Broken Flower (Early Spring 1)

"Not until you tell me where you were. Why did you come out of the woods? Did you go back to the campground? Did you see Flora? Jordan, you'd better answer me."

I couldn't help my crying now. I just stood there, holding my side and sobbing, my body shaking. He knocked again and again, urging me to open the door. Then I heard Daddy shout from the top of the stairway.

"What the hell are you kids doing down there? Quit that banging! I'm trying to get some sleep."

Ian stopped knocking, but he didn't walk away. He brought his lips close to the door and whispered through the crack. "Jordan, you'd better tell me where you were and why you were running like that. Come on. Come out. I'm not going away until you open this door, Jordan."

I knew he would stay there all day and all night if he had to. Ian was like that when he made his mind up about something. Daddy said he would make a great prisoner of war. He would never reveal a secret even if they pulled all his hair out strand by strand with a tweezer.

"I've got to take a bath first, Ian," I said.

He was quiet for a moment, and then he said, "I'll be right out here, waiting."

I had to gather my thoughts. Would I tell him what had happened exactly or could I lie and get away with a story?

Maybe I could do it so he wouldn't know I had even seen Flora? But What if he saw this bandage on me? He'd want to know about that, wouldn't he? I'll have to take it off. It will fall off when I'm in the tub anyway. I thought.

I ran the water into the nib and began to remove my muddied dress. The dirty water had gone through and even stained my panties. I took them off and then waited for the tub to fill. Before I stepped into it. I heard Ian again. He was still right at the door.

"I want to know if you went back to that campground and saw her, Jordan. I'm not waiting here to find out. You'd better tell me."

My heart started to race again. I got into the tub without saying a word. It felt good just to soak and the warm water did calm me. I thought I could hear Ian's breathing through the door and imagined he was leaning against it, impatient and growing angrier and angrier.

"I went looking for you!" I shouted. "And I fell in the mud." It was much easier to lie with a door between us.

"I thought the bear was after me," I added. After all, that was the truth. "I wanted to tell you Mama had gone on an errand and it would take her all day, but I got frightened and ran and ran until 1 fell."

"All day? Where did she go?"

"I don't know!"

I waited, holding my breath. Would he believe me?

"She'll blame what happened to you on me for sure," he said. "Let me in. I'll put your clothes in the washer and I'll clean up your shoes. Maybe we won't have to tell her."

"I'm in the tub, Ian. Wait until I finish."

"Why did you lock the door? You should never lock the door, Jordan."

"I'll be out soon," I said. I took off the bandage Flora had put on me. The scratch hurt again and brought tears back to my eyes. Mama was sure to see this. I thought. I started to wash it with the washcloth and soap.

Then I heard what sounded like scratching at the door and realized Ian was doing something to unlock it. Before I could stop him, he succeeded and stepped into the bathroom. He closed the door and looked down at me in the tub. The bandage was on the side of it. His eyes went from it to my leg and then back to me.

"How did you get that?"

"A thorn bush scratched me when I ran. I told you. I thought the bear was after me or you were teasing me," I said.

"Where did you get the bandage?" He picked it up and studied it. "Well?"

"I put it on myself." I said.

He smirked. "Jordan, why would you put it on, get in the tub, and take it off?"

"I don't know," I said.

"Jordan, tell me the truth. Stop your lying." He narrowed his eyes into those slits of penetration. "Why are you lying anyway? What are you afraid to tell me?"

I looked down but it was too late. He knew where I had gone.