"Skai, can you come here please?" Toni called out for her and a couple of seconds later Skai was in their room. They haven't told Skai what happened to Michael but she was starting to wonder. She asked Janet why she was crying but Janet didn't answer her.
"Yes?" Skai asked looking at her parents. Janet picked her up and sat her in her lap.
"Momma and I have something very important to tell you. If at any time you don't understand you can let us know, okay?"
"Mmhmm." Janet looked at Toni and she started talking.
"After we left Uncle Mike's house the other night, he got really sick." Toni said before Skai interrupted her.
"Can we make soup for him and make him get better? Mama K can make it."
"No baby we can't." Janet said and Skai frowned.
"Why not?"
"Well, you see, when he got sick he went to the hospital."
"That's where you went Mommy and I stayed with Auntie Tay?"
"Yes. The doctors couldn't help him because he was really really sick."
"Oh, so what did the doctors do?" Skai asked not really understanding where her mother was going.
"They couldn't do anything. Baby Uncle Mike passed away."
"Huh? What does that mean?"
"It means that he's with God now. He's in heaven and god can't bring him back." Toni explained to her.
"No, but- we were at his house, the other day Mommy. He was fine, he wasn't sick." Skai said in confusion.
"I'm sorry baby." Janet said and started to cry.
"No, I want to go see him." She backed away from Janet's lap and sat on the bed.
"Baby-
"I want to see Uncle Mike! I want to see him. I don't want him to go." She started throwing a tantrum on their bed. Toni sighed as Janet put her knees to her chest and started crying. Toni was going to pick Skai up but since she was kicking and screaming, she didn't want her to kick her growing belly.
"Shh, it's okay baby." She cooed trying to calm Skai down.
"Mommy, I want to see Uncle Mike. I want to see him. Make him come back, Mommy please." She cried and crawled to Toni. Toni held her close and rubbed her back.
"I know you do baby. I can't make him come back baby, he's gone." Toni whispered as tears fell from her eyes.
"Mommy w-why did he have to go? I didn't want him t-to go." Skai hiccuped.
"I don't know baby and nobody wanted him to go. Death is a natural thing and you can't stop it from happening." Toni wiped her tears. It was silent before Janet spoke,
"I know you're feeling very sad. We're all sad, too. We all loved Uncle Mikey so much, and he loved us, too." She wiped her tears and Skai crawled to her.
"Is Auntie Nippy going to be more sad because they are married?"
"Yes, everyone will be sad baby."
"Even the people that he sings for?"
"Yup."
"Are we going to have to dress up in a black dress and go to church like the people in the movies?"
"A funeral?" Toni asked and she nodded.
"Yes. Do you know why we have to go there?" Skai shook her head.
"We go to funerals because Uncle Mike has died, we are going to have one just for him. At the funeral, everyone can get together to remember things Uncle Mike did, to think about how much we loved him, and to say a very special goodbye to him. You can think about if you would like to be there. You do not have to decide right now and if you change your mind that is okay." Skai nodded and Janet continued,
"Lots of people who loved Uncle Mike will be there. We will sing, pray, and talk about his life. People might cry and hug. People will say things like, 'I'm sorry for your loss,' or, 'My condolences.' Those are polite and kind things to say to the family at a funeral. We can say, 'Thank you,' or, 'Thanks for coming.' You probably won't be there because a funeral isn't a place for a child. You can watch it on television."
"Mmkay, are you going tomorrow?"
"No, we have to wait awhile." Toni said and Skai nodded wiping her tears.
"It's okay to cry Skai, It's natural to be sad after someone dies. One day the sadness will stop and you will be happy again."
Tamar's POV
I didn't know Michael that well, outside of me being a fan, but I know that he was the greatest of all time. He was so sweet and he cared for everyone no matter what. I'm going to miss him and I know that everyone else will too. Michael's kindness attracted people the moment he walked into the room. He was so giving and when he wasn't touring he was donating money to charity or visiting sick children at hospitals.
People treated him so badly and Michael never changed. He was still so sweet no matter what people said or thought about him. The cruel people out there were so mean to him, making up rumors about his skin, about him allegedly touching kids but he didn't care. Michael wrote all of his feelings out in songs and he didn't care what people had to say about him. Michael gave us his whole life with songs and dance moves only for him to die a tragic death.
I know that Michael is in a better place now and not in any pain anymore. His legacy will forever live on in us.
***
•This one is a bit shorter than my last but sad 😞
•Thoughts?
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