story4845.xml

story4845.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-11

I got up early that day and left my house before 7:30am because it was an election day, and I needed to go to Home Depot for supplies to finish a project I was working on at home. I got back at 8:50am and was putting things away when the phone rang. I started not to answer so I could finish what I was doing, but for some reason I needed to answer the phone. My brother-in-law Conny was on the line and didn't chit chat as usual. He asked me if I had heard from my husband Reggie, and didn't he work near the World Trade Center. I told him, my husband worked about five blocks from the WTC, and I hadn't heard from Reggie, but why was he asking. He told me to turn on the television. It was as if I was watching a a promo for a new movie release, except there was total chaos and complete pandemonium everywhere. I called my husband immediately, and found out he was alright. He told me what he was watching from his office window, and as we were speaking, the second plane flew past the window hitting the second tower. I told him to get out of there, but he said he would be fine, and besides, there was no place to go. The streets were full of people, debris, the subways had been closed, and there was no bus service. He said he would be alright, and nothing else would probably happen. Then the Pentagon was hit. I called him again and begged him to leave, and I guess just to apease me he said he would leave soon. I then began calling family and friends to make sure they were alright. We had a friend that worked for NYS department of Taxation in the WTC, but I found out his office had been moved. But someone very special to us did work at WTC. Michele worked on the 104th floor of the first tower hit for Cantor Fitzgerald. This was unbelieveable, I had just seen her at church on Saturday. We hoped and prayed that she was late for work that day. I called her mother Winsome, a family friend of more than fifteen years. She was so strong and comforting to me at a time when she needed my strength. Winsome displayed so much faith and courage, and strength that I was embarassed for my inability to comfort to her in her time of need. Over the next several days we called everywhere, watched everything. Winsome and friends went to every hospital where victims had been taken, left fliers everywhere, attended the meetings, but in our heart of hearts we knew she wouldn't be there. We prayed for a miracle as did hundreds of thousands others. We held out for the hope that survivors would be found in all the devastation. Michele was lost to us. Michele who was one of the sweetest, kindest young ladies (27) you would have had the privilege of knowing. She and my children had grown up together, and it was almost as if I had lost one of my own, but I hadn't, and Winsome had. Winsome had suffered another devastating lost five years earlier when she lost her husband Michael to a brain tumor. We did whatever we could to be there for Winsome and Monique (Michele's younger sister), but the enormity of what had happened overwhelmed us all. I was fortunate. My husband eventually came home safely, but we were never to see Michele again. Michele was two weeks from graduating from New York Resturant School where she had been studying to be a chef. She would have left Cantor Fitgerald to start a new life doing what she loved, cooking, but I guess God had another plan. It is said that only the good die young. And on September 11, 2001 so many good people were taken from us, and although we were blessed and fortunate to have known these people there will always be a hole in our hearts, and a void left that can never be filled. Respectfully written by Beverly French in memory and with love for Michele Ann Nelson.