Birthday Book: A Special Story In Their Birthdays

Special: 9/11 Attack: 22 Years on

Nahida and her friends were at the One World Trade Center, where they had just visited the observatory on the 100th floor. They had seen a stunning view of New York City and its surroundings, and they had learned a lot of things from Caitriona Perry, their babysitter and guide for the day.

Caitriona is a famous journalist, who is now working at BBC as Chief Presenter in Washington, agreed to take Nahida and her friends to the One World Trade Center as a birthday surprise for Nahida. Nahida's friends were Klee, Sayu, Qiqi and Diona. They were all around the same age as Nahida, and they loved to have fun and explore new places. They were also very curious and adventurous, which sometimes got them into trouble.

As they were leaving the observatory, they saw a sign that said "9/11 Memorial Museum". They wondered what it was, and asked Caitriona about it.

"Hey, Caitriona, what's that?" Klee asked, pointing at the sign.

"That's the 9/11 Memorial Museum," Caitriona answered.

"What's 9/11?" Sayu asked.

"9/11 is the date when a terrible thing happened here in New York City," Caitriona explained. "It was 11th of September, 2001, when two planes crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center, which used to stand where we are now."

"Two planes? Why did they crash?" Qiqi asked.

"They crashed because they were hijacked by some bad people who wanted to hurt America and its friends," Caitriona said. "They were part of a group called al-Qaeda, which is a terrorist group that hates freedom and democracy."

"That's awful! How many people died?" Diona asked.

"Almost 3,000 people died in the attacks, and thousands more were injured or affected by them," Caitriona said. "They were people from different countries, cultures, religions, and backgrounds. They were workers, travelers, visitors, firefighters, police officers, soldiers, and more. They were also mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, daughters, sons, friends, and lovers."

"That's so sad! How did people react?" Nahida asked.

"People reacted with shock, anger, fear, sadness, and grief," Caitriona said. "But they also reacted with courage, compassion, resilience, and solidarity. They helped each other in any way they could. They also honored and remembered those who died or suffered. They also fought back against those who did this or supported them."

"That's amazing! How did things change?" Klee asked.

"Things changed in many ways," Caitriona said. "Some of them were good, some of them were bad. Some of them were big, some of them were small. Some of them are still happening today."

"Can you tell us more?" Sayu asked.

"Of course, I can tell you more if you want to visit the museum with me," Caitriona said. "The museum shows you more about what happened on 9/11, and how people dealt with it. It has artifacts, photos, videos, and stories of the victims, survivors, rescuers, and witnesses of the attacks. It also has interactive exhibits that let you learn more about the history, context, and impact of 9/11. It's a very important and educational place, but also a very sad and emotional one. You should be respectful and quiet inside the museum."

The girls looked at each other, and then nodded. They said they wanted to visit the museum with Caitriona. They said they wanted to learn more about 9/11, and pay their respects to those who suffered or died because of it.

Caitriona smiled and nodded. She said she was glad that they wanted to go with her. She said she would take them there. She said they should follow her closely and listen to her instructions. She led them to the entrance of the museum, where they had to go through security. They showed their tickets and IDs to the guards, who checked them carefully.