About function schedule

I have a question about function "schedule".
I wanna make a flash effect by calling schedule.

Object appear at the tilemap, wait one second, and then disappear.
(Appear => disappear => appear => dosappear),by using recursion.

How come it will not wait one second to execte the function?

function lost_life_effect(%seq,%clear,%column,%row)
{
echo(%seq);
if (%seq >=0)
{
if (%clear == 1)
{
%seq--;
%clear = 0;
$Board.clearTile(%column, %row);
$Board.schedule( 1000, 0,lost_life_effect(%seq,%clear,%column,%row));
}
else
{
%seq--;
%clear = 1;

$Board.setStaticTile(%column, %row, ImageMap);
$Board.schedule( 1000,0, lost_life_effect(%seq,%clear,%column,%row));
}
}
}