story8581.xml

story8581.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-10-27

Senior year had just started. I had finally made it. I had just started my second full day of school. First period went along as it usually did and second period was no different except for a few rumors that were circulating throughout the class. A friend turned to me and said, ?Sam, did you know a plane hit the Empire State Building?? ?Get out of here! I can?t believe that! Well, at least it wasn?t the World Trade Center?? At least it wasn?t the World Trade Center. Little did I know those words would be echoing in my head for a very long time after that. I did not really pay attention to the rumors. I figured if they were true, I would have known already. After about five minutes I was called out of my Psychology class as a notice was brought to my teacher. I heard an announcement being made that something had happened, but I was not able to make out what she had said. ?It?s probably just something about tryouts for a team,? I thought, ?but why didn?t they use the intercom to announce it? Weird.?
I walked down the hall into my ?aunt?s? office wondering why she had sent for me. She was a close friend of the family, so close that I considered her to be a part of my family. When I saw her, she looked upon me frantically. I knew something had to be wrong. She began throwing questions at me, ?Did your mother go to work today?? ?Yeah, why?? ?Did she leave on time?? ?Not sure, why?? ?What about your dad? And Maryann? Did they go to work?? ?I don?t know. Dee, what?s going on?? Now she started speaking in a low voice that escalated as she continued. ?Sam, two planes hit the World Trade Center this morning. They are on fire right now. Please Remember! Did your mom leave for work on time? Tell me she didn?t!? My emotions came flying at me all at once. I collapsed onto the couch and started crying. My mother, father, and stepmother were there. How could this happen?
I ran to use the phone in the Phys. Ed. office. I called my mom?s cell phone? Voicemail. I called my dad?s cell phone?Voicemail. I called my stepmother?s cell phone? Voicemail again. Panic flew right through me. I called my grandparents and heard them crying. ?Your mom is fine. She just called. We don?t know about anyone else.? All I could do was wait and panic, panic and wait. I constantly called my dad?s cell phone because it is always on. I never got an answer. While doing all of this, I watched the World Trade Center ablaze. Then I found out that the Pentagon was hit. At least it wasn?t the World Trade Center boomed back through my head. I could not believe it. How could I have such horrible luck? It was bad enough having my mother in the 1993 bombing, now this? I wanted to go to another room and look out the window so I could see first hand what was happening, but my aunt would not let me witness something so terrible.
All I was able to do was watch the news. I watched the replay of the planes hitting the buildings over and over again. I watched as the towers burned. I watched as the place where my parents had worked for years come crashing down without any warning, bringing tears to sting my eyes. I called my grandparents again. ?We don?t know. We haven?t heard from your mom since the towers collapsed. We don?t know if she?s OK.? Just hearing their voices cracking made me break down again. As I frantically called everyone?s cell phones again, I remembered my father had a beeper. I knew the phone lines might have been down, but his beeper might work. I beeped him with the school number and, ironically, 911, so he knew to call me back immediately; that it was an emergency. After about an hour or more of waiting the phone finally rang, and, this time, it was for me. ?Sam, It?s me. We?re OK. I?m at your father?s house right now. Everyone is fine.? I started crying at just the sound of my mother?s voice. When I had seen the towers collapse, I felt like there was no hope. Somehow, someway, I was blessed that day and no one was physically hurt. Emotionally, we all suffered a great deal. As I handed the phone to Dee, I ran out of the school. My father?s house was just a block away, so I got there rather quickly. I ran up the stairs, threw my things down, and hugged my parents. I did not want to let go. Eventually, after we all stopped crying, we sat and watched the horrific events over and over again on the news, and they told me about what had happened to them. Small miracles can happen everyday, and this particular day a miracle saved the lives of three people closest to me. My parents and I then went back to my house and met with my grandparents and my brother. I am so thankful that everyone is still here today. My mother, father, and stepmother all were miraculously late for work on that dreadful day: September 11, 2001.