story8502.xml

story8502.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-10-18

MY NAME IS ELIZABETH DAVILA-LOPEZ. THE SADDEST DAY OF MY LIFE WAS WHEN I SAW MY HUSBAND DANIEL LOPEZ FOR THE LAST TIME. ON SEPTEMBER 11TH 2001. I REMEMBER SAYING GOOD-BYE,THE HUGS AND KISSES AND I WATCHED HIM FROM BEHIND. HE WAS MAKING A SANDWICH FOR OUR DAUGHTER BRITTANY. HE HAD HIS SLACKS ON BUT HIS SHIRT I REMEMBER WAS LAYING ON THE BED. LITTLE DID I KNOW THAT THAT WAS THE SHIRT I WOULD BE USING TO DESCRIBE WHAT HE WAS WAERING LAST. I GAVE HIM AND MY DAUGHTER KISSES AND HUGS. I REMEMBER LOOKING BACK AND SEEING HIS BARE BACK. SO MANY TIMES I GO BACK TO THAT SAME SPOT IN OUR KITCHEN WANTING TO FEEL HIM AGAIN. I WAS AT WORK WITH SOME CO-WORKERS HAVING A CONVERSATION ABOUT HUSBANDS. (WHAT A COINCIDENCE) I WAS ALWAYS SO PROUD OF OUR MARRIAGE. WE HAD THE PACKAGE DEAL. MY FRIENDS AT WORK LOVED IT WHEN I TOLD THEM STORIES OF HOW WE MET,HOW WE GOT ALONG AND EVEN WHEN WE WERE MAD AT EACH OTHER. I SAT DOWN TO START MY DAY. IT SEEMED TO ME THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE A BUSY DAY. THE PHONES WERE RINGING OFF THE HOOK AND I COULD HEAR THE MUMBLE JUMBLE OF ALL MY CO-WORKERS TALKING ON THE PHONE AT THE SAME TIME. ALL OF A SUDDEN THE PERSON SITTING IN FRONT OF ME(I'LL NEVER FORGET HIM)SAYS "A PLANE JUST HIT THE WTC". I WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT HEARD HIM SAY THAT---OF COURSE--BECAUSE MY HUSBAND WORKED THERE. I GOT UP FROM MY DESK AND COULDN'T BELIEVE WHAT I WAS HEARING. I GOT SO NERVOUS. I COULDN'T DIAL HIS JOB NUMBER. WHEN I FINALLY DID THE CALL WOULDN'T GO THRU. I ALMOST YANKED THAT PHONE OUT. MY BOSS CAME OVER AND SAID IT MAY HAVE BEEN A SMALL JET. I CALLED MY MOM. SHE WAS HOME ALONE. I REGRET CALLING HER. SHE WAS TAKING THIS IN ALL ON HER OWN. MY BOSS TOOK ME INTO HIS OFFICE AND CALLED HIS DAD SO HE CAN TELL US WHAT WAS HAPPENING ON THE NEWS. HE SAID IT WAS A BIG PLANE. I GOT UP FROM THAT CHAIR AND RAN. THEY GRABBED ME AND TOOK ME INTO THE CONFERENCE ROOM. THAT WASN'T AND BETTER. SOMEONE HAD THE TV ON. I SAW THE OTHER PLANE HIT TOWER 2. I RAN OUT. A CO-WORKER FOLLOWED ME. I TOOK THE 7 TRAIN ONE STOP INTO QUEENS. I HAD TO TAKE A BUS NOW. HE PUT ME ON THE BUS. IT WAS THE WRONG BUS--GOING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION. I WASN'T THINKING---I JUST GOT ON ANY BUS. I GOT OFF THE BUS--WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN I SAW TOWER 2 COME DOWN. MY LIFE WAS SHATTERED AT THAT SAME TIME. MY HUSBAND WORKED IN TOWER ONE. I STILL HAD HOPE. I RAN OVER A BRIDGE WITHOUT STOPPING. I WAS HEADING TOWARDS MY FRIENDS HOUSE--THE REASON WHY I STOPPED THERE WAS BECAUSE HER HUSBAND AND MINE HAVE BEEN BEST FRIENDS SINCE CHILDHOOD AND THEY WORKED TOGETHER FOR YEARS. SHE WAS NOT HOME YET. HER MOTHER,BROTHERS AND HER TWIN 6 MONTH OLD GIRLS WERE THERE. WE WERE ALL CRYING. WHEN WE SAW TOWER ONE COLLAPSE IN FRONT OF OUR EYES WE ALL THRU OURSELVES ON THE FLOOR SCREAMING AND PRAYING TO GOD TO KEEP OUR HUSBANDS SAFE. THAT WAS THE WORST DAY OF MY LIFE. AFTER ABOUT 30 MINUTES I WENT WITH ONE OF MY GIRLFRIENDS BROTHER TO PICK UP MY DAUGHTER. SHE FELT SOMETHING WAS WRONG BUT SHE DIDN'T ASK. I WOULD NOT SEE MY DAUGHTER FOR THE NEXT 3-4 DAYS.SHE WAS ASKING MY MOM---WHEN IS DAD PICKING ME UP. I COULDN'T TELL MY DAUGHTER WHAT HAPPENED. I COULD'NT SEE HER YET. NOT UNTIL I FOUND MY HUSBAND. MY GIRLFRIEND CAME HOME--SHE HAD TO HIKE IT HOME. WHEN WE SAW EACH OTHER WE JUST THRU OURSELVES ONTO EACH OTHER AND CRIED AND CRIED AND CRIED. IT'S BEEN 1 YEAR 1 MONTH AND SIX DAYS---WE ARE STILL CRYING AND HOLDING ON TO EACH OTHER. WE HAVE HAD TO CONTINUE THE BEAUTIFUL FRIENDSHIP OUR HUSBANDS HAD. OUR DAUGHTERS WILL ALWAYS BE FAMILY!!!! WE WILL ALWAYS BE FAMILY. DANIEL LOPEZ AND EMILIO "PETE" ORTIZ. GOD BLESS YOU BOTH. WE
WILL ALWAYS CONTINUE YOUR FRIENDSHIP. WE WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER YOU. DANIEL MY DEAR HUSBAND, WE HAVE SO MUCH LOVE FOR YOU--YOU HAD SO MUCH LOVE FOR US. I WILL PASS THIS LOVE ONTO BRITTANY OVER AND OVER AGAIN. SHE WILL ALWAYS KNOW THAT WE WERE GREAT TOGETHER. THE THREE OF US. FOREVER. DAN-BRITT-LIZ NOSPACKAGE . .