Never forget

I was up until 1:30..playing solitaire  Scrabble on a lumpy mattress in the guest room with the old fashioned boxed game.

So I slept late that day..very late. 

 The air was crisp, the sunshine was abundant.  It was technically summer but it felt like turning leaves/pumpkin spice weather

I was about to get into the shower, and my poodle Max gave me a strange look.  A funny look.  

I wondered what was on his mind.

I cleaned up, got dressed, and listened to the message on my answering machine.

It was from Betsy, who said, "please call me back..if you can get through because of what's happening in New York City."

What could she possibly have meant?  Disrupted phone service that extended to New Jersey?? A massive power outage??

I turned on the TV and wondered what people were covered in.  They were being interviewed..was that..some kind of dust?? Was this BAD?  I couldn't tell in those brief seconds that I had the TV on.

I called Betsy back and got through right away.  She was crying, or sounded like she was.  I'd rather hear what was happening from her than the confusing news.

"The World Trade Center is gone!" she sobbed. "We've been attacked."

"But what about the people who were in it?"

"They're gone too, " she said, and then I think the receiver fell out of my hand as I absorbed the shock of what she was saying.

I thanked her for the information and turned the TV back on..and stayed glued to it for days.

Jim came home from work early and told me about the Pentagon and flight 93.

I called the school. Evan had just started first grade, and the kids were OK. We went to pick him up together at the usual dismissal time.  And explained what was happening as best as we could.

I picked him up the next day, when school resumed, and met the mother of his classmate. She had been on a pretty high floor in the second tower.  Her boss saved her..but couldn't save herself.  She told me about saving the shoes she wore and about taking refuge in the subway.

Evan wasn't into physical contact with strangers, but I made him hug Cindy. 

It was the least I could do.

My neighbors hung their American flags proudly that day.

It was the least they could do.