ME. I MUST HAVE NODDED OUT FOR A MINUTE. I WOKE UP TO SEE THE TERMINAL EMPTY, AND THE FERRY DOORS OPEN. I SHOT OUT OF MY SEAT AND TOOK OFF FOR THE DOORS. THE DECKHAND WAS CLOSING THEM. "HEY!" I YELLED. HE SLAMMED THE DOOR IN MY FACE, AND SAID "THE BOAT IS FULL." I KNEW THE BOAT COULDN'T BE FULL THAT LATE AT NIGHT. I RAN BACK THROUGH THE TURNSTILES, AND DOWN THE STAIRS. I GOT ON THE BOAT JUST BEFORE IT LEFT THE DOCK.
THE FOG WAS HEAVY. I COULD ONLY SEE ABOUT 50 FEET FROM THE BACK OF THE BOAT. WHEN THE FERRY MADE IT'S TURN PAST GOVERNOR'S ISLAND, I COULD SEE SOME VERY FAMILIAR LIGHTS THROUGH THE FOG, BUT HOW COULD THAT BE?
JUST THEN I FELT A HAND ON MY SHOULDER. "IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL DAY TODAY." THE YOUNG MAN SAID."I CAN'T FIND MY BUDDY." HE WAS HOLDING 2 BEERS IN HIS HANDS. "HE'S USUALLY ON THIS BOAT." HE SAID AS HE WALKED AWAY. I LOOKED BACK AND THE FOG WAS TOO HEAVY TO SEE ANY LIGHTS AT ALL IN MANHATTAN. I WALKED TO THE FRONT OF THE BOAT. THERE WAS NOBODY ON THE LOWER DECK. WHY WAS I TOLD THE BOAT WAS FULL? ON THE FRONT OF THE MAIN DECK I SAW A FIREMAN IN FULL GEAR. HE WAS LOOKING OUT TO THE HARBOR. I WALKED UP TO HIM. "IS EVERYTHING OK?" I SAID. HE LOOKED AT ME WITH PAIN IN HIS EYES. "NO,IT'S NOT OK. I'M LATE GETTING HOME."
HE SEEMED SO SAD, AND SINCE THERE WAS NO EMERGENCY,
I LEFT HIM TO HIS THOUGHTS.
I LOOKED AROUND OUTSIDE. THIS WAS CRAZY. I COULD SEE NOTHING BUT FOG. I COULDN'T RECOGNIZE WHERE WE WERE. I FIGURED IT WOULD BE ABOUT TIME TO PASS THE STATUE OF LIBERTY, BUT I COULDN'T SEE IT. IT WAS VERY STRANGE.
THERE WAS AN OLDER MAN IN A SUIT SITTING ON THE BENCH DOING A CROSSWORD PUZZLE. "WHAT'S A 7 LETTER WORD FOR THE QUALITY OF BEING RIGHTEOUS?" HE SAID.
I SAT DOWN & TRIED TO THINK OF THE ANSWER.
"I CAN USUALLY DO THE DAILY NEWS PUZZLE IN THE TIME IT TAKES TO MAKE THIS TRIP." HE SAID. "IT'S A HALF HOUR TRIP MOST DAYS BUT THIS TIME IT'LL BE A LOT LONGER." NOW I WAS REALLY GETTING CREEPED OUT.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN A LOT LONGER?" I SAID. HE HAD THE SAME SAD LOOK THAT THE FIREMAN HAD. "THEY WILL FIND US SOMEDAY. THEN WE CAN GO HOME." AS HE SPOKE THE FOG CLEARED A LITTLE. I COULDN'T BELIEVE WHAT I WAS SEEING.
THE TOWERS WERE THERE! THEY WERE IN ALL THEIR GLORY, FULLY LIT. I BOLTED OUT OF MY SEAT.
"JUSTICE." THE MAN BEHIND ME SAID. "THAT'S THE WORD I WAS LOOKING FOR."
I TURNED AROUND, & HE WAS GONE.
I NOTICED THE CLOCK ON THE WALL WAS TURNING BACKWARDS. IN THE SEAT WHERE THE MAN WAS DOING HIS PUZZLE WAS A COPY OF THE DAILY NEWS. I WAS AFRAID TO LOOK AT THE DATE, BUT I DID ANYWAY. THE DATE READ
SEPTEMBER 11TH, 2001. THE DECKHAND I HAD SEEN EARLIER WALKED UP TO ME. "DIDN'T I TELL YOU THIS BOAT WAS FULL? IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO GO HOME NOW." I THINK I WAS IN SHOCK. "HOW" WAS ALL I COULD SAY. "IT'S NOT HOW, BUT HOW LONG? WE WILL BE WAITING. SOMEDAY WE WILL BE FOUND."
I TOOK A GOOD LONG LOOK AT THE MAJESTIC TOWERS. THEY WERE SO BEAUTIFUL, BUT LIKE SO MUCH OTHER BEAUTY, NEVER TRULY APPRECIATED UNTIL THEY WERE GONE.THE DECKHAND TOUCHED ME ON THE SHOULDER. I SAW A BRIGHT LIGHT, THEN I PASSED OUT.
THE NEXT THING I KNEW, I WAS ONBOARD AN OLD FERRY BOAT DOCKED IN THE SHIPYARD ON STATEN ISLAND. IT WAS DAYLIGHT. I COULD WALK HOME, BUT SO MANY OTHERS WERE STILL OUT THERE.
I MET THEM THAT HALLOWEEN NIGHT. |
