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They Must Be Watching Over Us
by
Kimberly Angelone
(Age: 38)
copyright 08-11-2006
Age Rating: 10 to 127
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Picture Credits: http://www.umacrusade.com/
Not quite an ordinary gathering,
I don’t even know what I was doing there.
All I remember are the drinks and the food.
There was cake too, some desserts.
The big wide open room was dark, but friendly.
The people were friendly.
I was supposed to know them, but I didn’t.
During the gathering, I had a drink with an old friend.
We walked to the lower level of the building.
She looked fantastic. I knew her, but no one else.
I haven’t seen her since High School.
I was on the lower level, sipping a drink, and writing in a notebook.
Nothing I can remember, perhaps gibberish.
I remember it was very crowded, but very, very friendly.
I walked back up to see the others. To see how the party was going.
I think it was a party, a convention, I am not sure.
I was saying goodbye to some friends. I knew them in the situation.
But I have no idea who they were.
All of a sudden flashing lights and loud noise filled the room from a window nearby.
I was petrified.
Two friends ran to the top of the roof to help lower the lights.
Everything got dark and I remember the planes.
The window shattered above me and we all started running and screaming.
We boarded the train waiting outside.
The engineer hurried everyone along.
We were squished together and shaking.
I asked the girl next to me if it was going to hurt.
I thought of my family and my cat. I thought of ways to protect us.
I told everyone to get down under the seats, as the tanks fired at us.
We were down all huddled together.
One young man tried to help – he got up and he was shot dead. Blood everywhere – all over his white t-shirt and jeans. He sunk into his seat and keeled over.
I knew him too, but I have no idea who he was.
I took my cell phone out of my purse.
I wanted to dial home, but what would I say?
I didn’t want anyone to worry.
I planned on surviving and telling them when I got home.
The engineer was strong and kind. He said he was “going for it.”
I told everyone to keep down and not to move an inch.
I was scared the engineer would be shot and we’d all be dead. We needed to get out of the place we were in – to just keep driving a little more and we’d be safe.
I peeped up and saw that there were more tanks ahead.
I cropped back down. I said “go! go! go! – stay down everyone”
The engineer said to hang on and he took a turn off the tracks and began plowing through the street like a bat out of hell!
Through the streets we went – praying he’d make it to the parking lot where we could get the hell out of that place.
During this time I looked at the girl next to me.
I knew her too – but have no idea who she was.
She was plain, strawberry blonde, round blue eyes and thin. She had a pink t-shirt on.
She had a husband and children home. I do remember that.
I asked her once again “if we don’t die right away, do you think it will hurt”
I was petrified of being shot or in a bad accident and laying there in pain.
If I was going to die, I wanted to die instantly.
I said “we’re going to die, aren’t we?”
She said nothing but just looked through me.
I looked at my cell phone, once again,
But I couldn’t make that call home.
It felt selfish not to call,
But more selfish to make my family worry.
The engineer went right through the mess. The waving arms, the nasty name calling, the loud noises, so loud we were so scared at that point…
But he made it. He made it through!!!! We couldn’t believe it. It was a miracle.
Even with the bombing and shooting, and enemies everywhere, he stayed strong and wasn’t touched and he got us through!
We cheered the engineer on! He was our hero! We were so happy to be safe.
I was in tears and I asked him how he made it without getting killed. I said “do you realize if you were shot, we’d all be dead – how did you make it?”
He said “I don’t know”
I said “We must have angels all around us”
Then everyone got up. We were relieved. Trying to call our families, deciding who was driving who home…etc.
I didn’t want my family coming into that area. We were out and safe, but, a taxi home or a ride with a friend was best.
I sat up in the train as we made our way to safety.
I said “We’re all going to be on TV!!!”
This was serious coverage.
We were laughing at this point.
It was important to tell our story!
I woke to the sound of my alarm and got out of bed.
I was shaking and crying.
I never got to see the parking lot or to go home. But I’m sure I made it.
The dream was way too timely to forget – way too real.
It will take me a while to get over that one.
I believe the engineer represents someone – perhaps a part of me.
As do the people I “knew” but don’t know.
Perhaps they were all a little part of me that I need to pay more attention to.
The angels saved us that day. I remember saying that and feeling peace. “There must be angels watching over us…..”
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03-05-2008 Eric Gasparich
Ah, yes, a dream. At first I wondered where this was coming from and what on earth you were describing. If this had been a sublimated 9-11 reminiscence, I was going to say it worked well as a description of what it would be like to experience a WWII style air raid and invasion. Your description evoked stories like those I've come across in my readings, with that inexorable feeling of something alien and hostile coming closer and closer. Given that it is a dream, the half poetic, half prose telling works fine.
It is deep in us to hope that there is something guiding us and watching out for us. The escape always seems narrow at the time, and the work of angels afterward. We are allowed to doubt, to see the obvious efficient causes of our rescue, to see it as "just our luck." But I'm with you. There is that which watches out for us. Not quite an ordinary gathering? No gathering ever is, really.
Also this effort encapsulates something of the nature of courage: an intense desire to live bound tightly to a reckless disregard for safety. "He who saves his life shall lose it" is not an aphorism of high piety, but very practical advice for the everyday. Good thing for you "the engineer" understood this. ;)
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11-22-2007 Jacob Stiles
At first I thought the story sounded a bit lumpy and how much better it would be if it was in prose, until I realized at the end that it was a dream. I know my dreams have its fair share of lumps in them.
Aside from that, this is a good story. Someone give that conductor a medal!
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04-01-2007 BJ Niktabe
Weird, eerie, all in a good way! I had the sensation of a dream as I was reading, mostly because of the I-knew-but-didn't parts. It's just like any dream. Like when you dream you're at home, and you know it's home, yet it doesn't look anything like your real home. If this was a real dream of yours, I don't know how you managed to remember it so vividly. Most of mine disappear as I awake. I do remember a handful that I have had. They all had one thing in common which was a fear of some sort. Maybe that is what makes us remember.
Back to your story, I really liked it. I was riveted right through to the end. And I'm glad you woke up from it!
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