I See You

~Chapter 17~

Dinner went smoothly—well as smooth as a Jackson family dinner can go. Despite Michael and Jermaine and Janet and Randy's bickering, dinner was good. What would family dinner be without a little bit of drama anyways? Especially in the Jackson household.

"Can I have everyone's attention?" Katherine speaks, connecting her fork with her glass to create the perfect clink sound. Almost immediately all eleven heads turn. "Michael got very important mail today."

"Mother you stopped our conversations to tell us that? This is definitely a conversation for..." Before Jermaine could even finish, Jackie nudges his arm. He looks to Jackie with a smug look, but when he looks to Katherine it was all seriousness.  "...please Mother continue."

"That's what I thought. I was saying, Michael you got important mail today and I'd like you to open it in front of the family."

Michael suddenly becomes nervous thinking about what the mail could be about. Had he gotten bad grades? That was impossible because Michael was strictly a straight A student. Surely neither Joseph nor Katherine would be happy if that were the case. That only heightens his nerves making him rapidly bounce his leg up and down underneath the table.

Naila places her hand on his leg calming his nerves down a great deal. "Hey," Naila whispers while rubbing his leg. "Relax everything is going to be okay."

She knew him. His fear of his parents, his nervousness, and sometimes his anxiety.

Michael places his hand atop of hers and holds it tightly. "I feel at ease because you're here."

Katherine pulls the mail from behind her back and tells Rebbie to hand the mail down to Michael. From Rebbie, to Tito, to Randy, to Janet the mail was being passed. "Naila give this to Michael," Janet whispers placing it in her hand.

Michael removes his hand from atop of Naila's which is still gently gripping his thigh. Everyone sat around watching in anticipation as Michael observes the piece of mail before him.

Finally, Joseph asks, "What is it boy?"

"It's a letter from Stanford," Michael gulps still staring at the piece of mail. One part of him was at ease knowing it wasn't a grade report. The other part was nervous, but now for the thought of what could make or break him—his number one school choice.

"Well are you going to open it or are you going to stare at it all night?" Jackie questions becoming inpatient with his brother's antics.

Michael says a mental prayer and the final squeeze of comfort from Naila was all he needed. He peels the piece of mail open and takes the letter out slowly. It takes him a minute to open the paper and fixate his vision on the words.

"Dear Michael, Congratulations—"

Before he could even finish Katherine screams to the top of her lungs while Joe leans back in his chair with a wide grin on his face. Every one of Michael's siblings, including Naila begin congratulating him. Michael was in a trance though—shock.

"I got into Stanford," he mumbles to himself while still looking at the word 'Congratulations!'. He slowly scans over the rest of the letter taking mental notes of the requirements but none of that truly mattered to him in this moment. "I really got into my dream school."

Katherine walks over to Michael holding her arms out with single tears streaming down her face. It was in that moment it finally clicked to Michael.

"Mother I did it," he says, standing to his feet to join his mother's open arms. Once in them all of the fears, anxiety, nervousness, and doubts were gone. They were now replaced with happiness, relief, excitement, and tears—ones that slowly made their way down his cheek and onto her shoulder. "I did it. I got into Stanford."