Examentrainers

"MUM WAS ON THE 99th FLOOR OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTRE!"

1		Tuesday September 11 had started like any				dress was torn and her hair was white from
		other day. But when I got to my school,				the ash. With thousands of other people
		about 30 minutes away from where I live				she had walked across Brooklyn Bridge to
		in Brooklyn, I realised that something				where we live.
		was wrong.		4		Later she told us how she was having
		In class, just after 9am, the teacher made				coffee at her desk when the first plane hit
		an announcement.				the first tower. A colleague burst into the
		"The World Trade Centre blew up," she				office screaming the news. Mum immediately
		said. She didn't say how, or why. She				started to make her way down the 99 flights
		wasn't panicking, but the students were in				of emergency stairs. When she reached the
		total shock.				44th floor, about 15 minutes later, the
2		My whole body started shaking with				whole building began to tremble and there
		fear. My mum worked for an insurance				was an enormous crash.
		company on the 99th floor of the second		5		That's when the second plane smashed into
		tower, so she was there! My teacher sent				the 79th floor of her building. People were
		me to the headmaster's office. I started				screaming and praying as they were running
		calling home, but I couldn't get through. I				down the stairs. When mum reached the
		tried again and again, but when I finally got				ground floor she began running for her life
		through no one answered the phone.				through the terrible mess. There was a
		CNN (the US News channel) was on in				blanket of grey smoke over the city.
		the school hall and I watched in horror as		6		My mum survived the attack and I feel
		they replayed scenes of the plane flying				blessed, but 200 of my mum's colleagues
		into the tower where my mother worked. All				died on September 11. Our lives have
		I could think about was that my mum was				changed. Every time my mum goes out
		trapped inside. I knew she wasn't a fast				somewhere she tells my sisters and me
		runner - and what if she couldn't escape?				how much she loves us. She has
3		With my aunt and grandmother I waited				completely lost her appetite and has been
		for news about mum. It took hours and				getting some therapy. It will take a long
		hours but finally mum came home. I just				time for her to get over it.
		cried because I was so happy! She was				But I thank God every day that my mother
		limping and she had lost her shoes. Her				is still alive.
		Somalia and her mother				The World Trade Centre on September 11, 2001