“You can’t really be closing this early,” I said. “It’s only 11:30.” The woman
behind the Taco Bell counter at the food court in Oak court Mall nodded an
affirmative affirmative.’
“Oh yes we can.”
“Well, can I at least get a bean burrito?” She sized me up, laughed, and
muttered soemting to the effect of “Gonna get something to eat before you die,
huh?”
Before I die? What did she know that I didn? Still, she ordered my (possibly
last) meal, took my money, and returned correct change, I guess. If I was
indeed doomed, as was suggested, what did a few cents matter?
“Has there been some kind of threat made against the mall? I asked the woman.
She shrugged nonchalantly and handed me a note. It was a memo addressed “to
alL store managers, owners, all management.”
“Due to national events,” it read, “and for the safety of our shoppers and
employees Simon Property Group has made the decision to close all Simon
properties as well as the corporate office in Indianapolis, Indiana. Malls
will reopen Wednesday, September 12th, at regularly scheduled business hours.
We apologize for any inconvenience. Thank you for your immediate attrention to
this matter.”
The steadily mounting combination of terror and sickness, which had begun
shortly after my typically peaceful morning coffee had been interrupted by the
day’s awful news, began to escalate. This time all the paranoia was real. the
mall was indeed closing.I toured both floors and found that, wih the lone
exception of a nail salon, every metal screen had been pulled down. Most shops
were empty, though some employees stood behind their cages staring out like
prisoners, faces as blank as the front page of the daily news on the day after
the end of the world. A helpful mall employee escorted me to the security
office. As we walked through the empty, echoing expanse, my concern peaked.
Terrorism that leads to the mass closing of our public spaces is mighty
effective terrorism….
“You don’t have permission to be here,” the security guard said quietly but
sternly.
“Has there been a threat?”
“I’m not going to answer any qestions,” he said, kindly referring me to the
mall offices. They too were closed. On the way out, I asked another security
guard, “Why exactly is the mall closing?”
“I’d tell you,but I could lose my job,” he answered with a nervous stammer.
“Are you a reporter?” I thought about lying. I sensed he would tell me if I
said no.
“Yes,” I said. “I’m a reporter.” Silence.
“They evacuated Disney World,” a voice on the radio said as I pulled away.
Score one for the terrorists. They even brought our dreams to a grinding halt.
For a moment anyway.
