Tuesday {The Manhattan Trilogy #1}

Getting Ready (ST)

It's a Tuesday now, she says? Praise the Lord, because I hate Mondays, just like everyone else does. I am pretty glad that Monday, September 10, 2001, which seemed to have lasted forever during the hours my sister and I spent in class, is now finally a date of the past.

My sister, North Tower, has announced the current date as September 11 of the year 2001. A beautiful late summer day, as it appears outside. I turn on our petite television on the desk in the center of the room to see what the weatherman has to say about the day's forecast.

"Welcome to NBC News, my name is John Burt," the man's voice cracks as he greets his viewers. "If there are any Manhattan residents currently watching this channel, I have something to say regarding the daily forecast: prepare for some of the best September weather of your life today."

"Oh, that sounds good!" I pull myself away from the window. I'd been staring at the buildings that my sister and I were the human souls of, the Twin Towers of the WTC, marveling at their height and beauty.

"The sun will rise at 6:39 in the morning," the weatherman continues, signaling at some temperatures displayed on a screen behind him. "It is expected to reach 72°F by 7:00 AM, so wear summer clothes!"

Without thinking, North Tower fist-pumps the air and screams "NICE!"

I sock my twin in the shoulder playfully and yell, "You're going to wake up everyone in this apartment, kid! We'll be in trouble!"

"Sorry," she giggles, walking to the bathroom to change into the day's outfit. I follow suit. Showers come first every day, so we do that. After we're clean, we change into our clothing, ready for another seven hours of classes. My sister combs my hair, and I comb hers. Next, we brush our teeth. Even towers need good hygiene when they have human souls! To end our morning routine, we make our beds.

"Girls? Are you up?" Our father calls from the kitchen. "It's 7:00 AM. Your mother is already at work, and it's almost time for you to leave for school."

"Uh oh, it's best if we hurried up a bit!" I whisper to North Tower.

"Let's leave before we're late yet again!" My sister responds.

I run into the kitchen, my twin sister close behind me. We snatch our backpacks, which are two of the few belongings of ours that are not identical, from the counter. Before we open the door to leave, however, our father stops us by calling our names. As we turn around, he points at the toaster.

"Don't you girls want breakfast?" Dad asks, his black hair combed back and an apron labeled "Sir's Café" draped over his T-shirt and jeans.

"No," North Tower replies simply, turning the door handle. The door swings open, revealing an empty hallway.

"Got to go now. Don't want a tardy slip, after all!" I finish as she slings her backpack over her shoulder and steps out into the hall, waiting for me so that we can walk to school together.

"Goodbye, my girls," Dad smiles kindly. "Have a wonderful time at school."

"Bye, Daddy," I respond, waving at him. "We'll have cake tonight for your birthday. All of us. You, Mom, North Tower, and me."

Dad grins at my sister and I once again as he shuts the door of Apartment 0783, joyously humming "Happy Birthday" to himself. My father is such an optimistic person, even on days where he is sad. Since this is a special day for him, he's even happier than he usually is.

Directly beneath the ring peephole on our apartment's front door, another wall calendar hangs. Our father nailed it up on January 1, 2001. The top of the calendar, instead of reading JANUARY 2001 like it did the day Dad put it on the door, now reads SEPTEMBER 2001.

And right there, in the middle of the ninth month in which the season of summer will end and the one of autumn begin, our dear father's fortieth birthday is circled over and over again with a bright red marker.

September 11.