Authors Rant: This is just a trifle of a tribute I hope you have the heart to read.

Last to Leave

     I am always the last to leave daycare. Sometimes by a few minutes sometimes by an hour. That is okay though. I really like Cathy. She is always extra nice to me when I get sad about my parents not getting here on time.
     Today is different though. Many kids haven't been picked up yet. A lot of kids. This has happened before. Where our parents all come late for some special reason. Even then I was the last to leave.
     I smile as I grab anothr Dr. Suess book. I am only three but Mommy wants me to know how to read well before I start kindergarten. Dad always brags about how well I read whenever Grandma and Grandpa come over.
     I remember reading a whole book to my grandparents on the Fourth of July once. Grandma laughed and hugged me, promising to bake me some treats for being such a good learner. Grandpa just smiled, standing proud, wearing his veterans uniform... I don't know what 'veterans' means but mommy said it is because Grandpa was in World War Two. I don't know what that means either. But I know I thought he was amazing that day, standing in his old uniform.
     A lot of the parents who picked up their kids did it early. They came before lunch time even. After that pretty much no one was picked up. A lot of the kids are getting scared. My friend Danny is usually the first to leave and by this time even I have left. I can tell he is scared now. Don't see what about. Our parents being a little late isn't such a big deal. Although Cathy has been crieing a lot and so have the day care helpers.
     "Abby...?"
     I turn to see Grandpa, looking serious. I can see Grandma and Cathy talking and crieing with eachother and look back at Grandpa.
     "I didn't know you were picking me up!" I say, happily, trying to figure out why they grown-ups are sad.
     "Honey...." He says, his voice shaking, "I wasn't supposed to pick you up today... Honey, do you know where your Mommy and Daddy work?"
     "Ummm... The World Trade Center." I say proudly. I smile at him. I usually don't remember the name of my parents work.
     His voice trembling and his eyes looking wet, he asked another question. "Abby, do you know what happened this morning...?"
     I let the smile Mommy used to call her sunshine fade away. Grandpa isn't going to smile back now.

     As I leave day-care with Grandma and Grandpa I know I have left something behind that I can't get back.

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220 children were never picked up from daycare on Tuesday, September 11th 2001. Pray for them and give what you can.

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By YuiHongo3@aol.com Fwrd this to your friends if you feel the need. I just felt that you would find this a good message about what has happened to the country.