Before Oskar's father died, he left a couple of voicemails to get in touch with anybody that was worrying about him.
"Message one? 8:52 A.M.
Message two: 9:12 A.M.
Message three: 9:31 A.M.
Message four: 9:46 A.M.
Message five: 10:04 A.M." (68)
"I knew I could never let Mom hear the messages, because protecting her is one of my most important raisons d'etre, so what I did was I took Dad's emergency money from on top of his dresser, and I went to the Radio Shack of Amsterdam." (68)
"Message two. 9:12 A.M. It's me again. Are you there? Hello? Sorry if. It's getting a bit. Smoky. I was hoping you would. Be. Home. I don't know if you've heard about what's happened. But. I. Just wanted you to know that I'm OK. Everything. Is. Fine. When you get this, give Grandma a call. Let her know that I'm OK. I'll call again in a few minutes. Hopefully the firemen will be. Up here by then. I'll call." (69)
"Message three: 9:31 A.M. Hello? Hello? Hello?" (168)
"Message Four: 9:46 A.M. It's Dad. Thomas Schell. It's Thomas Schell. Hello? Can you hear me? Are you there? Pick up. Please! Pick up. I'm underneath a table. Hello? Sorry. I have a wet napkin wrapped around my face. Hello? No. Try the other. Hello? Sorry. People are getting crazy. There's a helicopter circling around, and. I think we're going to go up onto the roof. They say there's going to be some. Sort of evacuation - I don't know, try that one - they say there's going to be some sort of evacuation from up there, which makes sense if. The helicopters can get close enough. It makes sense. Please pick up. I don't know. Yeah, that one. Are you there? Try that one." (207) This was the last message Oskar's father had left before the fall of the Twin Towers.