A Healing Journey I lived in a beautiful brownstone at the time. It was a nine room flat, wooden floors, chandeliers, stain glass windows, a fireplace, beautiful wooden columns and a big courtyard with stone statues of angels, gargoyles a perfect place for a Halloween party. At first I hesitated, I was a single mom with adult children. This would be my first real party. My uneasiness came from having my oldest son, who was twenty four at the time, and my youngest brother, twenty six in this type of setting. I come from a family of nine; five boys, and four girls. I am the fifth oldest. My little brother, Tony was like my son. He grew up with my children. As it turned out we had a blast! One of my sisters videotaped the whole party. We laughed, so much. I can’t remember when we had so much fun. My brother Tony came as a clown, Erika his wife, who was seven months pregnant was dressed as a witch. Little did I know this would be last day I would see my brother alive. As a 911 police tele-communicator since 1991, I thought I could handle almost any call that came my way. And I did; until October 26, 2002. That Saturday morning I received a call that would change my life FOREVER! I was awakened by the phone ringing, as I answered there was a hysterical voice, a woman on the line, I could not yet concentrate on what she was saying for the background voice was overpowering. It also was a voice of a woman, it sounded more like wailing. The voice sounded familiar. As I listened more carefully I was able to distinguish the voice, it was my mother! My God! What was happening, finally her voice was clear, she was screaming, Tonneee, Tonny!Tony. That was my brother’s name. It was voice I would never forget. What seemed simultaneously, I tuned in to the voice that was trying to talk to me, it was Maria, Angel’s wife. Angel is my brother. She was telling me something happened to my brother Tony, and that I should go by mother’s house right away. I felt confused and now feeling my own heart pounding, fearing the worst. As I came back to my senses, I insisted on knowing what had happened. Maria responded, “It’s Tony; he was in an accident! He didn’t make it” I couldn’t believe it, It seemed like Tony had just left my house. We had all been here together, Laughing! Dancing! What time was it? She doesn’t know what she was talking about. This could not be true! As I began to drive down lakeshore drive to my mothers, I detoured to the Mount Sinai hospital. Maria had told me that is where Tony was. I felt she was wrong, she didn’t know what she was talking about. I began calling my sisters, my brothers and other family members but nobody was answering their phones. My heart was pounding even harder, or maybe it was not pounding at all? I could not tell the difference anymore. Where was everybody? Was I dreaming? It felt like if it were a dream, a nightmare that I still have not been able to wake up from. On that early morning, about 2:30 as Tony and his pregnant wife Erika drove home, they saw a person down at the curb at Western Avenue and 21st street. Without hesitation Tony reversed his vehicle, a Black blazer. After stopping Tony realized it was a homeless person. He asked Erika for two dollars to give this man. As Tony got out of his vehicle, a car pulled up next to him and the male passenger asked him, “what you be about” according to Erika my brother replied, ‘ I am not about anything, I am with my family” Erika then states, the passenger pulled out a gun, as she began to get out of the vehicle the man pointed the gun at my brother. As Tony was standing by the door of his blazer, with the two dollars in his hand, the man in the car pulled the trigger. One shot, at close range the bullet hit Tony in the neck. She saw Tony fall to the ground defenseless. One shot took my brother’s life. He lay there lifeless, with blood gushing from his neck. Tony never had a chance. He died, we are told almost instantly. Although this horrible crime has taken a part of my life that no one can ever replace, through the support of my family and our faith, we have accepted this as ‘Tony’s Destiny’. My nephew Erasmo Antonio Marquez, was born Christmas Day. After going through this ordeal, we realized how many other families have gone and are still going through this. In search of my brother’s assailants we have stumbled over a great need of services lacking in our city. We have come to realize our “Destiny”, which is a nonprofit organization founded in the memory of Tony. S.A.V.E. Another L.I.F.E., (Sisterhood Against Violence Everyday in memory of Antonio E Marquez Love in Our Families and Educate).Our mission is to provide emergency assistance and emotional support to victims of violent crimes, to build safer communities through community awareness, block clubs and working with at risk youth and their families, and to network with existing community resources and law enforcement agencies. These are services are implemented with the Philosophy of the Balance and Restorative Justices practices in mind. We respect all races, religions and cultures In result of my work with S.A.V.E Another L.I.F.E., I am currently the Chicago Organizer for the Illinois Campaign to prevent Gun Violence…..Sister of ANTONIO E MARQUEZ, sarita villarreal. Sarita Villarreal is a board member of the Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation. She is, also, a frequent participant of our hope and healing circles.
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