Dirty Red by Vickie M. Stringer

Author:Vickie M. Stringer
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Atria Books

CHAPTER 15

Cheaper to Keep Her

Hello?” Kera answered the phone.

“What’s up?” Mekel asked.

“Nothing.”

“I want to see you.”

“When?”

Kera had played her hand well. She didn’t push Mekel to accept responsibility. This was the one thing that was most attractive to him. The average woman would have brought the drama, yet Kera played it cool. The way she accepted her responsibility and took care of her own problems became enticing to him.

“Meet me at the House of Pancakes on Seven Mile,” Mekel instructed.

“I—I don’t have a ride that can get me there anytime soon. I’m too big to be on the bus. I’m due any day now,” Kera replied honestly. She knew that at nearly nine months, bed rest was the best she was going to get. She didn’t have time to run the streets.

“Besides, Mekel, what you need to say to me that you haven’t in the last nine months?” Kera was suspicious. Her thoughts were, Don’t start no shit, won’t be none.

“Naw, it ain’t even like that. I need to talk to you.”

“You know where I’m at.” Kera paused. “Or are you afraid to be seen over here visiting me?”

Mekel knew the Seven Mile House of Pancakes was almost an hour out of the way. He was just trying to avoid conflict. He didn’t have time to hear Terry’s mouth. As the months went by she had become nothing but a nuisance. Anything attractive that Mekel once found in her had been erased by her bark.

In fact, he found Terry to be so insecure that it became just plain ugly. Mekel couldn’t understand how Kera’s pregnancy had broken her. He didn’t understand that the fact that Terry couldn’t have his kids ate away at her. With her tubes tied, twisted and burnt, it would take an act of God to reverse a decision that had been made three years ago.

“No, it’s not that I don’t want to see you. It’s just . . .” Mekel paused.

“Just what, Mekel?”

“I just don’t need the bullshit in my life.”

“And I do? I don’t need you calling me with this. I don’t bother you. So why the hell you calling me now?” Kera began to get upset. “Mekel, it’s too late for an abortion. So, what? You calling me to suggest that I give the baby up for adoption? Nigga, please.”

Mekel knew that everything Kera said was correct. The right to life was a woman’s choice, and a man had no right to make that decision for her. As a man, he knew that all he could do was be responsible for his seed and help her whenever and however he could. He wasn’t going to go out of his way, but he wasn’t going to dog Kera, either. He wanted her to know that.

“Look, Kera, what time can I come by? I want to see you. I’ll come to you.”

It didn’t make Kera any difference, yet she was relieved that he was showing concern. “Stop by in an hour.”

“See you then.” Mekel hung up the phone and opened the door of the bathroom where he’d sought refuge to make the phone call.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.