Four years later
The coffee is brewed and poured into a mug. The toast is hot and buttered. The only thing required is sitting my ass in the recliner, watching Good Morning America. Diane Sawyer helps wake me up.
As I flick through the channels to find the local ABC station, I place my mug on the floor and start to bite into the toast. It's still warm.
There, on the screen, is an image of the World Trade Centre. Part of it is smoking. You see several angles of the tower - right, left, up, sideways, below.
Then, a plane comes into view and disappears behind one tower. Black smoke poofs behind another tower.
What sort of action movie is this?, I think as I munch on the bread. Does Arnold have a new film coming out? I turn up the sound to hear what they're saying.
The words of the newscasters and the images of the buildings leave me confused. My brow furrows. My head tits to the side. My mouth is slightly agape. These images don't make any sense to me. This isn't a movie since every channel plays the same loop.
Several hours afterwards, my coffee is cold and the toast lies in my hand. My face remains the same, yet I'm fully alert. Confusion lingers. The only question that rolls around in my mind is What?
Four years later, I still remember where I was, what I did, and what I saw.
Four years later, that one question still remains unanswered.
As I flick through the channels to find the local ABC station, I place my mug on the floor and start to bite into the toast. It's still warm.
There, on the screen, is an image of the World Trade Centre. Part of it is smoking. You see several angles of the tower - right, left, up, sideways, below.
Then, a plane comes into view and disappears behind one tower. Black smoke poofs behind another tower.
What sort of action movie is this?, I think as I munch on the bread. Does Arnold have a new film coming out? I turn up the sound to hear what they're saying.
The words of the newscasters and the images of the buildings leave me confused. My brow furrows. My head tits to the side. My mouth is slightly agape. These images don't make any sense to me. This isn't a movie since every channel plays the same loop.
Several hours afterwards, my coffee is cold and the toast lies in my hand. My face remains the same, yet I'm fully alert. Confusion lingers. The only question that rolls around in my mind is What?
Four years later, I still remember where I was, what I did, and what I saw.
Four years later, that one question still remains unanswered.
Authored by S at 12:00 am
3 Comments:
This was written as a reminder to the immediate reaction I felt after experiencing - whether it be physically there, or not - a tragic event.
It was not supposed to be sentimental, but personal.
Don't mind the selfishness.
Not selfishness...just the same shock and disbelief we all had, and still have. I wonder how many scenarios (upon turning on the TV that morning) people came up with, before they actually believed it was real?
What brought it home for me, with the bile rising in my throat, and the tears falling to meet it, was the sight as they started appearing outa the dusty ash laden sky, walking across the bridge. The look of utter lack of comprehension in their eyes, matched the ache in my heart and the chaotic scream in my brain. Two buildings, wow. Thousands of people. WOW! Tens of thousands of families, and friends, and coworkers. OMG OMG OMG The world, as we thought we knew it, took a hit, that day.
Get as personal as you want. It IS personal.
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