Part 10 (2/2)

The living room's decor was a mixture of pale yellows, soft greens and stark white splashed with pink. It was a bit on the garish side. Katherine told me that she had designed the motif herself, an a.s.signment for a home-decorating cla.s.s. She was getting ready to redecorate their kitchen, she said. She then mentioned that Michael's favourite foods at that time were hot apple turnovers and sweet-potato pies. 'Lately, I can't get him to eat anything. anything. I try and try,' she said, dismayed. 'I keep thinking he'll eat when he gets hungry, but the boy never gets hungry. Have you noticed how skinny he is? It worries me.' I try and try,' she said, dismayed. 'I keep thinking he'll eat when he gets hungry, but the boy never gets hungry. Have you noticed how skinny he is? It worries me.'

I looked around. 'These last few years have sure been good ones,' I observed. 'Maybe the best of your life?'

'Not really,' she answered. 'The best years were back in Gary,' she said, her eyes now reflective. 'We had one bedroom for the boys and they all slept together in triple bunk beds. Before going to sleep, I'd sing folk songs to them. I'd always wanted to be a country star,' she said, 'but who'd ever heard of a black country star, back then?'

Katherine rose and walked to a small, antique writing desk in a corner. She opened a drawer and pulled out a photograph. 'We were so happy, then,' she said, showing me the dog-eared picture. It was of the entire family in Gary, posing in front of the house on Jackson Street. 'I'd give up all that we have now for just one of those days back in Gary when it simpler. When we first came to California, I don't know how many times I said, ”I wish things were the way they used to be in Gary.” But things have never been the same,' she added, fingering the picture. 'It's all changed now.'

Michael came back into the room with two gla.s.ses of lemonade. After handing one to me and the other to the photographer, he sat in a chair in a lotus position. Katherine excused herself.

During our two-hour interview, Michael shared his thoughts on a wide range of subjects. 'I don't know much about politics,' he admitted at one point. 'Someone told me recently that Gerald Ford was President.' He chuckled; he was in good spirits, not at all the shy, reclusive superstar he would become in a few years. I laughed with him, thinking we were sharing a joke, but we weren't. He was serious. 'I remember when he was Vice-President,' Michael continued thoughtfully. 'That I remember. But, President?' He shrugged his shoulders helplessly. 'That I missed.' I remember. But, President?' He shrugged his shoulders helplessly. 'That I missed.'

Surprised by his uninformed nature, I asked, 'How do you keep up with current events? Do you read newspapers? Watch TV?'

'I watch cartoons,' he told me, his eyes lighting up. 'I love love cartoons. I love Disney. The Magic Kingdom. Disneyland. It's such a magical place. Walt Disney was a dreamer, like me. And he made his dreams come true, like me. I hope.' cartoons. I love Disney. The Magic Kingdom. Disneyland. It's such a magical place. Walt Disney was a dreamer, like me. And he made his dreams come true, like me. I hope.'

'What about current events?'

Michael looked at me blankly. 'Current events?'

'Do you read the newspaper?' I asked.

He shook his head. 'See, I like show business. I listen to music all the time. I watch old movies. Fred Astaire movies. Gene Kelly, I love. And Sammy [Davis]. I can watch these guys all day, twenty-four hours a day. That's what I love the most.'

We talked about old movies for a while, and about his involvement in The Wiz. The Wiz. I then asked what he saw as his biggest professional challenge. I then asked what he saw as his biggest professional challenge.

'To live up to what Joseph expects of me.'

'Living up to what your father expects of you is a professional professional challenge?' I asked. challenge?' I asked.

Michael mulled over my question. 'Yes,' he decided. 'A professional challenge.'

'What about the personal challenges?'

'My professional challenges and personal challenges are the same thing,' he said uneasily. 'I just want to entertain. See, when I was in the second grade, the teacher asked me what I wished for. I asked for a mansion, peace in the world, and to be able to entertain... Can we talk about something else?'

'Do you have any friends that you can really confide in?'

Michael squirmed. 'No, not really. I'm pretty lonely.'

'How about Tatum?' I wondered.

Michael considered the question. 'She's nice,' he said. 'She was happy for me when I got the part in The Wiz. The Wiz. She and Ryan were on my side, helping me with my lines. Tatum understands me. She's gonna teach me to drive a car. She introduces me to people, famous, She and Ryan were on my side, helping me with my lines. Tatum understands me. She's gonna teach me to drive a car. She introduces me to people, famous, famous famous people.' people.'

'Any other friends?'

'Well, I do have one friend,' he said. 'A very dear, close friend that I can tell my deepest, darkest secrets to because I know she won't tell anyone else. Her name is...' He paused for dramatic effect. 'Miss Diana Ross.'

'You have deep, dark secrets, Michael?'

He laughed. 'Everybody has deep, dark secrets.' has deep, dark secrets.'

At this point, Michael was joined by Jackie, t.i.to, Marlon and Randy. We talked about the group's success at Motown and about the fanatical hysteria generated by their fame.

'Once at a record store in San Francisco, over a thousand kids showed up,' Michael said in a hushed tone. 'They pushed forward and broke a window. A big piece of gla.s.s fell on top of this girl. And the girl's throat was slit. slit.' Michael swiftly ran his index finger across his neck.

'Michael, don't do that. That's gross,' Randy, said.

Michael ignored his youngest brother and continued with his story. 'She just got slit. slit. And I remember there was blood everywhere. Oh G.o.d, so much blood. And she grabbed her throat and was bleeding and everyone just ignored her. Why? Because And I remember there was blood everywhere. Oh G.o.d, so much blood. And she grabbed her throat and was bleeding and everyone just ignored her. Why? Because I I was there and they wanted to grab at was there and they wanted to grab at me me and get and get my my autograph.' Michael sighed. 'I wonder whatever happened to that girl.' autograph.' Michael sighed. 'I wonder whatever happened to that girl.'

'Probably dead,' t.i.to muttered, deadpan.

Fans were as much a curse as a blessing. 'We got these three guard dogs. One is named Heavy, one is Black Girl, and the other one don't got no name,' Michael said. 'We have have to have them,' he insisted. 'Once, a lady jumped over the gate and into the house and sat down in the den. We came home, and she looked at us and what did she say?' He turned to Marlon for help. 'What'd that lady say?' to have them,' he insisted. 'Once, a lady jumped over the gate and into the house and sat down in the den. We came home, and she looked at us and what did she say?' He turned to Marlon for help. 'What'd that lady say?'

'She said, ”I'm here 'cause G.o.d sent me,”' Marlon recalled.

'G.o.d sent her,' Michael repeated.

Jackie laughed. 'Yeah, G.o.d sent her to sit in The Jackson 5's den and wait for them to get home so she can get their autograph, and maybe her picture with them, too. She was on a divine mission.'

'And then once, a whole family managed to get into the estate somehow, and they toured the house,' Michael continued. 'Lookin' at all our stuff. Findin' all our most private private things. And Janet was here all by herself. It was scary. And sometimes, fans ask weird questions. They don't think you're real. Once a fan asked me the most embarra.s.sing question and in front of everyone. She said, ”Do you go to the bathroom?” I was so embarra.s.sed.' things. And Janet was here all by herself. It was scary. And sometimes, fans ask weird questions. They don't think you're real. Once a fan asked me the most embarra.s.sing question and in front of everyone. She said, ”Do you go to the bathroom?” I was so embarra.s.sed.'

In the middle of the interview, good-natured ribbing among the brothers turned nasty when someone brought up the subject of nicknames.

'Mike has a nickname,' Jackie mentioned, his eyes teasing. 'It's a good one.'

Michael's smiling face turned serious. 'Don't, Jackie,' he warned. He looked away.

'We call him '

'Please, you guys!' Michael pleaded.

'Big Nose,' Jackie finished.

The brothers laughed among themselves. Michael s.h.i.+fted in his chair.

'Yeah, Big Nose,' Marlon repeated, grinning. He reached over and punched Michael on his arm, playfully. 'What's happenin', Big Nose?' Michael threw Marlon a scathing look. His mouth parted, but no words came out. He would say little more as long as his brothers were present.

After the interview, we walked outside to take photographs in the warm California sunlight. Joseph, a hulking six-footer with a mole on his face, a pencil-thin moustache, and a diamond pinky ring the size of a marble, approached me. 'You see, I have a philosophy about raising children,' he said, engaging me. 'My father was strict. He was a schoolteacher, and he treated me like I was one of his students, not like I was his son. I never got any special treatment. I'm glad that happened. I got a strict raising when I was young, and I've been able to accomplish a lot because of that. And my kids have gotten a strict raising, and look at what they've they've accomplished. I think children accomplished. I think children should should fear their parents. It's good when they fear you. It's good for them, and it's good for the parents too. I did my best with those boys,' he said, pointing to them as they posed for pictures. fear their parents. It's good when they fear you. It's good for them, and it's good for the parents too. I did my best with those boys,' he said, pointing to them as they posed for pictures.

'Have they ever disappointed you?' I asked.

A sober expression crossed his face. 'Lots of times,' he answered. 'Jermaine's with Berry at Motown, instead of with us. He chose Berry over me. Do you know how that makes me feel? It hurts right here.' Joseph thumped the left side of his chest with his fist. 'I've been disappointed other times too,' he continued. 'But I don't think I have ever once let my boys down. If I did, too bad for them. You do the best you can do, raising kids,' he said, smiling. 'It helped that they had something to look forward to. They always had entertainment, and me to rehea.r.s.e them. And they also play character-building sports like football and baseball.

'Jackie could have been a baseball player if he wanted to, in the majors with the Chicago White Sox. They're all good at sports, except for Michael who never picked up a bat in his whole life.' Joseph smiled. It was an unexpected moment of gentleness from him. 'Wouldn't know what to do with a baseball bat, I think. We tease him about it, but he doesn't like it. Michael has always been sensitive,' he observed.

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