The Pride – page 7
“I have to tell you something, Big Brother. I need to know you won’t go to Mother, please.” Naomi didn’t look up but her tears increased in volume.
“Of course I won’t tell Mother. You keep my secrets. I keep your secrets. What’s wrong, little mama?”
“Don’t call me that, William,” Naomi said through gritted teeth.
“Why not,” William asked good-naturedly, “I always call you little mama.” He was smiling, hoping he could get his sister to smile a little, too. His smile quickly disappeared when Naomi melted to the floor and started crying hysterically into her hands.
“Shhhhhhh.” William rushed from his chair and gathered his little sister into his arms. She was so tiny and thin for her age. He picked her up and carried her over to the chair he’d been sitting in and placed her gently on her bottom. She kept crying, even though he tried to comfort her. When he realized he just needed to let her get it out, he kneeled in front of her and placed her forehead on his shoulder and put his arms around her. He rocked her slowly and tried to remember the last time he’d seen Naomi cry.
Naomi didn’t cry. He’d nicknamed her “little mama,” because she was always so well-collected and organized, just like their mother. She would run the house when Denise wasn’t home. Naomi made sure he and the little ones were fed, the dishes were washed, everyone’s clothes were laundered and ironed and put out for the next day of school, and she even read bedtime stories to Benjamin and Sarah when Denise wasn’t home or was too tired to do it. It hurt him to see Naomi so distraught, but he knew he couldn’t make her talk until she was ready, so he just held her and rocked her.
“William?”
“Yes, lit… I mean, yes, Naomi?”
“William, I think I’m pregnant,” Naomi choked the words out into her brother’s shoulder. She felt him instantly stop rocking. He put one hand on each of her shoulders and pushed himself away from her to look into her face. Her eyes were swollen and red and her nose was running.
“What did you say?” William looked Naomi dead-center in the face. He was sure he’d heard her wrong.
“I think I’m pregnant,” Naomi said again, forcing the words from her throat and trying not to break down crying again.
“What? How? Who?” William let go of Naomi’s shoulders and sat back on the heels of his feet. His mind was telling him to close his gaping mouth, but he couldn’t do it.
“I was stupid, William. I let this boy put his penis between my legs and he wasn’t wearing a condom. It was my first time, and he said he di…” Naomi stopped mid-sentence, as William held up his hands, closed his eyes tight and turned his head to the side.
“Who…the hell is this boy, Mi-Mi,” William could feel the blood rising in his face.
“He’s my boyfriend.”