Broken Flower (Early Spring 1)

o make me do fourth-grade schoolwork so I'll be ahead."

"Well, that's good, too," he said, which infuriated me.

"I don't want to do schoolwork, Ian. It's summer. I want to go out to the pool."

"Look," he said, "we didn't ask for all this to happen. Grandmother Emma hired her, so let her work. Take advantage of the situation and improve."

"She'll make you work, too," I warned.

He smiled. "I hardly think she has anything valuable to teach me," he said, and started for his room just as Miss Harper came out of Daddy and Mama's bedroom carrying books and workbooks in her arms.

"What did you say to her?" she asked him immediately.

He paused, looked at Miss Harper, and then continued to his room.

"I'll be in to speak with you shortly, young man," she called after him.

He closed his door and turned the lock. She stood there a moment looking toward his room and then she continued toward me.

"What did he say to you? Did he ask you again about the doctor?"

"No," I said. "He said he didn't care about taking care of his own room. He likes that."

"He does. does he? We'll see what he likes and doesn't like. Back to your room," she ordered.

I turned and walked, but not fast enough for her. I could feel her practically breathing on my head, her feet right behind mine. As soon as we entered the bedroom, she told me to sit at my desk and then she put the books on it, explaining each one, the math book, the English book, the science book, and the social studies book. She had a fifth book I had never seen called Becoming a Lady. She said it was all about manners and proper behavior and was just as important as, if not more important than, the other subjects.

She opened each book to show me where she had marked off the pages for me to begin reading. Each book, except the one called Becoming a Lady had a workbook to go along with it, which was something I had in school. She then showed me the pages in the workbook that I had to complete after I had done a section of reading in each book.

"I'm going to let you start on your own," she said. She looked at her watch. "You'll have enough time to do the math assignment and the English assignment before lunch. After lunch, you will do the rest and then we'll go over all the work together to set what you learned yourself and what I need to explain further."

I glanced at the window. It was practically a cloudless day and very warm, too.

"But I want to go swimming today.

Grandmother Emma said she had the pool started for Ian and me. She said we could go swimming and I want to call one of my friends to come over, Missy Littleton."

"We will discuss that after you've completed all your work," she said. But I can tell you that I frown upon any guests arriving on weekdays. You can begin now."

"I don't want to," I said. "I don't want to do schoolwork today. I want to go sWirilriling. It's not weekdays in the summer. Every day is like a weekend."

"Not to me and not to you any longer. Work." I couldn't help the tears.

She glared at me and then she looked at her watch. "I will return in an hour and a half. If you haven't completed the first two assignments by then, you won't have lunch."

She turned and walked out of the room, closing the door.

"I won't do it!" I screamed. My heart was pounding in anticipation of her returning, but she didn't. I listened and then I rose and peeked out the door to set her marching toward Ian's bedroom.

I watched her try the door and then knock hard, demanding he open the door. He didn't. I could see her arms down, extended her hands clenched into fists.

"You will regret this, young man," she warned, turned, and headed for the stairway.

I retreated quickly and returned to my desk, where I sat sulking, but I couldn't help but be curious about the schoolwork. Maybe Ian was right. Maybe I should get ahead. I started to read the math book and then look at the workbook. Some of it was easy, but some of it was confusing and I was impatient. I returned to sulking until that bored me, too. I got up and looked out the window.

Grandmother Emma's grounds workers were cutting grass and trimming bushes. The pool man was there cleaning. It was truly a beautiful day and I longed just to be outside to smell the flowers blooming, the grass being cut, and hear the birds. I even wished we were back at the lake and all that had happened was just a nightmare. I'd even risk meeting up with the black bear again.

Really bored now and frustrated. I went to the bed and just sprawled out. I closed my eyes and turned on my back and before I knew it. I fell asleep. A sharp slap across my left cheek woke me and I looked up at an enraged Miss Harper.