The Pros & Cons of Breathing

You agreed to listen to my story.
Well, listen close; I’ll only say it once.
I’ll try to remember the exact account of what has happened.
Maybe I’ll recount from all the way back …
All the way back to when …

“Sarah, go get your brother down here for dinner.” A mother ordered over the sound of television, while pulling out a casserole from the oven. Sarah, a girl with fiery red hair and sea-green eyes and a freckled face, slung herself up off of the couch, TV still blaring.

Sarah stomped her way through the halls to the stairway.
“SHORTIE! … DINNER!” Sarah shouted through cupped hands.

A door slammed. Thudding feet pronounced the expected arrival of her brother.
“I’m not short.” Her younger[shorter] brother said through gritted teeth.

“Whatever, Peewee.” Sarah responded and turned back around to go watch TV.
But she was promptly attacked by tiny clenched fists.
“Stop, Peewee!”
“I’m not short!”
“I’ll hit you bac-“I’m NOT short!”-k if you don’t stop!”
“Mom! Peewee’s bei-“Say ‘You’re not short’!”-ng freaky!”
“No I’m not! Mom, she called me shor-“You can’t call for mom, I did!”-t and now she’s hitting me!”

By this time, they had bickered and fought the way back to the living room where they stopped shocked at the footage being shown on the screen of the TV.

Their mother had been sitting in stunned silence staring at the TV. She opened her arms toward them. Both Sarah and Peewee ran into them and looking for comfort while those distinguished words will forever remained imprinted in their brains.

Those distinguished words that will forever change the lives of all Americans.

“Breaking news, this morning terrorists affiliated with al-Qaeda hijacked four commercial passenger jet airliners. The hijackers intentionally crashed two of the airliners into the World Trade Center in New York City, resulting in the collapse of both buildings soon afterward and extensive damage to nearby buildings. The hijackers crashed a third airliner into the Pentagon. The fourth plane crashed into a field near Shanksville in rural Somerset County, Pennsylvania after passengers and members of the flight crew on the fourth aircraft attempted to retake control of their plane."

The mother began to cry softly.
Why do you ask?
Why do you ask that she should cry when she doesn't seem to live anywhere near this terrorist attack?
She might not live near.
But her husband goes to work there.
Where you ask?
In the Pentagon.
Dinner was not served that night.