The radio announcer said “we have nothing concrete, but an airplane has crashed into Building One of the World Trade Center”. My eyes went from one half closed to fully awake instantly, and I rushed to turn on the TV.
I looked in horror at One W.T.C. with a PLANE CRASHED INTO IT!
And thought immediately of friends still working there. Were they safe!? Then I thought of the tenants I worked with when I was a lease negotiator at the WTC. Seeing those tenants select their space and finally move in. Friends, tenants, and the buildings themselves. The T.V. station cut to the fire house making a training video and saw the plane flying right into the building at about the 60th floor.
I was all alone in my apartment in NYC. My son was away at school, and husband on a job with colleagues in Chicago, in their tallest building. I tried unsuccessfully to reach them. I was alone. Then I’d think of people I knew, friends, tenants, and then, people I did not know. What was it like to be in the building then. I could not imagine. I recalled when we had a scare in 1993 with bombs in the garage. Five of us made sure we had cleared everyone from our department and walked down. We thanked the firefighters climbing up.
But, this, THIS was massive, dealing with a huge airplane crashed into the building. The smoke was shown on TV as rolling uptown.
It became far worse than I could have imagined. A second plane hit building #TWO. I screamed at that point and roused my neighbor who knew nothing. We stood watching the TV in a trance. We were to hear about the Pentagon and possibly the White House and the passengers who rushed at their captors. My mind could not take it all in.
At that point building Two and then One, collapsed. Much more smoke, people running. The T.V. stations played and re-played those horrible scenes. I went outside to gulp in some air and the upper west side was quiet and serene.
I got the courage to try my dear friend who still worked there and reached her young daughter. Is your Daddy there I asked. He picked up and said immediately “She’s OK”. Thank God I replied and finally cried.
Shortly thereafter my phone started to ring…old and new friends called. My cousins! People from long ago and as far away as New Zealand.
I called others I had worked with, friends, family. I mourned those I did not know. And prayed for those who perished that day. And thought of the buildings themselves, since I had worked so closely within them. Seeing or experiencing how terrible mankind can be. Then caring, closeness, sharing.
Submitted by Holly Blauser
Dedicated to Doug Karpiloff, who, along with his team, tried to save others and make the building safe. He died that day.
