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Part III After the Bomb
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p a r t i i i a f t e r t h e b o m b This is the season when the dead branch and the green branch are the same branch. —Rumi [18.209.66.87] Project MUSE (2024-03-28 13:45 GMT) 143| | Tuesday, September 11, 2001 Time in Japan: 9:49 p.m. telephone transcript “Moshi, moshi . . . ” “Rei? It’s Ami. Am I calling too late?” “No. What’s up?” “Well, I don’t know. I mean, I’m fine, but I think something happened in New York. My father was watching TV and they said there was a plane crash . . . I’m not sure what happened.” “What did he say?” “I don’t know. It might have been two planes, the little ones, maybe they collided in mid-air, I don’t know. Maybe it’s nothing to worry about, but my dad . . . well, he said, ‘Doesn’t your friend, doesn’t she live in New York?’ so I thought . . . I don’t know. Maybe I shouldn’t have bothered you.” “No, that’s okay. Thanks. Let me call home and find out. I’ll let you know if it turns out to be anything . . . ” 144| | Tuesday, September 11, 2001 Time in Japan: 9:51 p.m. telephone call to new york “Mom?” “Yes?” “It’s me, Mom. Reiko.” “Oh, Reiko! Where are you?” “I’m still in Japan. So, what’s up over there?” “Oh, you know, not much. How are you?” [Sound of second phone being picked up.] “Reiko? My God, how did you hear so fast? We just hung up with Brian. He’s on the Brooklyn Bridge. He saw the plane. He said it was huge and he knew something was wrong, and then, boom! He called to tell us to get Ian out of school. That’s where I’m going now. Talk to your mother . . . ” “Out of school?” [Second phone goes dead.] “Mom, are you there?” “Hi. Reiko?” “Are you okay?” Your father said not to let Dylan near the TV so that’s my job. It’s so great to see the boys.” “What’s on the TV, Mom?” “It’s that jet that smashed into the World Trade Center. Isn’t that why you called?” 145| | Tuesday, September 11, 2001 Time in Japan: 11:28 p.m. telephone transcript “Hi, Kimiko.” “Have you heard? Have you talked to your family?” “Yeah, they’re fine. My parents are visiting, so everyone’s in New York. All accounted for.” “You should come over. I’m watching it on TV.” “Oh, God, no. Those newscasters and all their drama . . . . It’s okay. Everyone’s okay.” “Reiko, they attacked the Pentagon.” “What?” “They’re saying there are eleven planes still in the air. Maiko just called—her son is in New York and all the lines are down—she can’t get through. You’re lucky you did. Do you want me to come get you?” “No, I—Eleven planes?” “That’s what they’re saying.” “Who’s . . . ? “They just said hijackers. They don’t say. You shouldn’t be alone right now.” “Hijackers?” “You really need to see this.” “I don’t think . . . I mean, I’m . . . ” 146 “Oh . . . .” [sound of phone being fumbled] “Kimiko?” [silence] “I’m coming to get you.” “What? What happened?” “The tower—” “What? What tower?” [silence] “Kimiko? Are you there?”| | Date: Tuesday, September 11, 2001 To: undisclosed recipients From: reirei Subject: okay? is everyone okay out there???| | Date: Tuesday, September 11, 2001 To: reirei From: Lorrie Subject: Re: okay? all is well in harlem and its environs HOW Hiroshima is this? 147| September 12, 2001| how many times can I say, “what”? It’s a statement now, no way to answer. Too many things that could not happen coming at me. Skyscrapers . . . do . . . not . . . fall. Down. Except that, I was watching it. Watching TV with Kimiko when the second tower fell. I thought it was another rerun—ofthefirsttower,whichIstilldidn’tbelieve—except that, the running Japanese commentary out of the box, Kimiko’s leaps to grab the essence of the meaning and turn it into English before the next shock arrived, these things, they couldn’t seem to explain why there were no towers left. I was just coming in, maybe that’s what it was; just coming off my bike, my five minute ride across the river, across the empty streets, to her apartment. It was normal—a ride I often take...