Where Was I on September 11th? By Catherine

There are some things I remember like yesterday. This is one of those days that I will always remember. The clothes I was wearing. The warm weather. The small details as if it were indeed yesterday. I remember it was a warm September day. My boys had been with their father the previous night for his Monday night visit and I drove by the bus stop and kissed them goodbye. They were both in elementary school, Charlie in 5th and Trevor in 2nd Grade. Charlie was so excited about going on his 5th Grade field trip on this day. I was dressed in a black pantsuit. Black has always been my favorite color for clothes. I had started a new job and was no longer at the Pentagon. It was a tough decision and I missed my Pentagon friends. When I went to work that morning, all was normal in the office. I didnt have a computer yet, so I was looking at the news on The Washington Post on my co-workers laptop while he was in a meeting. I immediately saw a picture of a plane going into the World Trade Center. I thought to myself that it was a horrible accident. What kind of dummy wouuld fly his plane into the World Trade Center? After a few minutes of reading there was another story that popped up. Another plan into the World Trade Center. My ex-husband called me. He was working at the Pentagon. He asked if I had heard the news about New York and mentioned that they were thinking it was a terrorist attack. A terrorist attack? In New York? It judt didnt seem possible. He laughed and said that "watch...they will come to Center Court (Pentagon) next..." and I giggled. Just the thought of that was just so far fetched. There was no way. We ended the conversation. My boyfriend called. Said he heard there was an explosion at the Pentagon. I ha JUST talked to my ex-husband. I didnt believe it. I called my father and asked him if anything was on the radio. There wasnt (yet). I called my ex-husband. No answer. I called my friend in my old office. No answer. I called the front office. Again...no answer. And then I knew something was wrong. I walked into the meeting a few feet away from me and excused myself, saying that there was a problem. I explained about New York. And then I explained that I thought something was happening at the Pentagon. My co-worker immediately jumped up and plugged in his radio, trying to find a news station. Another co-worker came running into the office screaming "We are under attack! We are under attack!"

I sat in my chair. I didnt move. I was numb. I called my ex-husband. No answer. I felt literally glued to my seat. Paralyzed. My boyfriend called and screamed "get out of there!" and then the phone went dead. The firedrills started ringing. Someone was going from office to office saying "Evacuate immediately..." I called my sister. Fortunately, she worked in the next building. She was coming over to get me. I still couldnt move. The tears were coming down my cheeks. I was in schock and couldnt believe what was happenning. I was telling my co-worker that my ex-husband...I just talked to him...what do I say to my boys? Where is he?

My sister immediately was in the room. She calmly helped me from my seat and we made it to the garage below to get her car. We decided to use her car to get the boys instead of me driving alone. I needed to get to my boys, I said. Needed to get to my boys.

The radio was blaring of people screaming...crying. It was chaos. We were stuck in traffic. There was a bomb that went off in front of the State Department. Another was somewhere else. There was another plane flying overhead and noone could track it and noone knew where it was going. My sister was calm. Maneuvering her way through traffic as I just kept crying. She didn't cry. I was crying enough for the both of us.

We made it the boy's school. I ran in to get them. Sister was in the car. The children were lined up in single file by class. As I went into the office, I asked if I could have my children and I needed to take them home. Someone asked if I were all right and I just broke down. Their father was in the Pentagon. I can't get in touch with him. The principal came over and held me. I just cried and cried. I was so terrified. The boys came into the office. I had to explain to them that there had been an accident at Daddy's work. They wanted to know if he was all right. I told them that I didnt know yet, but that we needed to pray.

Donna, the boys and I, drove over to my dad and June's house. It was the closest nearby. And it was nice to be in the presence of my dad and June. Especially being around my father, he would make things better ~ or he would at least provide me the strength to get through this. My worst fear was to have to be a single mother and to have the boys lose their father. It just couldnt happen this way. And there were so many things still left unsaid to my ex-husband. I didnt get a chance to tell him how sorry I was. I didnt get a chance to tell him that even though we hurt one another, I wanted to so much have a good relationship with him. At least try, for our boys sake. When I looked at the tv and saw the smoke from the Pentagon, I knew. It was his office that was where the plane went through. My heart told me that it was over, that my chance to speak with him and tell him how I felt was over. He was gone.

His mother called my father's house. She wanted to know if we heard from him. I told her where he was in the building and it didnt look good. I panicked and started to cry. She told me to get on my knees and pray to the Lord. Now! When I got off the phone, I fell to my knees and prayed. God please watch over my boy's father. Please protect him. Protect my children and protect us all.

We drove home that afternoon. Not knowing where he was. Trevor wanted to know who would bring the Blockbuster movies back, since 'Dad was dead.' He was just seven years old and couldnt think that death meant gone forever and that he would never see his father again. He just didnt get it. But there was hope still.

The boys were in their bedroom playing video games. I was in the living room watching the news. The warm breeze was coming through the patio screen door. And then there was a knock at my door. I opened the door and he was there. I let out a scream and just hugged him, held him tightly. His uniform was a mess. Shirt pulled out of his pants. Skoke and soot were on his face, arms and hands. Pants torn. He looked so scared. I asked him how he got out and he said "I knew I had to. I knew that I had to get back to my girl and my boys..." I will never forget that ever. Even though we were divorced, we were still a family and we still loved one another.

The boys were so happy to see their father. They were screaming, jumping up and down. Trevor said "I thought you were dead!" and wrapped his arms around his neck. They wanted to go spend time with their dad. I knew that they needed one another.

It had been such a long day. For the rest of the day, I watched the news. And the only planes flying abover were our military. It was really neat knowing that the planes flying above were our military. At that moment I realised alot. I knew that life was indeed precious. What started out as a normal day had been one of chaos. But out of chaos, comes alot of blessings.