Michael had gone to his family in the audience and said to his brothers, " She said yes!"
They all cheered and patted him on the back. I witnesses it from the back room.
We were in the car, our whole family, my six year old sister kicking her feet sitting in her booster seat, my 14 year old other sister, looking out the window, my dad driving, my aunt in the passenger seat and me, Still worrying.
My aunt congratulated me and we all went out for italian food.
Dad and I didnt talk much that night. Sure, he congratulated me, but other than that he was silent. I was too. Every few minutes at the restaurant he would glance at me, Id look at him and he'd look back down at his bowl of raviolis--One of his favorite foods.
We started telling the public that we were just good friends. Obviously our cover was blown and it went over everything fron newspapers to tabloids to tv. Latoya and Marlon were the first to tell.
I had never felt happier in my life. Michael had always said, " I think that holding hands is more special than a kiss."
And it was sorta our thing now. Holding hands. He'd look for mine and hold it, and I'd grip on.
This went on for years, and as time went by I was able to star in movies again like I did when I was nine. It was a country western movie, and my aunt grew up with and loved. I soon learned that Katherine Jackson, grew up in the country life as well. She had seen the movie, it was released in 1975, and she had told me that she loved my acting and the story of the movie. I had never gotten a smile so sweet and a hug so warm from anybody.
Katherine is one of my role models. If the boys were out of town, I would go visit Katherine, Janet and Latoya and bring over some homemade pastries. Katherine would tell me her stories and I loved hearing the days back in Gary and even way back in Alabama. Bonding with the sisters was fun as well. Janet was my sisters age, and sometimes she'd come over. And Latoya. She's just as mischevious as her brothers! I remember once when Michael and Marlon got me dumped in water baloons and topped it with a hose, but nothing beat the time where we got them back not with water.....oh, no. Shaving cream pies. It was fun, and a horryfying mess.