Saturday, September 11, 2010

Where were you when the world stopped turning?

Nine years ago, I was not in the same place as most of my fellow educators. I was at home. Sleeping.

You see, on September 10th, I spent most of the night in the emergency room.

Just as I was drifting off to sleep that evening, my house phone rang. It was late and I ignored it. My roommate did not and was soon banging on my door to get me to pick up. Some lady, whose name I will never remember, was on the phone asking for me. And then my sister got on the line. My hysterical sister. There had been an accident. A car accident. I had to get to Columbia College. Now.

This was Audrey's first year at CC and I didn't really know my way around that end of town. I called a friend and got vague directions and headed that way, only to be stopped at the end of the block by an officer. Apparently the wreck was so bad that the entire block was cordoned off. All passengers had been taken to Richland County Hospital. One more place for me to try to find.

Did you know that when they bring in victims of auto collisions, they don't automatically get their names entered in? They get trauma numbers. My parents were on their way (I had to call them immediately, of course), so I was in the waiting room by myself. With the family of the driver. So I waited. Alone. Not knowing anything except that this family's daughter had landed my baby sister in the hospital.

About the same time my parents arrived, the hospital figured out who Audrey was and we were able to go back to her. She was on a body board, with a neck brace, covered in dirt and twigs and broken glass. But she was alive.

There was a lot of sitting around that night. Lots of waiting. All three girls were basically okay, although one didn't have on her seatbelt and had a nice, long ICU visit. But all three eventually walked away. Audrey walked away around 3:30 or 4 that morning.

I only woke up to call in sick the next morning. I rolled over and attempted to sleep some more. The all-nighter in the emergency room was too much for me. And sleep was good until my phone started ringing again. And again and again. It rang until I picked it up and a friend told me to get to a TV. I was appalled and in shock at how such an accident could happen. I was sure it was an accident. Then the second plane connected and I knew this was no accident.

I wasn't with my kids on September 11th. I was glued to the TV wondering how something like this could happen. September 11th will always resonate within me--I'm an American, after all. But it will always be linked to that fateful night near Columbia College for me too. I can't think of 9/11 without thinking about what happened the night before.