Free Keeping Secrets by Treasure Hernandez

said.
    â€œThat’s because she’d just found out she’d gotten the cancer,” Yolanda replied. “She knew she was going to need somebody there to take care of her with old Grandpa James having already kicked the bucket.”
    Secret couldn’t believe just how cruel her mother could be. She decided she no longer wanted to entertain her mother’s negative conversation. So she decided in her grandmother’s defense her final words would be, “The grandma I knew was a good woman. She was saved, holy, loving, kind, and was there for us when we needed her. She found Jesus and not only did He save her, but He changed her.”
    â€œThat’s her story and you’re stickin’ with it too, huh?” Yolanda spat, shaking her head. “That old woman’s got you brainwashed, but never mind that dead biddy.” Yolanda drew a cross across her heart and looked upward. “God rest her soul.” She then focused her attention back on Secret. “What you gon’ do now that you got a bun in the oven? You can’t stay up in here, that’s for sure. The last thing I need is to hear some whiny little baby up at three in the morning looking for its mother’s titty. No, ma’am. I ain’t the one. But I’m sure you already figured that.” She wagged her finger in Secret’s direction once again. “So what you gon’ do?”
    â€œI hate to bust your bubble, Mama, but my life’s plans have not changed one bit,” Secret said with more authority than she’d ever used when speaking to her mother. “I’m not proud of my decision, but I have decided not to keep the baby.”
    â€œSo, what? Is the daddy going to keep it then? He gon’ take care of his seed? If that’s the case, then I guess you are like Grandma. He must be a white dude, ’cause I know ain’t no jive-ass nigga gon’ take care of his baby. You watch all those Behind the Music and Unsung documentaries. Don’t nobody but one in five ever got a daddy who raised ’em. That’s just niggas for you. So what’s his name? What’s this little white boy’s name who fathered your baby?”
    Secret hated how her mother was always seeming to put down their own race. Who did that? For a moment Secret thought her mother just refused to find the good in Blacks, but then she realized Yolanda couldn’t seem to find the good in anything or anybody.
    â€œHe’s not a white boy,” Secret said.
    â€œWhat? A black man willing to raise his own child?” Yolanda put her hands on her slender hips. “Then somebody call The Guinness Book of World Records and get this fool inducted immediately.” Yolanda began to laugh again.
    â€œNobody’s keeping the baby. I’m getting an abortion!” Secret shouted over Yolanda’s laughing.
    â€œWhat did you say?” Yolanda’s tone was indifferent. She really hadn’t heard what Secret had said.
    Almost cowering down Secret said, “I’m getting an abortion.”
    Yolanda just stared at her for a few seconds. “Huh, taking the easy way out. Figures.” She shook her head.
    â€œEasy? Mama, none of this was easy.”
    â€œOh, but lying on your back and letting some dude crawl up in between your pussy and nut all up in there, giving you a baby, was?”
    Secret turned her head in disgust. “Girl, your mama be cracking me up with that mouth of hers. She know she be keepin’ it real,” Secret could hear Shawndiece saying. In Secret’s opinion, if this was keepin’ it real—being as vulgar as a porno director—then Secret would take being fake any day.
    â€œDon’t act like you disgusted with what I’m saying. If letting some trifling nigga run up in you raw ain’t disgusting, then I don’t know what is.”
    â€œMama, you act like you didn’t let Daddy do the same thing to you,” was