When Dr. Frazier came, it would have been very simple for Bennie to run away from the house, yet he stays because he does
not want to be alone. The doctor's visit is only the first indication (in the story) that Bennie's
grandmother is seriously ill. But, there are other indications as well... Bennie comes across his grandmother kneeling in prayer besides her bed; and both her friend Miss May and she discuss their relative ailments in some depth.
Bennie is somewhat out of breath, his mother wants to know why he had been running so fast? Bennie had just overheard Dr. Frazier inform his grandmother that she had until the end of this summer to live. He wanted to be reassured, he wanted a reassuring presence by his side; and the only other member of the family (besides his grandmother) present was his mother. But, he had difficulty in expressing these sentiments to her. And, he had already decided that he must not tell anyone else about the things he had heard. They are too personal, they are the private cross that he must bear alone.
Bennie begins to feel sorry for his grandmother, when he learns that she is soon going to die. But, her grandmother is not the only one who is ill, her friend (Miss May) is not expected to last very long either. At Miss May's funeral, Bennie felt very proud of his grandmother. This was because his grandmother's demeanor had been very, very dignified; she seemed reconciled both to her friend's loss, and to whatever fate had in store for her. There is no running away from death, the author seems to be telling us. Even the young Bennie, all of ten years old, seems to (instinctively) understand this fact of life. Running away is not an option available to him, there is nowhere he can run away to. This does not even have to be explained to him; this is a matter that he grasps without further explanation. Given the choice between staying - and running away - he has the inner strength to stay.
As the story progresses, we learn that Mr. Bailey has proposed to Bennie's mother. Bennie's grandmother feels relieved that the lord has answered her prayers; Bennie will not have to go to the Stewarts after all, Mr. Bailey will look after him when she is no more.
This story is not (overtly) about black people, but it gives us an overview of black perceptions; and how they regard the white people they work with and live with, but in a laid-back sort of way. The reason is that there is a certain distance between members of these two communities; a distance that cannot be bridged even in matters pertaining to life and death, matters that must transcend this earth. When they are entering a white person's home, it almost seems to Bennie that they are going to a parish church! Of course, this story refers to race relations in the sixties, but the perspective they provide form an important backdrop to this tale.