I waited.
She didn't come to the door so I knocked again, a little harder and a little longer. Again. I waited, and again, there was just silence, so I called for her.
"Miss Harper. It's Jordan. I need my medicine now. Miss Harper?'"
I waited and listened and still there was silence. Maybe she had already gone down to breakfast. I thought, but I knocked one more time. When there was still no response. I turned and hurried back to the stairway. My grandmother was in the kitchen giving Nancy orders and Miss Harper was nowhere in sight.
"Miss Harper isn't answering when I knock." I said.
Grandmother Emma turned and Nancy stopped working and looked my way, too.
"Did you knock hard enough?" Grandmother asked.
"Yes. And I even called to her, but she didn't come. I need to have my medicine. Mama said I have to have it first thing every day."
Grandmother Emma looked at Nancy. "Have you seen Millicent this morning?" she asked Nancy.
"No. ma'am," she replied.
Grandmother Emma thought a moment, and while she thought, neither I nor Nancy moved.
"Maybe she was in the bathroom. Go back up and knock again and wait. If she doesn't answer come back," she told me, and returned to what she was telling Nancy.
I hurried
upstairs. I was disappointed that Ian's door was still shut. I was hoping all the noise I was making would get him to wonder and come out, but he didn't and I stood there alone again and knocked as hard as I could.
There was still silence.
I called for her and then. after I heard nothing. I turned and nearly tripped running down the stairs. Grandmother Emma had gone into the dining room and was sipping a glass of orange juice. She looked up with confusion at my heavy breathing.
"What is it now, Jordan?"
"Miss Harper won't open the door." I said. "She won't answer me."
"Ridiculous," Grandmother Emma said, and rose. "I hope you didn't tap so softly no one could have heard."
I held out my hand. My knuckles were red.
"I hit the door very hard, so hard I hurt myself," I said, "I need my medicine."
"I know you need your medicine. You don't have to continually remind me," she said, and scowled.
I didn't care how angry she got. I wasn't afraid of showing my anger now, too. Mama had made nothing clearer to me than the importance of my having my medicine every morning. Grandmother Emma should be just as concerned as I was, I thought, and I didn't for a moment regret having her walk back to the stairway and go up to Miss Harper's room. She glanced at Ian's closed door, too, and smirked as she walked past it to Miss Harper's door. I followed closely and waited when she knocked.
"Millicent, it's Emma. Are you all right?" she asked, directing herself to the closed door.
There was no answer. "Millicent?"
I stood there with my arms folded over my chest, satisfied she could see I was right. I could see how annoyed Grandmother Emma was getting. She looked at me and then she opened the door. I started after her, but she turned on me in the doorway.
"Just a moment,' she said. "You wait out here." I stepped back.
She entered, closing the door almost
completely. A few moments later. I heard her cry out, "Oh, my God. Millicent! Millicent !"
I pushed the door fully open and peered in. Grandmother Emma was standing beside the bed, her right hand pressed flat over her mouth as if she was trying to keep in the orange juice she had just drunk, and her left hand on her head. I walked in and looked at Miss Harper, who was lying crouched over to her right as if she was going to vomit. Her eyes were wide open as was her mouth, and she looked like she had been screaming. In fact, she still looked like she was screaming, but it was a scream that no one else could hear.