Short Story

                    The Elevator Conversation

It was an eventful day in human history, the day the face of evil was anhilated, infact it was the epitome of the victory of good over evil for some. Yes the day Osama bin Laden was killed by the U.S. NAVY SEALS was greeted as a turning point in the war against terrorism but for me the aftermath of the death is far more significant, having lived through 9/11, I decided to visit the ground zero a day after the news broke. As I approached the turtle bay in the lower Manhattan area the events flashed before my eyes not only of that particular day but of the day before 9/11.

At that time I was working for the investment bank Goldman sachs my office was on the 55^th floor on the north tower just two floors above the site where the first plane struck. I remember it was the tenth of September a nice, sunny day, autumn was in its full glory and as I passed by the UN headquarters the sun came out in great golden blasts from behind the skyscraper and produced a scintillating smile on my troubled face .The sun did its best to lighten my mood albeit unsuccessful, I was perturbed by the recent investments I had made in the Exxon Valdez oil stocks. I reached the north tower and made my way to the elevator I got up once the elevator arrived.

When we got to the next floor the elevator stopped and a man entered the elevator he was a bit unkempt but had a vibrant and sunny face.There were wrinkles on his forehead but his eyes didn’t give away the cause of those wrinkles they were gleaming,and the pale green colour of the eyes contrasted sharply with his jet black hair cropped closely into fringes.He had a suitcase and seemed to know his way around the place.There was a ring of mystery surrounding this man he didn’t look more than forty yet the expression of exuberance on his face made him too small for his years.

He wished me good morning  and asked me “how is it going”. I replied perfunctionarily “good morning to you, I am fine and good day to you sir” not meaning to converse further I stopped myself right there.

He thought otherwise, ignoring my lack of interest he went on saying,”Hello my name is Michael Kempton,I work for JP morgan chase my office is on the 54^th floor “ and put forward his hand. I had no other option but to oblige him I offered my hand and said “My name is Michelle Brooks I am an investment banker I work for Goldman sachs my office is on the floor above yours”.

Then as we started talking it was mostly him that did the talking I learnt that he was a native of Nebraska and having spent most of his childhood there he graduated from Yale Business school and moved to New York when he got the offer from JP morgan . He specialized in share analysis and trend prediction. Having learnt that I decided to disclose my recent investments and ask him for some sane advice about the share prices of Exxon Valdez.He said the current prices of oil are all time lowest at $23 per barrel and if this continues the share prices are set to dip further unless he said with an eerie irony in his voice some unexpected turn of events is going to turn it topsiturvey.I didn’t realize it then that how true he was. We were on the 49^th floor when I noticed he had a scar on the left cheek right below his eye.I asked him what gave him that token he said in a dreamy voice well it’s from one of the fights I had with my little brother when we were young I punched him in the face and broke his nose he on the other hand didn’t take things lying down and unleashed the prowess of his nails on my face and the result is before your eyes.I asked almost instinctively where is your little brother now. He replied rather quietly and shyly he is not among us anymore he is in a better place and I am soon going to join him.

His last words sent goosebumps through my spine,I felt a bit giddy standing there but somehow I could muster enough fortitude to ask him one last question “why what’s the matter with you?”.We had reached the 53^rd floor by then and he looked at me and said with a generous smile on his face but a prophetic tinge in his voice “I am suffering from liver cancer I am in my last stages I can feel death beckoning me each passing day I can only delay his call but  cannot ignore it anymore” and as the 54^th floor arrived he stepped out and embraced me with his divine smile.Before I could say anything the door closed and I didn’t realize  that I was standing in front of my office.

The next day was my day off from work usually I get my Thursdays off but since I had put in some extra hours of work the previous week I got that Tuesday day off too.I watched my TV set glow with the horrid images of the attack,I saw the fall of the twin towers and the graphic pictures of the most heinous crime committed in recent history.My hands were benumbed my head had stopped thinking I was completely flabbergasted,but I soon assuaged and salvaged myself from the situation. I called up my office to see if anybody was there I got no answer I called up my friends to see if they were okay some answered my frantic calls some didn’t ,God only knows what had happened to them.I don’t think I had courage enough to witness the gory scene anymore so instead I went to the church and prayed ,my faith in God and humanity had been shaken the edifice had revealed meandering cracks.I sat before the altar and prayed for friends and strangers alike.I prayed for His benevolence and magnanimity,and fervently implored Him to restore my faith in humanity.I also prayed to grant me the fortitude to weather the tempest and keep my faith when it has reached its nadir.

Today ten years on as I walk through those once familiar streets,I realize that human spirit is brought closer with grief,the fraternity is emboldened and the cause and message of peace in a violent world is made more resilient.There is no jubilation or euphoria in the city today with the dead of the most evil perpetrator.But on the other hand a muffled sense of relief because it marks the death of another man maybe evil still a death.The city condemned his cowardice and eulogized the victims for making the world a better place to live in,they were in their own sense the martyrs to the cause of humanity.

I reached the ground zero and saw the Liberty tower rising on the ashes of the twin towers like a phoenix.I saw several wreaths had been laid on the stones put in place on the ground, impregnated in those stones was the names of the victims.There was one especially large stone black in colour and the names inscribed were in white.I don’t know what drew me to that stone especially I laid my wreath there and began to read the names and I was dumbfounded to read the third name on it, it read “Michael Kempton – JP morgan chase” that about said it all.

I don’t know what ends were achieved by attacking the towers but one thing is for sure Michael was salvaged from his baneful existence which he didn’t let people realize,God had a better world in store for him I don’t know about the rest of the victims and their families but he was lucky to be in his office that day for he was spared from the grief and excruciating pain he would have endured.

Some people pass through your life and are lost in the crowd,some stick with you through thick and thin,some turn their backs on you when you need them the most.But once in a while you come across  people like Michael who leave their footprints in your heart forever,they are complete strangers yet they find their way in the sanctum sanctorum of your heart because you feel an inscrutable bond with them.

And about the shares yes Michael was right about them too spot on. I had a windfall after selling those shares post 9/11.But in more than one ways he gave me a fresh lease of life, a reason to believe and a faith to preserve.