TOWERS OF TEARS

[Kryso]

Below is a short story I wrote just after September 11th, the day that rocked the world. This story comes from my imagination. I hope this story doesn’t offend… It’s a story of two friends, and how one will never be coming home again…

(Glen Johnson Copyrighted 2003)

TOWERS OF TEARS

A story about a lost friend.

And a sadness that gripped the world.

Kate sat in front of her double door French windows, looking out through the dusty glass, across the balcony towards the vast city versa that stretched out before her. Roofs, towers, steeples, and a million reflecting windows.

On some days she couldn't even manage that simply act. Looking across the tall buildings, the many lives being lived out within. She still felt a prang of guilt that she was in fact sitting here at all.

Kate lived on the lower-west side of Manhattan. Everyone believed that the entire island was expensive real-state, but you simply had to find the little corners where the rent wasn't higher than your monthly wages, and where the crime wasn't too prolific. And if you were lucky, where you didn't have to walk too far on a dark morning to catch the subway. And where you didn't have to set into your monthly wage a budget for being mugged.

But even from her low-rented apartment window she could still see the cities impressive skyline. Or what was now left of it. Its two main structures now a vast hole, now referred to as, ground zero - the cause of all her heartache and sadness, and her self-inflicted bitter loneliness.

Kate had worked for a large insurance company, whose offices had been of the seventy-fourth floor of the Northern Tower of the World Trade Centre. Now the view from her office window had been spectacular.

She uses to be a little afraid of heights. But as a close friend pointed it out to her one-day. "If you fall from anything over four stories high, you're likely to die. So it's not the height that kills you, it's the ground. So just enjoy the view."

Remembering what her friend said made her melancholy. She sat hugging the coffee cup close to her chest, its contents long cold, but she hadn't even realized, or cared.

It was now raining outside. Big wet greasy drops slapping against the balcony, and swimming down the wide window. It gave a surreal value to everything. Everything became a grey blur, indistinct. Like an old washed-out watercolour painting.

The few scrawny plants on her balcony were almost bent double by the fat droplets hitting them. She didn't care though. Only plants.

At one time her balcony had been overflowing with life and colour. She had been so proud of her unusual assortment of flowers and shrubs. But they had all 'gone-to-the-dogs,' as the expression went. The time she had spent nurturing them, watering them, all seemed pointless, when everything you had could be taken away in the blink of an eye. Or the flash of a planes fuel tank.

Kate noticed the cold coffee gripped in her hands. She slowly stood, now turning her back from the view, and made her way through her small one bedroom apartment. Ignoring the screams of an argument from upstairs, and the clatter of broken furniture. Just part-and-parcel of living in this block. She could now hear Mrs. Clark; the old senile widow from the apartment below, smacking her walking stick on her ceiling, believing the arguing was originating from Kate's apartment. She ignored it all. She simply didn't care.

She now stood in the kitchen, cup now sat in the sink, not even bothering to wash it, just piling it up with all the other unwashed dishes.

Her kitchen window looked directly onto another apartment building. All that could be seen was a dirty grey brick wall with a small greasy window that was always open. The bedroom of some adolescent teenager. Heavy metal posters covering all his walls. Loud rap music blaring from his window.

She hung her head forward, her un-brushed hair cascading down around her face. A solitary tear rolling down her left cheek. She didn't bother to wipe it away soon more would follow. She now leant over the sink, her tears pattering onto the dishes sat there.

She looked up, and was rewarded by seeing the spotty teenager leaning out his window, smoking. He could see her crying, but simply tossed his dog-end and pulled his window, slamming it shut. Not caring if she was crying. That was the great thing about this city no one cared. Or was that is biggest problem?

An almost silent cry issued from her trembling lips. Tears now soaking her face. She turned slowly, as if on a turntable, and like slow motion she started to slide down the cupboards to the tiled floor. Her arms now gripped tightly around her tucked up legs. Head resting upon her knees, tears’ now soaking her sweat pants. And there she sat for over an hour. No one to comfort her. No one to tell her everything was going to be ok. No one to love or support her. And while she sat there, silently, and all alone, she thought about her best friend, and how she had sent her to her death.

September 11th 2001, 9/11 a date a nation would never forget, or stop grieving over. And a date many individuals had lost loved ones - family members and close friends. A date etched onto their hearts calendar for the rest of their lives.

But for some, like Kate, the date was a worse nightmare. A date where she not only grieved the death of hundreds of friends and associates, but also she carried the knowledge that one person shouldn't have been there. Shouldn't have been buried under millions of tons of twisted steel, glass and concrete. A person, like herself, who should have been at home on her day off, or more to the point at the zoo with Kate, like they had arranged.

Like most plans, things happen. Things change. Accidents happen. The reason Jade - Kate’s friend - had changed their plans was because of one man, Milo Spencer. Milo was the new man in the company. He worked the False Claims Department.

Kate and Jade had been friends since high school. Even went for the same job interview. Both ended up with jobs with the same company. And against all the odds they had desks facing each other, joined together. Fate they both called it.

Then Milo had arrived. He sat to one side of the office, over Jades left shoulder. And after almost three days of constant begging, Kate had swooped decks with Jade, so Jade could stare fixated at her dream man across the office. The last man she would ever be infatuated with.

It turned out that Kate knew Milo - a friend of a friend - and Milo would come to talk with Kate, always flicking side glances at Jade, who would be sat like a puppy, eyes fixed on Milo, at some points it even looked like her tongue would be about to lull from her open mouth.

Jade pushed and pushed for Kate to introduce her. On a few occasions, she did. But Jade sat dumbfounded, unable to utter coherent words, just sitting like a statue, nodding at all Milo’s comments and questions, as if she were a puppet.

Jade started to wear low-cut clothes to catch his attention, until the point came when Mr. Hammerhock, the office manager, had to have a word with her about her attire.

Then September 10th came, when Kate announced to Jade that she had found out where Milo ate his lunch. They had tried to follow him on numerous occasions, but being seventy-four stories up, with thousands working in the same building, it was hard to keep track of one person. They had always lost him around the thirty-second floor, where Milo had a friend working, and he would get off on that level to meet him.

Now Kate announced to her friend that Milo, and a few others, went to the plaza, between the two tall buildings, to eat from a small hotdog stand that was famous for its chilly-dogs. Jade was there, hook-line-and-sinker. But by the time they had made there way down the lifts, across the plaza and made it to the hotdog stand, they could see Milo and his friends walking away, napkins wiping the remains of their dinner from their mouths.

Jade had an idea. Tomorrow was there days off. They had both arranged to meet outside Soho, and go from there, taking subway line three, to the public zoo. But jade wanted to come dressed in her work clothes, and stand waiting for Milo, as if she was on her lunch break, and start up a conversation with him.

Kate was a little put off, by being dumped from a girls day out, so her friend could stand and dribble looking at Milo, while Milo tried to make conversation, with Jade eating a chilly-dog, and having red chilly sauce smeared all over her face. But seeing the look of pleading in her friends eyes, she gave in, saying it would be fine, they could go to the zoo next week. But it would be the last day she would see her friend alive. Being that so little of her was recovered, that there couldn't be an open casket at her funeral. Eventually having to be identified by DNA and a single silver and jade bracelet Kate had given her.

Kate made her way home, sat on the subway train, as it slowly filled beyond capacity. Having given up her seat to an old lady, and was now being squeezed up against a Italian man in a black leather jacket, whose personal hygiene was obviously the last thing on his list of priorities. But that didn't stop him from smiling at her, and trying, even with the roar of the train, to strike up a conversation with her. She fretted deafness.

Jade had begged Kate to meet her at the hotdog stand twenty minutes before Milo would appear. But Kate said she didn't mind not going to the zoo, but she wasn't about to waist her whole day off, acting like a love struck teenager. Of course she hadn't said the last bit allowed, only inside her head.

The morning of September 11th came, starting like any other. A whole nation not realizing that something was about to happen, that would in some way, affect them all. By the end of this day a nation, a world, would cry an ocean worth of tears.

Jade called Kate, excitement, and worry being obvious in her voice. Asking a hundred and one questions about what to ask him. What to say. But Kate was the last person to give advice on courtship.

She hadn't had a steady boyfriend in over eight months. So long in fact that she use to joke she was in training to become a nun. Her last failed relationship was with Dave the departments Mailman - of all people. He came through the office everyday at eleven o'clock sharp, depositing their mail on their desks. Why she had picked him she would never know. But the relationship was doomed from day one. It ended up getting nasty, and in the last few days her mail started to disappear.

Kate hadn't heard another word from Jade until five minutes before she was to meet Milo. Kate’s phone rang, as she was stood on her balcony watering her roderdendrums, and clipping back her small conifer tree, that sat in a terracotta pot that Jade had painted for her. Jade knew Kate loved flowers, and not having much money on one of Kate’s birthdays, Jade had painted her the pot. That pot now sits next to Kate’s bed, besides a photo of Jade and Kate, during graduation.

She now stood leaning on the rail, looking out across the city, the two towers standing prominent in the distance. And Kate imagined Jade stood between them, in her best low-cut dress, and high heels, cradling a cold hotdog that she had been holding for twenty minutes, while waiting for Milo to appear. Kate laughed inside at the image her mind was making. Wondering how Jade hadn't been arrested for loitering.

That's when it happened.

Kate saw the plane gliding along, thinking nothing of it, still talking to the nervous Jade on the other end, who had just stated Milo was now walking towards her.

Then a huge red and bright yellow explosion lit up the area around where see was looking. The plane had hit the southern tower! The phone went dead. Kate was panicking. What had just happened? Had the plane hit the tower? Was it a malfunction of the onboard navigation system?

She struggled with the phone, after the fourth try she reached a frantic Jade. Jade was ranting on about what had just happened. And like Kate she believed it was a horrific accident. But she was explaining that Milo was here with her, comforting her.

Like everyone on that day, they both believed, as did everyone else, that the crash was an error, a freak accident. That was until the second plane collided with the second tower.

Jade could be heard shouting and swearing on the other end of the line. Kate was trying to get some sense from her. But she had just witnessed the other plane hitting also, and was in a state of shock herself. Could this be happening? This was America; things like this didn't just happen.

The line went dead again. Kate franticly tried to get her friend on the phone. But with no luck. Then while still trying redial, Kate left the balcony and flicked on the television with a shaking finger. The crashes were already on every station. Many theories. CNN was saying it was a huge navigational error. Flicking to FOX, they were saying from the word go, that it was more likely to be a terrorist attack. Then, while she was watching, another report had come in; a third plane had struck the Pentagon.

With shaking hands Kate was repeatedly hitting redial. Then her phone rang. She answered it quickly, thinking it was Jade. It was Kate's mom, crying on the phone. She knew it was Kate’s day off, but she needed to check. After a few minutes of crying, Kate explained to her mother that she was trying to get hold of Jade, telling her about the situation. Her mom hung up, after saying a pray to God that her only daughter was ok. Kate asked her to say one for Jade also.

Then after almost forty minutes from when the first plane had struck, she got a ring tone.

Jade’s voice came on line, crying. Both of them would have been sitting on the very floor the second plain struck. Both knew hundreds of people on that very floor. But Jade stated that a crying Milo was here holding her shaking hand, helping her, comforting her. So Jade had got what she wanted, but though the worst kind of circumstance.

Kate was trying to explain that another plane had struck the Pentagon. But Jade was upset, crying madly. Kate was now telling her to get out of there. But Jade was too upset, wanting to know what had happened to all their friends. And she wasn't about to let go of Milo's hand.

Kate sat watching the television, back on CNN now. The two towers burring like huge candles. People were jumping from upper levels, because the stairs and lifts had been destroyed on impact.

No one though knew what was going to happen next. The towers were huge. Like standing sentinels to Americas greatness. No one would believe a plane could bring a building that size down. Then again, nothing had ever happened like this before.

Even though she could see the buildings from her balcony, Kate sat before the television. Her heart screaming out to all her friends, on the floor the plane had hit. Crying into the phone, along with Jade on the other end, whom was there looking up at the flames and falling debris, and the people jumping for their lives.

Then the unimaginable happened.

Kate's eyes were fixed on the screen, when suddenly the northern tower started to tumble down onto itself. This couldn't be happening Kate mind was screaming. She was shouting into the phone, she could hear Jade’s high-pitched panicked cries, and then it sounded like the phone was dropped. Kate could hear it being kicked along the ground by panicked feet, accompanied by frantic crying and loud screaming. Then a thunderous crashing sound echoed down the line. Then the line went dead.

On the television, the tower was now flattened. Huge plumes of greasy grey smoke poured high into the sky.

Kate sat in silence, holding the phone in her shacking grip. She could feel the very building she was sat in shake from the towering buildings impact. But rather than look out the window, her eyes were glued to the screen. Then the second tower started to compress down upon itself, one floor after another, flattening down like a huge pack of steel cards. More smoke and debris was pouring high into the already smoke and dust layered air.

Kate's eyes couldn't blink. Tears ran like streams down her cheeks. The dead phone still held in her hand. It rang, making her jump. Was Jade still alive after all that? She looked at the number on the little LCD screen. It was Jade's mother thinking that Jade was spending the day with Kate, as she always did on her days off.

Kate ignored the ringing and dropped the phone, which now clattered to the floor. The images of the fallen towers playing over and over on the screen. Voices of the presenters screaming in disbelief at all the unimaginable amount of death they were witnessing.

The phone must of hit a button; because Kate could hear Jade’s mothers voice talking down the line, pleading and crying for someone to answer, dispel her fears.

Kate slid to her knees before the television. She pressed a wet tear covered cheek against the cold screen. Closing her eyes she said a silent prayer for her lost best friend.

This is the dedication that will accompany the story…

Dedication

So many innocent souls lost their lives in a cowardly attack on civilians. An attack that will be etched on the minds of millions the world over. September 11th 2001 was an horrific day, one none of us will ever forget. I had been living in Mexico for only four days, and I remember my wife shouting at me to come and see what was transpiring on the television. I couldn't believe my eyes. I spent the rest of that day watching in horror. This story is dedicated to those over 5,000 amazing people, whose only crime was being lovers of freedom. Sleep in peace - you will never be forgotten.

Glen Johnson

[Kryso]

Please post a remark - if you wish - that’s why I posted it, to get your reaction...

[Kira]

Glenn it's very good, very heartstring pulling, it made me and think ...

Thank you

[Moonfairie]

It's a beautiful tribute to the innocent that died that day. That day I was at work when the dauther of my boss call. We check on CNN web site and I couldn't belive What I was seeing. I was on that tower in January 2001 and I saw all those people who where working there. Then a remerber that a friend was there, working for a bank company. When I can home that day, I look the TV all night, just crying and asking why. But there was no answer. Fortunatly,my friend was not in the tower. He was late for work that morning. To this day he still thank God for his alarm clock not working that morning. God bless you all !

[Tioria]

I think it was very touching. It made me think again about what I was doing on that day and how fortunate I was to have not lost anybody. It also made me think about those who have lost their loved ones and the horror they had to experience.

[Journey]

Very Touching....And it really makes one appreciate living today. Many lives were lost, many people affected by this stupid act- I was in Hawaii when all this happened, I awoke to tragedy after waking up in the a.m. on my day off.

Tears cames to my eye then, and still my eyes swell as I think of that morning.

The islands totally shut down after all this. You could not leave Hawaii after the attacks- and Oahu was so quiet.....no traffic, tourists, etc.

The attackers will feel the pain. They will feel the agony and loss of all the lives taken. They will feel the tears of the loved ones lost and family members gone.

They will burn for all of eternity- in HELL. This is their ultimate destination and be assured they have a one-way ticket there.

Your story broght to memory another one that came to play as we watched in Hawaii- A liitle girl was looking everywhere for her father after the chaos (maybe the 2nd day) and as she was running around frantically looking for him, holding up signs with his name on it- and as this was happening and being televised, he came walking up, his clothes in tatters and covered in dust. It was emotional coverage.

Your tribute is great-

[Kryso]

Just bringing this story back up again, as my tribute to 9/11.

May the world never forget those whose only crime was being lovers of freedom.

Glen Johnson.

[Me_Again]

Thank you for sharing your story with us. I am a preschool teacher and we were at school, when the principal came and told us what had just happened. Shock is the ultimate first feeling you, get followed by saddness, followed by thankfulness To all of those who lost someone that day - peace be with you

[snuffypuffer]

Very good, Kryso. I don't really have appropriate words.

[Daughter of the Nine Moons]

I was pulled out of a meeting in time to watch the second plane hit the tower. That day I watched in horror together with the rest of the world. During the days and weeks that followed I was amazed and awestruck to see how the human spirit can come together in time of great need. I wish for peace to everyone who was touched by the the events of September 11th, 2001.

Dot

[lego jedi]

Good work my friend, good work

[TooFarGone]

That was very touching. I think it is an fitting tribute, as so many people had to go through the same thing. I just hope and pray that nothing like this happens to my family, friends, or anyone else in the world. War and terror shoiuld stop. I think 9/11 sent shockwaves acfross the world. Maybe now everyone will realize that war is not the answer. Wiether or not the war is in response to a terror attack, or because two countries are fighting. It, should, stop. My hppes and prayers go out to the vitims and thier families. May they all rest in peace.

Jeremy

[Fugu-Fish]

very Sad.....