Posted from the library....

Thanx to all who were worried and were checking up.
Im fine, guys. So is my family, and I believe so are most of my friends.

I had intended to stay in Manhattan @the Internet Cafe till morning break after being in Brooklyn all monday evening and night, but at Tuesday morn, 2:30 am - I decided to gather my things and get out of New York.

Funny thing, I had only intended to walk out for a coffee - but as I kept thinking about it, something in my mind said "Go Home". Firmly.

So I took the last bus out of New York at 4am. I fell asleep at 5am and woke up at 10:30 to the sound of helicopters hovering overhead..

At 11 am, the sicilian ladies told me the news when I went to get my coffee.

Life, for all of us - wont be the same again.
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I kept thinking back to Tisha's musing posted at around midnight the day before as I looked at the plume of black smoke visible over the skyline.

Now we know why she cried.

Bayonne was locked down, and the Cappy was still in shock and tears at seeing first hand the second plane slam into the building and the buildings then collapsing.

She refused to let us turn the channel to the News and kept it on Nickolodeon for her kids sake.

They were blissfully unaware.

Everyone who had quit smoking started smoking again. They had all seen everything first hand from the Jersey shore. They didnt need to see the news.

She called her husband to come for her and the kids after she had rushed back to get them out of school, and we spent turns on the phone for hours trying to navigate him into town. Difficult with the highways and bridges shut down. He got in several hours later.

And then the helicopters were ordered out of the air, and the only things we heard all day were sirens, unmuffled F-16's flying combat air patrol overhead and med-evac copters flying in people to the hospitals.

The birds, normally cacophonic.. were eerily silent, the Cappy commented.

Only after her husband got in, and they were all tucked in to sleep did me and the Cappy go look at the carnage firsthand, and since the roads and bridges leading out of Bayonne and New Jersey were still locked down.. we went to the Jersey City terminal to see.

I dissuaded her from going by the local afterschool program to see if there were still kids waiting for their parents. She really didnt need to see that.

The thick black smoke rising all the way up to the stratosphere and the red glow of the fires were silhoutted against Lady Liberty. With Wall Street still in darkness, contrasting to the rest of Manhattan..

Unfortunately, it was heartbreakingly beautiful. With a big smoking hole in the middle of the skyline.

Heading back, we noted the commuter train parking lot, normally empty at night - was still full of cars.

I wondered if George and Ankita got in safely (he did) and if Kate and other folk I know who work in the Wall Street area got out.

I knew Ma was home ok, because her phone was busy all night.

I think Im fine.

I wish we all were.
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