Merci Suárez Changes Gears

Roli is driving Merci, who is looking forward to trick-or-treating with the twins as a salve for her day, home. They are in rush hour traffic on the six-lane Military Trail when Merci spots Lolo pacing in the road’s median. Abuela is nowhere in sight. When Roli rolls down his window and calls to his grandfather, it is as if Lolo has no idea who he is. A car going in the opposite direction as Roli slows and tries to ask Lolo something, but he ignores them too: “He’s in trouble,” Merci says (262). Roli begins to pull over in order to help Lolo, but he must cross two lanes of traffic in order to do so. He struggles to do so as other drivers yell at him. Just as Lolo steps into traffic, a car hits Roli’s car from behind and sends the car bearing Roli and Merci careening across the road.

Merci awakens in the hospital with glass in her hair. The back of Ana’s car has been smashed. A nurse tells Merci that she’s lucky, and that God was looking out for her that day.