For All Time

Visitors!?

The next day came, and Michael was excited to greet the day. He stretched his hands over his head and relaxed as his joints popped.

He swung his feet over the side of the bed and stood up. Just as he was slipping his feet into his slippers, there was a knock at his door.

"Michael!" Called Janet. "Could we go outside? Mother said I could go if you take me!" Janet begged, causing Michael to smile. "Yeah, Dunk! I'll be right there!"

After picking out his outfit for the day, Michael showered, got dressed, and then descended the stairs of his home. "Hey mother," Michael cooed as he gave his dear mother a kiss on her cheek.

She'd finished making pancakes, and had the table set up for all who was home. Michael, Marlon, Janet, and Rebbie were the only ones home. Everyone else had gone to some industry party that Motown was throwing. Michael could have went, but he'd instead opted for the first day of his break to be spent doing what /he/ wanted to do, and not what was expected of him.

The sound of pattering feet caused Michael to smile as Janet toddled into the kitchen. "Hey, Dunk!" Marlon greeted his younger sister before picking her up and placing her on the chair. Everyone then ate their breakfast, touched bases and went their separate ways.

Michael picked Janet up and carried her outside on his hip where the pair was going to play in the pool. Just as Michael changed into his swimming trunks and climbed into the pool, he was greeted by the loud laughter of his brothers.

"Oh look, there's Michael!" Jermaine walked over to Michael and clapped him on the back. Michael felt the contact, but his attention was elsewhere. What was with all these girls coming into their backyard. All the girls were around his skintone, big afros—really pretty girls. But one seemed to be around his age. His observations aside, what was going on? Why were they here?

"Hey, Jermaine. What's goin' on? Did mother say y'all could have company?" Jermaine happened to be babbling off about something, but he stopped when he noticed that Michael wasn't paying him much attention.

"Oh them? They're our new neighbors. We were walkin' up when we saw them and we're just bein' friendly, Mike." Jermaine knows how Michael feels about his dealings with women—and wanted to put his brother at ease. But he wouldn't say that he didn't have any intentions on getting back to his old habits.

"Oh, okay!" Michael immediately perked up as he heard about new neighbors. He always wanted to have new kids to play with. In his thinking, he didn't notice the girls leaving and coming back with a few more kids his age. They were clad in bathing suits and swimming trunks, and they were coming over to him.