story7303.xml

story7303.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-14

On September 11, 2001, i can remember it was a beautiful morning. I left my house squinting in the morning sun...I got to work about 8:00 am and was ready for the day, So I thought. About 8:50 am I recieved a phone call at my job, it was my boyfriend. He asked if i was okay and if i was aware of what was happening. When i told him i didn't know what he was talking about he told me to put the news on...that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center. In my mind i thought it was a freak accident and i said to my boss maybe it was a charter plane...they fly in and out of the water near the FDR Drive. I called my mother, who works across the street from the Empire State Building, to tell her what had happened and she said she was trying to contact me but the phones would disconnect... I remember telling her i wasn't sure what was happening but i asked her to listen for any updates and to keep me posted. I told her i loved her and that i would call her as soon as i knew what we were going to do. So we put the news on and saw it wasn't a charter plane but a commercial airline. I immediately said it was terrorism, and my boss called my crazy. We worked on the Ninth Floor in the wing of the building with a limited view so i went to the pantry window of the Eleventh floor, where our Environmental Police Unit is located...i could see the smoke billowing out of the building... I could only word "OH MY GOD"...those poor people...then while looking out of the window i heard a loud rumbling noise, not sure what it was i looked behind me to see if someone was behind me...next the building shook and i looked up into the sky to see a huge orange cloud coming from where i thought the first fire was...my first thought was there was a bomb in the plane and it had blown up. As i ran back to my office, one of the Officers informed me it was a second plane. That's when my suspision of terrorism was confirmed. A few moments later, One of the Uniformed workers was frantically yelling "We Are Under Attack!", I didn't know what he was talking about till i heard on the radio that the Pentagon had been struck by a commercial airline. All panic and hysteria broke loose at the Department of Sanitation's 44 Beaver Street Building. The alarms were going off and a calm voice on the PA system came on it was the Building superintendent. He informed us that the elevators were shut down, and for everyone to report to the Clinic on the Lower level. As everone was decending to the lower level only a few people stood behind glued to the television...ironically the only viewable station was Bloomberg News. That is when my eyes were witness to the most horrific thing...the collapse of the North Tower...God, how i wished it was all a nightmare. In fact it was one, only that i was living it. It was then that my boss grabbed me and shoved me down the stairs. As we reached the lower level, we were greeted by about 70 other employees, The glass doors that welcomed everyone into the building were now covered in soot. Already about 2' of ash and papers were laid out on the street like a blanket of oatmeal colored snow. I can remember the building super. pulling in people from the outside, giving strangers santuary from the hell that was unleashed outside that very door. Women were crying, Men were crying, there was so much desperation in that room, that people were taking a chance and leaving the facility. Including Myself. Both my bosses, grabbed me and told me that we were going to try and get out of the building, but before doing so they had to make sure i would be okay, being that i have asthma. I was trembling with fear, anxiety, desperation, you name it. I nodded and they grabbed my hand and next thing i know i am making a pilgrimage towards the light through the darkness. The air was thick and it choked my pores. holding on to the person in front and leading the person behind me we made our journey to the FDR Drive near Water Street. I remember seeing people crying, mouths open everything was happening so fast...my heart beating was the only thing i could hear. Then i remember my boss walking close behind me and asking my "Hey Kid are you alright, You look like your having trouble..." The next thing i know, I am bouncing in his arms...he was carrying me. I passed out. We paused momentarily and passersby were handing my handkerchiefs water, face masks, one woman even gave me her inhaler for my ashtma. As we stopped the laid me on the ground next to a hydrant and we felt the ground shake. The rumbling like nothing i have ever felt...not even the subway cars i rode to work every morning could compare to the rumbling i felt in my blood. As i open my eyes to see everyone gasping, and frozen in time, i turned to look over my shoulder and for the second time that day, i was witnessed to a horrific historic event, the collapse of the South Tower. Standing there alone mourning for an hour after the first tower went down, it's significant other came to it's knees. Seeing the cloud of destruction closing in i knew it was time to get moving again. With what ever strength i had left i made it to a Department of Transportation Depot. Where we were handed face masks to make our way out of the dust cloud that was approaching fast. We finally made it out of the area to Sanitation Headquaters, across the street from the Federal Building. Were i was triaged by a wonderful makeshift staff, that was ready to take on whatever devistation came there way. I was treated and released to hypoglycimia, my asthma and blood/sugar level were irregular causing the temporary unconsiousness. It was a day were EVERYONE was a NEWYORKER. And everyone helped out...Muslims helped Jews, Blacks helped Whites, and vice-versa. It is an awful shame that it took a tragedy for everyone to realize we are all the same color inside. It was a day that will be in our memories forever. And it should never be forgotten.