
 local i = 0
 local k = 0

  if not who then return (nil) end

  if (remember[who]) then
    k = 0
    return("I remember you, " .. who .. "!")
  end

  if k == 0 then
    remember[who] = 1
     return ("I am trying to remember you, " .. who .. "!")
  end
end
-------------------------code--------------------

And when I do this:


-------------------------code--------------------
local s = nil

s = check_memory("shane")
if not (s) then print ("(nil)") else print (s) end
s = check_memory("shane")
if not (s) then print ("(nil)") else print (s) end
s = check_memory("shane")
if not (s) then print ("(nil)") else print (s) end
-------------------------code------------------

The result is as expected:

-------------------------code------------------
I am trying to remember you, shane!
I remember you, shane!
I remember you, shane!
-------------------------code------------------

Now then, here's the problem; Whenever I attempt to duplicate the
above result using a C call, it constantly "forgets" the last table
entry and no matter how many times I make the call, it returns:

I am trying to remember you, shane!

Because of the complexity of the calling C code, I hesitate to send
that to the list, even under the 'noob' tag, however I can provide
this as well. I am assuming that this has to do with the GC cleaning
up behind me, but I need a way to store a large number of 'names' in
the table along with other possible entries that will not be
"forgotten" each time that the API makes a call.

Now, how's that for an unlurk? Just wait until I get warmed up!

-Shane