Time Stands Still

Four year old Sammy is still half dressed and perched on the wide window ledge looking out of the window. His mother rushes through the room and sees him there.

"Sammy! It's eight forty-five and you're still not dressed. We are already running late. You should already be at day care and I should be at work."

"Mommy. Is daddy at work?" Sammy casually asks.

"Yes, He left over thirty minutes ago. Why are you still at the window?"

"Mommy?"

"What!" She is getting rather angry now.

"Why is daddy's office smoking?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Come and see. Someone is smoking and they are not allowed."

"How can you see someone smoking this far away?"

"Easy."

"What do you mean, easy?" and she walks up behind Sammy to see what he is talking about.

Her jaw drops in shock.

"Sammy! Get yourself dressed, now! We might have to go and help daddy," and she is quickly dialing her husbands office number.

"Beep, beep, beep." Busy.

She then calls the grade school where Sammy's older brother, Seth, attends.

Sammy is still glued to the window.

While waiting for someone to answer the phone, she walks up behind Sammy again and looks where he is looking. She sees what looks like an airliner circling the building that is smoking heavily.

"What the hell!"

"Mommy said a bad word," but Sammy continues to watch not really understanding what it is he is watching.

"Did you see that, mommy? That big plane just flied into that building and now it is smoking."

She turns on the television to see if there is any news alerts, alternating between her husbands number and the grade school's number. Her husbands office still signals busy and his cell phone goes right to voice-mail. She leaves a quick almost histerical message.

Then she finally gets an answer at the school.

"All the students are fine but the school is on lockdown. It seems to be a terrorist attack. The twin towers are both on fire

and now they are reporting a plane slamming into the Pentagon.

We are not letting the students watch since many of the parents work in the towers."

"Thanks. When can I get Seth?"

"We will let you know."

"Mommy! Daddy's office looks like it is falling apart."

"I know. You watch for daddy to be walking back home. He will cut through the park there. Okay?"

She thinks it is better to let him keep watching out the window for his father than to watch close up shots and videos of the horror that was happening just blocks away.

"Mommy! Daddy's office just fell into a big white cloud!"

She sees the same thing only close up as both towers crumble into a cloud of ash.

"Mommy! I see angels."

The phone rings.

She grabs it hoping against all hope that it is her husband finally getting through.

No. It was Seth's school. The school is remaining in lockdown and waiting for a parent to pick up each child.

"Get dressed and I will take you down to Mrs. Fowler's. It will be closer. I have to go and get your brother."

"Okay."

Sammy reluctantly gives up his post at the window watching for his daddy. He goes to finish getting dressed while his mother checks with Mrs. Fowler to make sure it is okay before she takes Sammy down to her apartment.

"Hurry up, Sammy. She said you could help her bake some cookies while you wait for daddy."

"Oatmeal?"

"Not sure. Probably."

Sammy comes out dressed as only Sammy could dress by himself. But they were only going four floors down.

"Thanks, Mrs. Fowler. I know this is short notice and quite an imposition."

"Not at all. Happy to look after Sammy. He has never been any trouble."

"Well, after I pick up Seth, I will bring him back here as well. Then I'm gonna try to find their father."

"That will be fine. Just you be careful. Sounds like total chaos around the Center."

Sammy has already found his look-out spot on Mrs. Fowler's window ledge but must share it with her cat.

"You be good for Mrs. Fowler. I'll get your brother and then he can help you watch."

"He'll be fine. You just go," and she does.

Over an hour later she returns with Seth.

"I would have done better to walk. Roads are gridlocked in both directions. Hac to cut through on side streets. Can you believe this is happening?"

"Hope your mister was able to get out. It looks like Japan probably did after we dropped those bombs on them."

"What am I gonna do if he doesn't come home?"

Mrs. Fowler does not quite know what to say. She opts to change directions.

"Sammy, let me see how that batter is coming?"

"You come look. I can't leave my watch. And Seth already stuck his finger in it."

"You boys behave for Mrs. Fowler now or no cookies. I'm going upstairs to keep trying to get ahold of your father."

"I know something bad happened. They locked the school down and made us do homework or read a book. And they cancelled recess."

"You're right, son. And when your father gets home we will try to explain to you just what has happened."

"Mommy! Here comes a ghost walking through the park."

Quickly she rushes to the window. Indeed it looks like a ghost. Reminded her of the people in Washington state after Mount St. Helens erupted.

"Is it daddy?"

"Looks like Mister Montgomery from down the hall from us. That means daddy could be coming soon."

Mrs. Fowler now has two trays of cookies in the oven. The aroma of baking cookies is beginning to take over.

"Here comes someone else," shouts Sammy excitedly.

"Yeah...looks like Mrs. Parker from the second floor, I think."

Sammy looks puzzled.

"Will daddy look like that when he comes home?"

"Don't be silly," Seth instructs his little brother. "Guess you got out of day care today."

"Yes, someone was smoking in daddy's office and the whold building disappeared in a big white cloud."

"What?" Seth looks at his mother with a desparate look of fear.

"You stay here and help your brother and Mrs. Fowler. I'll go back to our apartment and make some calls. I will let you all know if I find out anything and Mrs. Fowler will call me if Sammy of you see daddy coming."

"If! What do you mean, if?"

"I didn't mean if. I meant when."

She leaves and the boys resume their vigil.

"Everybody coming from the direction of daddy's work all look like ghosts," Seth observes.

"Yeah and I saw gobs of Angels," Sammy brags.

Suddenly both boys look up and stare.

"I think it's daddy and he's a ghost!"

"Come on" and Seth grabs Sammy by the hand. Before Mrs. Fowler can speak they are out her door and heading for the stairs.

When Mrs. Fowler and the boys mother reach the main floor they see a man covered in something white hugging two excited boys. When they reach the happy trio all she can say is "how?"

"It was my day to buy donuts for the office and the donut shop was extra busy. Then we heard explosions and all hell broke loose."

"Thank God for donuts."

Suddenly Mrs. Fowler looks paniced.

"What is it?"

"My cookies. They'll be burning our building down.!" and she rushes back inside.

"Daddy. You need a bath," Sammy declares.

Looking at his two boys and their mother, who now have ash all over them as well, he says, "I think we all need a bath."

And the world would never be the same.