"Is that so?" he asked, but he didn't wait for an answer. He pushed his own wheels so they would continue down the hallway. I was surprised to see them go into the living room, where I heard Daddy tell Kimberly to make him a vodka cocktail. Later. I found out he had asked her to stay for dinner and had told Nancy to prepare another setting.
I was positive Grandmother Emma would be upset about it. I wondered if she knew yet. It was drawing close to dinner so I went up to wash, fix my hair, and change
my clothes. Grandmother Emma still liked me to look dressed up for our dinners. When I was finished. I started out and saw that her bedroom door was still closed. It made me hesitate. She was usually downstairs by now, giving Nancy orders. I went to her door and put my ear to it to listen for sounds that would tell me she was still in her room. If she was. I was going to warn her about Kimberly staying for dinner.
At first, I heard nothing and then I heard what sounded like water running. I listened hard. It was water running and running and running. It didn't sound like her shower or her bath either. I decided to knock on her door when the running water continued. She didn't answer so I knocked harder and then I called for her and waited. Still. she didn't answer. I tried the door knob and it opened.
"Grandmother?" I called, and waited with the door slightly opened.
Now I was sure the water was running in the sink, so I pushed the door completely open and I walked into her bedroom. She was nowhere in sight, but the bathroom door was open. I walked slowly to it, calling for her as I did so. She didn't answer.
When I reached the door. I stopped and stared as if I was in a dream.
The bathroom sink was overflowing.
Grandmother Emma was lying on the floor, wearing a full slip, and reaching up toward me, her mouth twisted in the funniest way. She looked like she had messed herself, too. All I could do for a few moments was continue to stare, then I turned and ran out. At the top of the stairway with all the power of my lungs. I screamed for Nancy.
But the music from the living room was very loud so I had to go down the stairs and scream from there. Finally. Nancy heard me and came out of the kitchen.
"Something's wrong with Grandmother Emma!" I cried.
"What?"
"She's lying on the floor in her bathroom and the water is running out of the sink."
Nancy wiped her hands on her apron and hurried to the stairway. I started up and she hurried past me, rushing down the hallway to the room. I followed as quickly as I could and stood in the bedroom, looking through the doorway as Nancy knelt down to talk to Grandmother Emma. Then she shot up, turned off the faucet, and went to the telephone. She punched 911 and screamed for an ambulance.
"I think she had a stroke!" she told the operator. After that she returned to Grandmother Emma and began to make her comfortable. She brought her a pillow and began to prepare a cool washcloth. I waited and watched, unsure of what I could or should do.
'Go down and tell your father what's
happening,'" Nancy instructed as she dabbed towels into the water on the floor.
I hurried out and down the stairs. The music was still loud. When I entered the living room. Kimberly was swaying to the music in front of Daddy, who was holding his cocktail and laughing. Kimberly saw me and stopped. Daddy didn't realize why for a moment and then she turned down the music and nodded in my direction.
"Jordan needs you," she said.
"Needs me? How could anyone need me?" Daddy asked, still smiling. He turned his chair so he could see inc. "What's up?"
"Grandmother Emma's on the floor in her bathroom. Nancy called for an ambulance."
"Huh?"
"Your mother..." Kimberly said, as if she had to explain to him who Grandmother Emma was. "What happened to her, Jordan?"
"Nancy said she thinks it's a stroke, whatever that is," I said.
"Stroke? My mother?" Daddy blinked his eves. I could see the news was sobering him up quickly. He put down his drink and looked at Kimberly. "You'd better go up there and see what's going on." he told her.
She nodded and started out. "Show me the way. Jordan," she said. After all she had never been in the mansion.
I didn't care to do it. I didn't want her seeing Grandmother Emma like that, but I led her out and up the stairs to her bedroom. Nancy had put a blanket over Grandmother Emma, who had her eyes closed now and was turned away from us.
Kimberly looked at Nancy. "How is she?"
"She ain't good. I think it was a stroke. I called for an ambulance."
"Is she still breathing?" Kimberly asked, squinting and smirking as she looked down at Grandmother Emma.