I guess there already have been several posts about September 11, 2001. But I'd just like to share with you what it was like from the perspective of an outsider, someone who lives far from the USA here in Europe. In the middle of Europe, in fact. I live in Prague, and on that day I was meeting with some Czech friends in a cafe in the city near the old Jewish quarter. It was a regular thing back then; the owner was a good friend so we always had the biggest table reserved for our get-togethers.

It was lovely sunny afternoon and we were just chatting away. We're a pretty mixed group, with some artists, sculptors, writers and composers, people in business and some retired from it: a very peaceful bunch and a joy to be with. Most of them spoke English and enjoyed 'practicing' on me, and half of them either have family, friends or even homes in the US or at least have been there.

One of our group got a phone call. She answered it and her cheerful look just vanished in an instant. Magda looked puzzled and confused, that sort of 'this is a gag, right?' kind of look. She blocked one ear and said, "I can't have heard you right. A plane what?"

A pause. We all just seemd to sense that something was badly wrong and stopped talking.

"That's not possible...Are you sure you're not watching a movie?"

A bit more discussion. She switched off her phone and took a breath. "That -- that was a friend in Florida. She says planes...passenger planes have hit the towers of the world trade center."

"Planes? Plural?"

She nodded and swallowed. "That's what she says. She says it's on every channel...Every radio station..." Magda picked up her glass of Gin and tonic and downed it in one swallow. "Is there a TV here?" she asked mine host.

He shook his head.

We just looked at eachother. I don't know what others were imagining, but my own mental images were nowhere as bad as the reality.

Then we noticed something. Other people in the cafe were on their phones. Nearly everyone was on a phone. And they were all talking about "Svetovy obchodni centrum" and "Dvojcata". The World trade Center. The Twins.

Then we heard people saying "teroristy" and "horor".

I don't think you need a translation...

I don't remember much about what we said then. Not for a while. Magda tried calling a friend in New York. She has lots of friends there.

She couldn't get through.

Then her phone buzzed. She listened. She went what I can only describe as deathly pale. "That's not possible...It must be a mistake..."

This lovely, peaceful woman turned to us and just shook her head. "She says -- my friend in Florida says...One of the towers just collapsed..."

You have to understand that we just couldn't believe it. Just in my group of friends, five of them had been to New York, two of them had lived there, one had only come back from there the week before.

I got home as soon as I could and spent a long time watching CNN. And that night, like millions of others, sleep came very late and was deeply troubled.

A few nights later I had a guest spot with a blues band in a Prague club. We did the first set and as I was heading to the bar in our break I noticed a young couple seated at a table. They were speaking softly to eachother but I picked up the accent. American. Most people here can't pick the accents. They might guess English but that's about it. But in the young woman's voice I heard what sounded like Noo Yok type tones. I paused.

"Excuse me, but are you guys Americans?"

"Yeah," the young man answered. "I'm from DC and my fiancee's from Brooklyn, New York."

"Oh, man..." I put a hand on his shoulder. I was old enough to be his Dad so I can get away with it. "We are so sorry...It was awful."

Suddenly the young woman blurted out, "I want to go home! I want to see Mom and Dad and -- and I just -- I just can't - believe -this is happening..."

He held her. I leant down and hugged them both. A mature couple at the next table had heard her speak and then seen her break down. "Americanka?" the woman asked, meaning the young lady.

I nodded. "Americany." Meaning not just her, but both of them.

This lovely woman of about sixty -- who spoke maybe three words of English, took that young lady in her arms and rocked her like a child and let her cry and cry and cry.

It didn't matter that she didn't speak English. Any Mom was Mom right now, any Mom who could help her unleash her grief and anger and the other emotions that had avalanched down through her being,so she just whispered the words that mothers say and rocked her...

"She hasn't cried for three days. She just hasn't cried," her fiance told me, watching them and I am sure very glad for that mother's help.

"Have you?"

"God, yes..." He wiped away tears right then. "But Cassie hasn't. She called her folks and they said it was all okay, everyone in her family was okay, and there was nothing she could do right now by coming home early."

His words just trailed of. He was staring away, at the towers...

In a few minutes a bunch of us had rearranged the furniture a little. We pushed tables together and put chairs all around and then we all sat together, holding hands, and sang "All we are saying...Is give peace a chance..."

I love you guys.

Peace,

Whyc.