What Vanny Wants

(CHICAGO 2004) It was night time in Chicago and the roads were practically free and save for a few cars as the Aguirre’s, Eduardo and Lorelai, were on their way to the Fairmont Chicago for their daughter’s 5th birthday and their 6th wedding anniversary. The 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle glided smoothly along the Chicago roads, its shiny black paint glistening in the city’s night sky. Eduardo felt at the top of the world. He had made his name as one of the youngest top lawyers in the world and he had a beautiful family- a loving wife and the apple of his eyes, his daughter, Vanessa. A phone rang and his wife, Lorelai, opened her purse to pick it. Glancing her way, he noticed her smile at the screen before putting the phone to her ear, “Hola mi corazon,” she looked at Eduardo and mouthed, Vanny, “don’t worry, I promise we’ll be there soon. Papa says hi.” she smiles at him and tells their daughter to be safe till they arrive. “pronto, mi amor,” she ends the call. “I’ve missed her so much, I wish she went with us to Spain,” Lorelai sighs and turns to face him. Holding the steering with one hand, Eduardo caresses his wife’s face and says, “I know you do, I have too and I’m sure Mrs. Dakota has taken wonderful care of her.” Reassured, Lorelai looks out her window, lost in thoughts. In the review mirror, Eduardo noticed the black and unmarked Toyota Hiace bus that had followed them the last 3 turns they took. He felt a wave of uneasiness but brushed off the feeling and decided to pay attention to his wife who remembered another matter that had been on her mind. She was concerned for her friend, Sasha, who was devastated about having to raise her 5-year-old son on her own. “You know where I stand on this matter amor,” he cut in while keeping an eye on the bus behind them in the review mirror. “What would you have me do, eh?” “I know, I just wish there was something we could do for her,” Lorelai sighed, “I can’t imagine how hard it will be, 7 years is such – oh!” Lorelai gasped in shock as Eduardo struggled to hold control of the car. The mysterious bus had hit them from behind. Eduardo noticed the bus moving to the left side of the road and swerved the car in the same direction. The bus moved to the right and he did the same. It was a battle of wills. “What is going on cariño? Why is that bus trying to crash us?”Lorelai breathed, trying not to hit her head on the dashboard. “I don’t know, but put on your seat belt and be quiet my love.” The bus hit them again, harder this time and in his attempt to avoid crashing into a building, Eduardo crashed into a fire hydrant. The force of the crash causing the hydrant to break off and the car toppled over several times. The glass from the wind shield broke and fragments pierced Lorelai’s heart and head, killing her instantly though she was thrown out of the car during the tumble. A few pieces had punctured Eduardo’s lungs and he was struggling to breathe as he tried to reach for his wife. Heel clad legs walked into his line of sight and the last thing he heard before bleeding out was, “I told you to let it go.”