One wanted to play with the band, the other agreed to swap the shift: one decision changed two lives on September 11th
Sekou Siby was supposed to be working on the morning of September 11, 2001 at the Windows on the World, the famous restaurant located on the upper floors of the North Tower of the World Trade Center, but he was not. A colleague of his wanted to play with a band that day and asked Siby to swap shifts. Siby agreed to the swap, which meant he was not at the restaurant when the planes hit the twin towers.
This seemingly simple decision ended up saving Sekou Siby's life. The colleague who wanted to play with the band was also not at the restaurant that day, having also been spared from the tragedy. Thus, both survived the terrorist attack that killed nearly three thousand people that morning.
The Windows on the World, where both worked, was completely destroyed in the collapse of the towers. Many of its employees lost their lives that day. The story of Siby and his colleague illustrates how small coincidences and everyday decisions can determine who lives and who dies in catastrophe situations.
