story20479.xml

story20479.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2006-09-11

I remember it as though it were yesterday. I had awoken late that beautiful September morning. I remember walking from my home in the Bronx to the train station at E. 180th Street thinking "whatever train comes will determine my route today". I remember that my job was having a blood drive in the Financial Center that morning, and I had decided to donate. When I reached the top of the steps in the station, the number 2 train was just closing it's doors. Had I taken that train, I probably would have just made it to the Trade Center at the time of the first attack.

I took the next train to my office at 222 Broadway. I found out later that that number 5 train would be the last to enter the Fulton Street Station that day. I recall being the native New Yorker that I am being a bit perturbed because people were walking so slowly up the stairs...the stairs that were directly next to the cemetary of St. Paul's Chapel. My back was to the North Tower. But upon reaching the top of the landing, I turned to see the North Tower ablaze. Since no information was available to me, I thought that maybe a fire had broken out in the restuarant (Windows on the World), and proceeded to my office.

When I reached my office's reception area, the TVs were tuned to NY1 and CNN, all detailing the first attack as an "accident". I walked to my desk in disbelief. I began logging in to my computer, when I decided to call my sister (who knew my proximity to the Trade Center). After getting off the phone with her, I called my mother to tell her I was alright. During my brief conversation with her, I told her about the atrociities I was being witness to. You see, from my office window, I could see people jumping from the building to their deaths.

Just then, my coworker came over to console me, when we heard the roaring sound of another plane. Out of fear, we ducked under my desk, when the loud "BOOM" of the plane slamming into the second tower scared the daylights out of us. We felt our building shake as though it were hit directly. With my mother still on the phone, I told her what had happened and told her I loved her.

We stayed in our building during the first building collapse (the south tower). We feared that maybe another attack had occurred, so we went down to the lobby area. From the large glass windows and doors, we can see the huge plume of soot and ash englufing the immediate area of the collapse site. I remember the sun was blocked out and it became very dark in the lobby. Firefighters and police officers broke the glass doors to the Duane Reade pharmacy in the lobby to get bottles of water and towels in an effort to rinse off their faces. Then they were gone as quickly as they had appeared.

We returned back to the 2nd floor to retrieve our belongings. People speculated that the North Tower was going to collapse as well, and we agreed that it would be best to wait it out. I'll never forget the sound of the North Tower collapsing. The best way I can describe it is as a deep growling sound. A deep rumbling. The smoke, ash and soot engulfed the area again. The darkness appeared once more. Our building shook. Then, it was over.

We got ourselves together and decided to begin the long trek to our homes at around 11:30AM. We broke off into groups determined by where you were headed. I remember walking out of my building's lobby and being shocked by the debris. There was ash and litter literally ankle deep. The smell in the air was stifling. The air itself choked you if you didn't have anything to cover your mouth and nose. The only noise you heard was the fire alarm in a distant building and the occasional siren. People walked in a daze of disbelief, including myself.

Since there was no transporation, we were forced to walk north. I walked that day from 222 Broadway on Fulton Street to 125th Street on Lexington Avenue. I don't remember much about that long walk. I recall hearing and seeing fighter aircrafts passing above the Empire State Building. I remember thinking "wow, that person was in my area" whenever I saw someone with shoes that had the unmistakeable gray ash.

I made it home around the time that Tower #7 collapsed. My aunt Laura met me at the front door of my twin sister's apartment. I sat on my sister's couch for what felt like an eternity. My aunt called my mother downstairs to tell her that I had arrived home. My mother sat next to me on that couch, and I hugged her like I would never let her go. My aunt removed my shoes, and instructed me to go in and take a shower. I stood in that shower and sobbed. I sobbed for the lives that I witnessed being lost that day. I sobbed out of exhaustion. I sobbed out of relief to be home with my family.

Today, on the 5th anniversary of that day, I sob again. I sob because I was one of the "lucky ones" to survive that dreadful day. I sob for all of those innocent lives that were lost. I sob for our past, our present and for our future....God bless.