In memory of the 2981 victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, among them three Albanians: Frrok Camaj, Mon Gjonbalaj and Simon Dedvukaj
[Disastrous September, by the Albanian-American author, Skifter Këlliçi, takes place on two different days: May 10 and September 11, 2001. The novel tells the story of a well-known CNN reporter named Steve Ferguson, engaged to Jacqueline Cramer, a flight attendant based at Logan International Airport in Boston, Massachusetts. In addition, the novel explores the lives of four Albanians. Besim Istrefi, Rrok Camaj, and Marko Muzaka worked as window washers in the Twin Towers. Sokol Kama, a journalist and writer, works in security at Logan International Airport. On September 11, 2001 just a few days before Steve and Jacqueline’s wedding, two planes, bound for Los Angeles, depart from Boston. Terrorists hijack them and crash them into the Twin Towers in New York. The author, who worked at Logan International Airport during the attacks, offers a gripping account of the tragedy and shows how it could have been avoided.]
By SKIFTER KELLICI
[Translated from the Albanian by Carrie Hooper]
“Satem al Sukami is a law student at the Royal University of Rabat in Saudi Arabia. Abdul al Ramzi is married with a two-year-old son he has never met. Before our departure, he acted strange. Please, Allah, he said, May I be wrong! Vail al Shehri, a teacher, and his brother, Rashid, a construction worker, are from Qatar and are bound and determined to fulfill their obligation. Marvan al Shehin and others faithful to Allah are in the other plane.”
Muhammad rose from his seat and looked at the many passengers who were preparing to board, among them Marvan and the other Arabs. That same morning, other brothers with the same mission departed on flights from New Jersey and Washington. Marvan’s and Muhammad’s eyes met. Marvan smiled and nodded. Muhammad took a deep breath and said, “Everything is going as planned. Now, talk and laugh. We don’t want to look suspicious.”
“Ah, youth,” George whispered.
“Who knows what kind of jokes they’re telling,” said his wife.
“They’re Arabs. They’re probably reciting parts of A Thousand and One Nights,” said George. “They’re wonderful stories.”
No one could have imagined the horrible tragedy these young men would set in motion.
As soon as the passengers had been told to board their flight from Boston to Los Angeles, Muhammad took his phone out of his pocket, dialed a number, and said sotta voce, “Brother Jaser, we are about to board our plane. Marvan and the other brothers are about to board the other plane. In the name of Allah, do your job. We will meet again soon in you know where.”
Jaser sat in his office in one of the Twin Towers, his face aglow.
“Marvan al Shehin just called me,” he said. “Everything is going according to plan.”
Everyone rejoiced when Muhammad told them what Jaser had said.
“Marvan is brave and loyal,” said Satem.
“He is one of a kind,” said Vail.
“That’s why he’s one of bin Laden’s favorites,” said Rashid.
“If I was on my death bed, he’d only have to look at me once, and I’d burn myself alive for him,” said Muhammad. “I’m ready to die with you. I’m glad we’re eliminating the infidels.”
“Me, too,” said Satem. “I can’t wait to cut their throats and capture them. No matter what happens, the thought of bin Laden will give us the strength to accomplish our sacred mission, right, my brothers?”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
“As you know, I love Marvan with all my heart because he was the mastermind behind the 1998 attack on the American Embassy in Nairobi which killed 223 people and wounded hundreds more. He managed to plant the bombs without anyone noticing him. At the time, he was a freshman in college. His campus was near my house in Hamburg. He used to tell me stories about his work with bin Laden. If you, who met him in person, envy him, what about the rest of us who never even saw him? It’s true, Abdul and I met him one night, but we haven’t worked closely with him yet.”
After their hushed conversation, the Arabs clutched their knives in their pockets as if they feared someone would take them away. Before they boarded the plane, they looked out the airport window one last time. The planes seemed to be sleeping in the sun. However, the beautiful sight did not impress them.
250 miles from Logan International Airport, Besim and Marko stopped to see Said in his office on the 25th floor of Tower 1 before continuing to the 107th floor to clean the windows.
“It’s a beautiful, sunny day without much wind,” said Besim.
“It is,” said Said.
“I wish we had days like this in the winter,” said Besim.
“It’s a different world up there,” said Said. “That’s what makes your job so difficult. You were right when you said in Steve Ferguson’s documentary you are like eagles that fly high above the mountains to provide for their young regardless of the weather.
“That’s true,” said Besim.
“I really liked the documentary,” said Said.
“Steve did a great job,” said Besim.
“With a fiancé as pretty as Jacqueline, who wouldn’t be inspired to do the best job possible,” said Marko.
“Speaking of Jacqueline, Sokol told me this is her last flight from Boston,” said Besim. “She’ll be moving here right before the wedding. I hope you and Serena can come.”
“I hope so, too. Serena is due in two weeks. She’s having a girl.”
“Really!” said Besim. “Albanians prefer their firstborn to be boys. Years ago, we needed boys in Albania to fight the Turks and boys in Kosovo to fight the Serbs. But don’t be sorry you’re having a girl. We need girls, too.”
“How would you feel if Marta gave birth to a girl instead of a boy?” asked Said with a smirk.
Besim remained silent for a few moments, then said, “I’d teach her, like Trim, to use a gun. During the wars, girls fought with us when necessary.”
Besim looked at his watch and said, “It’s time for us eagles to go to our nest.” He and Said laughed.
“Stay safe up there,” said Said.
Just then, Said’s phone rang. After he hung up, he said to Marko, “There’s an electrical problem in the other tower. Unfortunately, your box is not working, but they are trying to fix it. In the meantime, go and help Besim.”
“I will, especially since he won’t be working here much longer. He takes good care of me. He is afraid of me getting hurt.”
Besim hugged Marko. As they left Said’s office, they ran into Jaser, on his way to the office with a stack of papers.
“Besim looks so young,” said Jaser.
“He sure does,” said Said. “I’m sure he won’t sit around after he retires. Maybe he’ll get a job as a teacher when he goes back to Kosovo. He used to be a teacher.”
“He’s still planning to go back to Kosovo?”
“He can’t wait to go back. He’s counting the days.”
“Days? He should be counting the hours,” thought Jaser.
While Said and Jaser were talking, Serena came in, as beautiful as ever, even though she had gained weight during her pregnancy. She greeted Jaser as he placed the papers he was carrying on the desk.
“Sweetheart,” she said to Said, “I called you several times on your cell phone, but you didn’t answer.”
“I’m so sorry,” said Said. “I accidentally shut my phone off.”
He stood up.
“You should have called me at the office.”
“I did,” said Serena, “but the line was busy.”
“I was sending a fax. What happened? Why are you here?”
“The doctor called. He won’t be able to see us at noon so he asked if we could come earlier.”
Jaser had all he could do to keep from screaming.
“Can’t we go later?” asked Said. “Jaser and I wanted to finish some work we’ve been putting off for a while.”
“Why don’t you drop me off and I’ll call you when I’m done.”
“I’m sure our work will take us a couple of hours.”
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Said took the papers Jaser had left on the desk and told Jaser he would be back as soon as possible. Jaser smiled and nodded, but when he saw Said and Serena holding hands, his smile changed to a frown.
Jaser said to himself in Arabic, “I just received word from Boston that my friends, led by Muhammad Ata, have just departed from Logan Airport and will soon come here to keep the promise they made to Almighty Allah. Therefore, don’t take too long, Said! We’ll talk later.”
As he said these words, his eyes widened and sparkled with satisfaction. His face looked devilish as he said, “A curse on your American wife, an infidel!” He pounded the desk with his fist.
Besim, Marko, and Rrok entered the elevator and went up to the 107th floor. (Continues)
Click here for Part-1, Part-2, Part-3, Part-4, Part-5, Part-6, Part-7, Part-8, Part-9,
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About the Author
Skifter Këllici was born in Tirana, Albania and received a diploma in history and literature from the University of Tirana. He worked as a journalist, scholar, and sportscaster on radio and television. He is the author of several novels and nonfiction books, including the children’s books, “Memories of the Old Neighborhood” and “In the Footsteps” as well as the historical novels, “Assassination in Paris”, “The Murderer with the White Hands”, and “September Disaster.” He wrote the screenplay for “In the Footsteps” which won a special prize at the International Children’s Film Festival in Giffoni, Italy in 1979. He has lived in Boston, Massachusetts since 1999.
About the Translator
Carrie Hooper was born and raised in Elmira, New York. She has been blind since birth. She received a B.A. in vocal performance from Mansfield University, Mansfield, Pennsylvania. She went on to receive an M.A. in German and an M.A. in vocal performance from the State University of New York at Buffalo. After completing her studies, she spent a year at the Royal University College of Music in Stockholm, Sweden as a Fulbright scholar. Carrie currently lives in Elmira, New York. She taught German, Italian, and Romanian at Elmira College. She has a passion for foreign languages and in addition to the languages mentioned above, she is also proficient in Swedish, Spanish, and Albanian. Music also plays an important role in Carrie’s life. She teaches voice and piano lessons, gives vocal concerts, plays the piano and organ at a church, and sings in a community chorus. Carrie not only loves music and languages, but also enjoys poetry. She has published three books: “Piktura në fjalë” (“Word Paintings”), a bilingual collection of poetry (Albanian-English), “My Life in My Words”, and “Away from Home.” She has also translated texts from Albanian and Romanian to English.
[The book ‘Disastrous September is being reproduced in episodes with the consent of the author]
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