October 29th, 2009
The autumn weather had turned cool. The trees were ablaze in shades of red, orange, and yellow. Dried brown leaves skittered off in the distance across the pavement. The sky was a brilliant and deep blue, with wisps of clouds ushering in the inevitable rainstorm. The wind blew and tossed her black hair around.
Eun Ho gathered her heavy wool cardigan around her shoulders for warmth. Jonah looked back at her with a sense of impatience or eagerness. The vintage car was a birthday present from his grandfather. Jonathan pulled out all the stops for the kids this year.
Selena had requested a charitable donation this year, but they bought her a small island with a house and a dock on it. Well, that and a boat. They had done something similar for Jonah, but they just bought him a home on the beach in Malibu. They used to keep birthdays, trips, and smaller possessions when the kids were younger. But after Selena came home, she knew she felt a need to make up for the lost time.
As the cars' engines rumbled, Eun Ho watched helplessly as the three young men were itching to drive away. They were headed to Liam and Gunn's apartment near New Hope Medical College, where they would spend the night before driving Selena back to the city for the surprise party they had planned for the twins' birthday party the next night.
"They do not make cars like this anymore, " Eun Ho thought as she narrowed her eyes, looking at the car. Eun Ho's eyes widened as she gazed at the sleek, vintage Ferrari 250 GTO parked in their driveway, and Eun Ho's initial excitement for her son had quickly turned to concern. The car had been checked in the garage by the mechanics as soon as it arrived. It was in pristine shape. But it was primitive in comparison to newer vehicles with airbags.
Jonah and Selena had both taken a litany of driving and stunt-driving courses to ensure they would be able to handle the lives of danger and bad luck that seemed to be coded to their very genes. "Please do not speed; just be careful with this thing." Eun Ho prayed in her head.
Selena and Jonah were navigating their second year of university, and Selena's academic pursuits were a testament to her compassionate and innovative spirit. She had chosen to major in medical science, with a specific focus on integrating technology into the human body for healthcare purposes.
Her research interests were vast and ambitious. They ranged from creating artificial pancreatic structures to cure diabetes to other organs. She planned to expedite Liam's work to help him get to his goal quickly as well. That way, she could move on. It was tedious, but she needed practical experience.
Jonah had embarked on his academic journey at university, paving the way to take over the reins of the vast Lowrie business empire. He was joined by his close friends Claire, Michael, and Jakob, who were all studying alongside him.
Meanwhile, Selena's well-being was being looked after by two of Jonah's other friends, who kept a watchful eye on her. Eun Ho's face broke into a warm smile as she thought about the surprise that awaited them all. She was excited to see their reactions.
Eun Ho had given the party planner a theme and a budget, but she had no idea what the final result would be. Only the security team knew the details, and Eun Ho had sworn them to secrecy. " Jonah, promise me that you will call when you get there. Be careful that she doesn't touch anyone or the surprise gets spoiled," Eun Ho lectured Jonah before they left.
Jakob interjected, "She's like a truffle pig but for surprises. Don't blame me if she punches me and figures something is up." Jakob reclined, exhausted.
Jonah smiled and nodded. "Don't worry, we'll keep it under wraps."
Jonah reassured her that everything would be fine. "It'll just be the six of us chilling tonight. We'll be careful. I cannot hurt this beauty. What do you guys think of the name Dallas?"
Michael laughed, "Because she purrs when multiple men are inside of her and is worth millions?" he joked.
Eun Ho's face twisted in disgust, and then she remembered the awful things the woman had done, human trafficking and drug distribution, "Hey, not funny…." Eun Ho paused. She waited for the boys to start to look guilty, and her face changed into a smirk. "This car is not a wreck and will not give you an STI."
Jonah, Michael, and Jakob's faces changed to a surprised look. This was the first time Eun Ho had joked around with them at an adult level. Jakob and Michael erupted in laughter, while Jonah's face remained stunned. "Mom."
Eun Ho smiled, "What are you growing up or not? You should not dish out in front of me unless you can't take it." The other two kids snickered from inside the car.
Eun Ho cleared her throat, she knew they were excited to get going. " Call me when you get there, okay? Do not stay up all night, I want you all bright-eyed for the event tomorrow. Get her here by 11 am tomorrow." She had important things to discuss with her daughter, one being her marriage.
Jonah saluted his mother like she was a general, "Got it. I packed my luggage like you said as a decoy. You know how punctual she likes to be."
Jakob laughed. "She is not as bad as Liam. That guy never sleeps; I think he had a meltdown the last time he was late."
Eun Ho smiled at Jakob. Her daughter would do well with either him or her brother.
"Alright, get going. I love you." Eun Ho blew kisses, and Jonah caught them while the guys laughed. Jonah smacked Jakob, and the laughter died. The car tore off, accelerating wildly.
"Hey, be careful!" Eun Ho yelled. She watched the car drive off through the gates.
Selena had a contract marriage, not unlike the one she and Jonathan had. It was a bit tricky since the Reinhold twins' birth circumstances were tricky. There were two of them. They were both identical, minus some divergent traits and hairstyles. They were born within seconds of each other due to an emergency cesarean. She did not know which one herself was her daughter's destiny. She and Selena will have a hard discussion over brunch tomorrow.
As they drove out of town, Jakob whined from the backseat, "Can we pull over? I'm starving!" Jonah pulled over at a gas station. The car could use some gas. He filled up the tank, and then he and the guys went into the service station to buy loads of junk food and something to quell their hunger.
Jakob looked delightfully at the big loaded chili dog in his hand as Jonah looked at him with six bags of chips, pop, candy, jerky, and dirty magazines. "I cannot believe you bought these. If Claire finds these in my car, she will kill me, bro."
Jakob looked at him, made a whipping motion with his mouth, and bit into his hot dog. Michael laughed his ass off.
"Seriously, I am going to ask her to marry me. Do not fuck this up for me by leaving this shit in my car." Jonah held out the bag as if it were an affront to nature.
The women all looked so fake, and they were stick-thin. The poor women were overly tanned. Jonah shuddered, it was not his kind of thing, and he sure as hell did not want this shit to be found sister. The last time she had stumbled across a magazine in his room while they were hanging out, the lecture she gave him stuck with him.
"Dude, you have become such a prude," Jakob retorted.
"Fine, but do not cry to me if Selena finds it. You don't want to get caught around her, guys. She will rip your head off and lecture you to death." Jonah shot him a warning glance, but Jakob just grinned. He stuffed the remainder of his meal into his mouth. Jonah quickly ate the small plate of nachos he had made himself, and the trio left the station.
The three of them settled in for the drive, listening to music and chatting about their latest Call of Duty matches. He was looking forward to acting like a kid. This was a night off for him to act like a normal teenager, instead of a protector and student.
"I'm telling you, I'm the best sniper in the game," Michael said, puffing out his chest.
"Oh yeah? I've got a clip of me taking out an entire team with 3 shots," Jakob countered.
Jonah chuckled and shook his head. "You guys are ridiculous. Claire will own you."
"Dude, a cat is sitting in the lane up ahead. Brake," Jakob said from the shotgun seat.
Jonah tapped the brakes, but nothing happened. He tried again. The poor creature would not move; he honked to no result. A small thud was heard as the boys became horrified and panicked.
"Jonah?" Jakob asked. Michael quietened.
"They are not working. Shit." Jonah suddenly slammed on the brakes hard, or at least, he tried to. The pedal went all the way to the floor, but the car didn't slow down.
"Guys, I swear it. The brakes aren't working! Hold on." Jonah yelled, his voice tight with panic. He looked for a nearby field that they could go into and hopefully lose traction in.
Michael's eyes went wide. "Lay off the gas, maybe it'll slow down!"
"I am." Jonah was already trying that. He had taken his foot off the accelerator, but the car continued to speed out of control.
The steering wheel began to shake and tremble in Jonah's hands, and he struggled to keep control. But it was too late. The car careened off the road, crashing into a tree and crumpling the driver's side door.
The impact was tremendous, and the three men were thrown forward, their seat belts straining to hold them back. There were no airbags to deploy, but they were no match for the force of the crash.
When the dust settled, Jonah was unconscious, pinned behind the steering wheel. Jakob groggily opened his eyes, wincing in pain as he realized his leg was broken. Michael stirred, coughing and trying to sit up, but a wave of dizziness washed over him, and he fell back.
The three men lay there, injured and helpless, as the minutes ticked by. Finally, they heard the sound of sirens in the distance, growing louder with each passing second.
Jakob winced as he wrenched his hand into his pocket, grabbed his cell phone, and dialed 911. Jonah did not look good at all.
Emergency services arrived, and the paramedics rushed to extract Jonah from the wreckage. He was in critical condition, and they worked quickly to stabilize him before rushing him to the hospital.
Jakob was taken out of the car, his broken leg carefully immobilized. He was also suffering from whiplash, and the paramedics took care to move him gently.
Michael was the last to be extracted; his whiplash and cuts were treated on the scene before he was taken to the hospital for further evaluation.
As the three men were whisked away to the hospital, the reality of their situation began to sink in. They were lucky to be alive, but their injuries were serious, and their recovery would be long and difficult.