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The rasta raid:

NEW YORK- Sept. 11, 2002

William Cintron, walked briskly, chin up, softly cradling a framed picture of his wife, Edna.

Sept. 11, 2002 marked the one-year anniversary of her death, but his stride in the procession up Third Avenue to St. Paul's church in East Harlem was confident, familiar to him.

"Today was not so different for me," said the 45-year-old while standing next to a memorial for Edna in front of his flower shop, Sweet William's, on East 116th Street. "I've been very active this past year attending as many memorial services as possible. I feel closer to her that way."

Cintron's day began as usual: he lit a candle in a shrine he built in the flower shop a week after the attacks. Then he headed down to Ground Zero, a trip he's made quite often this past year, and was there by 7:15 a.m., he said.

"I see that as place as her grave site," Cintron said, unconsciously turning to look south toward downtown. "I visit it a lot."

He gathered with others "in the pit," he said referring to the World Trade Center tower's footprints, which were blocked off for families who lost loved ones during the terrorist attacks last year. They were able to pay respects and leave flowers, he said.
"Seeing them there was comforting," Cintron said. "I could see my wife in the pain on their faces."

They stayed at Ground Zero until 2 p.m., he said, but that length of time did not bother him.

"Last year I was down there digging for her within 15 minutes of the towers' collapse," Cintron said. He noted that his doorman uniform looks like a policeman's so he was able to gain access to the restricted areas with the firemen.

"I spent days there," he said. "But nothing."

Today, though, he was not overwhelmed with horrible flashback visions of his impossible search. Earlier in his life, he spent years living on the street and it hardened him, he said, made him strong enough to endure this year.

"We had a tough life but we always pulled through," Cintron said proudly.

He pointed out that Edna's "Portrait of Grief," which ran in the New York Times, was included as one out of 27 profiles featured in a documentary for The Discovery Channel.

"They picked hers as their number one," he said and continued marching toward the church.

Tomorrow, like today, will not be that different, he said. He will wake up and do as he always does: light a candle in the shrine and make his way through the day finding ways to remember Edna.

"She's a wonderful woman," he said and disappeared into St. Paul's for another service.

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