Waiting by Erin Dennington ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 22 Stella held the map for her father, letting her mother and sister sleep in the back. She'd always loved these moments, when she could sit with her father and be close to him. Even though they weren't related by blood, she had always been a "daddy's girl." Now that she was soon to be an adult, she knew that these moments would come increasingly few and far between, and she had come to relish them as one would with any childhood memory. She traced a line from the airport down the streets, trying to guide them through the capitol, but she wasn't having much luck reading the map. Not only did the map show every street, but it also labelled them in English, Spanish, and half a dozen other languages that she didn't know. She was getting a headache from trying to figure out where they were going, so she finally gave up and tossed the map onto the floor. Her dad laughed. "Gave up, huh? Now we're gonna get lost," he said. "You're wrong, Dad. We're already lost." They had somehow passed all of the interesting stuff -- the monuments and museums and shops -- and had ended up in a business area. Ahead of them the street glistened with silver in the late morning sunlight. Stella wished Rose was awake to capture the scene, but she respected her sister enough to let her rest. Driving slowly, they were more prepared when they turned the corner and were forced to stop behind a fire truck, ambulance, and several police cars. "So, Dad," Stella quipped, "this is what we came all this way to see? An accident? We could have stayed at home for that!" She laughed and poked him in the ribs. 22:17 - 11.06.02 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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