Mommy
Says Goodbye
Denise O'Donovan
Regina Mundi College
Annie strolled down the block, her dark hair swinging in
the sunlight. She smiled as she thought of the day ahead of her. It may
not seem the height of excitement but she enjoyed it - and that was all
that mattered. She loved sitting on at her 87th floor desk, tapping numbers
and letters into her computer for the Internet firm that she worked for.
Sure it was stressful but she thrived on the stress. Annie
liked her colleagues too. Josie, the intern whose biggest problem was
whether the latest guy on the scene would ring or not. She may have appeared
shallow but she also had deep running belief about human rights and justice;
she just didn't show that side of her self very often. Then there was
Maggie, Sweet Maggie, the mother hen who clucked and fussed over the staff
body. If anyone felt under the weather, Maggie was there with a box of
tissues. Even Joe, the eternal pessimist with six adorable little girls
and a wife who ruled the family like a military sergeant. Annie chuckled
to herself as she thought of that, such a strong man - physically and
mentally - yet his wife could brow beat him into anything.
And with a warm smile upon her face Annie was jolted back
to reality by the insistent ringing of a mobile phone. It was only after
a few moments that she realised that the noise was emanating from her
shoulder bag. She fumbled for a few moments until her fingers finally
found the vibrating phone. Annie put the phone up to her ear.
"Mommy, where's Daddy's briefcase? We're gonna be late for school
but Daddy can't find it anywhere."
"Ok honey" she sighed with a smile, "Tell Daddy it's under
his desk in the study". "Where it always is," she added.
"Thanks Mom!" piped Brody and there was a slight rustle as the
phone was put down.
Typical, thought Annie to herself, just where would they
be without me? This thought led her to a vivid image of her family sitting
around the breakfast table, just as she had left them this morning. Jack,
her husband, gulping down piping hot coffee before jumping under the shower.
Brody sleepily spooning Frosty Oats into his mouth and Amy smashing food
into her high chair.
True, Annie missed them while she was at work but the money
came in handy and she still got to spend plenty of time with the kids
when she got home. Home; the three bedroom, semi-detached on Lakepark
Ave with the Chrysler parked out the front and toy trucks scattered on
the lawn.
Annie let herself enjoy these thoughts until she reached
the door of the East World Trade Building. Her heels clipped on the tiles
as she made her way through the bustling lobby. Jimmy the security guard
nodded a greeting as she paused to flash her I.D. As her manicured finger
pressed the elevator button Annie gazed around the hub that was the lobby.
By the time the elevator arrived another fifteen or so people had joined
her, they piled into the lift and another few hands punched at the floor
numbers. Annie exchanged some pleasantries with some familiar faces and
soon she was the only one left in the elevator as it reached the 87th
floor, her stop.
She stepped out of the lift and was immediately hit by the
aroma of freshly brewed coffee and the buzz of chatter and computer keys.
"Annie! You're early as usual! Come over here and have a cup of coffee.
Hazelnut or rich blend?" That was Rolf, a kindly old gentleman who
had worked with Arbutron since it first opened forty years ago.
"Hazelnut, thanks Rolf but I'll do that. Would you like one?"
"No, I'm good. I've got my morning dose of caffeine right here"
as he signalled to the mug of steaming coffee in his hand.
Annie smiled at Rolf's regular joke. The whole office was
accustomed to humouring Rolf whose memory wasn't as good as it used to
be. He didn't have as much responsibility in his job as he used to, but
Rolf was just happy to be included in the business. Having rinsed her
'Best Mum in the World' mug Annie made her way to her desk. Her desk faced
the window so every morning Annie could indulge herself with a few moments
of gazing out the window. But the view was breathtaking, sweeping from
the harbour to the bridge and the unforgettable skyline. As always, on
the stroke of 9a.m. Annie put her head down and began her work.
She had been working for about twenty minutes when the building suddenly
shuddered and the lights flickered. Annie's eyes darted from left to right,
searching for some clue to what had happened. At first suspecting an earthquake,
Maggie and Josie had dived under the tables. If only.
"Jesus Christ!" came an exclamation from the other side of
the office. "Look…"
And that was when Annie looked behind her and saw grey smoke intertwined
with flames billowing out of the West Building. The staff of the office
made their ways over to the window, some rushing, some crawling over -
afraid of what they would see up close. There was a unanimous gasp as
they all took in the devastating sight. Annie's eyes rested of the tail
of a plane nestled near the top of the building. The flames were jumping
now and spreading quickly down the other floors.
Nobody said anything for a few moment - they all just appeared to be
taking in the pure magnitude of the destruction. Then in a flurry of activity
hands grappled for telephones to call for help, and others started to
face the horror of the fate of those in the other building. All around
her Annie could hear sobbing, hysterical screaming and yelling into telephones
that didn't respond. Maggie was clutching her rosary beads and murmuring
a prayer, her eyes glazed over with pain and tears. Slowly people were
snapped out of the hysteria and started to think rationally. Annie, tears
in her eyes, turned away from the window, put her arm around Maggie and
slowly coaxed her away from the scene.
"Come on Maggie, its ok … we're ok now. Lets just get you out
of her and home to Jack, ok?" The thoughts of Jack, her beloved husband,
awakened Maggie and she began to move.
Others had taken Annie's initiative also and were turning away from the
windows. But just as she turned around to get Josie, Annie's eyes caught
sight of the heart wrenching scenes of people jumping from windows and
signalling for help. Refusing to let herself break down she put her arm
around each of the two women and the three slowly made their way to the
lift. They reached the lift only to see that the lights on it were flashing
to signal that it was out of order.
"It's probably just the electricity" comforted Annie not just
to the others but also to herself.
They made their way over to the other side of the office and the stairs
- Annie could feel the tears on her cheeks. After what seemed like an
eternity, the queue of people streaming down the stairs edged forward
enough so that Annie could get Josie and Maggie into the stairwell.
"I'm right behind you ok, right behind you. It'll all be over soon
guys, ok?" she said.
And at that same instant a cry shot through the air that chilled them
all to their very cores.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Annie spun her head around to see another plane heading for the window.
A split second later the windows shattered and the air was filled with
shattered glass, twisted metal and screams of agony and horror. There
was no time, no time to hide, no time to cry just time for one final thought.
And so the 87th floor of the East World Trade Centre at 9:24 on September
11th 2001 was full of final thoughts.
For Josie it was of her mother and father on 32nd St. whose lives would
never be the same again. For Joe it was of Claire, Johanna, Sara, Jessie,
Sonia, and Donna who'd never get to see Daddy again. For Maggie it was
of Jack, and Jack Jnr., her grandson that she'd never get to see or hear
or hold. For Rolf it was just why. And finally for Annie it was of her
family sitting at home on the porch waiting for Mommy to come home. But
she never does.
Bodies lie abandoned
Their souls have fled
From pain... from fear... from life
Did fear push them?
Or were they pushed?
Days engulfed by clouds, becoming night
A tragedy unfolding before eyes
Eyes smiling eyes crying
Eyes. I's screaming
For Mommy and Daddy and help
But it's too late.
Too late
Always too late
Too late for help
Too late for always
There's no tomorrow, no always
Only
Crumbled lives and love and loss
Loss of lives
Hope for tomorrow shrouded in dust
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