story7941.xml

story7941.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-18

What began as a pretty average school day took a very sudden and emotional turn toward surreal. In a second period (9:15-9:55) British Literature class with Mr. Fletcher, we were discussing reading fro the previous night. Our principal, Mr Kemeza, came on over the PA. I automatically knew something big had happened for Mr Kemeza to be interrupting the entire school. With the news everyone was shocked, yet nobody knew the extent of what had gone on. Mr Fletcher has a friend in the area, so he was no longer in a mood to teach. He dismissed us and left to make a phone call, checking on his friend.
When I left the classroom, I went straight down to the Student Affairs office to learn more about what had happened. Cushing foyer, which is right in the middle of the campus and leads to the Student Affairs Office, was packed with students, parents and faculty. Phones in the office were ringing with calls from parents dismissing their children. Teachers and administrators were rushing around relaying news of the incident and telephone messages. Students were checking websites in the Library, also off of Cushing foyer.
The bell sounded for third period, but I was free then, so I waited in the office to find out more about what had happened. I was amazed to discover what was going on, but even more frightened by the fact that there were still planes circling above Logan airport, waiting to land. DC-10s and 757s soar over our school everyday on their decents into Logan, and we pay them no attention, but today each rumbling jet engine drew hundreds of eyes. When I had a pretty good grasp of the situation, I started for my locker, across campus. On the way I thought the entire, still unclear story over and over, until one, heart-into-the-throat thought hit me like lightning.
My Dad had a flight out of LaGuardia that morning. At this point I still had no idea of the origin of the flights. I grabbed my cell phone from my pocket, and dailed his cell number as quickly as I could. The phone rang, but to no avail, only a recording telling me he was unavailable. I tried again, same outcome. Now I was a little more than apprehensive. I went back toward Cushing foyer, and ran into a friend, Mike, on the way.
"Hey, Joe! My mom just called me on the cell, I guess she said something about having your Dad come to pick us up in about twenty minutes."
Whoa, this was pretty crazy. "Wait a minute, you mean your Mom just talked to my Dad? Phew, I was just trying to call him, he had a flight out of New York this morning."
"Yeah, she told me. I gotta go grab my books."
"I guess that means he's alright. Thank God."
"I know. Wow...."
"Who's he picking up? You, me and Kris?"
"Yeah, that's what my Mom told me. Hey, I'll be right back."
"Alright man, I'll meet ya right here."
What a relief that was. He showed up at the school to dismiss us about a half hour later with the radio on. He was pretty amazed at what was going on, and I told him how worried I had been. What he thought was the most amazing, though, was that he had mentioned to himself, as the plane took off on a sunny morning over NYC, how beautiful the city skyline was with the rising sun behind it, and how precious it is to notice life's small peasures like that. Pretty amazing to say the least, but what's most unbelieveable to me is how nervous I was when I remembered his flight and that gives me a great sense of empathy for those who lost honorable loved ones on that heartbreaking morning.