The next day put us back on the road, this time headed to a city called Turin that rest in the Northern root of Italy. There was only one show here so it would be quick in and out. Teagan and I unpacked our bags... or at least what little we felt like unpacking. It really wasn't worth the effort. Then we found ourselves at the bar down in the lobby, passing the time before the chaos unraveled. The news station on the television blasted reports of the concert, their cameras waiting outside of the venue and the hotel, desperate to catch a glimpse of the super star.
"You ladies here for the concert?" A man asked, sitting beside us at the bar.
"In a sense." I replied. "You?" He nodded.
"Word on the street says he's staying at this hotel. I wonder if we'll get to see him." Teagan joked. The man didn't catch the sarcasm, though.
"Don't tell me you two are some of those crazy fans that follow him wherever he goes, are you?" His eyes flooded with worry.
"Crazy fans, no." I laughed. "We get paid to follow him." His eyes widened as I drained my glass and set it down on the countertop, laying out a few bills to pay the tab. "I'm heading up to the room." I told Teagan as I slipped off the stool. With a grin, I pat the man on the back. "We're tech crew for the show. Don't let your mind wander too far." I assured and his cheeks flushed in embarrassment. Nothing more was said before I escaped into the hallway.
It wasn't until around midnight that Teagan came stumbling into the room, her arms around the man we had met at the bar, a rosy hue on her skin from the alcohol that warmed her insides. He set her down on the edge of her bed and took a notepad and pencil. "This is my room number if she still has any interest in seeing me when she's sober." He explained, handing me the pad of paper. I nodded and thanked him for bringing her here.
As the door closed behind him, Teagan stuck out her tongue like a toddler who wasn't getting their way. "He told me we were going to his room." She pouted.
"And tomorrow you'll be thankful you didn't." I told her, which she promptly denied.
Neither of us got much sleep that night. Taking care of a drunkard was not at all how I had intended to spend my night. But you do what you must for your friends and you hope they return the favor. By morning, Teagan regretted every drink she had the previous night and with immense effort and a raging headache, she pushed through rehearsal. Luckily, symptoms were gone by the time the show rolled around.
Michael passed beneath me before it started, waving the newly fixed glove for me to see. I smiled, hoping it would work. It did. I would have to applaud Bush for that later. At the end of the show, Michael met me at the bottom of my ladder, inviting me to join them again for the review.
Most things that had been mentioned in Rome were fixed, but as always, new problems arose. Fluke accidents that weren't allowed to happen again. Solutions were discussed and eventually it was time to leave. I followed Bush, Karen, and a few others that had been called to the door but stopped when Michael called my name.
"Come here real quick, I want to show you something." he said, prying open the door to his balcony. I joined him, letting the door close behind the others. "I thought you'd appreciate this more than the others."
My breath caught as I stepped out onto the balcony. In the distance stood the great mountain peaks of the Alps. They stretched into the sky, vanishing behind the clouds. I leaned against the rail, lost in the beauty of it all. Michael moved to stand beside me, looking out over the landscape. "Isn't it wondrous?" he asked the air, he knew I already knew the answer. We stood there for a few minutes, lost in a moment unbounded by time.
"Magic." I finally said, breaking the silence. It seemed to be the recurring theme with Michael. Everything in his world was magic. "It reminds me of an old story my mother used to tell me about a child and a magician. Do you want to hear it?" I asked, turning my attention to him. He nodded, keeping his gaze out on the mountains.
I stood there a second, recalling the details, then began:
"Down in the marketplace there stood a magician, he waved his hand, flashed some cards and made things disappear. Man walked passed this magician without a second thought, but the child, in awe, tugged at Man's sleeve, wishing so desperately to see the magician up close. In front of the magician there stood a sign and on that sign, in fancy red letters that swirled like ribbon, it said 'World's Greatest'. Man just scowled and dragged the child onward.
"'Save your coin, child.' he demanded. 'Magic isn't real.' But in his heart, the child knew this not to be true. So he ran to the Horizon, throwing out his arms in frustration. 'Horizon,' he called. 'they say that magic is not real, but they have not seen you, not truly. If they had, they would know what true magic is.' Heartened by this, the Horizon decided to give the child a show, stretching it's long fiery fingers of orange and gold over the land, painting distorted shadows across the earth's surface as the sun rose into the sky. With this display, the child could feel the magic in his veins so he bowed his head in thanks and returned home, but still Man doubted the magic.
"Come the next morning, the child made off to the Hills, stomping around in frustration. 'Hills!' he called. 'Still they doubt, but they would think again if they knew you. If they did, they would know what true magic is.' Heartened by this, the Hills ushered the child around the bend and he found himself suddenly looking over a valley of rolling green mountains that lay like a wrinkled cloth that blanketed the earth. This time, the child could feel the magic in his heart so he bowed his head in thanks and returned home, but still, Man doubted the magic.
"Come nightfall, the child sprinted to the beach where the Moon first peaked over his dear friend Horizon. 'Moon!' he called. 'Why won't anyone believe me? If only they could see... then they would know what true magic is.' Heartened by this, the Moon lifted into the sky, taking the child's breath away as it danced in the heavens with it's ensemble of stars. At this, the child felt the magic in his nerves, urging him to dance along. He bowed his head to the Moon in thanks and quickly returned home, exhausted by the day's events.
"When morning came, the child went straight to the magician, asking to see his magic act but the magician just smiled and said, 'My dear child, you've already seen the greatest magic this world can offer. Nature performs great feats of magic each day and only a few of us are lucky enough to see it. You're not like the others, you've seen the truth.' Suddenly Man called to the child with a scowl on his face and the magician nudged the child forward. 'Go now, child, but never forget to see the magic. It lies in all things, including you' So the child scampered back to Man who saw with so much doubt.
"Once more he scolded, 'What did I say? Magic isn't real.' But in his heart, the child knew this not to be true, for he had seen the greatest magic act in the world and nobody, not even Man, could take that away." I recited, changing the third of natures magicians to match our adventures in Rome. As the last words rolled from my tongue, I noticed that Michael's attention had turned to me. His eyes searching mine for stories untold.
YOU ARE READING
One (A Michael Jackson Fan Fiction)
Fiksi Penggemar"It's an adventure, it's a great adventure. There's nothing to be nervous about. They just want wonderful experiences. We want to take them places that they've never been before. We want to show them talent like they've never seen before. We're putt...
