Brodi Reid: A Fairy Tale Re-Write

George and Rebecca Bennet had it all – the money, the power, and the fame. Their lavish trips to foreign countries and rare, exotic cars were all the envy. From the outside looking in, the couple wanted for nothing; they had all the happiness money could buy. Unfortunately for the Bennets, true happiness could not be bought, and what they longed for most was not theirs.

Rebecca Bennet struggled with infertility issues throughout her marriage to George. They spent a fortune on medications, in vitro fertilization, and even surrogacy. Rebecca had all but lost hope when her luck suddenly changed.

One breezy October afternoon, Rebecca strolled through her neighborhood and admired the children as they played. She thought of the large swimming pool and the unoccupied tennis courts in her backyard. She sighed and accepted the harsh truth – the laughter of children was not hers to hear. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Rebecca heard a voice no louder than a whisper:

“Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer,” the voice breathed.

Rebecca looked around, but she saw no one. Later that night, she regaled the events that occurred earlier that day. She told her husband about the voice and the warm feeling she felt after it had spoken. She typed the words into her Google search engine and learned that the words were from the Holy Bible. Rebecca took these words as a sign from God, and she fervently prayed that he would bestow a child upon her.

In less than a year, the Bennet family grew by one. George and Rebecca loved their unborn son more than words could ever begin to express. The decided to call him Brodi Reid. Rebecca called in the best decorators in the industry and hired the finest furniture makers to design a crib for her, “Little Prince Brodi.”

As the due day of the beloved Bennet baby quickly approached, plans were made to shower the couple with gifts galore. All of the local socialites received invitations to the Bennets’ home. Everyone who was anyone was invited to attend. Rebecca sent special invitations to all of her Kappa Delta sorority sisters. She entrusted George with the special invitations and asked that he mail them right away. George hated Rebecca’s KD reunions! He dreaded every giggle and loathed every hair toss.

“How can I find a way out of this one?” George asked himself.

George decided that he would send the invitations just as his wife asked, but held onto one – Juliette Johnson Jones.

“Juliette Johnson Jones,” George said in a mocking voice. “Why does she insist on being referred to by all three names? Pretentious cow!”

George dropped twelve of the thirteen invitations in the mail then headed off to spin class. He had to be in tip-top shape to keep up with his “Little Prince Brodi.”

The day of the shower arrived, and the whole town bustled about. Everyone knew that Bennet social events were the most prestigious of all. Those who received invitations thrust their noses in the air and purchased gifts that cost more than a year’s salary. Those who were not lucky enough to make the cut drove back and forth by the Bennet mansion and hoped to catch a glimpse of someone remotely famous.

Juliette Johnson Jones waited for her invitation for weeks. She saw the Twitter posts made by the other KD girls, so she knew the date of the baby shower. When the day arrived and still no invitation came, Juliette was inconsolable.

“You think you’re better than me now that you have your perfect little family?” Juliette asked. “You will pay for this Rebecca Bennet!” she screamed as she sped down the freeway in her E-Class Benz.

Juliette knew the shame that came with exclusion. The newspapers talked more about who wasn’t invited than who was, and she refused to be on the reject list. Juliette arrived just in time for the gift-giving portion of the evening. She listened as each of her so-called sisters bragged about all they would do for the precious prince. Juliette, no longer able to contain her rage, burst from behind the hedges.

“Your college funds and plastic surgeries are all fine and dandy, but they are no match for the gift that I will give your precious prince.” Juliette’s words dripped with venom. She knew that the sweet taste of revenge would someday be hers. “When little Brodi sets out to celebrate his Sweet Sixteen, he will encounter a force greater than all the fury of hell!” Juliette shrieked just before security dragged her from the party kicking and screaming.  

Years past and Brodi Reid Bennet grew into a handsome, respectful young man. His parents had all but forgotten about the threats Juliette made against their son; they were just too busy loving their “Little Prince Brodi.”

On the night of Brodi’s sweet sixteen party, George and Rebecca Bennet felt a bit anxious. They had not seen nor heard from Juliette Johnson Jones since before Brodi had even been born, so they did not have any reason to think that she would try and follow through with the threats she had made sixteen years before. Nevertheless, they both felt an unease that neither could shake.

“Are you ok?” Rebecca asked George.

“Yea. I guess I am just nervous about Brodi driving by himself.” George responded. 

George and Rebecca decided to purchase a Fisker Karma to show their son just how much they love him. George spared no expense; he had the car custom painted so that no one else could have a car like “Little Prince Brodi.” George hid the car in the garage and warned Brodi not to go anywhere near it. He wanted to thoroughly inspect the vehicle before he allowed his baby boy to drive on the dangerous freeway without adult supervision. Though he was a lovely and respectful young man, Brodi let his curiosity get the best of him. He snuck into the garage and took pictures of his amazing birthday gift. In true sixteen-year-old form, Brodi Reid posted the pictures on his SnapChat account. He was not aware that his parents’ nemesis, Juliette Johnson Jones, was secretly following him.

Juliette laughed with delight. After sixteen years, she would finally get her revenge. She studied every detail of the car. She decided that she would wait for Brodi to get on the freeway, then, when he least expected it, she would run him off the road and leave him to rot in a watery grave!

Brodi Reid Bennet sat behind the wheel of his new car and breathed in the excitement of his new-found freedom. He turned onto the freeway; he never saw the black SUV that slammed into him and forced him off the road. Upon impact, Brodi’s perfect world went black.

George and Rebecca Bennet were devastated. George felt responsible, for he knew he was to blame for Juliette’s wrath. He watched his son struggle for life. He tried to tune out the machines, but their sounds echoed in his ears and taunted his very existence.  

As the days came and went, Brodi’s condition remained the same. His parents feared he may never awake from the coma. They tried to prepare themselves for the worst as they looked lovingly on the sleeping “Little Prince Brodi.”

Nearly 100 days after the crash, a beautiful raven-haired girl came to the hospital. She asked about Brodi’s condition, but she was quickly sent away. Brodi Reid’s family refused to talk to reporters and hired security to guard him around the clock. The girl hung around and waited for George and Rebecca to return. She needed to know about the young man whose life she saved 100 days before.

Priscilla Charming watched Juliette Johnson Jones plow into the side of Brodi Bennet’s $100,000 car. She immediately pulled her Ford Mustang over and called 911. Priscilla rushed to Brodi’s side and waited with him until an ambulance came. She explained to George and Rebecca that she would have come sooner, but a high-profile patient like Brodi was very hard to locate. The Bennets were not sure if they could trust Priscilla, but her story seemed to check out. She correctly identified the vehicle that caused the crash and she even knew what Brodi had on the night of the accident. Though it took some convincing, George and Rebecca eventually agreed to let Priscilla visit Brodi.

Priscilla’s heart was immediately broken when she laid eyes on the handsome young man fighting for his life. Before she knew what she had done, she leaned down and gently kissed Brodi on the forehead. Instantly, Brodi’s legs twitched. His hand moved. And for the first time in 100 days, his crystal blue eyes opened. He tried to speak, but the tubes in his throat rendered him inaudible. He pointed at Priscilla and a single tear rolled down his cheek. Doctors and nurses flooded the room and forced Priscilla out of their way. Brodi, despite his physical restraints continued to reach for Priscilla.

The doctors called it a medical mystery. They could not determine what woke Brodi from his seemingly eternal sleep. George, Rebecca, and Brodi, however, knew it was no mystery at all. Brodi was once again saved by his princess, Priscilla Charming. To this day, Brodi Reid feels a pain in his chest whenever he is apart from his precious princess Priscilla. Though her name will soon change to Priscilla Bennet, to Brodi, she will always be known as Princess Charming.