"Ian, you can go to your room. You can go out, but stay on the property and do not go swimming until we return,"
Grandmother Emma added, and turned to me. "In about an hour or so, you will go to the doctor with Miss Harper and me.
"Welcome to our house. Millicent," she said to Miss Harper, and extended her hand to her. They shook gently.
"Thank you."
Ian quickly started up the stairs and didn't look back. Sullenly. I followed Miss Harper to what had been my parents' bedroom. Grandmother Emma had even had the bedding and the curtains completely changed, using the bedding and curtains I had seen in the downstairs guest room. Nancy had already put away Miss Harper's things, hung up her clothing in the closet, and put her shots where they belonged. None of Mama or Daddy's clothing had been left. Even the pictures of us and of them had been removed.
I saw that Miss Harper had very little on the vanity table and nothing of Mama's remained. She checked the bathroom and then stepped out and smiled.
"Well, it looks like there's not much for us to do. I feel as if I have lived here for years," she told me. "Why don't we have our first heart-to-heart chat. You can sit on the settee and I'll sit here," she said, taking the cushioned chair that I knew to be Daddy's.
I gazed about suspiciously. Grandmother Emma surely knew everything had been done for Miss Harper. I was positive she just wanted me to be alone with her to have this first conversation. She wanted to be sure Ian wouldn't be present. Miss Harper held her smile, but those eyes were still so cold, it was as if her face was a mask and the real Miss Harper was somewhere behind it, watching me, studying me. I sat as perfectly as I could so there would be no slouching for her to report.
"Well now, let's get to know each other better. You were just seven, right?"
I nodded.
"It's better if you say yes or no when people ask you a question, Jordan. Just nodding or shaking your head makes it seem like you don't want to talk," she said. To me it sounded exactly like something Grandmother Emma might say. "You were just seven?" she repeated.
"Yes," I said.
"For many years. I taught little girls and boys who were about your age. You're going into the third grade this coming September. I'm going to help you be so prepared, your teacher will recommend promoting you into the fourth grade. How would you like that? Would you like that?"
"I don't know." I said. "I don't do schoolwork over the summer."
"This summer you will, At the end of the summer you will know just as much as any fourth grader."
"You're going to be here all summer?" I asked.
She stared coolly. "It appears that way, Jordan. It's important you don't get too optimistic about your mother's recovery."
"What's optimistic?"
"See? My students would know that word. It means essentially too hopeful. You have to be realistic about how long it will take for your mother to fully recuperate. You can't rush something like that. It wouldn't be good for her and you want what's good for her, don't you?"
"Yes," I said. Of course, I thought. Why did she even have to ask?
"Good. Now, back to what I was saying. Imagine getting ahead of all the other students in your class this year," she continued. "Wouldn't you feel your summer wasn't so terrible after all?"
"It will be terrible until Mama comes home," I said. Nothing she could do and nothing wonderful for me could change that.
She sucked in her breath through her nose and pulled up her shoulders. I could see she didn't like my answers, but why should I pretend I was happy she was here?
"Try to concentrate on what I'm telling you. I'm telling you a good thing could come out of all this. I'm a qualified elementary school teacher and you will be my only student for the whole summer. I'll be able to devote all my time to just you--and Ian, of course," she added, but not with any enthusiasm.
I smiled at that and said, "Ian could be ahead of everyone in his school. Some of his teachers think he should already be in college."
"Is that so? Well, for now, then I won't be so concerned about Ian. I'm really concerned only about you. You have a great many new problems, more than a girl your age is supposed to have, and I want to help you with all that, too. In order for me to do that, you know what I need from you?"
I shook my head and then quickly said, "No."
"I need you to be very, very honest with me all the time. I need you to trust me and I need to be able to trust you. Will you try to be honest all the time?"
"Yes. I don't lie," I added. "Ian says I'm not a good liar anyway. He says anyone could take one look at my face and know I was lying."
"That's not a good reason not to lie to people. Jordan," she said quickly. "That makes it sound like you would if you could do it better. You shouldn't want to lie because it's wrong and if people think you lie about one thing, they won't believe you about another. A person is as good as his or her word. Do you understand?"