Entry #2: What if...?

Call When You Are Ready
By Carolyn M. Kenney

“Call me when you’re ready,” I said gently to my sister. It was early in the morning; we had arrived minutes before at the doctor’s office where she was to have a test.

She replied, “It will take a little over an hour, so I’ll call your cell phone.” I would pick her up after the appointment and drop her off at her house before proceeding on to work. After leaving the doctor’s office, I decided to get a cup of my favorite Starbucks coffee and sit by the nearby lake. It is a favorite area for many people.

The mid-morning sun glittered and danced on the blue water as I carefully sat down on a bench. Placing the hot cup of coffee and cinnamon coffee cake beside me, I noticed two retired men sitting on a nearby bench talking animatedly about the baseball game of the preceding night. I leaned back against the bench; the gentle breeze refreshing my soul and enlivening my senses. A young father walked by with his two-year old daughter as a woman passed walking her adorable pug. Every now and then someone would jog by me focusing only on what lay before them.

I heard the whistle of a train as it pulled into the station only a few hundred yards away. It was not even 8:00 a.m. I could picture the throngs of people waiting to board the train which would take them into the city for their jobs.

I sipped some of the hot steaming coffee and relaxed for the first time in days. Work was busy, so I relished this time alone.

I thought to myself, what if… What if a terrible earthquake shook the eastern seaboard? What if a terrorist attack occurred in the town in which I worked? What if something absolutely awful happened right at this moment? Leaning against the back of the bench, I felt a sudden rush of cool air envelope my entire body. The chirping of the birds in the nearby trees grew in intensity, then everything was still. The lack of any noise was eerie. Perhaps this was how it would feel if something horrendous took place. What would be my reaction?

At this moment, my first thought would of course be of my younger sister undergoing a test about fifteen minutes from where I sat. I would forget about my delicious, steaming coffee and race to my car parked only yards from where I sat. I would hurry to get her in order that she and I could drive home to be with family members.

When the terrorists hit the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, I was at work only a mile from my home. As word came of a third plane crashing in Pennsylvania, my first thought was to be with my family! Not knowing what lay ahead, I desired only to go home and be with those I love who have been there for me at critical times in my life. They were there to help me take the next step forward when I was too afraid to go on due to health issues. I have come to know in my heart of their love for me. I do not want material wealth, but only desire to share my life with those closest to me.