My name is Brook. I live with my mami and down the hall from my abuela. I'm 12 years old and don't know my father that was until my mom got sick again. Now it seems like I have to know him.
Hi I'm Brooklyn, Brook for short. I'm 12 years young as my mami says. I'm in the 6th grade. In my life there's my mami. Also know as Mami Caliente, she says back in the day everyone loved her. She was a big time rapper in New York now she just my mami. Then there's my abuela, she my mami mami. I call her abuela of course and then me Brooklyn. We live in New York, Brooklyn to be exact.
"Meha." My mom calls.
"Yes mami." I call back but she doesn't answer she always does this when she wants me to come to her. Ugh. I go toward her room only to see her take a pill then quickly putting the pill bottle in the bottom of her sock drawer.
"Yes mami." She jumps.
"Dios mío! Make yourself known. Don't sneak up on me." She says.
"I was just trying to see why you called me." I said hanging on to her door handle.
"We're going out for dinner." She said fixing her makeup.
"Really!" I answer.
"Si!" She answers.
"But we never go out. I mean like ever. Why?" I asked her.
"!Mio! Do I have to have a reason to take you out. I just want to try something different." She says then the doorbell rings. "Get that Meha, that should be abuela. She's going out with us tonight." She says
"Okay mami." I run to open the door.
"Aloha abuela." I wave then go into hug her.
"Aloha Meha. Where's you mami?" She ask.
"She's in the- -
"I'm here mami. Everyone ready." She asked walking toward us.
"Si" I answer. We take a cab downstairs waiting on us to the dinner place. It stops us in front of Boqueria Spanish Tapas - Fort Greene. It looks nice on the outside.
Once we go in she had reservations for US. They led us to the back to secluded area. I think is so my mom doesn't get disturb during dinner. We order or food and mami and abuela make small talk. Mami finally tells me I can order dessert. I think she is trying to butter me up about something but maybe not. Maybe she is going on another business trip.
"Meha. I want to talk to you about something. And I want you to listen first with you ears then we can have an adult conversation about it. Okay?" She says. I nodded my head.
"Brooklyn. Mami breast cancer has come back and it's more aggressive this time." She says holding onto my hand from across the table. "I've had it before when your were much younger and it wasn't as bad as it is now. I want you to understand that I love you very much with every breath I have in me but I'm sick and mami won't be around as much as I normally would be for you. Your abuela is going to step in a lot for me. But in the meantime it's going to be me and you for the rest of this week. Then I check into the hospital for some help. Do you understand Meha?" She asks me. I took my hand back and put my head down.
"Can we go home now?" I ask.
"You don't want your dessert? They haven't even brought it out yet." She asks.
"I'm going to go to the restroom." I tell her taking my jacket with me. We are close to home so by the restroom I snuck out and made my way to my bestfriend house Kia. Getting to her house I knock on her door.
"Hi Ms. Washington is Kia here?" I asked.
"Of course Brooklyn go ahead back." She told me. I hugged her and walked to Kia's room.
"Hey what are you doing here?" She asks standing up from her bed.
"Hiding out." I told her. I close her bedroom door and lock in the slide down the door tears running down my face.
"Oh my god Brook what's wrong?" She asks.
"She has cancer. Mami has cancer, she says she wants to spend time with me before she checks into the hospital.I didn't even know she was sick." I cried. Kia comforted me and patted me in the back. I'm sure my mami can tell by now I snuck out the restaurant but I don't care.
"Thank you Rosalind I will pick her up first thing in the morning." I heard from outside the door before I drifted back to sleep. I made sure when I woke the next morning that i got up early borrowed some clothes from Kia for basketball practice and left early with Kia.
When we made it to the courts at school we were the first there but that didn't stop me from warming up and stretching.
"You know you phone has been vibrating a lot. It's probably your mom. She probably worried about you." Kia said.
"I'm to busy right now." I told Kia. Then Kia phone rang and she went to answer it. I heard her say a bunch of yes ma'am's and I know grandma. Which was probably Ms. Washington telling her to come straight home after school. Kia lives with her abuela. Well grandma to her. She came back over with her phone.
"My grandma said Your mom is looking for you. She wants to talk to you." She said. I just shook my head coach came in and started practice. When he dismissed us I kept shooting. Taking my time to put the balls up. Kia came and jogged over to me.
"My grandma is outside for me." She said.
"Okay I will see you later." I told her.
"Please talk to your mom." She said.
"See you later Kia." I said again. She jogged off and I continue to work and put the balls away. I jogged to the lockers and changed then walked out. It was Sunday so I know my abuela when to Mass so I didn't have to worry about her when I got home. If I'm lucky my mami when with her. I started walking home and decided to play on the basketball court at our complex. It was getting late and I know I should be home but I just wanted a little more time without thinking my mami is going to die.
"Can I play?" I heard. I turned around and there was mami. I shook my head and when to gather my things.
"Meha. Please talk to me." She said.
"I don't want to talk about it."'I told her.
"Brooklyn Marie Carter." She said stopping me in my tracks.
"You were my bestfriend mami. We talk about everything and you lied. You said you were fine. I asked you mami." I said tears going down my face.
"I know Meha. You are to young to understand."She said.
"No I'm not." I told her.
"Then why do you keep running from me." She said. I turned around and crossed my arms.
"Meha. I love you with all of me. Some things you won't understand until you are older. But if you let me we can make the best of our time together." She said.
"No more lying." I said.
"No more lying. Te amo." She said.
"Yo también te quiero." I dropped my things and hugged her tight.
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