Memorable and Sad Reminders
Eight days of rains in Bogota, New Jersey
in the first weeks of
the month of October,
year 2005
have soaked my files and records
being kept in the basement
for a good number of years.
A week after the inundation, and
having just flown back from my
country of origin, the Philippines,
I had the chance to go over the wet files
to see what can be discarded,
what can still be dried and kept,
what memoirs should be forgotten,
what memories should be kept preserved!
I was jolted to see an envelop
that contained so much memories!
An itinerary for a
Northwest Airlines flight #72
for September 11, 2001, Tuesday,
from Manila to Newark,NJ with
a brief, stopover in Nagoya, Japan
and in Detroit of the US of A.
A three $5.00 meal vouchers
issued by KLM Northwest dated
September 14 of 2001 at
Winnepeg, Canada, certainly
not a part of my itinerary.
An unused boarding pass from Nagoya
to Detroit for Seat #29 D
for 1330 pm.
Two baggage claim checks
that were never used
for unloading at Newark, New Jersey.
And last but not the least,
A receipt and itinerary from
Greyhound Lines,Inc.
showing departure from Detroit
on the 14th of September at 10:35 am,
arrival at Pittsburgh at 6:15pm;
departure from Pittsburgh at 6:45pm;
arrival at Philadelphia at 1:15 am;
and on September 15, 1:35 am,
departure from Philadelphia and
arrival at Newark, New Jersey at 3:20 am.
I was met by anxious and exasperated kins
who had been waiting since September 11.
This had been the longest flight that
I have taken from the
Philippines to New Jersey.
The normal flight should have been
departure from Manila on September 11,
arrival in Newark same day September 11.
Should I discard the contents of this envelop
and bury the memories
of the four days being stranded at
Winnepeg,Canada?
of the five days of uncertainties and
anxieties not only of myself but
those who were nervously waiting
for my return?
of the discomfort felt while waiting
for hours on the plane for a go-signal
to disembark
where we had no visas
to step on that foreign soil?
of experiencing snipping dogs,
meticulous inspections of every bit of
parcel in our bags and luggage,
and the one- on- one interviews by the
military as we were about to be
brought to our hotel for the night,
of endless meetings with airline personnel
and government officials of Winnepeg
on the matters of funds regarding
accommodations, flights and the like!
Oh should I forget the gruelling 24-hour
Greyhound bus ride I decided to take
to bring me to my destination
from Detroit to Newark, New Jersey
by way of Pittsburgh and
Philadelphia ?
No, I don't think I should forget
that I was also a victim of the Sept 11
terrorist attack that put down two
buildings in New York, a plane
carrying hapless passengers, and thousands
of people lost, injured and dead
because of the treacherous attack.
I won't forget the Filipinos in Winnepeg,
Canada who gave us support morally
and otherwise during our ordeal,
I won't forget Northwest Airlines that billeted
us in a hotel instead of making us
sleep in the airport or elsewhere
and shouldered our accomodations even
for just a day,
I won't forget the governor of Winnepeg
that agreed to shoulder our expenses for the
second day in the hotel,
I won't forget the Northwest stewardess
who stayed with us and gave assurances.
I won't forget the patience of my kith and kins
who anxiously waited and searched for
my whereabouts because I could
not communicate with them
in the midst of chaos and confusion.
I thank the Lord for giving me the
courage to withstand all the discomforts
especially the gruelling 24-hour bus ride
from Detroit to Newark.
Yes, I will keep all the reminders in my
file to preserve the memories.