 |
|
|
| Tuesday September 11, 2001, Text below: |
The day started like every other; wake up to Larry leaving at 6:30 a.m., tell him I love him and roll back to sleep.
An hour later I wake up at 7:30 a.m. I turn on the Today Show which has some kid on who hasn't spoken in a year and
Al Roker was talking about how beautiful the day was starting out. I'm showered and out the door by 8:15 a.m. and on
the Midtown express bus by 8:20 a.m. We make it to the Midtown Tunnel so fast that several people comment on it.
We're in the Midtown Tunnel by 8:30 a.m.
Once through the Midtown Tunnel and on the Manhattan side, I noticed that there were too many cars going eastbout for
a work day. I comment about it to Tony, the bus driver, who also finds it odd. We make a right onto 3rd Avenue
when I notice smoke coming from downtown. I figured it wasn't anything,a nd headed for the deli and to the office.
It's 8:50 a.m. (Luckily for me, a misunderstanding had me thinking Larry was in the towers having breakfast and would have
just been leaving them).
The first plane must have hit just as we entered the tunnel which wuold explain the smoke from downtown. I make
it to the office by 9:00 a.m., Tina, the receptionist said a plane hit the towers. I dump my stuff at my desk and deaded
to Harve's office, on the southside of the Chrysler Building, I made it to his window just as the second plane hit the
second tower.
I was under the impression that Larry was in the towers getting breakfast. Which would put him in the towers during
the first strike. He was, instead, in One Police Plaza three blocks away. Larry told me later because of the 1993
bombers next door all the security alarms went off. He was told by superiors to vacate the building immediately.
He and his friends decided to walk uptown as opposed to walking over the Brooklyn Bridge. Larry was afraid of being
trapped in Brooklyn should mass transit be shut down. So they headed to the 59th Street Bridge (a.k.a. Queensboro Bridge)
12 miles away. It wasn't until 2:21 p.m. that I learned that Larry was alive and heading for me and home. Larry
arrived sooty, tired and hungry at home at 6:52 p.m. having walked all day and part of the evening to get to me.
|
| This just in to the CNN Newsroom, Another plane has hit the second tower. Both towers have been hit |
|
| (C) |
So while we are trying to get to the safety of our home in Queens, hell was
happening downtown. We knew the buildings were damaged but we never thought they'd come down. We could only hope
that they would go straight down as opposed to lengthwise. Given they are over 100 stories each, that means the radio
tower would land somewhere in China town or SoHo, many miles away.
I had to go to work tow days later. Larry's Sgt called to tell him that he was expect
in work on the 12th. What I found funny was that lower Manhattan (14th Street downward) was without electricity, water,
phones, or mass transit. However this man was telling me my husband had to come into work to "key in payroll" and hand
out checks. I told him no way was Larry coming into work on September 12th. I told him that I could guarantee
that none of the cops are concerned about about their paychecks--let alone their night differential. Larry stayed home.
He learned quickly in our early marriage that when my Irish is rilled up "duck."
I went to work on the 13th. Stuart, my boss, thought I was nuts. A bomb threat in
both the Chrysler Building and Grand Central Station chased me home until the following week. I worked from home and
Stuart I.M'ed me by saying "Larry is home, stay there, here is unimportant."
My panic attacks which were cured came back with a vengance. When 5:00 p.m. showed up,
I couldn't get home fast enough.
_________________________________________________________________
Larry's office, One Police Plaza, is located in front of the Bell Atlantic Building as pictured
above. The Bell Atlantic Building is on the right with the Bell in a circle.
|
| (D) |
Meanwhile, uptown, I am in a panic because I don't know where Larry is. Viacom's President is ordering people to
remain calm and to stay in the building. He had the audacidity to tell me that Larry would call me at the office.
I told him that I know my husband would call me at home because he knew I wouldn't want to stay in a landmark any longer than
I needed to. I turned to get my stuff only to find Stuart handing me my purse and jacket. The president said that
if anyone left we would be fired. I told him "go ahead, you'll hear from my attorney." Stuart and I left.
Although Stuart wanted to drive me home, traffic was unbelievable. So I managed to get on an express bus to Bayside.
(I figured I could get home from Suzie's eventually.)
I left the office at 9:45 a.m. and I got home at 12:15 p.m. As I paced in front of our Bay window watching the
smoke coming from downtown, I'm in pure panic. Larry's parents are in North Carolina, my folks are stuck upstate, Beth
& Roy are on Long Island (Roy is heading for Ground Zero Detail), and Tom is about to walk downstate to find Larry.
The phones aren't working and I have no clue where Larry is. As I'm praying for his safe return, I hear quite clearly
Grandma Wright (who died in 1996) who says "this isn't a widow's walk, pet, sit down." So I sat down floored that
she would contact me from the other side.
Larry finally called me at 2:21 p.m. He said that he and a couple of friends had been walking since the second
plane hit had hit the tower. He finally arrived home by foot by 6:45 p.m. He said he either walked or took buses
uptown but 90% of the time he was walking. He was tired, hungry, and sooty.
After awhile we walked into the park to survey the damage and our new empty skyline. We headed to Philly's for
dinner and remained in shock the rest of the week.
|
|
For weeks after, the air quality in Manhattan at ant times Queens, stunk. It smelled like a wet, muddy dog on a
spring day. The smoke was never ending.
I sent Larry to his office with a mask, Lysol wipes, bottled water, and a packed lunch (no resturants were opened
downtown and catered lunch was for "uniformed members only." (per the police commissioner)
Larry sufferred from the "WTC Cough" for months (and now years) later. He came home sooty but he came home.
The smoke and smell finaly ended about a year later.
|
| (B) |
Right after 9-11, American flags were impossible to find. We made due
for awhile with a construction paper-style flag. Once the stores were finally stocked with flags we redecorated the
windows to show our true spirit.
Every morning now, I wake up with Larry to make sure that I remember what he wearing and say
"I love you, be safe." Because on 9-11 I don't remember what he was wearing let alone if I said "I love you."
I'm only angry at the loss of life not the loss of the buildings. The buildings can be
rebuilt be we can never get our loved ones back. All 3,000 of them.
|
| Song book with the words to Lee Greenwood's God Bless the USA |
|
| Psalms' 23, 54, & 57 as recited by me over the 59th St bridge |
|
| (E) |
So we survived physically. Emotionally will take some time. We
set up makeshift memorials throughout the city. Because Mr. Muskopf and Charlie being firefighters of my youth I always
knew what heros were -- they run in when you run out.
Many firefighters, police officers and civilians died and to me "Ground Zero" is their final
resting place. Throughout the clean up and search and rescue efforts, Tourists came and posed for pictures. I
felt it was wrong. So I wrote to the editor of the local newspaper. They said there are seven stages of grief.
During the years after "9-11" we dealth with Grandma Higby's death, Uncle Gus' passing, Mr. Biederman's death and so I guess
we went through more than seven stages of grief in 2001.
___________________________________________________________________
Daily News, friday January 11, 2002, "Circus Grounds" Middle Village: I find the carnival atmosphere
at Ground Zero despicable. If it must continue, we should charge an admission fee. Half should be used to pay
for the cleanup they are witnessing and the other half to the September 11th Fund. Kate Interrante
|
|
|
