1790 by Thomas Lipschultz 2/4/98, 9/17/98 It's such a random number. 1791 people. One bomb and they all died. It's just a number, but what it represents is so much more. If one person left a half-minute earlier, it would've been 1790. A nice, round number. No, she wasn't meant to die there. It all would have been perfect if she got away. The number would have been 1790. A nice, round number. But doesn't it seem like a random number, round or not? If 9 more people died, it would have been 1800, but even THAT would seem a little random. I mean, 1500 or 2000, or even 1750, but 1800? But I digress. Numbers mean so little. She's dead now, and all she has to show for it is a 1 instead of a 0. Nobody's alive to remember her who really cares, and because she's not a famous person, she's just a statistic now. Not even a statistic... just an increment. No, she wasn't meant to die there. The bomb was dropped by a band of 41 terrorists from Iraq. If there were only 40 terrorists, maybe the bomb would've fallen a split second later, and she would've escaped with her life, if not her health and well-being. But again, what sort of number is 40? It's round and even, but far from typical. 1790 and 40... I wish those were the numbers in today's paper. But then some other guy would be lamenting about how he wished the number was 1789, and maybe 39... but he wouldn't have the same excuse I have. My numbers round out nicely. Well, almost. But his wouldn't work at all, and he'd probably get really depressed about it. Or maybe he'd be better off. At least he wouldn't find himself entertaining the idea that maybe she wasn't meant to die. But again, I digress. Numbers mean nothing in a situation like this. Still, I can't help but think about it. She was running late. She was probably on her way out when it happened. Another few seconds and she might've made it, and the number would be 1790. And she would've made it because there would be one less terrorist. 40 instead of 41. I wonder if any of them were last minute add-ons? Maybe one of the terrorists was hired on the spot, right as the mission began, and single-handedly helped speed it up by a few seconds. That person, whoever he is, is responsible for her death... I'm certain of it. The number should've been 1790, and it would've been if the other number were 40. Who was the last man? Who is the object of this hatred? Who threw the scales of my own personal history off-balance by 1 and 1? Did anyone? 1790 and 40 are even, but random... were they meant to be? Oh, how I wish that number were 1790.