This was written in October.....
Today, I allowed Myself to reflect on My day on 911. I know, it’s after the anniversary but it was just on My mind. So, here’s My story, the one that changed the way I live My life.
I had never been to NYC when I moved here. I lived in a small town close to Houston in Texas. I was in awe and in love with this giant behemoth of a city.
I had just been through a change in my life and had just stepped off on a journey to make a new page in it. I was scared, but I promised Myself when I stepped out of My 18 year marriage that I would never let “scared” rule My life again.
I was working in midtown Manhattan and Charles had driven us into the city that day. We came across on the Staten Island Ferry. I didn’t realize it then but it would be the last time anyone was allowed to use the ferry to get a car across to the city. After We got into the city, Charles realized that with the traffic, We might be late so he asked if I could get there the rest of the way by subway. This is the part where My friends reading this story are saying to themselves as they shake their heads in unison, “He must not know Her very well yet.” I am directionally challenged and no finn, I had not learned about following the people yet. I said sure but was already feeling panicky. He pointed somewhere and said, “just go there and take the subway.” The traffic light changed and people started honking so I hurriedly got out of the car.
The minute the door slammed I realized that I had no idea where I was, no idea where any subway was or how to find one. At the time, I was working for a friend of a friend and this woman couldn’t stand Me. I really needed to keep that job and being late would be one more thing she could hold against Me.
All the stress of the move, the strangers and unfamiliar surrounding descended on Me and I began to cry quietly. Out of nowhere, a man came up from behind Me and touched My elbow gently. He said, “you look upset, can I help?”
It just all poured out and with teary eyes and in the middle of a total melt down, I sobbed to this perfect stranger, “I’m so lost, I’m supposed to get a subway but I don’t know which one or even where a subway IS. My boss hates Me and I’m from the South and she hates Southern Belles and she will fire Me if I’m late.”
Then, all of a sudden I came to My senses. I looked at him, horrified. What the hell was I doing? What did I just do? Was that MY voice whining and crying? Where were My manners?
I might be in the North but I was raised in the South and this wonderful man had offered to come to My rescue and I hadn’t even introduced Myself or said thank you. I managed to pull Myself together enough to sniffle out My name and said I was so happy to meet him and thanked him for his offer to help. He just smiled and said.. “come on, well get you there in plenty of time.” He teasingly made a comment that he had never saved a southern belle before and that he felt like Rhett Butler to which I replied that I certainly hoped he wasn’t since Rhett didn’t really GIVE a Damn and I really, really needed to get to My job where the Wicked Witch of the East awaited My arrival.
We raced for the doors that miraculously led down through more doors that I would never have guessed led to entrances to the subway. I of course was digging in the suitcase/purse I carry around with Me for that little card that got Me through the subway turnstiles. We came to a stop in front of them just as My fingers curled around it. A huge breath of relief whooshed past My lips and as I raised My eyes, there it was, My train. I was saved. I wouldn’t end up homeless in this monolith of a metal and cement city. I turned around to thank My savior but he had vanished.
I panicked murmuring to Myself, “OH NO! OH NO! Which way do I go and I need to say thank you. Where did he go?” I turned and ran back to the stairway but he wasn’t there. The sound of the train doors sent Me running for the turnstile, crashing through it, slipping through the door of the train in the nick of time. I rested up against the door panting and silently thanking My Guardian Angel. If I only how MUCH of a Guardian Angel he really was.
I walked into the office at 8:45 with 15 min to spare. My cell phone was ringing and I answered to hear a frantic Charles gasp out, “thank god You’re ok. Turn on the TV! I just watched a plane crash into the World Trade Center.” I said I was fine and rushed into the office of a co worker to turn on the TV but We didn’t need it. We could SEE the black billowing smoke. The bank across the street had TV’s in the window so we went outside and crossed the street with other passers by and watched the nightmare happen. Charles and I lost the cell connection and that was the last I would hear from him until hours later when I made it across to New Jersey. I can still hear Charles yelling into the phone when I finally got hold of him, “WHAT THE HELL or You doing in NEW JERSEY?” Charles hates New Jersey.
He is amazing. When Charles wants something he just figures out how to get it. Besides, he is constantly telling Me that his Guardian Angel is the shit and always sees to it that He gets out of trouble. He managed to find his way to the Macaroni Grill that I had settled into to wait for him. There was a co worker with Me. The Wicked Witch of the East had dumped us there on her way up to the cushy home she has upstate.
I was never so glad to see his smiling face and his safe arms in all My life. He grabbed Me in a huge Bear hug nearly crushing My ribs and driving the air from My lungs. I managed to suck in enough air to ask him to release Me before I expired at the Macaroni Grill in New Jersey, making his drive to get Me fruitless.
It took us hours to get home. We finally fell into our cozy bed in that basement apartment that will always be our beginning and curled into each other. He whispered into My ear, “I thought I had lost you.” I laughed and said that New Jersey wasn’t THAT bad. He looked at Me then with such forlorn eyes and asked Me if I knew where he had dropped Me off that morning. Of course I did I said, then, well actually no I didn’t. I asked where.
Charles whispered the words in My ear as he held onto Me, “The World Trade Center.”
I whispered back as the picture of the man came foggily to My memory, “I have a Guardian Angel now too.”
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