Motion (Sequel to "Collide")

CHAPTER FIFTY THREE

October 31st, 1993

Mexico City, Mexico

Dear Diary,

Once again, I struggled to even remember in which city I was when I woke up this morning. Even remembering the date was a challenge. We landed in Mexico two or three days ago, I can't quite recall. To be honest, I'm glad to be settling down in Mexico City for a couple of weeks. Michael has five different shows here, each of them obviously sold out.

Having to say goodbye to Katherine and Joseph was tough. They brought a bit of home with them, and I felt oddly out of place when they left. After I revealed my secret to them, we spent hours talking. They were eager to know more, and understanding beyond expectations. Deep down, I think they knew. They didn't know about my ability per say, but they knew there was something different about me. Something that made Michael and I perfect for each other.

On another note, Latin America has been a blast so far. The love we've received through Argentina, Brazil and Chile has been overwhelming. I don't think I'll ever be able to get over the way people look at Michael with sparkling eyes, the way they hold on to him as if their life depended on him. He spreads so much joy and happiness everywhere he goes. No matter how tired he is, or how much pain he is in: he always makes time for them and never hesitates to lend a helping hand.

We visited the biggest favela in Brazil, and we provided them with toiletries and clothes. Some of them needed urgent medical care, which I gave to them. Whether it was nasty cuts that needed to be put in stitches, infections that needed to be treated, or bruises that needed to be checked. I even had to create a splint from scratch for an elderly woman who refused to go to the hospital after a violent fall.

Michael insisted on coming back with me the next day, and got the kids a bunch of new toys for them to enjoy. He didn't have to, especially since he hurt his back during rehearsals, but still, he did. That's Michael for you.

It's been a real struggle for me to see my husband in pain. Between his back injury and the faces of discomfort that came back because of the pain from his scalp, I'm in constant doctor mode. Michael's exhausted, and though he tries to hide it, I can see right though him. His body is having trouble coping with the pain, and the new medication routine I came up with isn't helping with his state of exhaustion. It's only masking it temporarily.

I was relived no more pills went missing, though. I just came to the conclusion that I simply might have lost the bottle somewhere. I felt guilty for even thinking Michael took it. I guess I just overreacted. My previous visions about his pill abuse were lurking in the back of my head, causing flashbacks to creep out of nowhere, convincing me something was going on with my husband.

But I won't let them win.

I closed my journal, and took a quick look at my watch that indicated four in the afternoon. Some days felt longer than others. I was up to date in my work, I didn't have any appointments, Faraji was with his private tutor, and Michael was at rehearsals. I enjoyed the peace and quiet, I just didn't expect the day to be so long.

It was in moments like these that being away from home hit the hardest. Thankfully, they weren't much frequent, as I was normally very busy. Between sightseeing with Faraji, visiting hospitals and orphanages, filling paper work, getting in touch with the Foundation and Carl, taking care of Michael... My days were usually full, and I was enjoying every bit of it.

I put away my paper work and my journal, and headed to the master bedroom to find something to keep me busy. At first, I thought about grabbing a book and catch up on some reading, but my plans changed at the sight of our room. Michael could get a little messy while on tour. As he was always running late for meetings or rehearsals, clothes and make up were always all over the place after he left.