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Mark Bonin (Photo by Lisa Aciukewicz)
Shock. Sadness. Grief. Confusion. All of these words describe how many people throughout the world felt upon hearing of two explosions rocking the finish line of Monday’s Boston Marathon.
For one member of the Harvard community the events were much closer and the emotions were far more amplified than anyone could have imagined. Mark Bonin, head chef at the Harvard General Store, was at a marathon party a matter of feet from the bombings during the moment the blasts occurred.
“After the second one, we knew it was something bad,” Bonin recalls. He was located on the second floor of Abe & Louie’s Restaurant, at an annual party hosted by a Mercedes-Benz dealership.
“Everyone was standing and cheering, and all of a sudden we heard a big boom. After the second one, we saw runners turning around, running the other way,” he said. “We checked on everyone and left.”
The first explosion occurred just beside the finish line at 2:50 p.m., at approximately the 4 hour, 10 minute mark of the race. The second blast took place eleven seconds later, about 1,500 yards farther down the course on Boylston Street.
It was not until Bonin got in his car to leave the city and turned on his radio that he truly found out the full extent of what had happened. He received countless texts and phone calls from concerned family members and friends throughout the day. While he said the events of the day felt “surreal,” an uneasy mind haunted him throughout Monday night and into Tuesday.
“I didn’t really get any sleep (Monday) night. It’s always been our favorite day of the year,” said Bonin who has attended the yearly party for over ten years. “Suddenly it was instant horror.”
As of Tuesday, Bonin continued to receive phone calls from other party goers, as well as friends from afar. Despite the events occurring almost 24 hours prior to this interview, he remained in an admittedly shaken state of mind. “I just could not believe we were right there,” he said.
When asked about attending the marathon in the future, Bonin expressed apprehension. “I’ll never forget this. It was very traumatic. Maybe it will never happen again, but I’ll maybe have to think twice.”
At time of publishing, there have been three reported fatalities and well over 100 injuries related to the two blasts. There are no known reports of any Harvard residents being injured by Monday’s events. On Monday evening, the Harvard Congregational Church held a brief prayer service for the victims of the two blasts. And at the request of President Obama, flags throughout the town are at half-staff.
