Well, 'tomorrow' is today.
Today I have stuff I need to say, stuff that I've now told to someone, over the last 5-6 days, about a "hundred times." But until now, I've never written the words.
So, here goes.
Last Wednesday, August 1,2007, began pretty much like any other Wednesday for the last few months; I get up at 5 am, I eat breakfast and read the paper, I go to work at 6am (I'm a "store coordinator" for a great non-profit called Store To Door-we shop for groceries for the home bound elderly and disabled), I finish up at the store around 11am-make a quick stop to drop daily receipts off to the office, eat lunch, go to the gym...go back to the office to prepare the next days orders....go home.
Tonight though was gonna be extra special, the thought of it helped me get through a hectic work day; my niece, Medora, invited me and my younger brother, Patrick, to join her and her partner, Farrell, at the Twins game-11th row above the 3rd base line! Plus it was $1 hot day night and the Twins were beginning to break their slump. The day itself was beautiful and sunny-a possibility of storms moving in later that evening, a perfect example of summer.
As soon as I got home from work I showered and cleaned up for the game, complete with my blue Twins cap. It was only around 5pm by this time and I didn't need to be at the dome until around 6:30 to meet up with everyone. I sat anxiously and flipped through the various TV channels, trying to find something to occupy my time for a while.
Finally, at somewhere around 5:45-5:50pm, I decided I had to get going'-I was too excited. I just figured I could wander around the dome plaza and check out what was happening before the game. The route I chose to get to the dome was River Road, a small 2-lane road that parallels the Mississippi River, one of my favorites 'drives' in the Twin Cities. The road runs right into the area of downtown Minneapolis-near the cobalt blue Guthrie Theater and the cheapest area to park for the baseball game-I can usually find a meter(thus the pocket full of quarters I took with me.)
The drive was as beautiful and relaxing as ever, though the car in front of me was driving just a tad too slow. A small line of vehicles began to build up behind him and I. I kept hoping he'd turn off the road, onto one of the side streets. Finally, about 3/4 of the way to my destination-the over cautious driver makes a left turn onto one of the side streets. I immediately sped up just a bit-finally able to drive the speed limit...I grew my distance between the truck and the other vehicles that had built up behind me.
I glance out over the river and saw the U of M rowing team practicing on the murky waters. I look forward and see the parking lot my sister-Kitty and I used when we came down here for the spectacular Aquatennial fireworks-'Wow, we did walk a long ways...'
At about 6:04-05pm or so I began my final climb into downtown Minneapolis, I think the road curves a bit to the left and then goes under the 35W bridge. As I begin my passage through it's giant underbelly-I'm immediately struck by the noise level, it is certainly more than just the roar of traffic overhead...I look to my left and spot a jogger (male, black shorts and a white tank top) as I try to decipher the deep rumbling noise.
As I pull from under the bridge-I look in my rear mirror to see girders beginning to fall away from the bridge and onto the River Road...then as suddenly-the roadway above...
(note: much of the details from this point on are as concise as my mind can relate them, they sometimes clarify themselves more precisely and accurately as the days go on.)
...I slam on the brakes, take the car out of gear, throw on the parking break and leap out from drivers door quickly turning towards the commotion....
'WHAT THE HELL!? WHAT THE HELL!?'
...my body and mind are in super overload...my heart is racing, tears begin to swell...I'm shaking fiercely from head to tow...I look at the roadway now completely blocked by a pile of twisted green steel girders and a slab of of concrete roadway-containing a bus...I look back at my car...then at the roadway...then, then the sounds of terrified children-screaming for "..mommy", "...daddy", "...help me"......
'WHAT THE HELL!? WHAT THE HELL!?'
...a red cooler shot through the now open door of the bus and onto the fractured concrete behind it...a young man jumped to the pavement and immediately began escorting the hysterical children from the bus towards the roadway's railing that now sat just 6 feet off the parkway I had been driving....
'WHAT THE HELL!? WHAT THE HELL!?'
...my body began to run towards the fallen roadway...I jumped up onto the railing that once just lined the bike and walking paths-but now butted up next to the roadway previously above it...I started to help the young man(my mind can't give me a description of him...yet) on the other side of the parkway railing, he had 'instantaneously' appeared to help each child down from the fallen roadway onto the parkway where we stood. As I helped to lift the children down, one of the last little girls ran over and just sat on the broken road in front of me-my eyes immediately drawn into hers-I held my hand out...she just muttered very softly, very calmly, never taking her eyes away from mine-"I'm OK." What I saw in her eyes literally knocked me from the railing-the young man on the other side of the railing finished assisting the children down....a woman has been running back and forth pleading with us to tell her "...what bridge is this..." ...we both say "we don't know..." , I wonder-does this bridge have a formal name? Isn't it just the 35W bridge?-'It's 35W!'...she keeps running back and forth talking frantically to someone on her cell phone...I see the Tasty Bread semi truck on the other side of the bus...it crashed into the piece of roadway it had broken away from...it hit it so hard the front half of the truck trailer was now cut open like a tin can....there's another piece of the road broken off a few feet from where the back of the bus stopped and a lone silver car sat atop it with it's dazed driver standing beside it...
'WHAT THE HELL!? WHAT THE HELL!?'
...I run onto the river bank beside the River Road...as I do so I pass a man in a fluorescent yellow vest(initially I thought he was a construction worker, but later found out he was driving a fed-ex truck) he'd just been helped from the bridge decking and is holding his rib cage in both agony and shock-he sits on the grass, several people-complete strangers, tend to him...I wanted to stop to help him-to ask him what happened?!...he is in good, caring hands...I get to the top & look down to see the entire expanse of the bridge either lying in the Mississippi river below or hanging precariously from twisted green girders on the other side....the embankment is steep, there's a fence along the river bank...there's cars in the water...there's a lone construction worker standing next to a piece of construction equipment on a slab of the roadway...it's odd the way they are just there-in the river...he is just staring up...I can't get down there....it's the whole damn highway bridge...it just fell...there's cars in the water....
...I remember I have my cell phone from work(I despise cell phones & only have one because my job requires me to have it, I had brought it so I could meet up easily with my family at the game)...I pull it from my pocket as I run back to River Road...the 'running' woman is again running up the road from the collapsed bridge-her cell phone now closed in her hand; "I already called 911" she says to me when she sees the cell phone in my hand.....I have to call Patrick-he's gonna worry about me...what time is it?....where did I put his number?....I'm running back down the road to the bridge...I crouched down on River Road to look directly underneath the bridge deck...it's solid twisted green girders...I grab it with my hands...I just crouch there for a second-holding the twisted girder...'Is there anyone under there?!'...a voice running towards me from behind yells-"GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM THERE!" I get up, turn and look to see a heavy set guy(dark pants, white shirt & stethoscope around his neck) running towards me...I walk towards him....'GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM THERE RIGHT NOW!" I reply-'Calm down, calm down! I'm just trying to help!"...he continues to run by me as he says "YOU CAN HELP BY GETTING THE FUCK OUTTA HERE!"....he keeps running and screaming as I take one last survey of the area and head towards my car...I have my cellphone...it takes pictures...I need to see my perspective when I can think more clearly...how the hell does this work?!...I fumble with the phone trying to get it to take a picture...alright just stand behind the car a take of picture of where you just were....the phone ask me if it should save the file in some folder or something...I just click yes....take a picture of where the bridge went over the river....I run up onto the river bank again...I snap the picture of what lie below...take one of where the road broke off on this side...I snap the picture...this is such a dumb thing to do right now-I'm just like all those people I despise everyday with their cell phones...did you get the one of the River Road?...I snap another picture of river road...."WHO'S CAR IS THIS?" ...I look back to see 2 police cars, sirens blaring heading down River road...I run to my car... "WHO'S CAR...", 'it's my car'...I jump in, start it up(I don't know when I came back exactly-but at one point I do remember running back to my car to turn it off) and drive off-giving room for the police cars to get by me....
...at the top of River Road, just before it comes into the Gold Medal Park/Guthrie area-I see the children from the bus all sitting together on the grass lining the bike path...I hear the crying, sobbing and screams of "...MOMMA, MOMMA-WHERE ARE YOU?!" ...I slow down...I should stop and see if they are alright...I look directly in front of me to see a wave of people, cars, emergency vehicles-all racing in my direction-from every direction...I have to get outta here, I have to find a parking spot and find Patrick...I have to call Patrick...I turn onto one of the side streets above River Road and see ample opportunity to take a parking meter...then I notice to my left a young boy and girl waving a flag/sign saying "$5"...OK pull into there-that's what it would cost on the street..."That will be $5...", I hand him $5 from my shaking sweaty hand...'The whole 35W bridge collapsed-it's horrible...", he handed me a yellow slip of paper and told me to put it on my dash....'...you can't believe it-it's unreal...'-with a look of confusion and puzzlement he points me into the lot and says-"Wow, I'm sorry that happened. I hope the rest of your night goes better sir." He didn't understand...hey they're gonna double park cars here, I'll get blocked in...I stop the car and jump out-turning towards the parking attendant, 'you aren't gonna block me in are you?'-"No sir, we only allow the single row of cars-don't worry." I back into the parking space against the sturdy wooden railing, shut it off and get out. 'Please don't block me in.' "Don't worry sir, we won't-hope your night gets better."
I hurriedly walk out of the lot and towards Washington Avenue all the while pulling the cell phone from my pocket...where's Patrick's number...I pull a crumpled-up piece of paper out from my pocket and begin to dial Patrick's cell phone number..."Hello."....'PATRICK! THE 35W BRIDGE JUST COLLAPSED AND I WAS JUST DRIVING UNDER IT AND...' "TIM? WHERE ARE YOU...I'LL COME GET YOU!" 'NO PATRICK, THIS IS JAY-I WAS DRIVING ON RIVER ROAD AND THE 35W BRIDGE JUST COLLAPSED JUST AFTER I DROVE UNDER IT!' "WHERE ARE YOU! I'M GONNA COME GET YOU! ARE YOU HURT?!" 'NO PATRICK, I'M FINE, I'M NOT HURT!' "I'M GONNA COME GET YOU!" 'NO PATRICK, I'M NOT HURT-I JUST PARKED MY CAR-I'M HEADING TOWARDS THE DOME, ARE YOU THERE YET?" 'YEA, WE'RE BY GATE H-BROTHA, ARE YOU SURE? I'LL COME GET YOU!" 'PATRICK, I'M FINE-I CAN WALK AND TALK-I'M NOT HURT!...I'LL BE THERE SHORTLY!' "ALRIGHT BROTHER..."
As soon as I get to Washington Avenue I see people streaming across the bridge over 35W-most on their way to the game, many stopping and looking in the direction of the river...police cars and ambulances are screaming in from every direction....I stop and head towards the bridge...I have to see if what happened really happened, was it really 35W?!...I get to the edge of the railing and look towards the river...I'm crying and sobbing hard-I can't really see anything...I have to get to the dome...I have to get to Patrick...I hold a lit cigarette in my sweaty, still shaking, right hand...I puff furiously on the cigarette as I begin a light jogging pace...a take a few more quick drags before throwing it to the ground and picking up my pace just a bit more...as I go along I look at the face of the people I pass-the baseball fans, the parking lot attendants, the guy dressed up and selling programs for the game....they don't know yet, they don't know...'What time is it?' I wonder aloud.
As I run through the upper Metrodome parking lot, where the buses and news crew trucks are, I notice a slight buzz beginning to build among the people standing in the lot...'It's horrible, it's horrible!' I breathlessly shout to a cameraman folding up his camera by the Kansas City TV news truck...they look back at me blankly...I'm coming up around the north side of the dome, getting closer to gate H....I look around at the people as I run...it's the usual pre-baseball game activity...they don't know yet...as I come around the dome into the area denoted as "GATE H" on the building-I begin to frantically look around for Patrick, Medora, Farrell...where are they?!....I begin to pull the cell phone from my pocket and search for the crumpled up piece of paper that contains their cell numbers...money, gum...where the hell did I put it?...wait, I have Patrick's number on a piece of paper in my wallet...I pull out my wallet and dig through it with the hand holding the cell phone...I look up for a second-Patrick appears and runs towards me...I throw the wallet back into my pocket and run to embrace him...as soon as we embrace I break down completely-tears flowing steadily from my eyes. I try to calm down a bit so as not to draw too much attention from the confused bystanders. "Oh Jayboy I was so scared when you called-I didn't understand..." 'The 35W bridge just fell, the whole thing just fell!' "Oh my God-and you are alright?!" 'I'm fine, I helped some kids get off the bridge, but I'm in total shock-Patrick I don't understand what happened...it just doesn't make any sense to me...I can't get a grasp on it...it just fell!'...."I'm so glad you're OK brother!"...he tries to calm me down...I'm just pacing in a circle at this point...a man walks up to me-he has a notebook and pen in his hand..."I'm Paul Levy...Star Tribune...questions?"(I'm only hearing partial sentences at this point)... I stop pacing and look him directly in the eyes....I try to focus, to compose myself enough to talk with him...I describe my journey as best and as quickly I can at that time(kinda the Cliff Notes version)...who is this guy again?..."How do you spell your name?"...I try to say it-but just pull out my wallet and hand him my drivers licence...'I'm just a bit shaken up right now-sorry." "It's OK, I understand....have a good night-take care."
Patrick continues to calm me..."Medora & Farrell are inside..."...he hands me my ticket...'I need to go let them know I'm OK'...."Are you sure you're OK?"....'Yea, I just don't understand it Patrick, I just don't understand...'..
Once in the door of the Metrodome-we start heading towards our section...we see Medora at the doorway of our section...she runs over and hugs me...I begin to cry again...'It was horrible, it doesn't make sense Medora..."....Farrell comes up from our seats to meet me and give me a hug...I give them a quick lowdown on what I saw....Patrick removes my Twins hat...they're singing the National Anthem....once finished I say 'I need to go smoke another cigarette...where are the seats?'...Medora points in the general direction...I go outside to smoke.
As I smoke I can hear the realization of what has happened just blocks away begin to reach the others around me. I go back inside...I'm hungry...$1 hotdogs...I go stand in line...the people in front of me don't know, I should go....'Two $1 hot dogs and a lemonade please'... Medora comes up and offers to pay...'No, it's alright...I have a bunch of ones....'...We go sit back down, the game in progress...I try to read the score board...I read it...it doesn't really register...I eat my hot dogs-I devour them...I should go....'Hey you guys it's "Twingo" night' I tell them as I hold out the "Twingo" cards I picked up when I came back in from the smoke...Patrick and Medora try to help me figure out if we got any "Twingo" numbers on the cards....I focus in on the ballfield...I'm not sure what inning it is or who exactly is up at bat....'I think I'm gonna go you guys...I'm so sorry...you give me this cool opportunity to sit here...I just gotta go..." "Are you sure you're gonna be OK brother?" Patrick says with quiet concern. 'Yea, oh yea...I'm fine...I just have to go...' 'We understand" Medora replies-as both Farrell and Patrick nod in agreement.
I run back to my car...it's noisy mayhem on the street all the way to my car....the police have everything blocked off....I get to the parking lot..."THEY FUCKING BLOCKED ME IN!" I scream aloud as I enter the lot....each of the front row parking spaces are full...none with the required yellow piece of paper on their dash....I look around-people are milling about, coming in from every direction....looky-loos, gawkers, damn it!....I say silently in frustration and anger....I look at the yellow paper on my dash-hoping it would give me a solution...I try to dial the phone number on the paper...the cell phone won't go through...I try again...nothing...I'm thinking I was scammed...those damn kids where scamming money....it dawns on me...cell phones probably aren't working now, all the lines are jammed...duh!...I see a group of four girls coming into the lot....'tell me this is your car!" ...I point to the one blocking me in..."No, sorry-it's this one..." .. they point to the next one over...'DAMN IT!'..."We'll move our car out and then maybe you can squeeze through..."....we try it, it's too tight-I'd have to scrape the sides off my car to do it....tempting....but no. I should just ram the car in front of me and push it away....Just then another woman gets into the van on the other side of the car blocking me...'DAMN IT!'....I look and realize; if she moves there IS just enough room for me to squeeze through unscathed!...go, go, c'mon, c'mon...another van pulls into the lot and blocks her in-another curious gawker...the woman tries to get him to move...I finally jump out and holler at him...'MOVE YOUR DAMN VAN SO WE CAN GET OUT!' He sheepishly jumps back in and moves his vehicle aside. I quickly get out of the lot and out of the area completely....onto interstate 94...heading east...heading home.
The moment I walked in the door the phone began to ring, I pick it up; 'Hello' "May I speak to Jay?" 'This is' "Jay this is....Argus Leader...heard you were there...talk to me...?" It was a reporter from my hometown, Sioux Falls SD, newspaper...she somehow heard I was there...I ramble through a quick version of events. I hang up. I wonder how she knew...? I see there is are some messages on my answering machine..."Hey brother Jay, I hope you get home ok...Medora checked her Blackberry...the [Strib] is quoting you Jay...so just so you know...I love you brother..." -beep- "Jay? Jay?! wherrrre ARE YOU?! Jay pick up if you're there...it's [Irm}-call me when you get this and let me know you're ok?!..." -beep- "Jay this is Mark...are you OK? Just wanna make sure you were'nt on the bridge...call me...ok..."
Wow, so like the Strib probably did the A.P. thing...damn, people are gonna call!
Perspective from behind my car of where I had recently traveled.
JD 2007 c.
1 comment:
JayBoy, we have a mutual friend (Glendale, CA) and I just wanted to let you know I'm here in the TC. email me if you want to chat. So sorry for all you went through last week and I am just greatful you are safe.
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