Beamer Lisa - Lets roll!: ordinary people, extraordinary courage

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Lets Roll!: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Courage

Copyright 2002 by Lisa Beamer. All rights reserved.

Cover photograph of Lisa Beamer copyright 2002 by C. David Edmonson. All rights reserved.

Cover photograph of Todd and boys and interior photographs used by permission from the Beamer family collection.

Cover photograph of field 2003 by Robert Vizzini/Nonstock. All rights reserved.

Photograph of Ken Abraham taken by Jim Enos, Image Photography, Sarasota, Florida, 2002 by Ken Abraham. All rights reserved.

Acquisitions Director, Tammy Faxel

Designed by Jenny Swanson

Edited by Ramona Cramer Tucker

Published in association with the literary agency of Alive Communications, Inc.,7680 Goddard Street, Suite 200, Colorado Springs, CO 80920.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Scripture used in the Epilogue is taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Beamer, Lisa.

Lets roll!: ordinary people, extraordinary courage / Lisa Beamer with Ken Abraham.

p. cm.

ISBN 978-0-8423-7319-7 (hc)

ISBN 978-0-8423-7418-7 (sc)

1. Beamer, Lisa. 2. Beamer, Todd Morgan, 1968-2001. 3. September 11 Terrorist Attacks, 2001.

4. Victims of terrorismUnited StatesBiography. 5. Terrorism victims familiesUnited States.

I. Abraham, Ken. II. Title.

HV6430.B43 A3 2002

973.931092dc21

2002006403

Printed in the United States of America

15 14 13 12 11 10 09

13 12 11 10 9 8 7

To Todd,

my husband, my everyday hero. Thank you for loving God, loving us, and always playing hard. Thank you for teaching me patience and mercy. I love you and promise to finish our journey well.

See you later.

CONTENTS

THE RINGING OF AN ALARM CLOCK dragged me reluctantly from a deep sleep at 5:45 A.M. on Tuesday, September 11. My husband, Todd, rolled over and silenced the annoying noise. I roused slightly, peeking out from under the covers only long enough to notice it was still dark outside. Although I wasnt ready to get up yet, I knew the bright morning sunshine would soon be streaming through the bay window in our bedroom. Pulling the covers up over my head, I attempted to go back to sleep.

We had just returned from Rome, Italy, late afternoon the previous day, so between the jet lag and the strain of being five months pregnant, a few extra minutes of sleep seemed like a good idea. I anticipated a full day ahead of me. Besides keeping up with our two energetic boysDavid, our three-and-a-half-year-old, and Drew, who was 19 monthsI had numerous tasks to accomplish. The laundry had stacked up. I needed to stop by the bank and then go to the grocery store to replenish the refrigerator we had cleaned out before going away. After that I had several more errands to run. David would be starting preschool tomorrow, so I wanted to talk with him about the transition in our lives that school would bring. My to-do list grew longer even in my sleep as I remembered all the things I had to take care of after being away from home for a week. Vacation was over; life was back to normal. I sighed inwardly.

Todd eased out of bed, trying his best not to disturb me as he headed toward the shower. As one of the top young sales representatives of the software giant Oracle Corporation, Todd traveled a lot for business as well as for pleasure. His job often required whirlwind trips, so to him, this earlymorning flight was just another day at the officea one-day jaunt to San Francisco to meet with some high-profile clients. Hed catch the red-eye flight home that same night.

I can do it. Its no big deal, hed said when he informed me of his plans to travel so soon after our return from Europe. Ill be back before you know it.

Somewhere between being asleep and awake that Tuesday morning, I heard the shower running. A short time later I vaguely sensed Todd leaning over me and kissing me good-bye, as he always did before leaving for the day. Sometimes Id have the covers pulled up so high hed have to kiss the top of my head. Thats what he must have done that morning, because we didnt communicate verballyor if we did, I dont remember it.

I heard Todds footsteps going down the hardwood back steps and smiled to myself as I imagined him trying to walk quietly. When wed built our new home little more than a year earlier, I hadnt wanted to carpet the steps because I didnt want to vacuum them! But the price I paid for that decision was hearing the clomping of footsteps any time Todd left for one of his predawn trips.

I snuggled a little farther down, burying myself beneath the blankets. The sun would be up soon, and the boys would rise shortly after that. Better get some last-minute sleep while I can.

By 6:45 the sun was indeed shining brightly through our bedroom window, so I hopped out of bed. It was a gorgeous blue-sky morningnot a cloud to be seen and unseasonably warm for September in New Jersey. What a beautiful day! I thought. Maybe the boys and I will have some time to play outside later.

A habitual list maker, I started going over my grocery list, adding needed items and trying to get organized before the boys got up. I had just begun folding some laundry when I heard the patter of a little boys bare feet coming down the front staircase.

Good morning, David! I hugged him in his pajamas. Drew ale manner every mother of toddlers knows all too well. Come on, Drew. Lets get that diaper changed before we have breakfast.

It was a full-tilt morning, per usual life for a family with young children.

The boys sat up at our breakfast bar, and I got them some Froot Loops and Cheerios to eat. Later, after theyd eaten and dressed, they watched Sesame Street while I went upstairs for a quick shower.

A few minutes after nine oclock, as I was getting ready to go to the grocery store, the phone rang. I ignored it since I was about to walk out the door. But our answering machine picked up the call, and I heard the familiar voice of my friend Elaine Mumau. She sounded stressed.

Hi, Lisa. I know Todd is traveling todayand I was just calling to check on him.Do you have your television turned on?Have you seen whats happening?

I grabbed the phone. Elaine, what are you talking about?

Isnt Todd flying today?

Yes, he is. Why?

Do you know his flight number?

No, I dont. Why, Elaine? Whats going on?

Turn the TV on, Elaine instructed. Theres been a plane crash at the World Trade Center.

I turned on the television and saw the Twin Towers enveloped in a huge plume of smoke. A second plane had just smashed into one of the towers, tearing a gaping hole in the building and setting it ablaze. Commentators described the scene in shocked, pensive tones. I stood in front of our television, mesmerized by the horrific sight. Before long the newscasters reported that two planesan American Airlines flight and a United Airlines flightwere missing and might have been the ones that hit the towers. The broadcasters speculated about possible terrorist involvement in the crashes.