By: CNJ
PG-13
4: Hearts Healing
Mary Anne:
All of us grieved. Bit by
bit, since the candlelight vigil, we began to pick up the pieces and move
on...all of us BSC, Staten and Fellowdean U's, the city of New York, our
folks back in the old town...our nation. We went on with classes, but made
time for tears in between. I myself had a number of crying spells over
the next two months that slowly spaced out at widening intervals. None
of us were surprised that our country as well as several European countries
went to war with the Afghan Taliban.
"If any good comes out of
this, it will be that the Taliban's overthrown," Kristy told us the first
Friday in November where we were waiting for a table at the Wall Street
Diner.
"Let's hope they can get
an interim government in place and let the people decide what they want
next," Mona added. Ran, Kristy, Mona, and I were eating here. Being Friday
night, it was about an hour wait for a table. Ran's heart was slowly
healing, since she had REALLY been devastated back in September when this
all first happened. We'd been moving around in a sort of shock for several
weeks, but now felt as if we were emerging from it. All of us were in regular
touch with our folks back in Stoneybrook. I've been e-mailing Dad and Sharon
at least twice a week and they tell me that Abby and Anna's mom is slowly
healing. She went back to work by September 13, just two days after 9/11.
All of us original BSC e-mail at last once a week to keep close touch.
Hard to believe we've been in college for two months. We were all planning
to see each other and our folks back in Stoneybrook for the Thanksgiving
break in a few weeks. I love New York City even more now and I have the
feeling many others, including Kristy, Mona, and Ran feel the same way.
I was wearing my I Love NY Even More sweatshirt tonight and Ran
had on her Statue of Liberty sweatshirt.
"Liberty still has a lot
of healing to do," Ran leaned on a rail. We nodded, knowing what she was
talking about, the Statue of Liberty. I know Liberty's a statue, but she
seems so human, I can imagine her shedding tears. I'd seen a lot of political
cartoons on her crying over the WTC disaster. Just then, our table became
available and we were seated. It was so good to see NYC getting back on
track. Tears still came for a lot of us, I could see, but we were just
getting on with classes and work and all.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kristy:
"...And this is our finale
for the City of New York!" the announcer boomed over the microphone two
weeks later as a huge crowd of us stood at the benefit concert for New
York. It seemed like millions of people were here, cheering, whooping
and applauding. I was glad we'd decided to come to this concert to raise
money for the victims' compensation fund and the firefighters. A lot of
the firefighters had come out, both men and women, to our relief. I was
here with Mary Anne, Mona, Shane, Ran, Uharu, and Greta. I loved this outpouring
of NYC pride. Despite the plane crash a week ago, which to our relief,
had been an accident, NYC was moving forward.
"Feeling better, Mary Anne?"
I whispered.
"Yeah..." Mary Anne nodded.
She'd been sick with a cold with a bit of flu last weekend and still coughs
sometimes now, but seemed better. Mona looked out for her last weekend.
"Wasn't it stupid the way
some assholes tried to boo Hillary off the stage in one benefit last week?"
Ran asked.
"Yeah, I couldn't believe
that!" Mary Anne put in.
"A group of fire fighters
in front of them glared them into silence," Shane put in. "I liked how
Hillary made a joke about how she stirs up the best and the worst in people."
We all chuckled at that. Hillary's a terrific Senator and has been a real
asset to this city.
"She's already done a lot
for this city," Mona added as we edged down the street with the crowd and
out of the concert area.
"And that's remarkable considering
the shit that some of those Republican idiots gave her in the campaign,"
Mary Anne added. "I read something that Hillary's even offered support
to Guiliani, even though they ran against each other last year."
"Let's hear it for the Big
Apple!" I bellowed, raising a fist in the air.
"Yeah..." several others
added. It was great to be a New Yorker.