CAN YOU KEEP A SECRET?

CAN YOU KEEP A SECRET?

“Can you keep a secret?” blurts out Liz the instant Gabby's father answers his cellphone.

“I’ve no time for games, Elizabeth,” Joe mumbles, rising from the sofa in the living room. “Just spill it.”

“Our baby brother’s in JAIL…again.”

Even from the kitchen, Gabrielle, can hear her father exhale sharply. "No big surprise," he snaps. "What’d the moron do now?”

“Petty theft. He stole a case of tequila from Free Spirits Market along with $150.”

Joe rakes his hand through his graying hair. “You mean to tell me,” he states, his voice growing louder, “that the dummy robbed the place he works at?!”

“Afraid so,” says Liz. “He’s in Milton County Jail.”

“Well, don’t look at me to bail him out. I’m done with his adolescent rebellions. He’s almost 40-years-old for Chrissake.” 

“But, Joe…”

“I mean it, Sis. I’ve better things to do. You deal with him.” 

The moment he hangs up, Louise, Gabby’s mother, bustles into the room. She is wiping her hands with a yellow dish towel and doesn’t realize that her daughter is right behind her.

“What’s going on, Joe?” she asks her husband. 

Unaware of Gabrielle’s presence, her husband grumbles, “Liz told me to keep it a secret, but screw that. Al’s in the clinker for stealing cash and booze from Free Spirits Market.”

“But isn’t that where he works?”

“Not anymore…obviously,” her husband sneers.

Louise shakes her head. “That’s awful. Last month, he was arrested for drunk driving.”

“And in February,” he says, “I bailed him out for that brawl he started at Baroni’s Bistro. His booking process took hours.”

“I remember how furious you were when you got home.”

“My little brother has manure for brains. He just can’t stop bucking the system.”

When Gabrielle steps out from behind her mother, she says, “Uncle Al’s in jail?”

Louise turns and wags a finger at her. “You got big ears for a little girl!” she scolds. “You weren’t supposed to hear that. It’s a secret.”

“So don’t you go around telling anyone!” barks her father.

Gabby backs up a bit when she asks, “What about Emma? She’s my BBF, so I have to tell her.”

Joe's glares at his daughter. "ARE YOU GOING DEAF?" he thunders. "YOU ARE FORBIDDEN TO TELL ANYONE!"

"But whyyyyy? whines Gabrielle.

“Because it's no one’s damn business!”

“That’s not fair! You tell all my secrets!”

“Ten-year-old’s don’t have secrets!”

“I’m TEN AND A HALF!”

“Fine. You’re Methuselah!” her father snaps back.

“Excuse me,” says Louise to her daughter. “Just what secrets have we told of yours, young lady?”

"What about two months ago, when you and Dad told Jacob's parents that I failed the science midterm?”

Her mom thinks a second, then says, "Well, that's true, but that was because the Morgans are our dearest friends...and we had to tell them about your F, because Jacob failed three midterms. We didn’t want them to feel bad.”

“So you told them that I flunked too? That stinks!”

“Cut it out!” my father orders. “It was one stupid test.” 

“And last year," continues Gabby, “Mrs. Miller found out…from you, Mom…that I wasn’t toilet trained until I was 4!”

Her mother blinks a few times, then says, “It was just idle conversation. Nothing to feel ashamed of. A lot of children are late bloomers. Besides, that happened a long time ago.”

“What about two weeks ago – when you saw Callie's mother and told her I got my period?!”

“That’s totally different. I told her that because she happens to be a nurse.”

“She’s a blabbermouth!” exclaims Gabby. “She told Callie who then told all the kids in class.”

“So what? A lot of girls start menstruating early nowadays.”

“But I’m the first in my class, and now everyone looks at me weird.”

“Sorry,” apologizes Louise. “I didn’t think Joanna would tell her daughter.”

“Actually,” Gabby grins, not wanting her mom to feel too bad, “a lot of the girls envy me now, so it’s okay.”

Her father fuses his brows together and shakes his head. “And that’s a good thing? What the hell’s wrong with you, Gabrielle?”

His daughter shrugs, then puts her hands on her hips. “You and Mom tell all my secrets, so I should be able to tell Emma about Uncle Al.” 

“Don’t you dare!” he growls. “I will not allow you to embarrass this family!”

“Embarrass?” cries Gabby in disbelief, “Emma’s gonna be impressed that I have a relative who's a jailbird.”

Joe looks at his wife and steams, “Can’t you do something with your daughter?”

“What would you suggest?”

“BOARDING SCHOOL.”

“That’s not funny!” Gabby yells.

“Neither is your defiance! You’d better straighten up or you’ll be packing your bags!”

“You’re mean!” she shouts, then walks off.

“I’m warning you!” hollers her father after her. “Keep that big mouth of yours shut!”

When Gabby goes to her bedroom, she calls Emma. “I’ll be at your house in ten minutes.”

“'K,” says her friend.

Gabrielle stampedes out of the house, jumps on her bike and pedals hard. Emma’s already outside when she arrives.

“What’s happenin’?” she asks as Gabrielle skids to a stop.

“My father’s actin’ like a dictator again!”

“How?”

“He told me not to tell you a secret. And it’s not fair because my mom and him blab about my secrets all the time.”

Emma’s eyes grow saucer wide. “Who’s the secret about?”

“My Uncle Al.”

“Your dad’s brother? That doesn’t sound like anything huge.”

“Believe me, it isn’t. It’s just that my parents make a ginormous deal about everything.”

“Sooo,” breathes Emma, “what’s the secret?”

“You promise not to tell anyone?”

“I’m not a blabbermouth, Gabby.” 

Gabrielle hesitates, then blurts out: “My uncle’s in JAIL.”

“Yikes!” Emma says. “What for?”

“Stealing money and stuff from the store he works at.”

“Bigger Yikes!” she grins, then whispers, “Guess what? I’ve got a secret too.”

“Tell me!”

“But I’m not supposed to tell family secrets either,” says Emma.

Gabrielle coaxes, “Come on. I told you mine.”

“Okay,” says Emma putting her mouth close to Gabby’s ear. “Last year my father got caught cheating on his taxes. And he almost went to jail."

"You’re father?! Wow!"

"But your Uncle Al is actually IN jail,” Emma states.

“Yeah. That’s really cool!”

“I’ll say,” Emma replies, then asks, “If you visit him, can I come too? After all, I am your best friend.”

“Of course,” agrees Gabby. “It’ll be fun!”

The two girls hang out until dinner time. 

When Gabby gets home, she sees that her mom has already set the food on the table, so she sits down quickly. Peering across the table, she sees that her dad is still giving her the stink eye.

 She puts her head down, but then looks at him directly and blurts, “Did you know that Emma’s father cheated on his taxes and got caught?!”

Joe drops his fork. “What?!” he exclaims. “Walter Stevens tried to rip off the IRS?! How do you know that?”

“Emma told me. Plus…she also said he almost went to jail.”

“Whoooo!” exhales Louise. “Poor Steph. That husband of hers is always up to no good.”

“Yeah,” chuckles Joe, “I suppose that the wannabe accountant just got too creative on his 1099. Wait ‘til I tell Fred Baxter about this!”

“Umm, Dad,” Gabby says in a low voice. “You can’t tell anyone. Emma said it was a secret.”

“But I have to tell Mr. Baxter,” declares Joe.

“Why's that?” asks his wife.

“Because Walter does Fred’s taxes.”

“But you don’t even like Fred Baxter."

“Doesn't matter, Louise. It’s my duty to do tell him!” declares Joe as he pulls out his cellphone.

“Don’t,” Gabby wails. “I promised Emma….”

“Do NOT tell me what to do! I am your father.!”

“But it was a secret!” Gabby whines.

Joe stares at his cellphone, then at his daughter. His lips are tight; his eyes are squinted. “Tell me,” finally says, "what in the world made Emma tell you about her father in the first place?”

“Umm,” Gabby hesitates.

“Don’t even think about lying to me!”

“Well…I might’ve said somethin’ to her…about Uncle Al being in jail.”

“After I told you not to?!!” her father bellows. “Go to your room!”

Gabby immediately rises and marches upstairs. No fair, she thinks. 

Lying on her bed, she calls Emma to apologize. Her stomach hurts and her voice is shaky when Emma says “Hello.” 

“Please don’t be angry,” Gabby says.

“At what?” asks her friend.

“I told my father about the secret you told me.”

For a moment, Emma is silent. Then she gives a little laugh. “Don’t worry about it, Gabby. I sort of knew that you couldn’t keep a secret. Besides, I’m always in trouble for something anyway. I’ll live through it.”

“Yeah, but I shouldn’t have opened my stupid mouth,” Gabrielle mutters. “I told my father the secret about your dad, because I wanted to feel important.”

Her friend laughs. “And that’s exactly why I texted Lisa and told her about your uncle."

“Really?” giggles Gabby. “That’s so funny. We both told each other's secret.”

“I wonder if ANYONE can keep a secret?” wonders Emma.

“Yes, my Great-Grandpa Joseph definitely can!”

“But didn’t he die?”

“Yeah,” chuckles Gabby, “That’s why he’s so good at it!”

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