As the final show in Tokyo came to an end, an energy shifted in the hearts of us all. After the holidays would be the final curtain call. Michael's last concert. I wasn't ready to face that fact. The ending of this endeavor... this was something that I never wanted to end.
Luckily, there was one more adventure before the break. Michael invited me to accompany him on a day trip to Hong Kong, delaying my passage home. Landing in the morning gave us an entire day to explore the city. We followed a group of tourists now, walking through a place by the name of Nanglang Town. This was the fourth village we had come through. Here lived a man Michael was looking forward to meeting named Dr. Sun Yat-sen. That meeting wasn't for another hour, however.
We sat on a wooden dock, looking out over an expanse of rice fields on the water. Michael inched towards me, clutching his straw hat with one hand so that it wouldn't fall off as he moved. He dipped his hand into the cool water and stared off at something beyond the horizon, letting the water rush between his fingers. "What are you thinking about?" I wondered.
"Not thinking. I'm listening." he replied, taking my hand. Michael placed two of my fingers at the point where his neck met his jaw and I could feel the soft thrum of his beating heart. "Close your eyes, listen to the water and the wind, everything around you, and feel my heart keep time." I did as he told. "The whole universe is a song and everything inside it is forced to obey. We move like dancers through space, dancing to the footsteps, the leaves, the waves. Waltzing through earth for all eternity, this music is what guides us. It compels our very atoms to dance in time. Can you hear it?"
I listened for a moment, turning myself inward so there was nothing but the sounds and the metronome of his heart. The wind was a soft symphony, the lapping water, the percussion. All of it followed the constant rhythm of Michael's heart. I lowered my hand in awe. Natures music was the purest of all. Sometimes gentle with the breeze, other times a vicious crescendo as storms clashed over land. Suddenly, Michael's voice rose to join the chorus, singing some tune that he heard from the earth. His voice barely lifted above a whisper as it was carried away by the wind but I felt it in my entire being. Simple notes sung so elegantly that my heart sung with it. His voice died out with the rustling of the paddy as the breeze weaved through the field and I woke from the music that had entranced me.
Michael sat in total bliss looking out over the fields. It was this sharp contrast of silence in the chaos that flooded his life. During tours, the constant rush of it all was exhausting. So many places, so many performances, and so many crowds. In this moment, there was none of that. We were simply living in now, enjoying it like a deep breath after being submerged under water. That first breath of air that filled your lungs... but in the same sense, it was as if we were still submerged. Floating in a ceaseless blue, cut off from the noise above the surface. It was a tranquility unreachable anywhere else. This was order.
Our tour guide breached the gate of order and informed us that it was time to go. Michael picked up Bubbles who sat against the wall and began to speak to the creature with signs. I was fascinated by the language. Michael had explained it once as seeing voices. Movements capable of conversation, breaking barriers between species and allowing all of humankind a voice. We met with Dr. Sun Yat-sen and followed up the meeting by visiting some of the children in the village.
Only a few of them recognised him, but all of them loved him regardless. He was able to connect with them on a level most adults could not. Michael had an innate playfulness that brought out the smile in everyone; including that of the infant he now held in his arms. Every grin or burst of laughter that threatened the baby's mouth brought absolute joy to Michael's face. It was the purest form of ecstasy I had ever witnessed. Holding that child, I knew he had felt divinity.
He walked over to me, wanting to share the bliss. In his arms lay the promise of tomorrow. A child so innocent, uncorrupted by society. Michael spoke quietly. "Looking into this baby's eyes I can see the impossible being conquered, I can see castles being built and magic filling their halls. I can see fairies and goblins and dew drops that sparkle in the morning sun. I can see the soul of heaven and beautiful rainbows that bridge two worlds. These are the moments, of happiness and bliss... These are the moments when babies smile." he murmured under his breath and just like that, the infant's lips curled, stretching into an innocent smile that held the power to change the world. With that smile, nothing in this world could not be done and that faith and hope reflected in Michael's own expression. It was a smile forever engraved into my memory; one that kept me hopeful over the holiday break.
YOU ARE READING
One (A Michael Jackson Fan Fiction)
Fanfiction"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...
