Masumi Hayashi

We were in bed and watching the news on Thursday August 17, 2006. I was in that in-between sleep and awake phase, eyes fluttering open with the start of each loud commercial. My husband startled me by asking "Are you watching this? Is that Masumi's apartment?!?"

Oh my God. Yes, it is. But that can't be her. No, that's not possible.

A woman and man were shot to death in a condo on W. 75th St. and Detroit.

I jumped out of bed to search all the local news websites. The names of the vicitims were not released yet. The stories were all very vague and contained different details. I could barely breath. Wasn't she still in California visiting family? Should I call my friend E and tell her? No, I can't call and wake her up and upset her with news that I wasn't sure was true. Maybe it was someone else.

I laid back down and listened to my heart beating hard in my chest. I was not going to sleep. My phone started ringing. I jumped out of bed to hear E on the other end of the line tell me through tears that Masumi was dead.

I can not explain what it's like to see a news camera focus in on your friend's apartment window in the middle of the night, while the newscaster states that a woman has been shot there. All night I thought about her son getting phoned in the middle of the night.

2 weeks have almost passed now. It's been tough. She touched so many lives and left so much behind. The memories of her are very sweet right now and I'm enjoying them immensley.

Take care Masumi.