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Kaitlyn Dunkel Speaks
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KAITLYN MARIE DUNKEL, 10 years old, a feisty redhead like her grandmother Samantha Anne Mallory, happens to be in New York City with her mother (Samantha's daughter) when the 9/11 terrorists crash jetliners into the twin towers.
In an e-mail to Samantha, Kaitlyn tries to understand and make sense of a national tragedy, the horror of 9/11:
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Illustration: "Flag"
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DATE: Wed, 12 Sep 2001
FROM: Kaitlyn Marie Dunkel
SUBJECT: Can We Start Over?
TO: Samantha Anne Mallory
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Grammy?
Can we start yesterday all over? Can we turn yesterday into another day, a better day, a day without hate and death? My best friend Meredith e-mailed me this morning and said school was let out because the kids couldn't concentrate, but I know better. Everyone's afraid, even the adults.
At first, I thought it was a scary movie. I mean, I can't believe someone would crash planes into buildings because their God told them so. Were there babies and kids aboard? Would God REALLY tell someone to steal planes with babies and crash them into buildings?
I feel so sad, like I'm faraway. I wish this was just a bad dream and I'll wake up and I'll find out it's not real, that all those people who died are okay and the real Twin Towers and the Pentagon are okay.
Is this how you felt when President John F. Kennedy was killed?
People all over are giving blood. I wish I could give blood, but I'm too young. I'd give HALF my blood if it would help save someone's life. Are you going to give blood? (Please, please, please?)
I never heard of this osama bin laden. Why does he hate Americans? I want to shoot him. (I don't really mean it.)
I wish I could have seen this before it happened, like I do sometimes. I would have called up President Bush and warned him.
I don't like New York all that much. It was fun until the airplanes hit. We saw "The Lion King" on Saturday night, but now everything's closed, even stores. I'm scared. Don't worry, we didn't see it happen, we were shopping near Times Square.
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But Arianna heard the first plane crash. She was already inside the World Trade Center tower to visit her sister Beth. She heard a loud noise and smelled diesel fuel (ugh!). A man ran inside and yelled, "A plane hit the building!" She just made it out. Whew!
It turns out that Arianna's sister Beth is okay, too! Beth decided to surprise Arianna and meet her in the lobby, so she got out just after the tower was hit.
Another whew!
Though we couldn't find Beth until this morning.
We can't see much, except smoke, but we can smell the fire, and I just hope it doesn't spread here. Ugh. I saw some pictures on TV, but no one is allowed near ground zero.
As if.
Mommy says she doesn't know when we'll get out of the city. She says to sit tight, but I'm afraid another plane will come and hit the Empire State Building.
I asked Mom if she and Arianna would have a baby after they get married, maybe give me a baby sister. Mom says lesbians can't have babies, but I know better. What about Melissa Etheridge? I think Mom's just uneasy because Arianna's black. But I think it would be way cool to have a chocolate-colored baby sister.
On Saturday, Mom and Arianna bought me "Heather Has Two Mommies," but it's a little kid book. I already know stuff about gay people. Mom still thinks I'm a baby.
I like a story Mama wrote a long, long time ago better, and I updated it. Click on the paper clip. I hope you like it.
Love, your sweet, sad candy girl, Kaitlyn
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The above excerpt appears in the story "In the Name of God," which can be found in "Are You EVER Going to be Thin?" (and other stories), now available from InfinityPublishing.com. Please click BUY NOW! for more details!
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