Fall Again *Michael Jackson Love Story*

I'll Be There

     The bus driver dropped me off three blocks away from my parents' house.

     I had to walk the rest of the way.

     It was pitch black. The only light I had was the small glow from the street lights. 

     The only thing that was on my mind was Michael. 

     All our memories spun in my head. 

     When I finally arrived home it was already 6:30 pm, and I knocked on the door.

     My sister older sister, Isabel, came to let me in.

"Nat...?" She said, giving me a very puzzled look. 

     I broke into tears as I walked into her open arms for a hug.

"Natty, what's wrong?" She paused to let me speak, but I couldn't. "Come on let's go upstairs."

     Still crying, I buried my head into her shoulder and followed her lead upstairs. 

     We entered my room, which I had shared with my younger sister, Destiny, who was eighteen at the time. 

     "Why are you home?" She asked me. 

     "We're done.." I whispered, looking down. 

     "Who? What happened?" 

     "Michael and I.... We... We..." And I cried more. 

     "Oh." She got the impression of what I was trying to say. 

     "Why? What happened?" 

     "His career." I said, wiping my eyes. 

     "Ohhh. I get it. Hey, it's Michael Jackson, it's expected." She tried to comfort me, but she failed. 

     "So?! If you love someone you can make anything work! Anything!" I yelled. 

At that moment I heard my parents come up. 

      "Figlia?" My father said through his thick Italian accent. 

      "Hi Papá." I said, wiping my eyes. 

      "You okay?" He asked, my mother standing behind him.

I tried to lie and say yes, but I couldn't do that. I couldn't mask the tears on my face.

      "Che cosa è successo il mio amore?" That was him asking me what happened.

      "His career Papá. His career happened." I said, using my sleeve to wipe my tears.

I was beginning to calm down a bit.

      "Oy tesoro, he is a huge superstar. You were very lucky girl to have him." He said. 

      "Lucky girl to have him...?" I repeated. "Papá, Michael wasn't a puppy you win at a state fair or something! He was my true love!" I shouted, crying again. 

      "Giovanni." My mother said, signalling him to leave.

He knew he couldn't handle female problems, so he went downstairs with my brother, Luke, who was a year older than I was. 

      "Figlia.." She said, sitting next me and rubbing my shoulder. "I know there's pain right now. But, look. Maybe when his career is a little less hectic, things will look up." 

I picked my head up. "I don't want to wait..." 

"No one normally does. But if you love him enough, wouldn't you want to wait?" 

She got me. I wasn't sure of how to respond. 

      "But what if I wait for nothing?"  I asked in reply.

      "Then it was never meant to be. You know the old saying. 'If you love something, set it free, if it comes back, it's meant to be. If it doesn't, it never was." 

My mother than kissed my forehead and exited the room, closing the door behind her. 

       "You know she's right."  Isabel said. 

       "I'm just afraid of waiting for nothing..."  I admitted.

But then, she said something that changed my life.

      "No one generally does. But, that's life. We're all waiting. Waiting for tomorrow, waiting for next week, waiting for next year. Who knows what it brings? Life will bring you nothing if you don't try to make something worth waiting for." 

I've never admired my sister more. 

      "I guess you're right." I finally had the state of mind to relax a little bit.

      "I'll go make dinner." She said, patting my hand and standing up. 

      "Okay. I'll be down soon." 

She nodded towards me and walked out, shutting the door slightly behind her. 

Isabel really made me think. The words 'If you don't try to make something worth waiting for." danced around my head. I had to make something worth waiting for. And Michael, he was worth it. He was surely worth it. So I made a promise to myself that I'd wait.