Chapter 11,

February 1, 2004,

I was sitting in our huge four-bedroom hotel room when dad woke up and came into the sitting area. He took a piece of gum out of his pocket and put it in his mouth. Prince and Paris walked over and sat down in between the two of us. Dad alisema "there's going to be someone coming here today to talk to wewe guys about some things." I alisema "I already know what they are going to talk to us about and I think it is so stupid!" He alisema "I know wewe do but; wewe have to talk to them… There's no way around it, trust me… I tried to negotiate a deal but it didn't work." Prince asked "what's AJ talking about daddy?" Dad alisema "nothing Prince; just make sure that wewe tell this man au woman the truth, no matter what maswali he au she asks you!" I alisema "you don't have to worry about that; even if we wanted too, we have no reason to lie!"

About 20 dakika later, a woman walked into the room wearing a badge that alisema "Child protective services" on it. She looked around the hotel room and alisema "okay; I think I will swali the two younger children first and then come back to swali the oldest one." I arrogantly asked "you do know that I have a name; right?" Dad gave me a look of shock because he couldn't believe what had just come out of my mouth. The woman didn't say anything as she directed Prince and Paris into a separate room. Dad alisema as the woman shut the door "don't talk like that to anyone! Especially; someone with a job like hers!" I alisema with my arms crossed and feet propped up on the coffee meza, jedwali "I'm just trying to make it very clear that I don't want her here!" He alisema "I don't care! wewe are digging me into a deeper and deeper hole that's going to be really hard for me to get out of!"

The woman came back a half an saa later and alisema "all right it's your turn." I alisema as I got up and followed her into the other room "alright; I just want to get this over with!" She shut the door and sat down. She alisema "my name is Andrea; what's yours?" I alisema "AJ" and sat down in the chair across from her." She asked "do wewe know why I'm here today?" I alisema "because someone lied." She alisema "how do wewe know that they lied?" I alisema "because my father would never ever do anything like that!" She alisema "I'm not here to get your dad in trouble in any way; I just want to make sure that wewe kids are salama here!" I alisema "yeah; that's what wewe say now but; I know what all of wewe are really after… Don't act like you're not either! I know zaidi than wewe think I do!"

She asked me a series of absolutely disgusting maswali and I answered each one with a "no." As time went by; the maswali got harder and harder to listen to. At one point, I alisema "every answer to these maswali will be a no so; can I be done here!" She wouldn't let me leave and it was getting point where I couldn't handle listening to anything coming out of her mouth anymore. She kept me in the longest; I'm assuming because I am the oldest and she could asked me zaidi detailed types of questions.

Almost an saa later she alisema "okay I think I've asked wewe everything that I need to know. I'll give wewe my number and wewe call it if wewe ever feel in danger!" I took it and the two of us walked out room. She alisema "alright Mr. Jackson; I have all the information that I need and I'd like to thank wewe for allowing me to interview her children!" He alisema as he shook her hand "you're welcome and I hope this clears everything up!" She shut the door and I felt so relieved that she was finally gone!

Dad looked at me and I was all shaken up. He asked "how did it go?" Before I could answer him; I ran to the bathroom and started violently throwing up. He ran after me and asked "are wewe okay?" I stood up and alisema "daddy; wewe can't ever make me be interviewed like that again!" He alisema as we walked into one of the bedrooms that were in our hotel room "let's talk about it then." We both sat down in the recliners and I alisema "it was so gross daddy! The maswali she asked me are things I hope I never hear again for as long as I live!" He alisema "I knew that they would ask wewe the hardest maswali because wewe understand zaidi than Prince and Paris do! That's why I tried to get all three of wewe out of it! I only went along with it because I had no other choice! I'm sorry that wewe had to go through all of that and I don't think anyone will have to swali wewe again." I alisema "I hope you're right because that made me physically sick… Hearing her ask me if I ever saw anything wrong going on between wewe and Gavin. I tried to get her to stop going into so much detail about specifics but; she wouldn't listen to me!" He hugged me and alisema while trying not to cry "I'm so sorry!!!"

February 13, 2004,

Today is Prince's 7th birthday and I'm curious to see what dad has planned since we are not at home. I woke up this morning and went out to Prince's bedroom in our hotel room and woke him up. When he opened his eyes I alisema "happy birthday Prince!" He alisema "thanks; is daddy awake yet?" I alisema "yeah; he just woke up about five dakika ago." Prince got out of kitanda and walked into the corner kitchen. He looked at the pancake batter and chokoleti chips on the counter and alisema "yes!" I alisema while laughing "I know; I alisema the same thing when I saw that!"

Dad walked over to us and put his hands on each of our shoulders. We turned around and dad alisema "happy birthday apple head!" Prince alisema "thank wewe daddy!" Dad alisema "that pancake batter on the counter is extra just in case we need it. I had Grace start making pancakes and their almost done! I'm going to wake up Paris and Blanket, I'll be right back!"


Dad came back into the room carrying Blanket in one arm and holding hands with Paris with the other arm. Blanket stared at me and started laughing. Dad asked while smiling at him "what's so funny?" I alisema "I just think it's one of those days where everything is funny; right Blanket?" Blanket alisema "I get down?" Dad alisema "no buddy; we're going to eat breakfast!" Dad put Blanket in his high chair and set the table. All of us sat down and started eating. Dad asked "Prince what wewe want to do today for your birthday?" Prince alisema "I want to ride go carts!" Dad alisema "alright; I'll try to find a place. If I can't; what else would wewe want to do?" I asked "why would we not be able to go to the go gari track?" Dad alisema "it's not that we can't go but; it would be hard to find a place that is willing to shut their doors so I could go with wewe guys without anyone else finding out."

Unfortunately, dad was unable to find a go kart track that would shut their doors so he could go with us. Prince had alisema that he would want to go to the sinema to see "are we there yet?" Dad was able to go in disguise and he surprisingly pulled it off!"

February, 19, 2004,

I was watching my new inayopendelewa onyesha on TV called "this suite life of Zack and Cody" on Disney channel. Dad came into my hotel bedroom and looked at the TV. He alisema "oh my gosh… I can't believe you're watching this again!" I alisema "this is a new episode; I haven't seen it yet!" He sat down inayofuata to me and alisema "after this, wewe have to take a kuoga and go to bed." I asked "can I watch TV until I fall asleep?" He alisema "as long as you're not up until three in the morning and wewe take your ADHD medication!" I alisema "I promise that I'll do what wewe say."

During the episode a boy came on screen and started singing. I tried my hardest not to blush but; dad caught me." He started laughing and asked "what's wrong?" I alisema "nothing; nothing at all!" He asked "who is that guy?" I alisema "Jesse McCartney!" I started blushing even worse than before and dad asked "you'll like him; don't you?" I didn't answer him at first because I was trying to come up with an excuse. I alisema "no… I don't know where wewe got that idea from!" He alisema "I don't know, maybe it's because your bright red and wewe can't even say his name without smiling! I think my tomboys got a little celebrity crush on this Jesse kid!" I covered my face with a throw mto and alisema "I do not have a crush on him!" He alisema "yes wewe do! I can tell because wewe can't even look at him without blushing!" I alisema "okay; maybe I have a crush on him but; that doesn't mean I'm going to be a girlie girl; I'm tomboy all the way!" He alisema "I know that and I don't think that will ever change! I think I worked with that boy on "what zaidi can I give?” When he was still in Dream Street!"

April 9, 2004,

I'm starting to get sick of living in one hotel room to the inayofuata and that's how it's been for a while now. The boredom is driving me insane and I think dad is starting to notice it as well. He has no clue where to live because he has not bought a permanent residence since Neverland Ranch back in the 1980s. I can definitely tell that dad is really stressed out because all he has done since the siku after Paris's six birthday; all he has done is sleep and every once in a while come into the jikoni area to eat something.

It was the middle of the siku and I was sitting at the meza, jedwali in our hotel room doing my schoolwork. Grace was playing with Blanket, Prince, and Paris when dad finally came out of his bedroom. He was dressed in his pajamas and his hair wasn't brushed yet. One of the things that I've always loved about him is that he never let us see how much he was struggling but; I'm old enough now to where it harder for him to hide it from me. He came over and sat down inayofuata to me. He asked "how's it going?" I alisema "it's going alright; why do wewe ask?" He alisema as he rubbed his eyes "I know you're not happy with the fact that we are staying in a hotel for so long! I just want wewe to know that I really am trying to get us out of here." I alisema "I know wewe are daddy and I'm not mad at you! I just can't take being stuck in here were too much longer!" He alisema "well; I'm going to check out some rental houses for us to use until after the trial ends. Do wewe want to go with me? It will get wewe out of this hotel for a while!" I alisema "okay… Is it just going to be the two of us?" He alisema "yes; we will be able to see zaidi houses that way.”

After I finished my last page of school work, dad and I headed out into central Los Angeles to look at rental houses. A realtor brought us to house after house but; nothing seemed like a perfect fit. He always made sure wherever we were that each of us has our own bedrooms no matter what. Either the houses we visited were too small au dad thought that the rent was way too high.


April 10, 2004,

After not being able to find a temporary place for us to rent, dad is obviously frustrated and hates the fact we have to songesha in the first place. I was sitting in my hotel room and could hear dad cheering down the hall. I opened the door and asked "what the heck are wewe so happy for?" He alisema "we have a place to live!" I alisema while smiling "where?" He alisema "the Prince of Bahrain who is a good friend of mine just offered to let us use one of his mansions for as long as we need to." I looked at him confused and asked "so we're moving to Bahrain?" He alisema "yes; right on the beach, pwani too!" I alisema "that's going to be so awesome daddy! How are wewe going to be back here in Los Angeles for the trial when it starts inayofuata year?" He alisema "I will just travel back and forth until it's over and wewe guys will come with me! Oh my gosh; I'm so excited! I'll help wewe pack your bags because were leaving in a few hours on a private jet."

Prince and Paris came running into my room and alisema "we are moving to the beach!" Grace came into and asked "what is this rolled up piece of paper that was in your room Michael?" Dad alisema "oh yeah; I forgot to give that to wewe AJ! I meant to give wewe on your birthday but; I Lost it when we were switching hotels!" I took it from Grace and unraveled it. It was a poster of Jesse McCartney and I alisema "thank wewe daddy; even though I told wewe that I only have a little crush on him!" Dad alisema "you've been listening to his CD that I got wewe for your birthday over and over again. For someone that only has only has a little crush on him; wewe sure do talk about him a lot!" Grace started laughing and alisema "I never thought I would see Alanna blushing over a boy!"

April 11, 2004,

We are finally here in Bahrain and it is zaidi amazing than I could have ever imagined! Our bedrooms are three times as big as the ones we had back in Neverland. I woke up this morning and just lay in kitanda looking around my new bedroom. My inayopendelewa part kwa far is that I have my own bathroom for the first time! Then when wewe look out the bay window wewe can see the perfect view of the shore. My room is pretty much a disaster because I haven't had time to decorate au put things away due to the fact that we got here so late last night.

I got out of kitanda and decided to put my new Jesse McCartney poster up on the ukuta because I knew it would make dad happy. I grabbed a roll of tape out of one of the cardboard boxes in my room hung the poster on the wall. Dad walked in and alisema "I knew wewe would put it up!" Blanket came into my room with my dog drake (yes, I am aware that I haven't talked about the dog in a long time!) And drake climbed on my bed. Dad alisema "after we eat, Prince Al-KhalifaI coming over to welcome us to Bahrain. Don't worry, wewe don't have to call him that; just call him Al. That's what I call him because I always forget his name."

Just as dad said; Prince Al showed up dakika after we had finished eating breakfast and he seemed like such a nice person. He took the time to get to know each of us and he actually told me a few jokes that were really funny. He passed a set of keys to me and I asked "what are these for?" He alisema "they are for the gate to the outdoor mpira wa kikapu court! Your father told me that that's your inayopendelewa American sport." I alisema "that's so cool; I didn't even notice that there was a mpira wa kikapu court outside! Daddy; can I go play basketball?" Dad alisema "sure wewe can; just make sure that wewe lock the door when wewe leave so Blanket can't get out! “Al laughed at how excited I was and dad alisema "I can't even begin to tell wewe how thankful I am to wewe for letting us stay here!" Al alisema "of course Michael; I enjoy having wewe here and I hope this will be the first place wewe perform when wewe stage wewe come back!" Dad alisema "without a doubt; I will! I am loving it here already and as wewe can tell, so are the children! Maybe if all goes well; I will stay here and live here permanently after the trial is over!"

May 7, 2004

I'm definitely getting zaidi comfortable here in Bahrain and my typical attitude is getting back to normal. I'm not the only one who seems back to themselves because dad hasn't been depressed since we moved here and he's back to laughing and having fun. Whenever we need something, Prince Al is always willing to get it for us and for the first time in a long time I finally feel like we have our nyumbani again!

I was chasing Prince around and pinned him down on the ground. Dad alisema "Alanna; be careful because wewe are stronger than he is!" I looked down at Prince and alisema "say uncle, say it, say it!" He alisema "okay; uncle! Please let me go now!" Dad alisema "AJ; that's enough now!" I got up and Paris came into the kitchen. She asked "daddy; I want to find my Princess dress!" He asked "where was the last place wewe saw it?" Paris alisema as she shrugged her shoulders "I don't know." He alisema "that doesn't help me out at all; are wewe sure wewe don't know where it is? Did wewe even look for it?" Paris alisema "yes; all over my room!" Dad alisema "as soon as I'm done making lunch for everyone I will help wewe look for it." She alisema "I need it now though!" Dad looked at me and smiled. I alisema "oh no; if wewe think I'm helping her look for that wewe are out of your mind!" He laughed and asked "please Alanna, for me?" I would my eyes and went upstairs with Paris to her bedroom.

I looked around Paris's bedroom and toys were scattered everywhere. I could barely see the carpet and alisema "no wonder why wewe can't find it in here! It's a disaster!" She alisema "it's not my fault; I was looking all over for my cinderella dress!" I alisema as I picked up a few T-shirts "yeah but; did wewe really need to take all the clothes out of your dresser and closet? Why would it be in there? I've never seen any of your dress-up stuff in there!" She alisema "I've put it in there before because Prince alisema he was going to rip it when he was mad at me one time!" I asked "how do wewe expect me to find it in all this mess?" She alisema "daddy always finds stuff when it's missing!" I alisema "yeah well; I'm not daddy. I'm a 10-year-old with a very short attention span! I don't know what he was thinking when he sent me up here to look for a dress!"

Dad yelled from downstairs "lunch is ready." Paris and I went downstairs and sat down at the meza, jedwali with everyone else. Dad asked as he took a bite of his sandwich, sandwichi "how did the tafuta for the cinderella dress go?" Paris alisema "AJ wouldn't help me find it!" I alisema "I tried to help you! Daddy; wewe have to see her room! There has to be every one of her toys on the floor in there! There's no way I would be able to find that dress. I don't even think wewe could find it in there! He alisema "Paris; if I go up there to help wewe find your dress and your room is a mess wewe will have to clean it!" She alisema "I don't think it's a mess in there at all." I alisema "you're kidding me Paris! I stepped on at least 50 of those little Polly pocket doll pieces!" Dad alisema "you're going to end up losing all of those if wewe don't keep them all in the same place and picked up off the floor because they are so small." I alisema "I bet wewe if wewe clean your room wewe would find that cinderella dress!" Dad looked at Paris and alisema "AJ's right!"

After we all at lunch, I helped dad and Prince clear the table. Paris alisema "I don't need to find my cinderella dress anymore daddy!" He alisema "okay; but that's not going to get wewe out of cleaning your bedroom." Paris alisema "why do I have to clean it?" He alisema "because I saw it a few dakika zamani when I went upstairs to get something out of my bedroom and there is everything from puzzle pieces to videotapes all over the floor! wewe need to go clean it; right now please!" Paris reluctantly went upstairs to clean her room and I went into the living room to watch TV.

drake jumped on the kitanda and lay his head on my lap. I looked for the remote and found it underneath one of the kitanda cushions. I noticed something blue underneath the other one so; I lifted it up! It was the cinderella dress that Paris wanted and just as I grabbed it dad alisema "you found it! I wonder what it was doing under there?" I alisema "Paris is lucky that I had to look for the remote-control." He alisema "please watch something other than that Zack and Cody onyesha on the Disney channel. I alisema "that's my inayopendelewa onyesha though!" He alisema "I know it is; practically everyone that knows wewe knows that that's your inayopendelewa show! I know for a fact that wewe have seen the episode that's on right now because I've seen it!" I asked "what if the episode with Jesse McCartney comes on after this one?" He alisema "you have seen that one about seven times! Why don't wewe just buy the DVD with that episode on it?" I alisema while laughing "fine; if wewe don't want to watch this then I will go to my room and watch it kwa myself on my TV!"

May 12, 2004,

I was listening to my Jesse McCartney CD in my room and imba along to the words when dad came. He asked "is that wewe singing? Wow; you've gotten really good at singing!" I asked "do wewe really think that I'm a good singer au are wewe just saying that because wewe are my dad?" He alisema "no I mean it; you're really good AJ!" I alisema "thanks!" He alisema "you sound a lot like me when I sing! It's actually uncanny how much we sound alike!" I alisema "I still want to be a famous singer like wewe when I grow up! Dad alisema "wow; wewe alisema that when wewe were only three years old and that's still what wewe want to be when wewe grow up!"

Blanket came into my room and dad picked him up. I walked up to him and alisema "look at his hair daddy; it's sticking up all over the place!" He alisema "I think we should go comb your hair Blanket!" Dad took him out of my room and I turned on the desktop apple Computer that was in my room. I stared at my Jesse McCartney karatasi la kupamba ukuta for a few dakika and then clicked on the "Firefox" icon. I went on YouTube.com and searched "Jesse McCartney tamasha 2004." Jesse has been performing a few concerts at city fairs and charity benefits. I obviously really want to go to one of his concerts but; I haven't alisema anything to dad about it and I don't plan to! I don't feel that now is the right time for me to ask for tamasha tickets because dad has his trial starting soon and I don't want him to be worried that he would not be able to take me to the tamasha due to a siku in court!