Brazilian Larry Faria Jr. survived the September 11 attacks and, 17 years later, still lives in the USA with a certainty: "It was not the last attack."
Almost two decades after the terrorist attacks that marked world history, Americans and immigrants living in the United States feel that they should always be alert and manifest to any activity considered suspicious.
Being an attack survivor who left nearly 3,000 dead for Larry means not surrendering and keeping the memory of events to the new generations. "It's not a terrorist act that will break the country," says the Brazilian, who works in New York for 20 years.
In an interview with R7, the 60-year-old economist says he thought about writing a book about his experience, but came to the conclusion that the text would be irrelevant to the greatness of what happened.
The many theories of the conspiracy created around the attack also made him give up the idea. "I did not want to be a part of it," says Larry.
Inside the Twin Towers
The economist worked on the 25th floor in the first of the Twin Towers that was hit by an airplane kidnapped by al-Qaeda terrorists and thought the building was going to collapse at that moment.
At first, Larry thought it was a bomb, but he did not think about the size of the explosion. His boss at the time, however, was already certain that this was a major terrorist attack.
"A few years before, there was an attempted bombing of a truck in the garage of one of the buildings and many of the people in the World Trade Center had lived that moment. So if I said people did not think it was a attack, I'll be lying. "
It was on a call from a client, as he was heading for the fire stairs, that he knew that it was actually a plane that had hit the building.
As he walked down the stairs to the North Tower of the World Trade Center, Larry said no one had spoken to anyone. A firefighter told him to descend calmly and that the situation on the ground floor was quiet.
Despite this, he stated that the first floor of the building looked like a war zone. "The plaster of the ceiling had collapsed, you could see the wires of electricity and there was a hole in the floor because the elevator collapsed," he describes.
The economist only learned that the second tower had been struck when he left the building. "I had no idea I had another plane."
Larry said he saw the first tower collapse at 09:59 that Tuesday. "It was the moment when I was more afraid," he says.
He says he had friends who worked in the second tower and when he saw her fall he was sure that his friends had died. "When the two towers fell, I knew the worst had happened."
'Looks like it was yesterday'
Larry said he has no trauma from the events of September 11, 2011, but admits that the next day he wanted to leave the city. To this day, he does not like being in the city at this time of year and looking to take a vacation.
Working at a location near the World Trade Center, Larry often walks by. He says he walks without fear but admits "a bad feeling". "It's sad to remember how many people died in that place," he says.
The impact of the aircraft on the Twin Towers has entered history and a whole generation is no longer a witness to what happened on September 11. But for Larry Even, 17 years are not so long. "Looks like it was yesterday."
* Trainee R7 under the supervision of Cristina Charão
