Yes..... I was there..... Part 2 the evacuation

  Shortly before the second plane hit someone suggested that we call our families. Only 15 of the 150 plus people on our floor were still present. The smart ones and the people who had been there in `93 had already left. After calling and leaving a message at the house, I picked up my binolculars and headed back to the conference room. I remember thinking about the irony of having just taken my binoculars to my new job just as the world appeared to be coming apart.  Next to the conference room I stopped to try my binoculars.

  The binoculars were strong and I could see the facial features and gestures of the people preparing to jump to their deaths. I could see people frantically gesturing inside the tightly sealed strong windows. One woman was like in the play of Evita: gesturing from a busted balcony that never excited before or after. The result of a plane crashing into the sleek steel and glass walls had created an opening. Was it a balcony or a platform for a messenger?  I thought (naively) that I hope the helicopters would arrive soon and they would all be rescued through the roof top.   How very naive of me because even if the building had not collapsed the heat from the fires would have precluded a rooftop rescue. Also, naively I continued to pray for this Evita and think I would try to follow here story as she was rescued. BOOM!  Plane number two hit the South Tower.

  I may be dumb, but I am not stupid. After the second plane it we knew we had to leave. We could here the television blaring about another plane, but from our vantage point on the 42nd floor (Building 7)  we thought it was a bomb. The windows exploded in our disrection and we saw nothing of the plane. Someone coarsely yelled that perhaps the government was not telling the truth because of the bomb vs. plane.  We all started wondering about bombs and planes.

  The handful of us left planed evacuation. I asked Darren if we should wait for Peter our boss. I said that I would not want him to be alone in the event that he returned and felt he had to go down with the ship alone.  "Expletive   Peter.. let`s go"   Darren said. We swept the floor with the Systems Administrative guy who had that morning finally delivered my beatiful new laptop computer which remained (remains) locked in the my desk.  He decided to take the elevator as Darren and I chose the stairs. No way was I going to travel in an a  electronic mausoleum to the next home. I l^ ooked aorund the now vacant floor and throught,  "Hmm what`s next?"
  As we descended we found our colleague Mary struggling down the stairs. Late 50`s and seriously overweight.  Darren steadied her and I carried bit their stuff. They had far more to carry than I. Turns out they were the smart ones.....   Laboriously we descnded the 42 stairwells, praying for safety and wondering what was going on outside...