Chapter 7

September 12, 2015. Morning.

Bomi POV

*RING! RING!*

I pick up the phone. ‘Hello ?’

‘Bbom? It’s Naeun. Eunji still hasn’t come home. Did she contact you by any chance ?’

‘No, she hasn’t and Hayoung hasn’t returned my message on her machine either.’

‘I’m so afraid.’ I heard Naeun sniff. ‘I think she… might have been trapped...’

‘My girlfriend, Chorong, hasn’t returned either. She’s also in the North Tower.’ Naeun remains quiet.

‘… How is your daughter, Sulli, holding up ?’

‘She hasn’t said anything yet. I didn’t permit her to watch the news.’

‘Yeah. The internet hasn’t offer much good news either. Umm… Are you ok ? Do you want me to come over and talk ?’

‘I appreciate your offer, Bbom. But you need to stay home, in case Chorong comes back.’

‘Okay. Let me know if Eunji comes back.’

‘I will and you take care now. Remember to eat breakfast. It’s 9:30ish right now.’

‘Sure.’

‘Be well.’

‘You too.’

I check the time on my alarm clock. It’s 9:38 am. Today is September 12, 2001. I take Naeun’s advice and make myself breakfast. I’m so used to getting up at 7 am to get to work on time. Of course, I can’t go to work now because the World Trade Center is gone. ‘The World Trade Center is gone.’ I can’t help but consider the weight of these words. The World Trade Center is gone and with it, people who did nothing other than show up for work yesterday morning. I don’t know how many people went down with the towers when they collapsed and to be honest, I don’t want to know. I haven’t the television and the computer for this reason. I don’t want to know how many innocent people died yesterday. I feel my heart pounding rapidly against my chest.

*BUMP-BUMP! BUMP-BUMP! BUMP-BUMP!*

I close my eyes and take a deep breath.

In, out.

Out, in.

Up, down.

Left, right.

Okay, enough with Mr. Miyagi’s breathing technique. There’s no point in thinking about it right now, Bbom. The only thing to worry about is eating your breakfast and getting nutrition into your body, stud! It’s going to be okay, Bbom! Yeah! Everything will turn out just fine, Bbom! I pump a fist in response and start eating breakfast.

*******

A half hour later,

My breakfast remains half-eaten. The coffee has gone ice cold. Who am I kidding ? Chorong is not coming home. Eunji is not coming home. Hayoung is not coming home.

Chorong is NOT coming home. Eunji is NOT coming home. Hayoung is NOT coming home.

CHORONG IS NOT COMING HOME!

EUNJI IS NOT COMING HOME!

HAYOUNG IS NOT COMING HOME!

DAMNIT!!!!!

*BAM!*

I slam a fist on the table. God, why did you let this happen ? What did all those poo