Another Part Of Me

Lunch with Janet

Our lunch was prepared by my personal chef and it was supposed to be a surprise. It ended up to be cesar salad with some smoked salmon. I am what you'd consider a picky eater, but I don't mind fish or salad. Janet smiled when the food came to us as we were sitting at my dining room table. We began talking about me possibly buying a new place. A place I could create all my fantasies and live them out at, and where I would invite everyone from poor children & sick ones to adults that just want that spark from their childhood back to spend a day carefree and happy. To be able to forget their responsibilities or sicknesses even for just a little while.

"Neverland, I'd call it," I said to Janet. Her eyes brightened up at the name I chose.

"That sounds wonderful, Michael. Inspired by Peter Pan?" she smiled. "Maybe you could even have a zoo? Or a train station!" I could see the idea of this new place made her very giddy.

"Yeah Janet, that sounds really quite perfect actually!" And I admit that yes, talking about it, I become giddy as well.

I was trying to find a nice town somewhere in Cali with beautiful scenery, somewhere I'd be inspired to write new songs. Maybe with a big oak tree to sit in? My mind began swirling with so many magical ideas for my dream home.

"Are you thinking about maybe having a pool?" Janet asks.

"Yeah I was thinking a pool, & maybe a hot tub?" I say.

"Wow, this all sounds so exciting!" Janet squeals.

We both start to eat in silence, but not an awkward one as we are both off in our own daydreams thinking about Neverland.

"Are you done with your plate, Mr. Jackson?" my butler says.

"Oh, yes, sorry, thank you very much," I smile at him as I'm knocked out of my day dream. I always try and smile at my staff so they know that I do indeed appreciate them and all they do for me.

My butler takes Janet's and my dishes and I tell Janet what I've come up with while we were eating.

"So, what do you think about a clock made out of flowers at the base of Neverland?" I say with pure excitement.

"That sounds beautiful, Michael, but show me how it would look," she says grabbing some paper and sharpies so I can draw my idea out.

I begin to draw two staircases on either side of a huge floral clock that lead up to Janet's idea, a train station. When I finish it, I show it to Janet and her expression automatically tells me she loves it. But suddenly, her expression changes into something else that sends worry through me.

"Michael, I do like this a lot, but maybe you should focus on work first. Remember you're going on your first solo tour in a few months?" Janet brings down the mood to a reality check.

"Oh, uhm, yeah, maybe I should. I just get so excited when I think or talk about Neverland...A dream place of my own...That'd really be something, huh, Janet?" I get really disappointed but I don't want her to know its because of what she said. "Excuse me, Janet, but I have to go to the bathroom. I'll be back in a few minutes," I say.

I walk to the bathroom and close the door. I slide to the floor and rest my back against the door and put my head in my hands. How could I have gotten so caught up in thinking about Neverland that I haven't been practicing my moves? I have to put off finding a location for my dream place in order to get work done.

Crap! Another thought hits me, this tour is over a year long! It starts in September 1987 and goes till January of 1989. Now I'm going to have to wait until then to get Neverland?! No way am I waiting, I'm gonna go find a location for Neverland now before the tour starts!

In my head I start to calculate how much time I have. Well, it's now June of 1987, and the tour starts in 3 months. Wow, that's not a whole lot of time. I start to panic when Janet suddenly knocks on the door.

"Michael, are you alright in there?"