I slowly turned the doorknob and pushed the door open. The door opened and I quietly walked inside with my lawyer John behind me. Christian had fallen asleep on the kitanda in the room and I knelt down in front of him. I whispered "hi Christian" in his ear and he barely opened his eyes. He rubbed his eyes because I don't think he believed it was me. I alisema "hi Christian" again as he sat up on the kitanda and reached for me to grab him. I picked him up into my arms and hugged him as tight as I possibly could. I alisema "I missed wewe so much!!!" He just looked at me and asked in broken English "you come for me Mike; wewe come for me?" I started to get choked up as I alisema "yes buddy; I came back for you!"

I walked out of the room carrying Christian in my arms and could see that Melissa was arguing with the judge. Christian started crying and alisema "mean mommy; mean mommy!" I hugged him tighter and alisema "don't worry; you're not going with her!" Melissa shouted "I can't believe you're going to let my son be raised kwa Michael Jackson!" She shouted swear words at me as we walked out the door and I couldn't believe that she would use that kind of language around a 2 1/2-year-old!

John had to run back inside the courthouse to get Christian's file with his birth certificate; so I quickly snuck back to the hotel just across the street. We barely made it inside the door before an ambush of mashabiki pressed up against the front entrance. I shouted "security" and thankfully a few of them were standing right there. While they held the doors shut, I ran upstairs to my hotel room and locked the door behind me.

I sat down on the edge of the kitanda with Christian on my lap and that was the first time I really realized how awful he looked. He was absolutely filthy and was wearing clothes that were at least three sizes too small for him! My moyo was aching for Christian so much and I felt horrible for giving him back to his mother. I know I couldn't have kept him then but I still regret letting any of this happen to him.

Christian looked at me and alisema "mean mommy!" He started to cry and I alisema "it's okay; wewe NEVER have to go back there again!" Someone knocked on the hotel room door and I answered it. My lawyer John walked inside and passed me a folder. I opened the folder and it was all of Christian's documents. I put the folder down on the meza, jedwali and John alisema "if wewe don't need me I'm going to catch the flight back to LA! It leaves in 15 minutes! Are wewe going to come with me?" I alisema "no; Christian and I will just catch the flight at 9 AM tomorrow. Thank wewe for all your help John!" He alisema "you're welcome Michael; I'm glad I could help!"

I shut the door behind him and picked up the phone to order some food. Once the chakula got there, I brought it to the meza, jedwali and Christian sat on my lap. Before I could even take the plastic lid off of the chicken fingers and French fries I had ordered him, Christian was trying to grab it. I quickly pulled the lid off and I couldn't believe how hungry Christian was! I asked "did wewe eat breakfast this morning?" He alisema "no; mommy only gives me lunch sometimes." I didn't know what to say at first and then I asked "you haven't had anything to eat since yesterday?" He alisema "no chakula yesterday!" I shook my head in disbelief and alisema "I'm so sorry!" He responded "she's a mean mommy!" I alisema "I believe you." Christian asked "I'm going to have a new family?" I smiled and alisema "actually; wewe have a new family." He looked at me confused and I alisema "you're part of my family now buddy!" He asked "am I going back to your house Mike?" I alisema "no; we're going back to our house!" I whispered "you don't have to call me Mike anymore if wewe don't want to!" Christian asked "why not?" I alisema "because I'm your daddy now!" He asked "can I call wewe daddy?" I alisema "of course wewe can; if wewe want to!"

I cleared the meza, jedwali and alisema "okay buddy; let's get wewe cleaned up!" Christian asked "bath?" I picked him up and alisema "yup." Afterwards, I got him dressed in the moto truck pajamas that I bought him a while ago. I covered him with the blankets and knelt down inayofuata to the bed. I kissed his forehead and he asked "what did wewe do that for?" I alisema "I kissed your forehead." He asked "what's a kiss?" I looked at him confused and asked "you're mommy never gave wewe kisses?" He alisema "no; why did wewe do that?" I didn't really have any other answer that I could come up with off the juu of my head; so I alisema "parents are supposed to give their children kisses and hugs." Christian asked "oh; can I give wewe a kiss?" I pointed to my cheek and alisema "right there." He pecked my cheek and I alisema "you're so sweet." I lay down inayofuata to him and alisema "good night Christian." He alisema "good night daddy; I upendo you!" I responded "I upendo wewe more!!!"


***

We are on our flight back to California from London and it'll be about an saa before we get to the airport. I had already woken up for the day; but Christian was still sleeping and I was bored. I decided to start looking at the folder with all of Christian's documents inside it. I opened it and saw his birth certificate. It read "Christian Levi Carthage; tarehe of birth October, sixth, 1984." Christian's third birthday is inayofuata mwezi and I'm glad that he's with me to celebrate it.

I put the birth certificate back inside the folder and something accidentally fell out. I picked it up and noticed that it was a picture of a man. I looked at the back of the photograph and written on it was the words "Alexander Benton." I took the birth certificate out and realized that the person in the picture must be Christian's biological father because the names matched.

Christian started to wake up; so I quickly stuffed the picture back inside the folder and put it away. He opened his eyes and I alisema "good morning." He responded "good morning daddy." I alisema "were almost ready to land. Then I'm going to take wewe home." Just as I was saying that, the private jet pulled onto the landing strip and into the docking station of the airport. I picked Christian up and grabbed the luggage with my other hand. When we got off the plane, my bodyguards James and Tim were waiting for us. James looked at Christian and alisema "hi; do wewe remember me?" Christian hid his face in my shoulder and I alisema "oh; you're back to usual shyness now!"

We walked down to the parking karakana where the SUV was and I buckled Christian into his car kiti, kiti cha inayofuata to me. As Tim started the car, he alisema "your mother's waiting for wewe at the house Michael." I alisema "she didn't tell me she was going to come over." James alisema "we just assumed that wewe knew that she was going to come over because when we let her inside she was carrying a whole bunch of bags with her." I alisema "I want to see her; I just didn't know she was planning on coming over today."

We pulled into the driveway and I carried Christian up to the front door. I took my keys out to unlock the door and when I opened it I noticed the lights were off. I flipped the light switch and all of a sudden a whole bunch of people shouted "welcome home!" Christian immediately started crying and I looked around the room to see my entire family standing there; even my father Joseph!" I tried to soothe Christian kwa saying "it's okay; I wasn't expecting that either. Mother looked at Christian sympathetically and asked "what's the matter?" I responded "he's shy mother; wewe know that!" She alisema "I'm so sorry Michael; I completely forgot." I whispered "will wewe just get all them out of here? Christian is too shy for all of this right now! This is way too many people to introduce him to at once; we have to slowly do it over time! I don't want him to be overwhelmed." She asked "if I get them to leave can I stay for an hour?" I alisema "yes just get them out of here; especially Joseph!!!"

After a few minutes, everyone had left and I followed mother into the living room with Christian in my arms. I looked at the coffee meza, jedwali and noticed two gift bags. I asked "what's all of this mother?" She alisema "just a few things I bought for Christian." She took him out of my arms and sat him on her lap with one of the bags. Christian hesitated to open it as I alisema "it's okay buddy. Maybe he won't be as scared if he sitting on my lap instead of yours." I took him out of her arms and sat him back down on my lap with the gift. He opened the bag and pulled out a remote-control car." I excitedly alisema "wow; look at that!" I grabbed the other bag off the meza, jedwali and he must've taken out at least 30 different Disney movies." I alisema "he's definitely going to have plenty to watch for a while. Can wewe say thank wewe to grandma?" He whispered "thank you" very quietly and mother responded "you're welcome; I'm glad wewe like them."

I carried Christian into the jikoni and mother alisema "I also went grocery shopping for wewe while wewe were gone Michael and I bought supplies for Christian." I alisema "thank wewe mother; it's much appreciated!" She alisema "you're welcome and if wewe ever need my help for anything don't hesitate to ask." I alisema "I should be okay for a few weeks until I have to go back to work. Will wewe watch him during the siku for me when I do have to go back to work?" She alisema "of course I will." I alisema "anytime wewe want to come over here wewe can." She alisema "I'm sure that I'll be visiting quite often; goodbye Michael." I alisema "I upendo wewe mother" as I shut the door. I turned around to look at Christian sitting on the floor and asked "do wewe want to go see your new room?" He reached for me to grab him and I carried him upstairs.

I opened the bedroom door and Christian was so excited. He alisema "Mickey Mouse" and couldn't get out of my arms fast enough. He asked "this is my own room?" I alisema "yup; all yours!" He stared at the Mickey panya, kipanya mural I painted on one of the walls in his room and I asked "do wewe like it? I painted it just for you!" He alisema "yeah; you're a good painter daddy!"

I got him ready for kitanda and alisema "I'll go get your sinema downstairs; so wewe can pick one out to watch tonight." I came back upstairs with the bag of sinema and dumped them out on the floor. After about 15 minutes, he still seemed undecided; so I alisema "or wewe can watch cartoons because I have cable hooked up in your room." He alisema "yeah; I want to watch cartoons."

I picked him up and put him underneath the covers as I turned the TV on. I knelt down inayofuata to the kitanda and kissed his forehead. I got up and shut off the light as I was about to walk out of the room. He asked "where are wewe going?" I alisema "just to my room right across the hall. All wewe have to do is call my name and I'll be in here faster than wewe could imagine." His eyes started to water and I walked back into the room. I knelt down inayofuata to the kitanda and asked him "what's wrong?" He alisema "I don't want to sleep in here alone! Will wewe please stay with me daddy?" I remembered that there is a kitanda that pulls out from underneath the twin size bed; so I decided to lie on that.

I alisema "good night Christian" and he alisema "good night daddy; thank you." I asked "for what?" He alisema "for giving me chakula every day, my own toys, my room, hugs, kisses, loving me, and for being my daddy!" I had to force back tears as I alisema "you don't have to thank me for that! I'm supposed to provide those things for wewe and I do that for wewe because I upendo you!"

***

I opened my eyes and rolled over. The first thing I saw was Christian rolling right off his kitanda and he landed on my stomach. I groaned in pain and he opened his eyes. He looked around the room and rubbed his eyes. I alisema "morning buddy" and he seemed confused as he asked "what happened?" I alisema "you fell off your bed. Don't worry; wewe landed on me!" He looked at me and alisema "oh; good morning daddy." I yawned as I asked "would wewe like some breakfast?" He responded "yes please" and I picked him up to bring him downstairs.

I brought him into the jikoni and sat him down on the counter as I opened up the fridge. I took out some eggs and milk. I took Christian off of the counter and asked "can wewe go get your sippy cup for daddy?" I chuckled at how adorable he looked as he ran into the living room to go find his cup. A few dakika later, he came back into the jikoni carrying his cup and alisema "here wewe go daddy!" I grabbed it from him and alisema "thanks Christian."

Before I started to cook the scrambled eggs, I walked into the living room and Christian was climbing on the couch. He sat down and I passed him his cup as I turned the TV on. I went off into the jikoni to make breakfast while he watched Mickey panya, kipanya cartoons.

Once the chakula was done, I went back into the living room and picked him up. I brought him to the meza, jedwali and sat down in the chair inayofuata to him as I passed him his plate. He asked "what are we going to do today daddy?" I asked "what do wewe want to do?" He alisema "I don't know." I asked "do wewe want to go swimming in the pool? It's too hot inside and it's really nice outside today." He alisema "I'm scared of the water." I alisema "you don't have to if wewe don't want to; but I promise wewe that I won't let anything happen." He alisema "no; I don't want to." I grabbed his plate and alisema "okay then; I'm not going to make you." I washed his face and helped him down from the chair.

Christian walked up to the toy box downstairs in the living room and I sat down inayofuata to him on the floor. He took a plastic alligator out of the toy box and passed it to me. I asked "do wewe know what animal this is?" He alisema "a crocodile" and I responded "no; this is an alligator." He alisema "oh an alligator" but instead he pronounced it "aldergater" and that made me laugh. I alisema "not aldergater; alligator." He grabbed a bag of dinosaur figurines and dumped it out on the floor. He gave me a dinosaur and I lay down on the floor on my stomach to play with him. The dakika I lie down on the floor, he climbed onto my back and wrapped his arms around my neck. I looked up at him and he gave me a kiss. He alisema "I upendo it here daddy and I upendo you!" I alisema "I upendo wewe more!"

***

Christian sat on the counter in the jikoni as he watched me start to gather things to prepare chajio, chakula cha jioni with. I softly sang the alphabet because I have been working on letters and numbers with Christian. He alisema "A, B, C, D, E, F, J" and I alisema "G; we have to work on this." I picked him up off of the counter and brought him over to the table.

I had cooked a spaghetti, tambi chajio, chakula cha jioni and I wasn't prepared for the mess that was involved. He had sauce in his hair, all over his face, all over the meza, jedwali in front of him, and I don't know how he managed to do this; but he got it in my ear! I looked at him and alisema "look at this mess!" I picked him up and wiped his face off with a napkin.

I took him upstairs, gave him a bath, and tucked him into bed. He asked "can wewe read me a story?" I alisema "sure" and grabbed a book from the bookshelf in his room. After I was done kusoma him a story, I asked "do wewe think wewe can sleep in here kwa yourself tonight?" He looked at me and alisema "no." I asked "why are wewe afraid to sleep in here kwa yourself?" He alisema "the monsters will get me!" I smiled and asked "monsters; where?" He pointed to the closet and I walked inside. I alisema "I don't see any monsters in here" and he alisema "under my bed!" I walked out of the closet and knelt down to look underneath his bed. I alisema "I don't see anything under here either Christian." I stood up and alisema "I promise there's no monsters in your room. If wewe find any then I'll beat them up for you; okay?"

He reached out for me to hug him and I alisema "I'm just going to be in my room! All wewe have to do is call for daddy and I'll hear you! I just can't keep sleeping on that little kitanda on the floor because it's going to end up hurting my back." I gave him a kiss and a hug before turning on the TV. I shut off the light and alisema "night – night buddy; see wewe in the morning."

I walked into my bedroom and climbed into my huge king-sized bed. I looked out the doorway and into Christian's room. He was already fast asleep and I have to say that it feels weird not having him in the same room as me. I walked back into his room because he was rolling out of the kitanda again and I had to catch him. I covered him back up with the blankets and kissed his cheek before I made my way back into my bedroom.

***

There was a knock at the front door while Christian and I were eating breakfast. I answered it and saw that it was my mother. I offered her some chakula and she agreed to sit down and eat with us. She asked "how are wewe adjusting to fatherhood Michael?" I alisema "I upendo it! We've established a routine and I think he's pretty used to waking up and having me be there. I finally got him to sleep in his own bed." She alisema "that's great Michael; did wewe find out when you're going back to work yet?" I alisema "in about a week; I'll make sure I call wewe ahead of time."

Mother helped me clear the meza, jedwali and Christian went off into the living room to play. While the two of us were washing dishes, I alisema "I'm glad wewe came over today because I think it's a good idea to start getting Christian used to being around you. I don't want him to be scared to be with wewe when wewe have to watch him during the siku while I'm working." She alisema "I agree with wewe Michael; it's probably a good idea to get him used to me while you're here so he will be less afraid."

Mother and I went into the living room and sat down inayofuata to Christian on the floor. He immediately climbed into my lap and I suggested "do wewe want to sit in grandma's lap?" He looked at her and then at me because he didn't know what to think. Mother reached out her hands to grab him and alisema "it's okay; I'm not going to do anything to you." He slowly let her put him on her lap.

I smiled and alisema "maybe I should tell grandma your secret!" He smiled and I whispered "his feet are ticklish." She tickled his feet and he started hysterically laughing. I tickled his other foot and alisema "uh-oh; now wewe have two people that know you're ticklish!" He shrieked with laughter as he forced out the words "stop it." I alisema "give grandma a kiss and we'll stop!" I was shocked beyond belief that he actually kissed her because I thought it would take a lot zaidi time to get him warmed up enough to her for him to do that.

I grabbed Christian off of her lap and we went into the kitchen. I took his sippy cup off the counter and gave it to him. Mother looked at her watch and alisema "I'm supposed to meet up with your brother's for lunch; would wewe like to come?" I thought about it for a sekunde and alisema "no; I think that will be too many people for Christian to meet at one time; but could wewe tell them that they should stop kwa one at a time over the inayofuata week?" She alisema "I can try to tell them; but wewe know that they don't listen to me most of the time Michael." I alisema "I know mother; wewe don't have to tell them if wewe don't want to. I know anything to do with me has to be with money au else they don't want any part of it. He'll meet them eventually; but I'm not going to pay them to come over here! Basically that's what will happen because it soon as they come over here they're going to tell me that they need money for something." She alisema "I'll tell them that if they do decide to come over wewe don't want to be askied for any money! I didn't raise them to be like that Michael. I'll insist that they come over here at least for a few dakika to meet Christian. Before I forget; what are wewe working on inayofuata since the tour is over?" I alisema "filming for my 'moonwalker' starts soon!" She alisema "that's good; wewe must be really excited! I know wewe can morning to get zaidi involved with uigizaji and producing. I can't wait to see it!"

***

I was downstairs going over the rough copy of the script for my "Moonwalker" movie when I heard Christian walking downstairs and looked over at him. I alisema "good morning Christian" and went into the living room to turn the TV on for him. I was about to walk back into the jikoni when Christian followed behind me. He sat down inayofuata to me at the meza, jedwali and asked "what's that?" I alisema "this is for my job and I have to read it." He asked "what's your job daddy?" I alisema "I usually sing; but I'm going to be in my own movie!" He alisema "that's cool; I can't wait to see wewe do your job!" I alisema "I will let wewe go with me one of the days when I'm not so busy; but you're going to be staying here with grandma a lot of the time while I'm working."

I couldn't really tell; but I don't think he like the idea of that because he walked out of the jikoni and into the living room without saying a word to me. I closed the script and followed him into the living room. I sat down inayofuata to him on the kitanda and alisema "don't worry; I don't have to look for another week." He smiled after that and started watching cartoons.