Greetings from London

If you look at my last blog entry, you'll know I've been thinking about terrorism today. In light of this, here's a short story I wrote on the day after the attacks on London, on 7 July 2005. Some of you may have already read it, as it was published in Link, the magazine of the Faculty of Humanities at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.

Greetings from London

From: Mark [Mark.Rhodes@yahoo.com]
Sent: Monday 10 September 2001 19:17 EST
To: Lindsay [LJRhodes@btinternet.co.uk]
Subject: News from New York!!!

Hey Sis!!!

Well, here we are, finally!!! I’m gonna wake up, in the city that never sleeps… And it’s great! I can’t wait to explore! It took us quite a while to get here, though. We had a four hour delay at Heathrow. And then the flight took longer than expected, we seemed to be turning circles over NYC forever! And finally the taxi we were in got stuck in the rush hour traffic as well.

But never mind, we’re here now! And we’ve already seen some of the sights (as if you could miss the World Trade Center towers! Boy, are those buggers big!) We kept seeing them from the plane, at one point we got so close I thought we’d crash into them! I can hear you think: yeah, right, as if that would ever happen!!!

Anyway, apparently tourists can go right to the top of the WTC, and Ben and I decided that that’s the first thing we’re going to do tomorrow morning! Is there a better way to see the Big Apple than to see all of it in one go?

But I’ll tell you all about that in my next mail. For now, we’re going out for a bite to eat (a fine sample of the famous New York style pizza will go down nicely, I think) and then to find a bar and get pleasantly inebriated!

Later!

Mark

P.S.: Ben tells me to send his love to the most beautiful girl in the world. Honestly, he may be my best friend, but you’re not making him family, are you?


*****


From: Mark [Mark.Rhodes@yahoo.com]
Sent: Saturday 12 October 2002 21:32 BORT
To: Lindsay [LJRhodes@btinternet.co.uk]
Subject: What a glorious day!!

Hiya Lindsay!!!

How’s life in dreary old London? Well, let me tell you, on Bali it is absolutely glorious. The weather is great, the sun is shining like there’s no tomorrow, the sea is wonderful, the people are friendly, you name it. It’s paradise.
Today we arrived in a little seaside town called Kuta Beach, where we checked into a nice little backpackers hotel. And then we spent all day on the beach, playing in the surf and sipping cool Pina Colada’s. Absolutely wonderful, just what I needed.

I’m still having the occasional hard time, though. I mean, traveling with Jennifer is great, don’t get me wrong, but this is something Ben and I used to talk about. Traveling the world, seeing great cities, hitting on beautiful girls in exotic places… (don’t tell Jen I wrote that, will you?) I suppose I should be grateful that the elevator was full, and that I was not on top of the WTC, but sometimes I feel guilty… I still see him sticking out his tongue at me, flaunting the fact that he’d get the view sooner than I would… How were we supposed to know?

Anyway, enough of that! I’m supposed to have a good time here, and to enjoy myself! After all, it’s my first trip since 9/11. And Jennifer is certainly making sure that I have a good time. She’s spoiling me rotten. I must have gained a stone during this holiday, at least! But she told me that tonight I’ll have a chance to dance it off, though. She’s determined to go to this club she’s heard so much about.

Oh, here she comes, I’ll mail you soon!

Love
Mark


*****


From: Mark [Mark.Rhodes@yahoo.com]
Sent: Saturday 15 November 2003 8:06 EEST
To: Lindsay [LJRhodes@btinternet.co.uk]
Subject: Kisses from Constantinopel

Hello, Lin!

Sorry I didn’t mail you last night, I got to my hotel too late to send you any lines. So how is my baby sister doing?

I can’t tell you too much about (supposedly) beautiful Istanbul, since I haven’t seen any of it myself yet, but I’ll be able to tell you all about it later. Serina (that’s Abbou’s wife, I don’t think you’ve met her) is making me breakfast and once I’ve finished that, she’s taking me into town to show me the sights. We’re planning to pick Abbou up from his synagogue as well. I can’t believe that he’s already gone there! He must have left at 6!!

Anyway, it smells as though Serina has her culinary delights ready, so I’ll write later!

Love
Mark


*****


From: Mark [Mark.Rhodes@yahoo.com]
Sent: Thursday 20 November 2003 9:55 EEST
To: Lindsay [LJRhodes@btinternet.co.uk]
Subject: NOT AGAIN

Im sorry I haven’t been able to mail much, but things have been so hectic around here. I havent slept in days, every time I close my eyes I see blood and debris flying around, and I feel like I’m choking. when is it ever going to stop?

I can’t believe its happened again! What is happening to me? First New York, then Bali, and now here! It seems that every time I leave England something bad happens, and somebody I know and care about dies!

Luckily, Serina was able to leave the hospital yesterday. Shes off this afternoon to go to her parents in Ankara this afternoon. I hope that they can comfort her a bit; she hasn’t stopped crying since she found out that Abbou was killed in the attack. She’s coming with me too the station. She’ll catdh a train to Ankara, and I’ll take one to the airport. Ill hopefully be home tonight. Can you pick me up from the airport? I don’t know when or where I’ll land yet, but I’ll call as soon as I can. Oh, and coul you book me an appointment with my psychiatrist? I’m going ot need it!

Thanks
Mark


*****


From: Mark [Mark.Rhodes@yahoo.com]
Sent: Wednesday 10 March 2004 16:34 CET
To: Lindsay [LJRhodes@btinternet.co.uk
Subject: I can’t believe I’m doing this

Hey Lin

I can’t believe I let you talk me into this. I know that nothing has ever happened in Western Europe and that I’m safe here, but I keep looking over my shoulder. I’d much rather be at home. It may not be your favourite city, but at least I feel at home in Coventry.

I know, I know, it’s a business trip, and as you said, I’ll regret it for the rest of my life if I don’t travel again. And you’re right, surely lightning doesn’t strike the same place five times… And of course you’re right that I won’t be able to further my carreer if I don’t follow at least a few seminars abroad. But it is still impossible for me to enjoy this.

Alejandra is pleasant enough company. I had sort of forgotten her, I hadn’t seen her since the two of you graduated. I’m just wondering if you’re not trying to play cupid? I know you and mom think I’ve been single way too long, but you have to understand that it’s really hard for me to learn to care for anybody but my immediate family.

Anyway, Alejandra has been really sympathetic about it all, I could tell that you’ve kept in touch with her regularly. She’s shown me some of Madrid, but she didn’t push whenever I felt I couldn’t handle it anymore. Too bad she can’t come down to Toledo with me tomorrow for the seminar, but she has to work as well.

It’s going to be an early start tomorrow. Apparently Alejandra is always at her desk by 7:00 am. And she doesn’t come home at night until at least 9 in the evening. I must say I was suitably impressed until I remembered the famed Spanish siesta… But anyway, it’s still early in the morning for your average English bloke. Since she insisted of accompanying me as far as possible, she’s taking me to the station, and then she’ll catch a metro to the center. That means we have to be at Atocha train station at 6:40!!! I get tired just thinking about that time. Normally I’m not even out of bed by then!

I must confess, I do feel a lot better now. You couldn’t have fixed me up with a better friend… and she looks great too! I hope she’ll be able to join me in Toledo over the weekend!

Bye for now

Mark


*****


From: Mark [Mark.Rhodes@yahoo.com]
Sent: Wednesday 6 July 2005 18:34 GT
To: Lindsay [LJRhodes@btinternet.co.uk]
Subject: Meet me

Hello Lindsay

I’m sorry, I know I haven’t been in touch much since last year, and I know you think I’ve been blaming you for what happened in Madrid. And if you think I might have had something to do with any of the bombings, I couldn’t even hold it against you. God knows I’ve been wondering myself.

And yes, I did blame you, for a bit. After all, you’re the one who insisted that I go to Spain, even if I didn’t want to. But lately I’ve come to realize that you’ve lost friends in each of these attacks too. The only luck you’ve had in all of this is that you haven’t had to see any of them happen, while I seem to have a knack of getting myself into these situations. Or maybe they find me, I don’t know…

Anyway, I’d really appreciate it if you’d meet me. I would love to see you face to face, and besides, I’d like to congratulate you on the Olympic victory. I know you (and so many others) have worked very hard for that… What if we went to the British museum tomorrow like we used to when we were kids? Then I can show you some of the things I’ve been up to last year as well. Why don’t we meet at King’s Cross station at around 9 am? I’m staying in a little hotel near there, and I don’t think that’s too many changeovers from Hounslow, is it? We can walk to the museum from there…

I hope you’ll be there, you’ve always been my best mate, and we’ve each suffered alone long enough.

Love forever
Your brother Mark

Copyright 2008 by PJ Mulroy. All rights reserved.