The Light They Did Not See

“Mum, we need milk,” announced my son, Conor aged 4.

"Let’s go then,” I said.

The local shop is a 100 yard walk further down  our road, Tanjong Rhu.   Being situated a few degrees above the Equator there is no twilight in Singapore. At 6.30 pm you get a sense the day is ending and by 7pm it’s night time. Conor and I walked slowly, savouring the rapid sunset and the cool of the evening. The street lights flickered into life along Tanjong Rhu and in the tiny kitchens of  the apartment blocks around us we could see people preparing their evening meal. 

“Mum, why are there lights at the top of the buildings?” said Conor

I looked up. “They must be for the planes,” I said, “When a pilot sees them he knows he needs to stay above them.”

We got to the shop, bought the milk, and sweets - the real purpose of our trip and walked home again.

Shortly after 9 o’clock that same evening my friend, Fiona rang.

“Have you your TV on?” she said.
“No, why?”
“Go to BBC World, you won’t believe what you see.”
I searched around the couch looking for the remote, “Has something happened in the North?”
“No,” she said, “bigger than that.”
I turned on the TV and saw a building on fire in New York.
“A plane has crashed into the World Trade Centre,” said Fiona.
“Wow,” I said, “That’s one hell of an accident.”
“It’s no accident, keep watching.”

Just then, a second plane appeared to the right of the TV screen and drove into the second tower.

“It’s terrorism,” said Fiona and hung up.

I sat up all night watching.

The next morning I woke to the clamour of the boys, Tom aged 7, Conor and Joe aged 2 bustling into the TV room for their morning’s viewing of Cartoon Network.  I rolled off the couch and taking the remote from Tom said, “Boys, I’ve got something much more interesting to show you,” and switched over to the BBC.

By now there were four planes down. 

I took my cue from the BBC caption, ‘America under Attack’.  “Boys, do you realise you are witnessing an historical event? This is your John Kennedy moment: you’ll always remember where you were when this happened.”

The boys said nothing: they just stared at the TV.  I sat down again and watched with them.

Then the first building collapsed and as we watched - live – we could see people running for their lives terror stricken, as an enormous cloud of dust reared up behind them. 

Finally, Conor spoke.   Without taking his eyes from the screen, he said, “Didn’t the pilot see the light at the top of the building?” 

In One Ear, Out The Other

“The way I see it,” said Sam, “I have two ears.   No matter what my mother-in-law says, it goes in one ear and out the other.”

My husband’s niece was being baptised in Kildare and I was getting a lift up with my sister-in-law, Anne, and her husband, Gavin.  I sat in the back seat with my mother-in-law, Mrs D.
 

As we set off from Cork, Mrs. D told me that since the Christening was not until 2pm, we were going to stop for coffee in Leixlip House.
 

The drive north was smooth and we made good time. As we exited the motorway for Leixlip, Gavin asked Anne where would be a good place to stop for coffee.  Anne told him anywhere that’s convenient would be fine.
 

Mrs. D. called out from the back seat, “No, no, we’re going to Leixlip House.”
 

Gavin spotted a Gloria Jean’s and turned the car off the road.
 

“Gavin, we’re having coffee in Leixlip House,” insisted Mrs D.
 

Gavin pulled up in front of Gloria Jean’s and switched off the engine. Mrs. D. turned to me and said, “I guess we’re not going to Leixlip House.”  I smiled back at her in sympathy.
 

Anne and I ordered coffees while Mrs D. went to the Ladies to check on her hair.
 

Looking over my shoulder to check for Mrs D.’s whereabouts, I said to Anne, “That was the most civilised disagreement I’ve ever witnessed.”  She laughed.
 

Sam was right: the 'Two Ear' technique really works.