THESE ARE THE TIMES
Chapter Sixteen
Two days had passed since the
horrible tragedy. Jack and Rose slowly approached the memorial where groups of
people met, awaiting word on missing loved ones or just sharing the grief of
what had happened. Jack held Rose’s hand tightly as they held candles, standing
in front of the wall containing the pictures of the missing.
"So many people, Jack…"
Rose sniffed.
"Jack, Rose, there you
are." Samantha and Tommy waved, joining their friends. "We tried
calling you to see if you wanted to come here together, but you had already
left."
"Is Kat coming?" Rose
asked.
"No. Cal’s afraid there’ll
be another attack and told her to stay home." Samantha sighed.
"My mother was concerned
about the same thing, but I came anyway. I have to be here. For Mrs. Winston
and the others who died."
"Mrs. Winston?" Tommy
asked.
"She worked at the World
Trade Center. She never came home Tuesday night. She’s among the missing. It’s
so unreal, because I had just talked to her that morning…" Tears
threatened to once again overcome Rose, but Jack squeezed her hand
reassuringly.
"They’ll find her,
Rose." Jack tried to comfort her, not really believing his own words.
"Jack!" Heather and
Richard ran up to the couple. "There you are!"
"Hey. What’s wrong? Is it
Mom or Chrissie?"
"No. They’re fine. We just
wanted to join you." Richard cleared his throat. "Hey, Rose."
"Hi." Rose forced a
smile. She’d been finding it harder and harder to smile lately.
"Listen, Rose." Heather
cleared her throat. "I know in the past I’ve been giving you a hard time.
But under the circumstances, I’ve realized that life’s too short to hate
someone just because they’re better off than I. I’d like to call a truce, for
real this time. We all need to stick together now more than ever. So, what do
you say? We call a truce?" Heather stuck out her hand for a handshake.
Rose nodded and accepted the
offer. "Truce."
"It’s sad that it took this
to get you two to get along." Jack nodded.
What's going on?
Tell me
People dying
People crying
Lord help us
Mother, mother
There's too many of you crying
Oh, brother, brother, brother
There's far too many of you dying
That's right
You know we've got to find a way
To bring some lovin' here today
Oh, my father, father
We don't need to escalate
You see war is not the answer
For only love can conquer hate
You know we've got to find a way
To bring some lovin' here today
Barricades can't block our way
Don't punish me with brutality
Talk to me
So you can see
Oh, what's going on?
What's going on?
Yeah, what's going on?
Ah…what's going on?
What's going on in a world filled with pain?
Where's the love for which we pray?
What's going on?
When our children can't play
Homeless can't eat
There's got to be a better way
What's going on
When we politically blind
Can't see the signs of endangered times
What's going on?
Ah…tell me
What's going on in the world today?
I'd rather be dead
Than turn my head away
We gotta first world vision to complete, to lift our
Hands in the air and cry for a switch
Father, father
Father help us, come on
Everybody thinks we're wrong
Oh, but who are they to judge us?
Together we can all be strong
United we stand, united we fall
Oh, you know we've got to find a way
To bring some understanding here today
Barricades can't block our way
Don't punish me with brutality
Baby, talk to me
So you can see
Yeah, what's going on?
Hey, what's going on?
Somebody tell me what's going on?
Somebody tell me what's going on--uh
What's going on 'cross seas
Every minute a child dies by this disease
In record numbers indeed
Got mommas crying out please
My baby hold on
My child ain't done nothing wrong
Still I want to holler
Ask them why they don't bother
Oh, no, oh, no
Make me turn to my father
And ask him why they all got a trapped soul
I can feel what was bothering Martin
Why his words forever remain
Dealing with these modern day problems
'Cause of ignorance surrounding me and my constituents
Too many infected
Too many lives diminishing
Nobody say Protestants, Jews, Blacks and Whites, Latinos and Asians
Pray together
Let's fight
We better unite
As genocide chemical war
And the rich and the poor
Know that God delivers a cure
It's a shame our reality is devastating
People praying for a cure
Dying while they're waiting
Ask the Lord for the comfort and strength to face it
All the kids with dreams
Won't get the chance to chase it
Makes me sad
Think about the lives they would've had
Think about the orphan babies got no moms and dads
How can we sit back and not try to make it right
We gotta come together
We gotta fight for life
Somebody tell me what's going on
What's going on?
We got human beings using humans for a bomb
But everybody wanna live
Don't nobody really want to die
You feeling me right
I can't be watching people die
And watching people cry
Let me break it down for a minute
If there's enough room here for you and for me
There's plenty of room for some humanity
Somebody tell me what's going on
What's going on?
Somebody tell me what's going on
What's going on?
Somebody tell me what's going on
What's going on?
Somebody tell me what's going on
What's going on?
Somebody tell me what's going on
What's going on?
Somebody tell me what's going on
What's going on?
Somebody tell me what's going on
What's going on?
Somebody tell me what's going on
What's going on?