September 11th: Nine Years Later - Chapter 27

Wow...I still can’t believe it’s been nine years!

My recollection of what happened on September 11, 2001 was an interesting one. On the evening of September 10, 2001, my friend’s husband & I were on our way back to Brooklyn from South Carolina. I was helping my friend and her family move from East Stroudsburg, PA to Charleston, SC for a couple of days. Her husband had to return to Brooklyn while the rest of the family stayed in SC. He wanted to drive back and not fly, so I rode back home with him.

We were on I-95 doing 90 mph. He got tired, so we’ve pulled over to a truck stop in Virginia and rested for a few hours. After he caught his second wind, we continued on down I-95. A few hours later, we’ve gotten closer to home. Around 4:30 a.m., we were crossing the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge (the bridge between Staten Island & Brooklyn), I’ve stared at the World Trade Center. I’ve always looked at the World Trade Center every time I cross a bridge, but this time felt different. I’ve heard a still small voice in my ear saying “Take a good look at those buildings. It will be the last time you’ll see them standing!” I scoffed it off. I didn’t believe what I’ve just heard. So I didn’t pay it no mind. I arrived home by 5:30 a.m. that morning. I was so tired, I’ve changed clothes and went straight to sleep.

A few hours later, my mother woke me up screaming, “Tonja, we’re being attached!” I was half asleep, not fully aware of what was going on. So I’ve said nonchalantly, “So what else is new,” and turned over to go back to sleep. The volume on the tv was so loud, that it fully awaken me and I saw it - a fire at that top of Tower 1. I couldn’t believe my eyes! Mind you, my mother and I didn’t have cable at the time, so we’ve noticed that only ONE channel was working that day. And just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse, we’ve saw the plane crashing into Tower 2 live on tv! I’ve tried calling every person I knew that worked in the Wall Street area to see if they were okay, but all of the phone lines were dead! Then, we’ve watched the first building come tumbling down. One right after the other. My mother and I sat there in horror watching this massacre take place. Tears were rolling down my face. The place where I used to visit as a child as well as my hang-out spot when I was in college was gone!

I will never forget the men & women who died on this day, those who lost their lives saving others and grateful to God for those who survived this horrific tragedy.

Until next time...