by Maggie Way
Mary squeezed her hand. “Come on, Jo. Let’s get you finished up so we can get you to the chapel on time. You don’t want to be late for your wedding.”
Jolene sniffed back her tears. The stylist sat her back down and finished working on her hair. The news left a somber tone in the room like a balloon had been popped. She couldn’t help but think of the situation in New York and wonder why it happened. Knowing she would be flying in twenty-four hours didn’t help either.
“Well, I have to say I‘ve outdone myself,” the stylist said, turning the chair so Jolene could see her reflection in the mirror. “What do you think?”
“It’s perfect, thank you.”
Mary helped her to her feet and gave her a small smile. “You ready, Jo?”
The loaded question settled like dust around her. Ready to marry the man of her dreams? Yes, without a doubt. Ready to be a mom and traverse the trials of marriage and parenthood all in one fell swoop...she didn’t know about that one yet. She gave Mary a small smile and nodded. Forward momentum always seemed to be the best course of action.
“Ever onward,” Jolene said.
Chapter Six
Limo Ride Down Congress Ave
September 11, 2001
8:05 AM
It took all of the girls pitching in to help Jolene fit her into the limo without wrecking the dress. The driver turned down the radio as they all piled in.
“Hey, can you turn that up?” Amy asked the driver. “Is there any news on the plane crash in New York?”
The driver turned up the radio, which came in clearly. “A second plane has just hit the south tower of the World Trade Center. Dear Lord...this appears to be a purposeful attack on New York. Again, if you are just tuning in our New York affiliate is reporting that a plane has flown into the second tower. Repeat a second plane has crashed into the other tower. The first plane crash occurred at approximately 8:40 AM Eastern Standard Time. It is now believed that two commercial airliners crashed into the North and South towers.”
Jolene reached for Mary’s hand and held on tight. The air in the limo crackled. The driver made no move to drive the car. Everyone sat there speechless. A faint ringing caught Jolene’s attention.
“My bag. Someone hand me my bag.”
Amy reached over and handed it to Jolene. “Turn down the radio.”
It took Jolene a moment to find her phone. She scrambled to answer it before it went to voicemail. “Hello.”
“Did you hear what happened?” Bennett asked.
“Yes, we’re listening to it on the radio. I can’t believe it. This is crazy.”
A silence fell between them. The faint sound of the radio reporter filled the background, but she couldn’t make out what they were saying. On what was supposed to be the happiest day of her life, tragedy struck. She knew it was selfish to think of her wedding, but she couldn’t help it.
“We’re watching the Today Show. They’re saying it’s intentional.” Bennett’s voice sounded strained. “They’ve got eyewitnesses on. I can’t believe what I’m seeing. I can’t stop watching it. I saw the second plane. It’s so surreal…”
Jolene sucked in a breath; she’d never heard Bennett so shaken before. She was suddenly grateful that she hadn’t seen footage of the devastation. She knew her imagination could never be as horrifying as the real thing.
“All those people, babe…” Bennett’s voice trembled.
The people on the planes and those in the towers that were going about their everyday business were probably now dead. The thought sobered her. Why was this happening? He said the newscasters were saying it was deliberate. Why would someone fly a plane into the World Trade Center?
“Jo?” Bennett broke her train of thought.
“Yeah, I’m still here.”
“Are you on your way to the church? The guys are packing up now. We’ll be there in a few minutes.”
“We haven’t left yet. We’re just sitting in the limo and listening to the radio report about the second plane.” Jolene fiddled with the lace of her dress. Everyone stared at her making her feeling self-conscious.
“Hurry up and get here. I don’t think I’ll feel okay until I know you’re safe and in the same building as I am.”
Jolene swallowed hard. “We’ll be there soon.”
A long pause followed. “I love you, Jo.”
“I love you, too.”
The line went dead and Jolene dropped the phone into her lap. “He’s watching the news reports on the morning news. I guess they think it must be a terrorist attack of some kind.”
“You ladies ready to go?” The driver asked.
“Yes, please.” Jolene jumped to answer him. She needed to see Bennett and hold him.
The driver took the limo out of park and started the slow drive down Congress Avenue. They caught every light. When they drove passed the Capital building they all gasped at the sight of police cars blocking off the entrance. Bennett proposed at the Capital building, where they first kissed so many years ago. His proposal came out of the blue only two months prior. He took her there to celebrate the anniversary of their first kiss and she thought nothing of it at the time. They walked through the building and came to a stop under the dome. She remembered how he made her lay down on the floor to look up at the ceiling and the intricate murals that spiraled all the way to the top. It took her breath away every time. On that special day, he placed a ring on her finger and asked her to be his wife. She said yes and they picnicked on the lawn to celebrate with champagne and tacos, her favorite. Now the place crawled with law enforcement. Could Austin be a target? Why else would they have the Capital cordoned off?
“It’s gonna be okay, Jo,” Mary said, squeezing her hand.
“Yeah, Jo-Jo, don’t worry. We can turn this day around.” Amy gave her a weak smile that faded quickly.
Jolene looked over at Karen, who had been quiet for quite some time. Her friend sat there, stiff as a board, staring down at her phone. “My dad’s in New York on business...should I call him? I mean, he’s probably okay, right? I mean like, New York is a big place.”
Karen’s red nose and glassy eyes made the knots in Jolene’s stomach tighten. The thought of someone she knew being harmed made it more real. Suddenly her fears over her pregnancy and deployment all seemed silly in comparison. Jolene grew hot and the air around her felt heavy. Her hold on Mary’s damp hand tightened, helping to ground her in the moment. A selfish thought ran through her mind that her wedding day would forever be marred by this tragedy. This is how her new life would start. Not in a simple and sweet way as they planned, but rather a punch to the gut. Everyone stared at Karen. No one spoke and so Jolene wet her lips and tried to come up with something to reassure her.
“I’m sure he’s fine, sweetie, but yeah, call him. I’m sure he would be glad to hear from you.”
Karen let out a trembling breath and dialed the number, her hand shaking, as everyone in the car watched on. The seconds ticked by and Karen’s face fell. “He’s not answering. I’m going to call my mom.” She hung up the phone and dialed again. Her mother answered right away. “Mom, mom. Have you heard from Dad? Is he working there? Yes, we heard about it on the radio...He’s okay?” Jolene could hear the faint chatter of her friend’s mom talking, but couldn’t make out anything she said. Karen nodded and sniffed back tears as her mother did all the talking. After a few minutes, Karen finally spoke up. “Please call me if you hear anything, okay?”
Jolene wrung her hands. The thought of her friend losing her father to this mess was enough to send her over the edge.
“Yes, it’s Jo’s wedding today. Yes, I think they’re still going through with it. She’s getting deployed tomorrow, remember? No, it’s at a church.”
Karen’s words took Jolene by surprise. Why wouldn’t they go through with it? To her, marrying Bennie seemed like the sanest thing to do in this time of uncertainty. As they turned onto Lavaca Street the church loomed up ahead and her heart fluttered. A deserted p
arking lot greeted them leaving her feeling hollow and empty.
Chapter Seven
St. Paul’s Methodist Church
September 11, 2001
9:30 AM
Jolene sat in the overstuffed chair in the church’s designated bridal waiting room, while Mary hummed “Going to the Chapel” by the Shirelles. They managed to find an old TV on a cart and wheeled it into the room. They flipped through the channels trying to get the most up-to-date news. Each station’s newscaster seemed as baffled as the next as to what was going on. Each time they showed the burning towers her stomach clenched and she found it hard to breathe, but Mary continued to hum.
“My mother used to sing that stupid song all the time. I hate it. But now I can’t get it out of my head.” Mary stood and started to pace, which in such a small room only made Jolene more anxious.
Karen sat in the corner with her phone, trying to call her father again. Now all the calls went straight to voice mail, but still, she kept trying and hoping. Each time Jolene said a little prayer that her friend’s father would be okay, but with each passing moment, she lost a little more hope.
Mary reached out and took her phone.
“Hey!” Karen’s tear streaked face twisted with rage. “Give that back.”
Mary put the phone on the table at the other end of the room and reached into her bag and pulled out a deck of cards and a flask.
“Karen go scrounge up some cups. You need a drink.”
“I don’t want to play cards.” Karen got up from her seat and took her phone back.
“Thank God, you thought to bring booze. I’ll get the cups.” Amy got up from her chair and took off out of the room.
“None for you, Mrs. Brown. Can’t have a drunk and stumble bride.” Mary winked, and Jolene let out an anxious breath.
Mary opened the pack of cards and Amy came back into the room with a handful of Dixie cups. Mary poured out the liquor and handed them to the other women. Mary set aside her cup and filled the others all the way up to the top and handed them out. She then screwed the cap back on without pouring any for herself. Why didn’t Mary want to drink? She always drank.
“We’ve got a half hour to kill so let’s play some cards. I could use a little spending money.” Mary’s cavalier tone sounded all wrong for the moment. On the screen, the news program was showing footage of people dying and covered in soot. Somewhere in that city was Karen’s dad. Was he one of the faceless people walking passed the camera? Mary tossed the cards on the round wooden table in the middle of the room. “Deuces are wild and no cheating Karen. I’ve got my eyes on you, girl.”
“I told you before, I don’t cheat. That card stuck to my arm!” Karen glared at her cousin and crossed her arms tightly over her chest in a sad hug. “And I told you. I’m not playing.”
“Sure, sure…” Mary gave her the universal two-fingered gesture for I’ve got my eyes on you.
“And I was like twelve when that happened,” Karen added under her breath just loud enough for them to hear.
The cousin’s banter added just enough familiarity to allow Jolene to relax a little and finally look away from the horrors on the screen. Karen jumped up from her chair and turned up the sound. “Something’s happened!”
The Pentagon flashed on the screen with plumes of smoke billowing from it. Another attack? Jolene’s chest tightened and she held her breath as she listened to the anxious sounding reporter.
“There is smoke billowing out of the West side of the Pentagon. They are currently evacuating the building. We don’t currently know if it is a result of a bomb or another targeted airplane attack. As we understand it, the White House is also being evacuated. We have word that the President is on his way back from Florida and that he is calling this a terrorist attack. We also have information coming in from the Associated Press saying that at least two planes have been hijacked,” the reported said.
Jolene clutched her stomach and let out the breath she’d been holding. Not again. Her mind raced to the police outside the Capital just a block away. Could something happen here? A knock at the door made them all jump. Jolene clutched her chest and closed her eyes for a moment as her heartbeat hammered against her chest. Amy flung opened the door and let Bennett’s best man, Will, inside.
“Hey ladies.” He waved at them, but he stared at the TV like the rest of them.
“This stuff has me jumping out of my skin. Come on Karen. Let’s go grab a smoke outside.” Amy clutched her cigarettes and grabbed Karen by the arm and pulled her out the door. “We’ll be right back.”
Will looked the part of the best man. He wore a black tux and a gray ascot tie. Between the formal wear, trimmed beard and his wavy black he looked absolutely dashing. Jolene rose from her chair and went to him. Bennett’s oldest and dearest friend hugged her tightly and she bit her lip to keep from crying. If she couldn’t hug the love of her life, his best friend would do.
“B-man wants to see you.”
“No way! He can’t see her before the wedding.” Mary crossed her arms over her chest.
Will let go of Jolene and stepped back with his shoulders squared, addressing Mary, the only man brave enough to ever stand up to her. “Mary, I’ve got it covered and don’t think you’re going to get away without talking to me today. I heard about last night.”
“Bennett has a big mouth!” Mary narrowed her eyes and pressed her lips together to form a tight line, and stepped back.
Will’s shoulders relaxed and he let out a slow breath with his nose. “Wait right here.”
Jolene stood in the center of the room afraid to breathe. When the door opened wide in-stepped Bennett with a white sash tied around his eyes. “Jo?”
Jolene ran to him and wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his neck. Tears leaked from her eyes, unbidden, and her make-up most likely would be rubbing off on his black tux, but she didn’t care. She could feel his heart beating against her chest and his uneven breaths on the side of her face. The familiar smell of sandalwood and ginger wafted to her nose as she inhaled his scent. He turned his head and kissed her cheek and for the first time in hours, she felt safe.
“This is crazy.”
Bennett stroked her cheek and rested his lips against her forehead. “Aw, baby, please don’t cry,”
“I can’t help it.” Jolene choked back a sob and clutched him to her tighter.
Bennett cleared his throat. “Should we cancel?”
“No way! We’re getting married Bennett Christopher Brown.”
A slow smile spread across Bennett’s face. He looked ridiculous with the sash tied around his head, like they were playing hit the piñata. He bent a little, trying to blindly kiss her, a comical sight. With a smile, she met him halfway and when their lips touched, he sighed. Everything else fell away and for a few seconds the world shrunk down to only two people.
After a moment, Will cleared his throat. “Um, there’s a small problem that is going to delay us a little bit. The minister is stuck in traffic in North Austin. The whole town, it seems, is on the road. Schools are letting parents pick up their kids and work places are shutting down. Now I know Ben’s mom would love to use this as a sign from God to cancel the whole thing, but I think that would be a mistake.”
Bennett’s smile widened. “Mmm…yes. My mother. She is in rare form today. So be forewarned.”
“It’s this terrorist stuff. Everyone’s on edge.” Will shoved his hands into his pants pockets and stared at the TV.
Jolene knew the truth. Mrs. Brown hated her. Ever since they started dating almost a decade ago, the woman utilized every conceivable opportunity possible to voice her displeasure at her son’s choice of girlfriend. When they told Bennie’s mom they would be getting married, she feigned a heart attack and told Bennie that his father would be turning over in his grave. The thought of dealing with that dreadful woman made Jolene’s stomach roil. “We should have eloped.”
Bennett chuckled and tightened his hold on her. She wish
ed she could see his eyes. The whole not seeing the bride before the wedding was a stupid tradition. He rubbed the small of her back and she sighed a little. “It will be okay, Jo.”
A knock at the door startled her and she jumped. She and Bennett both turned to the partially opened door, even though her poor husband-to-be couldn’t see a thing. Inside the door frame stood her parents, divorced for the last fifteen years. Her mother and father caught her eye and rushed passed everyone else to get to her. “Jo-Jo…”
Will grabbed Bennett and pulled him out of the way. “Alrighty now, time to go back to our room and make sure your mom didn’t kill anyone, B.” Will guided him towards the door. He turned back to the women and pretended to tip his hat. “Ladies, I’ll let you know when the minister gets here so we can get this show on the road.”
Jolene’s mother touched her cheeks and hair. Her glassy eyes and blotchy skin made it look like she’d been crying. “I’m so glad that I can be with you right now. I am so worried Jo-Jo. They’re saying it’s a terrorist attack. I wish you weren’t getting shipped out. Can’t you get out of it somehow?”
Jolene sighed. “I’m just a medic mama. It’s not the front line.” She hugged her mother. “No mama. I can’t get out of it.”
Jolene’s father stood off to the side with his hands in his pants pocket, his face pinched. She squeezed her mother and then pulled away and went to her father and gave him a hug too. He stiffened at her touch. Never one much for hugging. “I’m glad you could make it Daddy.”
Her father patted her back. “Of course, sugar. Wouldn’t miss it for the world.” He glanced at the screen and the lines on his forehead deepened. “I wish the Navy would take me back. I’d kill the bastards with my own hands.”
Jolene stepped back and found herself gravitating to the television. Everyone seemed drawn to it today. How could they not? The pictures flashed in silence across the screen. Amy must have muted it. They watched in silence as one of the towers collapsed in a giant plume of smoke. All the air in Jolene’s lungs whooshed out.