"Time to get up Honey."
"Okay aunt Lydia." I went to the bathroom had a shower then brushed my teeth. I like the water cascading over my face. It feels like you are sparkling with the water running through your hair. My name is Richard Myers. I, well me and my aunt are going to see my Mom. She is in hospital, at Queens. I live in New York, Brooklyn. I am living with my aunt Lydia and Uncle Tom.
I have a Brother. My brother Michael got killed by a crazed gunman when the school he was at were on a trip to Staten Island. It seems "His Killer" was told to leave the park because he was Intoxicated. 'He was goddam DRUNK!' Why he went to the Island, God only knows. He took a taxi, as cool as you like, home to get his gun. He came back and just fired into the crowd. He killed five kids, two teachers and a passer-by with her dog. Then the COWARD turned the gun on himself. "Really Brave Eh!!" That was two years ago. Now there is just my Mom, Dad and Me. I miss my Michael, we did everything together. We Argued, Fought, Laughed and Cried. Now I seem to cry a lot. Not where people are, but when I am in my room or on my own. All his school pals talk about him all the time. My Friends sometimes feels sorry for me.
My mom, she got injured with debris from the Twin Towers as they collapsed. She was near the North Tower. Survivors said she was guiding some children to a basement apartment. They said she was hit with Glass and Masonry. I saw devastation on the news later. Everything was white, there was dust everywhere. There were people running in every direction to get away from the carnage. I saw people screaming and bleeding. When they pointed to the towers there was smoke coming from the top, with flames shooting out. People were flying through the air. I was told that those people were jumping from the building rather than die in the flames.
We got to the hospital and went straight to her room. She was lying on the bed with tubes and wires everywhere. There were beeps coming from the machines at the side of her bed. The doctor came in to the room and asked to speak to Aunt Lydia. Mom was asleep and looked so peaceful. I went and sat beside her. I tried to compose myself. I took hold of her hand and prayed to god to hear me. "Mom, please don't die. You have to get better. Wake up mom, please, I love you." I was still sobbing when my aunt came back in to the room. She looked sad, her eyes were watering and her cheeks were wet. I went to her to give her a hug. That's what my Mom did when I was sad. A little later my Uncle came into the room where my mom was, he looked at my mom then me. He walked to the bed leaned over my mom and started to cry. I think I knew then that my mom was not coming back. We left the hospital to go home. I asked when my mom would be coming home, I wanted her. I needed her.
On our way home in the car my aunt and uncle were talking, I couldn't hear what they were saying but I knew it was bad. Later that day, while Uncle Tom was at work, "Please aunt Lydia when my mom was coming home? I need her to come home."
"Richard," she said, "your mom is very poorly. You remember when your Brother never came home?" Now I was scared. "I know this is hard, Richard, but your mom won't be coming home. Do you know what a Coma is?" I nodded my head. "Your mom is not going to wake up baby. The machines you saw are keeping your mom breathing. 'Alive' But she has gone baby."
I ran to my room crying. I slammed the door and jumped onto my bed.
My uncle was shaking me. Time to get up, sport. You need to get some food in you.
I wiped the sleep out of my eyes and looked at Uncle Tom. "WHY?" I asked. "Am I a bad boy Uncle Tom?"
"No you are not a bad boy, don't you go thinking that."
"But my Brother, Dad, now Mom." I think I better explain. My dad is, was, a Fireman. He was one of the many Firemen who went in to the South Tower. He was on the seventieth floor when it started to collapse. But I didn't know that then. You see I spoke to my dad. Even while I was staying at my Aunts he was there. When I was in bed at night we would laugh and fool around. He told me he loved me and would always be there for me. He kissed my forehead, ruffled my hair and told me to get some sleep.
"Richard, listen to me. None of this is your fault. It was bad people that hurt your Mom, Dad and Brother. You don't blame yourself you hear?"
I had supper and went to bed. I cried and cried. I must be the one that killed them. There was only me, so who else could have? "When you are eight you don't know any different." Fear sets in. What do you do now? Where do you live? I woke sometime during the night and my dad was sitting on the bed stroking my hair.
"Dad." Then cried again. "Why, dad, Why!!"
"I don't know son. All I know is you are here. Son you did nothing wrong. You are a good boy, and I am very proud of you."
I don't know if it was a dream or my imagination running wild. "Was I going crazy?"
It was daylight when I woke again. I went downstairs. There was Uncle Tom and Aunt Lydia. "Morning sport."
I sat down and drank my juice. I was in a world of my own. Sometime during the night my mom had passed away. My dad knew!!! Aunt Lydia came over and held me tight. She was crying. Uncle Tom just looked in to space. His eyes wet. He knew he had to be strong, if only for my sake. Tom was my dad's brother. They weren't twins but you could tell.
We went to my mom's funeral. I was beside myself. I couldn't stop crying. I felt like a baby, which at eight I still was. When we were walking back to the car I ran. I ran and ran till I couldn't run no more. I ran out of the Cemetery and down the street. I did't know where I was going, I just had to get away from there. Uncle Tom must have come after me because when I stopped he was shouting my name. "Richard, Richard." Then he grabbed my shoulder. I put my arms around him and cried 'Again' like a baby.
"Why."
"I know son I know." We walked very slowly back to where the cars were and went home.
Next it was my Dads funeral. He was buried beside my mom, with Full Military Honours and Gun Salute. I was proud, but I wanted them here with me. I went home in the car this time without running scared.
The President came to what they now call Ground Zero. He spoke to all the families that were there, "On how Brave they were." There was another Gun Salute then all you could hear was crying and sobbing. "All them Children, All them Children."
I am now eighteen, but still have the same thoughts and worries. My Dad was a Brave Man. As were all the Police and Officials who got killed. People stood together as One. "There was no 'ME' It was 'US'. I was scared, but I can only imagine what all the people in the Aircraft felt." There was one air plane that was diverted from destroying another target because the Passengers fought with those that hijacked the plane. They knew they were going to die but still fought bravely to save as many lives as they could.
I go to Parents Graves every couple of weeks to lay flowers. It hurts every time I go. It's feels it happened yesterday. When I lay flowers on my Dad's Grave, I feel like I am putting flowers on a Hole. He's not there, the Grave is empty. "My Dad died in the sky, and that's where he is now." 'Forever' "He is looking down on me every day. When I sleep, when I am awake. I love you Mom. Dad. Please look after Michael for me till I get to you." Every year I go to where thousands of people died. I leave flowers and a heartfelt prayer for each and every one of those lives that were taken. I walk away from Ground Zero "Knowing my life begins again."
I look up to the sky...
"Mom. Dad. I LOVE YOU."
The End