David

I have mentioned before in a prior post that I have always felt different from others in my family. I was into drama and everything else that surrounded the stage.

Growing up, there was only one other person in my family that was interested in the performing arts as much as I was. That would be my cousin David. I remember him writing out the music and words to Annie’s “Tomorrow” for me to sing and play on my piano. I always looked up to him. When I was 12 years old David moved to New York City to work on Broadway. That was 24 years ago.

The morning of 09-11-01

B woke me up the morning of 09-11-01 to tell me that we were under attack and that a plane had flown into one of the Twin Towers. I got up and went downstairs to watch the news. While we both sat there watching we saw the 2nd plane crash into the 2nd tower. I told B that I was worried about David. For you see, David worked for UPS and worked in one of the Towers. I called my Dad and told him to turn on the news. I then told him my concerns about David and that I remembered him telling me that his locker was at the base of the towers. “Mija,” he said. “I think he quit that job. Don’t worry.” I hung up the phone and continued to watch the television while getting ready for work.

At work, everyone was either gathered in front of the televisions or if they had to be on the phones, they were watching on their computers. Shortly after getting to work I received a phone call from my Mom telling me that David still worked at the Trade Center and that everyone was heading over to my Aunt’s house, no one had yet heard from him. I had to stay at work and could not join them.

Finally later that afternoon my cousin called. He was alright. That is all we needed to hear. It had taken him awhile to call us because he could not find a phone that worked.

Last year while speaking to my Aunt I found out a bit more of what David went thru. That morning while he was on his way into work he was on the street near the towers when the planes hit. The only thing I was told was that he saw things falling from the sky that should not have been. It is too gruesome to even think about. He decided at that time to turn around and head back home.

I thought that since he and his co-workers were alright that he was okay too. Physically anyways. What I did not think of at the time was that since he delivered to all the offices in one of the towers that he knew so many of those killed. These are people that he saw probably every day. My Aunt said that he never went back to Ground Zero until a year or so ago when she was there visiting him. He never went back to work for UPS.

Everything I have heard about what my cousin has gone thru has been thru my Aunt. David does not talk about it and none of us mention it to him.

My heart goes out to those whose families were not as lucky as mine. I pray they are able to find peace.