While He was Awake

This is what I came back for

We set the couch in front of the tv, put the DVD in and watched the film, all the while Michael restlessly waiting for his chicken.

“It’s been more than three hours, where’s the food”, Michael grumbled

“Michael, it’s been fifteen minutes”

“how can you be so sure?”

“because the shark hasn’t even made an appearance yet” I said pointing at the t.v.

“hmph …. I’m bored, I’ve seen this movie too many times before”

“then why did you choose it?”

“I don’t know, impulsive decision”

“we could watch another movie?”

“Nah, I’ve seen them all”

“you’ve seen them all Michael? really you’ve seen every Hollywood movie that’s ever been released?”

“No silly, I’ve seen all the movies that you have in your library”

“oh” I chuckled. this was the first time since I came back that I had actually felt silly. Generally, I could outwit the smartest of Sapiens but with Michael, I didn’t know why, something was different.

Ting…Ting ….

“food’s here” Michael exclaimed, getting up and rushing to open the door. He smiled at Bill, his bodyguard who had been kind enough to go to the restaurant and pick up our delivery

“Bill come in, join us for lunch” I said, as Michael took the packet and set it out on the table

“thank you, Carmen, but Wayne’s alone downstairs and plus we were planning to go to the café down the street for coffees”

“Oh okay, cool then … thanks again for the food Bill” I said closing the door.

“Carmen … Food’s getting co-old” Michael shouted from the living room

“Coming!”

Michael opened the bucket and picked up a chicken piece, I watched him take a tiny bite of the leg piece and when there was a small incision on the chicken skin, he peeled off the crispy skin completely, put it aside and ate the chicken

“why you doing that?” I asked, munching on a fry

“because” *chomp* *chomp* “I eat only organic chicken”

“Fried chicken’s hardly organic Michael”

“No, no, see this …” he said picking up another piece of chicken “this is not organic, but when I take off the skin” he again took a tiny bite and removed the skin of the chicken “like this, then it’s organic, and healthy”

“ya right”

“it is!” he exclaimed

“No, it’s not”

“yes, it is”

“No. It is not”

“It is, it is, it is” he said picking up a fry and throwing it at me

“haw! You didn’t!”

“Oops, slipped out of my hand” he said digging his face into the bucket to get the last piece of the chicken. He brought his face out of the bucket and … *splash*, his face was drenched in Soda

“Wha ….” He looked at me shocked
“Oops, slipped out of my hand” I mocked, putting the empty cup back down on the table

“you are soooooooooooooo dead” he said, dabbing his face with a tissue, but it wasn’t really much of a help since the poor drenched white paper was hardly soaking up any cola that was dripping off Michael’s forehead.
I got up from the table and ran into the bedroom, but Michael was quick. He picked me up by the waist, lifted me off the ground and spun me around

“you think you can escape so easily” he laughed, tightening his grip around me “I’m going to tickle you to death” he said tickling my sides, but little did the poor cutie know, I was not at all ticklish. I stood there with the same expression, his tickles having absolutely no effect on me

“that’s all you got?” I asked

He looked dejected “you’re not ticklish? Wow, I’ve never met a girl who’s not ticklish”

“I’m not just any other girl Michael”, I smiled. It was then that I recalled Michael’s video with his thriller director John where he tickles his feet, I might not be ticklish but I knew someone else who was …

I poked Michael’s side and he wiggled

“No!” he laughed as I gently poked
him again “No, please No”

“Aww, is someone not immune to tickles”

“I amm” he laughed and wiggled again “No” he held my hand, trying to stop me from tickling him again

“okay, okay, I’ll let you go this time”

“thank you” he said, catching his breath

We sat down in silence, ever so often, looking at each other and breaking a smile.

“Time to go shopping!” he exclaimed, getting up from the couch after a few minutes

“yes, but are you going to go out like this? Drenched in coke?”

“Oh no, didn’t think of that” he said looking down at his half-stained shirt

“umm… I have a hoodie you could wear” I offered

“I’m not wearing a girl’s hoodie, please”

“It’s unisex”

“I don’t care how sexy it is, I ain’t wearing a girl’s hoodie”

I giggled, “Unisex means can be worn by both girls and boys, Michael”

“I knew that”

“ya you sure did”

“just give me the hoodie”

“hehe …” I laughed, going into the bedroom to get him my favorite black hoodie. He put on the hoodie and we went shopping. While at the mall, though occasionally a fan would come over and ask for an autograph, Michael was not mobbed, like he would be after the release of ‘Off the Wall’. For now, he could still go shopping and to the park or cross the street without causing a traffic jam.

He came out of the dressing room in a black Victorian style dress coat

“How’s this?” he asked, checking himself out in the mirror “I like it”

“Lookin dapper Jackson” I said

“thank you, Milady,” he bowed

“try on the gloves too” I said handing him a ‘suit glove’

“hmm … not bad, where’s the other one?” he asked stretching out his hand for the other glove

“why not wear only one?” I winked

“what! Wear only one glove, that’s crazy, I would look so funny” he laughed

While he was laughing, a wave of realization suddenly dawned, Michael was really standing there, right in front of me, not behind a tv, computer or phone screen, but right there, in flesh and blood, in front of me. I mean I could just get up and hug him, I really could! and so … I did. 
He froze, surprised by my sudden gesture

“I’m so happy you got the deal!” I whispered into the hug

“oh, ya, me too” he replied happily and hugged me back