That Morning.....

It was getting close to the end of my shift. I am doing
the last minute touches on the hair of the lady I just got
up and ready for the day. Then I placed her wheelchair
in front of the television with the other lady I had all done
and ready for the day. I step over to the bed and pull up
the sheets and straighten out the blanket, making the bed.

I walked out of the room and looked for the day crew. I had
already gave them report of the going on of the night. But
wanted to let them know I was leaving and the ladies in room
110 were up and watching television.

I walked down the hall and went in and clocked out at 6:03am.

I got in my car, started it up and the voices of the married couple
that had a talk show in the early morning rang with their familiar
voices, and I backed out of my space and headed for the road.

As I started to head towards home, the man said there was a
word from AP (American Press) and it said that a airplane, had
hit one of the World Trade buildings in New York. His wife asked
what kind of plane. He said he didn't know, it didn't say. He guess
that it was a small plane, probably a new pilot who lost control, he
figured.

As I pulled into my drive way 12 minutes later, the man was excited
and said no, it was an airliner that had hit the building, and smoke was
coming out of the building. So I hurried into the house and turn on
the television, to Good Morning America...but it wasn't the usual show.
There is panic, an excited newscaster, explaining that one of the airlines had
hit the World Trade Building and then they showed it with the smoke
coming out. I call my daughter, as she would be getting ready for
work, and told her that one of the United airliners hit the building. She
turn on the television and we watched in horror as we saw another
plane fly right into the other building, next to the first one. We couldn't
believe our eyes. Who would steal the planes and do that?

She had to leave for work, she had been watching NBC, and she
said to me, they say the Pentagon has been hit too. "I am heading to
work, let me know if that is true... when I get to work", she says. I called
her to tell her it is true and they also have another plane,Flight 93, that is down
in Pa. She says, they were getting updates on the computer.
I told her that they said there were terrorist and that they now say there
were passengers on those planes. That they had been hi-jacked.
She said, I know..and we hung up.

I often wondered about the women who I sat in front of the television that
morning. Neither of them spoke. And when I said have a good day, I will
see you tonight, one smiled as the other was starting to fall asleep in her
chair. I had hoped as I remember them, while I was at home... I had hoped
that both slept thru it... as I can only imagine what she might have thought.

I sat there, watching as they showed the buildings, and the smoke,
and hearing the newscasters talking on the phone to people in the building.
Telling the newscaster their names and for them to tell their families they
are fine, it will be a while before they can get out, as the stair case is full
of people. The newscaster telling them to be careful. And then the
collapse of the buildings. First one and then the other... watching as people
jumped out of the window, hoping they could survive and didn't.

Like the rest of the nation, sittingt there, stunned that this could happen. And how
could it happen. Seeing the rubble of broken cement, and cables, people running
thru the streets, trying to get away. And firemen and police running towards
the buildings... over and over the news played it, thru the day and into the night.
I went to bed as I had to work that night... getting up again at 2pm and seeing
them talk about it, showing the scenes again, over and over. Talking about the
brave men on the plane in PA. And the "Let's Roll became a national catchphrase.

With all the different stories, and rumors and lies that past around.. who cares
anymore.. The people are dead. Their families will never be the same.The ones
who survived and wonder why, will never be the same again... And
even our country will never be the same again.