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Melvin's blog
Nshima & Curry
Melvin's Blog
Nshima & Curry
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REMEMBERING THE VICTIMS OF SEPT. 11
So many names, so many faces. Names that could fill a small
town's phone directory, faces that could pack a small
college's yearbook.
Do you remember the names? Can you picture the faces? Or has
the flood of news turned your mind into a Cuban dock, with
more going out than coming in?
Here are five names: Ronald Orsini, Valsa Raju, Michael
Parkes, Brooke Jackman, Bill Dean.
Five people who perished on Sept. 11. Let's meet them. With
help from the New York Times, let's take a quick peek into
their lives.
Ronald Orsini, 59, a bond broker at the World Trade Center,
had studied ballet as a boy and loved to dance. But when he
wasn't dancing, his wife, Arlene, considered him a klutz.
She asked him, "What would you be like if you hadn't
danced ballet?"
Klutz or not, he had a positive outlook on life, the type of
eternal optimist who, on Sept. 11, might have said, "Stop
worrying about it. It's only a plane. I barely heard the
crash. My office is only half-full of smoke. How many bonds
did you say you wanted?"
Valsa Raju, 39, an Indian native, worked for a financial
company and was raising two children: Sonia, 9, and Sanjay,
5. Known for her contagious smile, she enjoyed decorating
and gardening. In a small backyard patch, she grew tomatoes,
eggplant, and -- like any good Indian -- hot peppers. (They
helped fire up her curry dishes.) Did she pose a threat to
anyone? None whatsoever. Her friends considered her
harmless, even those who had tasted her curry.
Michael A. Parkes, 27, had an MBA and a good job as a senior
accountant, but his passion was working with young people.
He volunteered as a scoutmaster, camp counselor and leader
of a church youth group, somehow finding enough time to
sleep.
He hoped to eventually return to his native Jamaica and
build a school. He wanted to help young black men achieve
success through education -- and not by majoring in
basketball. "Don't dream about the NBA," he would have told
them. "Dream about an MBA."
Brooke Jackman, 23, an assistant bond trader, was blessed
with an amazing memory. A decade after a family event, she
could remember not just what people had said, but just as
important, what they had worn. No wonder she made the Dean's
List at Columbia University.
A voracious reader who often visited bookstores, she planned
to quit her job and pursue a master's degree in social work,
believing that there's more to life than making money -- a
radical concept on Wall Street.
Bill Dean, 35, a vice president for an insurance firm, once
completed the New York City Marathon. And even more
phenomenal than that, he called his parents every day.
As a father of two infants, he appreciated what his folks
had done for him. Besides, a daily chat with Mom and Dad
meant lots of free advice, eliminating the need to call the
psychic hotline. Never mind that he created an unattainable
standard for other men, especially the ones who felt proud
about calling home every other year.
Ronald, Valsa, Michael, Brooke, and Bill. Five hardworking
people. Five innocent victims.
Multiply them by 700, add thousands of shattered
families, millions of bitter tears, and you may get a hint
how tragic Sept. 11 was.
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