TRAGEDY

"I have learned two lessons in my life: first, there are no sufficient literary, psychological, or historical answers to human tragedy, only moral ones. Second, just as despair can come to one another only from other human beings, hope, too, can be given to one only by other human beings.”

              - Ellie Wiesel

Thomas unloaded the last piece of luggage from the taxi onto the sidewalk in front of the Albuquerque railway station.  The Mahoneys had taken the taxi from the parking garage at the Albuquerque International Airport where they had parked their new Ford Van to keep it safe while on vacation in New York City visiting Thomas's parents for the Christmas holidays.  Margaret, with Len and Jen in tow, was getting a porter to help Tom with the bags.  

"Excuse me sir, could you help my husband with our bags?"  Margaret smiled and handed the tall lanky middle aged Hispanic porter standing near the entrace twenty dollars.

"Gee thanks, lady.  I'll get a cart and load the bags up for you.  Can I see your ticket?"  

Margaret was surprised by his lack of an accent.  You never knew in New Mexico whether someone you talked to would have a thick New Mexican accent or not.  She handed him the tickets.  He put bag tags on all the bags and lifted them onto the cart he had brought over and handed the tickets back to Margaret.  "Have a good trip, Mam."

"Thank you,"  Margaret said.

"Thanks Margaret."  Thomas held his hand out and Jen grabbed it.  Jen went up on her tip toes and puckered her lips. Tom leaned over and gave his beautiful daughter a kiss.  "Let's get this show on the road, shall we kids?"

Margaret put her hand on Tom's shoulder and kissed him on the cheek, "No problem, you big pushover."

They had not been on a trip since Jen was born.  Margaret's exuberance was infectious.  "Come on kids, let's get a good seat on the second level before the train starts."

Len was staring down the line of rail cars towards the engine and asked, "What kind of engine does this train have, Dad?"

"This train is pulled by three General Electric B23-7 engines commissioned in 1978."  Thomas rubbed Len's hair with his free hand, happy he had asked.  Margaret grabbed Len's hand and started moving in the direction of the nearest rail car's stairs.

There is nothing like boarding a train for the first time as a child.  In front of you stands a huge machine hissing with people bustling all about, there is a smell of diesel anticipation in the air, the step up onto the platform is unusually high, the train looks infinitely long on the last look down the length of the train as you prepare to enter the car, the thin corridor smelling of polished wood looks surreal on the way to your incredibly small sleeping compartment, and then the walk to the second level of a passenger car passing through the dining car with white table clothes and flowers sitting on each table set with fine silverware.  It is an experience that no child soon forgets.

The Mahoneys met a family with two kids about Len and Jen's age the first evening at dinner.  Their trip to New York was spent having drinks, playing cards, and checking on the kids playing games in the observation car.

As the sun set in the west on the second day it glimmered off  the approaching sky scrapers of New York city.  They were in the observation car watching the beautiful city approach almost sad that they would soon be picked up by Thomas's parents and wisked off to Long Island for a late dinner.  Margaret thought she had never seen anything more beautiful.  Thomas was sitting with his arm around her shoulders and the children were staring in awe.  Her beautiful family.  My God, life was wonderful.  

Thomas felt Margaret melt into his armpit, leaned over and kissed her on the forehead, "Beautiful, isn't it?"

Thomas's parents were waiting out on the deck when they got off the train.  Their big smiles welcoming a family seldom seen.   

"Thomas, my boy.  You look fantastic."

"Thanks, Dad."

"You look radiant Margaret."  Thomas's dad kissed Margaret on the cheek.  "And who are these children with you?"

"I'm Len, don't you remember grandpa."

"Mommy, look at all the snow." Jen was laughing.

"Are you sure.  You seem far to old to be Len.  He is only six and you seem much older." Grandpa said.

Thomas's mom released her hug with her son and looked at her husband sternly, "Now you quit teasing those children, Ernie.  Margaret, Ernie's right, you look radiant."  With those words Thomas's mom hugged Margaret, picked Jen up in her arms, kissed her and ruffled Len's hair.  "Come on kids, let's get some apple pie in you."

Ernie and Beth helped Tom and Margaret with the bags.  They walked to Tom's parents old wood paneled station wagon with chains on the back tires.  The kids piled into the back with the luggage, pushed the blankets into a big pile and went immediately asleep after the excitement of the morning.

Beth and Margaret sat in the back seat talking about the kids on the snow packed fifty minute drive home to Hicksville, Long Island.   Ernie picked up Len, and Thomas picked up Jen and they carried them into the house and up to the room Tom grew up in placing them both on his old bed.  About the room were model rockets and trophies from his track and field career in high school.  Tom picked up his favorite trophy placing forth in state for the 880 in an all state meet.  "Thanks dad."  Ernie reached over and ruffled Thomas's hair the same way he ruffled Len's hair.

They arrived at 8:23 pm on Christmas Eve.  Jen was four and Len had just turned five the previous month.  They had never been to see their grandparents.  They had never been to New York.  In the morning Len and Jen woke to a frozen winter wonderland outside their window.  The smell of bacon drew them down the stairs and into the living room warmed by the soft Christmas glow from the fireplace. 

"Good Morning, children."  Grandma said placing the cookies on the red tray in her hand onto the coffee table in front of the couch next to the Christmas tree.

They both ran to grandma and hugged her legs.  She was wearing Christmas pajamas and a red bathrobe with an angel pin below her left shoulder.  Some old people smelled strange to Len but grandma always smelled like fresh cookies, vanilla, or a summer breeze.  "Good morning, Grandma."  Len said.  Jen held her arms up to be picked up and kissed.

"This is going to be the best Christmas we ever had."  Beth said.

Thomas and Margaret came into the living room from the kitchen wearing matching plaid flannel pajamas.  Tom said, "I don't suppose you kids would want to open a present.  You might as well come into the kitchen and eat some bacon."

"Can we dad, can we open a present?"  Len was excited.

Jen squirmed in grandma's arms and said, "Just one, just one?  Please!"

Margaret looked smiled at the kids, "OK kids, just one before grandpa get's here.  Why don't you two open those green ones in the middle."

Grandma had already put Jen down on the ground and watched the two kids race to the presents.  Len picked up the green present that said Jen on it and handed it to her and waited while she opened it.  Jen tore the green wrapping off the present in a fury, saw the present contained within and screamed.  It was the game she had asked for  Hungry, Hungry Hippos from Hasbro.  "Look, Mom.  Can we play, can we?"  Over the years Jen had developed the effective habit of repeating a short request in staccato.  

"Why don't we let open his present and then grandma, you, Len, and I will play a quick game while your father and grandpa finish making breakfast?"  Margaret loved to see her children happy.

Len unwrapped his gift by sliding his finger under the wrapping beneath the tape and slowly peeling it back.  It was as if you were watching someone wrap a present in reverse.  He was excited, but controlled naturally wanting to save the wrapping for the next use.  He waited until all the tape was freed before peeling back the wrapping paper to reveal Space Lego.  A smile came over his face and he looked at his mom and dad with complete joy.  "Thanks Mom.  Thanks Dad.  I can play with these later.  Let's play Hungry, Hungry, Hippos."

Christmas morning and the rest of the week including New Years Eve were a joy for the whole family.  Every meal was spent talking about work, play and shopping.  Grandpa and Thomas had many discussions at the table about engineering projects Thomas was working on at the Labs.  Grandma and Margaret went into the city and went shopping throughout the week often times coming home with several boxes of clothes, hats and shoes which they showed off to the family at dinner time.  Everyday after breakfast Grandpa would help get the kids dressed for the cold and would drive Jen and Len the three miles on the Northern State Parkway to the Cantiague Park outdoor ice skating rink where he would buy them a hot chocolate and help them put on their skates.

Grandpa was a little sad on New Years day on his drive to rink.  Len asked, "What's the matter Grandpa?"

Ernie looked over at Len sitting next to him in the front seat as he was turning onto the Parkway.  Jen was looking at him with those beautiful green eyes.  "Just a little sad to see you guys leave tomorr.."

The drunk driver slammed into them at seventy five miles an hour hitting the station wagon on the front beam of the door next to wear Jen was sitting.  The impact was so fierce it drove their car a hundred feet in the direction of travel of the drunk drivers car.  The drunk driver was thrown threw his windshield and run over by the sliding station wagon.  Grandpa was slammed against the side door hard enough to snap his neck.  Len was fortunate as Grandpa's body absorbed most of the impact after he bounced off Jen.  Jen was hit by the crushing door smashing in her right side and the back of her head.  North Shore University Hospital had an ambulance on the seen within five minutes.  Both Grandpa and Jen were dead upon their arrival.  Len escaped with minor injuries.  It was 9:12 in the morning on a beautiful sunny morning, January 1st, 1980.

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Copyright © 1993 - 2010 Philip Regenie, All Rights Reserved