Angel in Disguise ~ Michael Jackson

0.7

2009

My ringing phone brought me out of my daze. "Hello?"

"Hi Mommy, it's Paris."

"Hey sweetie! How is everyone?"

"We're okay. I miss you."

"I miss you too, babygirl. What's up?"

"I was calling for a story. You told us you would tell us the story of you and daddy's wedding."

"Oh! I did, didn't I..."

"Yup! I'm listening!"

1985

"Oh my gosh, London you are the most beautiful bride!" Isabel gushed over me in her bridesmaid dress. My bridal party was not big at all, Isabel, Erin, Janet, and Deedee, who I had been getting very close with, were bridesmaids. My maid of honor was a cousin from my mother's side named Piper, someone I never really saw often, or even really talked to much since we were teenagers. Peyton was my junior bridesmaid, and Kelsea was the flower girl. Tito and Dee dee's son Taj was the ring barrer. Though I could not see him, I knew my father was waiting right outside the door, waiting to walk me down the aisle. He had flown from Liberia the day before just to do so.

"Thank you, Isabel." I said, looking down at myself. My dress hugged my upper half, and flowed at my lower. The long sleeves were made of lace, and my veil covered my face.

A light knock came from the door, and my father's voice called in "It's 3:00." I walked up to him and he took in my appearance "You're so beautiful... I can't believe I am about to give you away! I love you so much London. My only child." He turned away from me and wiped under his eye.

"I love you more daddy." I smiled at him.

"Are you ready, Candygirl?" He called me by my childhood nickname.

"So ready."

"Then it is time." We locked our arms and he walked me to the door that was going to lead into the church. "You are about to turn a boy into a man, a prince into a king. Take good care of him my love, and he will take care of you. I'm so proud of you."

I stood there by the door holding my father's hand while the whole bridal party walked in, until the flower girl and ring barrer did their jobs.

Finally it was my turn.

"God, as my daughter is getting married, I pray that this marriage is a stronghold, that they will know what arguments are worth arguing. Give them wisdom and patience for each other, but eternal laughter and happiness. I pray that their children can use them as an example of true love. In Jesus name, Amen." My father prayed and kissed my hand. "Let's go."

The aisle felt much longer than it actually was. My father held me close all the way through, which was a blessing because I was nervous. Looking around, I saw the familiar faces of my mother, Liz, and Michael's families in the pews, along with an arsenal of other people my mother had invited that I had never met before. None of them mattered much to me though, because there, at the alter, stood the most beautiful man that I had ever seen.

2009

"It isn't a very long story. It was May of 1985. Well, I won't pretend I forgot the exact date, it was the eighteenth, a Saturday. I was wearing the prettiest white dress, sleeves of lace. My daddy walked me down the aisle and your father and I exchanged our vows. It was no problem getting people to sing at our wedding, some of your dad's old motown friends sang there. As you probably know, it was only two months after one of the greatest songs of all time, 'We Are the World', was released, so many of those iconic singers sang for us too.

"Sheila E performed too, I had met her a couple of times and I wouldn't consider us close friends but we gave each other a call every once in a while. She brought Prince, I didn't really get to speak with him until months later, but we've been friends since. For twenty five years, he and I have been friends. Anyway, try to imagine the security! It was at least a dozen guys watching the door alone. But understand, Thriller was still a chart topper. Over all, it was a beautiful wedding. Not much to really tell." I cut the story short.

"Wow, that was a really uneventful wedding." I heard Zayden's voice through the phone and rolled my eyes.

"Well, I liked it!" Addysin chimed in.

"It sounds nice." Paris yawned.

"You girls sound tired, you should get some rest. Tell the boys I love them and I said goodnight."

'An uneventful wedding'. Oh, ours was anything but.

1985

Everything was going so well. I had changed into my second dress and everyone was dancing and enjoying themselves while Sheila sang "The Glamorous Life", even my stuck up cousin Piper.

But of course, good things usually are not good the whole way through.

"London, I need to borrow you real quick." Michael whispered in my ear. I excused myself from Erin, who I had been dancing with.

"What's wrong?" I asked him as he pulled me out of the ballroom to the bathroom.

"Your mother. Peyton told me she saw her with needles in her purse and she was scared. She's in the ladies."

2009

The happiness of my wedding had been cut short because my mother was rushed to the hospital. Every now and again, I remember how she looked sitting on the floor with her back against the bathroom wall. Her face was red and stained with tears and makeup. Her voice croaked as she said "Londy, help. I've done it again."