Chapter 13,

April 23, 2006,

We're settling back in at the house in Bahrain and dad is getting back to his usual self. He eating zaidi normally then he was during the trial and has put on about 5 pounds. He's been working on his new album, but he hasn't seemed so excited about uandishi this one as he has been with others he has written.

I was in my room watching TV when dad came in and alisema "I'm so happy here; are you?" I alisema "I upendo it here but; nothing compares to Neverland!" He alisema "yeah I know. I'm doing everything I can to save the ranch but; selling it might be the best thing we can do right now." I alisema "I just had this picture in my mind that I would visit wewe at Neverland 20 years to now with my family. I guess that's never going to happen now." He alisema "I'll try my best to save it but I can't make any promises. Don't get me wrong; I upendo it there too but; it'll never be the same because of everything that's gone on with the trial." I alisema "I guess you're right! I just wish I would've been able to see it one zaidi time!" He sighed and alisema "trust me AJ; wewe wouldn't have wanted to see what the inside of the house looks like!" I got up and let the dog into my room. He alisema "all right I'm going to go back downstairs and play with your siblings. Why don't wewe come downstairs?" I alisema "alright; there's nothing better to do anyway. Come on Drake, let's go downstairs!"

I walked into the living room and sat down on the couch. Blanket (who is now four years old) walked over and sat down inayofuata to me. He randomly hugged me and alisema "I upendo wewe so much Alanna!" I alisema while quickly hugging him "I upendo wewe too." Dad walked into the room and Blanket alisema "I upendo this house daddy." Dad alisema "I know wewe do; I do too!" Prince and Paris alisema together "I hope we can stay here for a long time!" I don't really understand what the big deal is about this house. I will always upendo Neverland zaidi than any other place we could possibly live. I spent the first 12 years of my life living in that house and up until six months zamani I had planned to spend the first 18 years of my life there! I guess all I can do now is hope that some sort of miracle happens and we don't end up losing the ranch for good! I have a strong feeling that that's never going to happen!

April 27, 2006,

It was 9 o'clock at night and dad had just checked to see if my brothers and sister were sleeping. I was downstairs and was planning to stay up late because I didn't have to do any of my homeschooling the inayofuata day. Dad walked up behind me when I was at the jikoni counter putting dishes away and asked "do wewe want to go walked the beach, pwani with me? I probably won't be able to sleep for a while anyway." I thought it was weird that my dad wanted to go out to the pwani so late at night but; I agreed to do so.

We walked down to the waves and started to walk along the shoreline. I could tell something was up because dad couldn't stop fidgeting. He alisema "I think it's time that we have a very important talk.” I looked at him with a suspicious look on my face and asked "what do wewe want to talk about dad?" He started sweating and I could tell his nerves were getting to him because every time he would go to say something to me he would stop himself. I asked "is it really that important of a conversation? I've never seen wewe shake so bad in my life!" He alisema "umm, yeah it is. umm, oh man, this going to be so awkward! How do I even start this conversation?"

I bent down to pick up a few shells out of the sand and put them in my pocket. Dad took a deep breath and alisema "I think it's time that we have the talk." I asked "what do wewe mean kwa 'the talk'?" He alisema "well; you'll be a teenager inayofuata mwaka and you're probably going to start having feelings for boys." It took me about five dakika to figure out what he meant kwa 'feelings' and my eyes widened as I stared at him definitely in shock that he was really going to go there. I alisema "whoa, whoa, whoa, dad we really don't need to talk about this!" He alisema "trust me; I feel uncomfortable talking about this too but; it's important that wewe know about those kinds of things because I don't want wewe making any wrong decisions that could end up putting wewe in a difficult situation." I alisema "I promise wewe dad; I won't do anything stupid!" He alisema "I want wewe to know that even though I'm not ready to be a grandfather yet; wewe can always tell me anything! I’ll always be here for wewe no matter what!"

I can honestly say that that was the most uncomfortable conversation I have ever had with my dad! He was very thorough over our three-hour talk on the beach, pwani and made sure not to leave anything out! I'm sure it would've been zaidi natural if I knew who my mother was and she was the one to initiate this conversation. I will say though; my dad didn't do that bad for being a guy talking to his 12-year-old tomboy daughter!

May 3, 2006,

Dad just walked in the front door and tripped over my mpira wa kikapu shoes that were laying in the hallway. He alisema to himself "I wish Alanna would listen to me when I tell her to pick up her shoes." I was upstairs in my room with my door open and I overheard a conversation between Grace and dad. Grace alisema "Michael; wewe need to stop spending so much money! Do wewe realize how broke wewe are?" He alisema "there's nothing to worry about! The Prince of Bahrain is paying our bills remember?" Grace alisema "shouldn't wewe be working on your new album instead of going shopping?" He alisema "it's coming along, slowly but surely over time!" Grace alisema "I don't think wewe realize how irritated your new record label is with you! I'm worried if wewe don't get moving on this new CD that they might pull the plug on the whole contract! Where is that going to leave wewe financially? wewe have to remember that wewe have four children depending on wewe to provide for them!" Dad started to get really irritated with her and alisema "don't tell me what I should au shouldn't do! I'm a grown man and I can make my own decisions! You're here solely to take care of the children, nothing zaidi nothing less!" Grace alisema "you finally have a chance to dig yourself out of all this debt you've acquired! Why not take advantage of it? wewe may never get another opportunity like this again Michael! I've been taking care of your children since the week AJ was born and I've never seen wewe so unmotivated to write music!" Dad alisema "you know what Grace? If wewe can't let me do what I would like then maybe wewe should leave!" She alisema "fine Michael if that's what wewe want! It's nice to see that wewe would so willingly throw away the last 12 years so easily!" With that last statement she stormed out of the door slamming it behind her. I really can't believe that just happened!

June 17, 2006,

Grace has been gone for a few weeks now and I really think that dad is missing having her around. Plus it's no surprise that I've been giving him a lot of trouble lately and it makes him want to rip his hair out. My biggest problem lately is talking back and it really irritates him because he doesn't want me to be like this.

I was coming inside after playing mpira wa kikapu and dad was opening up envelopes that he had gotten in the mail. He opened up one of them and unfolded the papers that were inside. He looked down at them and asked "Alanna; do wewe mind explaining this to me?" I grabbed a water bottle out of the fridge and walked over to him. I asked "what?" He alisema "these are your last set of grades for the 6th grade. I'd like to know why wewe have a D- in science, history, and math?" I alisema "I don't know why they would say my grades are that low! I do my work on my computer every day! He alisema "maybe it has something to do with the fact that wewe have a total of 17 incomplete assignments in those classes! AJ; wewe and I both know that wewe are way smarter than a D-!" I alisema "it doesn't even matter if I did those assignments au not because we already got that letter in the mail that alisema that my ujumla, jumla grade for this mwaka was high enough for me to continue on to the seventh grade!" He alisema "it does matter to me and it should matter to you." I alisema "what's done is done! I'm moving on to the seventh grade after summer vacation and that's all that matters!" He alisema "you're lucky wewe passed this time but; wewe may not be so lucky inayofuata time! The ujumla, jumla passing grade for all of your classes is a 61 and wewe passed with a 63! wewe barely passed! I don't understand how last semester wewe had straight A's and this semester wewe have three D's and a B+! wewe can do so much better than this AJ!"

I got up and went into the living room. Dad followed me and alisema "don't walk away from me when I'm talking to you!" I walked out of the living room and went upstairs to my bedroom without responding to him. I shut the door and lay down on my kitanda with my face covered kwa my baseball cap. He came in my room and opened up the drawer in my nightstand. He pulled out a stack of papers and started thumbing through them. He alisema "science assignment 111, math assignment 3.6, American history: end of chapter 10 quiz! wewe may be doing the online assignments but you're clearly not doing the handwritten ones because I can see them right here and none of them have been worked on at all! Why do wewe lie to me AJ? I don't get it! Wouldn't it be easier just to tell me the truth? kwa lying to me you’re just make it harder on yourself!" I alisema "just leave me alone!" He alisema "no; I'm not going to leaving wewe alone because that's exactly what wewe want! I'm not letting wewe do whatever wewe want and I'm staying right here until wewe realize how ridiculous that is for wewe to get grades that low!"

He sat down on the edge of my kitanda and stared at me as I lay there with the brim of my hat covering my eyes. He kept saying "this is getting ridiculous! I'm going to be sitting here all night and it's not going to bother me either… Just so wewe know." After 15 dakika of him and I sitting there in silence; I Lost it! I alisema "get the hell out of my room now! He raised his eyebrows and sternly asked "what did wewe just say?" I asked "are wewe deaf? I alisema get the hell out of my room!" He alisema "Alanna Michael Jackson wewe better look at me right now!" I didn't respond to him and kept my eyes covered with my hat. He gently took the hat off my head and threw it across the room. He alisema "sit up right now!" I alisema "no; it's not like wewe can physically make me anymore! I'm almost as tall as wewe are!" He alisema "you know what? I didn't want to come to this but; you're giving me no choice!"

He got up and started to unplug my computer and I asked "what do wewe think you're doing?" He didn't answer me and took it out of my room. He came back in and took my flatscreen off the wall. I chased him down the hallway and he locked my TV in his bedroom closet. Then he went for my dresser and counted out seven of each type of clothing. He made sure each piece of clothing was a plain color and put all my other clothing in a plastic bag. He also brought the bag to his closet and came back into my room with a bisibisi in his hands. He bent down and started to unscrew the bolts to my bedroom door. He took the door off its hinges and leaned it up against the ukuta in his bedroom.

kwa that point I sat up and he walked back into my bedroom. He rolled my computer chair up to me and sat down in it. He alisema "you need to treat me with respect! I don't think wewe realize how good wewe have it! You’re not getting your flatscreen, computer, au door back until I feel wewe have earned the right to have them back. Depending on how wewe want to act wewe could be without those things for weeks au even months." I asked with an irritated tone "why did wewe take the rest of my clothes away?" He alisema "because wewe don't act like wewe appreciate how much those name brands like YMCMB and South Pole cost me. One pair of those baggy jeans wewe like to wear costs $80! Until wewe get your behavior under control that stack clothes is what you're be wearing." I alisema "but those are so boring, everything is white au blue and black mpira wa kikapu shorts!" He alisema "yeah well; maybe wewe should have thought about that before wewe decided to swear at me!" I asked "well; why did wewe take my fucking door off of my room?" He alisema while sighing because of my language "you need to prove to me that wewe deserve to have privacy because as it stands now that door will be off until wewe do." I alisema "you've got to be joking!" He got up to leave the room and asked "does it look like I'm joking with wewe now AJ?" He walked out of the room and I stared at the overwhelming emptiness around me. I whispered to myself "I really dug myself into a deep hole this time!" I have a feeling my life is going to be very boring for a while!

June 22, 2006,

Grace is coming back today because dad and her reconciled a few days ago, they agreed to no longer argue over finances and that she would completely leave that up to him. She'll be here in about 15 dakika and I'm hoping that having her around will loosen dad up a little bit because he still has a tight grip around my punishment. I doubt she'll have an effect on him though.

Grace walked in the front door of our house in Bahrain and hugged each of us before we sat down to eat dinner. Dad asked me "can wewe please pass me the salt?" I alisema "get it yourself" and put my plate in the sink. I went upstairs and into my room; which was still bare of anything fun. Grace came upstairs and walked into my room. She sat down on the kitanda and asked "what the heck happened to your door?" I alisema "dad took it off because I told him to get the hell out of my room." She alisema "oh; your dad finally put his foot down! Let me guess; he took your computer and TV away too? I asked "what does it look like to you?" She asked "why did wewe guys get into an argument in the first place?" I alisema "because he got my final grades for the sixth grade and I had three D's! Then he found out that I had 17 missing assignments stuffed in a drawer in my room. He wants me to do the assignments but; I don't see the point because I already passed all my classes!" She alisema "I bet wewe if wewe finished those assignments your dad will at least give wewe something back!" I alisema "he's being so stupid and I'm not going to do all that work for nothing!" She alisema "hey AJ; don't talk about your father like that. He loves wewe and only wants what's best for you! Even if that means he has to take away everything that's entertaining to you. I alisema "ugh; it's so boring in here! He won't even let me play basketball! I have to come up here and pretty much stare at the ukuta all day. The only thing I'm allowed to do is eat downstairs and do my chores!" She alisema "I'm going to go downstairs now. Just think about doing those worksheets, it may get wewe farther than wewe think it will."

I was board out of my mind so; I decided to do what Grace had suggested even though I really didn't want to! There I sat in my room for 2 1/2 hours working on worksheets that should've been finished months ago. I was really frustrated because I had to read over chapters that I had already read to refresh my memory. I finished worksheet after worksheet and was glad when they were all completed. I stapled the pages together and put my history, science, and math vitabu away.

Dad could hear the squeaking of my shoes as I walked down the stairs and into the jikoni where everyone else was. Dad and I stared at each other in silence for a few dakika before he alisema "there better be a good reason why you're down here." I walked up to him and without saying a word I passed him the packet of worksheets. I think he was trying to hide his shock as he flipped through the pages and shook his head in approval. When he got to the last page I asked "can wewe and I have a conversation kwa ourselves for a few minutes?" He alisema "sure; sit down at the meza, jedwali with me."

I alisema "I'm really sorry for being disrespectful to you." He alisema "you were way out of line when wewe told me to get the hell out of your room. wewe know I don't tolerate swearing-in this house and it definitely caught me off-guard when wewe swore, especially when wewe say words like the F word. I find that highly disrespectful that wewe would speak like that. I don't know what would make wewe think that that was okay! Do wewe know how that makes wewe look when wewe act that way? wewe look like a spoiled, entitled, brat and I know that's not who wewe are au at least I know that I don't want wewe to act like that! Let me ask wewe this, is it fun not being able to pick out your own clothes?" I alisema "no; I'm tired of wearing plain white T-shirts and black mpira wa kikapu shorts!" He asked "has it been fun not being able to use your computer au watch any TV at all for this entire time?" I alisema "no; I've fallen so far behind on TV shows and my virtual pets are probably dead kwa now because I haven't been able to use my computer so I can feed them!" He asked "how has it been not having a door to your bedroom?" I alisema "that's the worst thing wewe have ever done to me for a punishment, especially when my dog wakes me up at two in the morning to let him outside!" Dad asked "do wewe appreciate everything that I provide for wewe now?" I alisema "so much zaidi now than I did before!" He alisema "come with me."

We went upstairs and I followed him into his bedroom. He grabbed the plastic bag with all my inayopendelewa clothes inside with his left hand and grabbed my bedroom door with the other hand, grasping it with both of his hands. He walked down to my room and propped the door up against the wall. He took the bisibisi out of his pocket and put the door back on its hinges. He tested it to see if it shut properly and then passed me the plastic bag with my clothes inside it. I smiled as I opened it up and he alisema "don't get too excited because if wewe are disrespectful au misbehave again it's going back in my room! I'll be right back; I'm going to get your computer and flatscreen so we can set it back up in here."

He brought my computer and flatscreen televisheni back into my room. He mounted the televisheni back on the ukuta above my dresser and I helped him carry the monitor and computer tower back over to my desk. We plug everything back in and I was so happy that I was finally able to turn my computer on again. Dad alisema "alright; there wewe go!" I alisema as I hugged him "I'm really sorry for swearing and lying to wewe dad!" He alisema "just don't do it again! I upendo wewe kiddo; even though wewe going to make my hair turn gray years before it's supposed to!" The two of us started laughing and then he asked "can I have a kiss please? I haven't gotten one from wewe in a while because you've been giving me the silent treatment!" I kissed him and I alisema "I upendo wewe so much dad!" He alisema "I upendo wewe more!!!"

August 1, 2006,

We were in a hotel in Bahrain because the Prince terminated dad's recording contract. He told dad that he was upset that work wasn't being accomplished on the new album and told all of us that we would have to leave the house we had been living in immediately! Dad was furious and still kind of is. It only gets worse from here!

All of us kids were watching TV in our hotel room when there was a knock at the door. Dad answered it and it was the manager of the hotel. Dad asked "how can I help you?" The manager alisema "Mr. Jackson I hate to inform wewe of this but; your credit card has been declined." Dad alisema "that can't be right! Are wewe sure wewe scanned it correctly?" The manager alisema "yes sir; several times and it says on the machine that you've exceeded your spending limit." Grace got a worried look on her face and the manager alisema "if we don't receive payment within the inayofuata few dakika were going to have to ask wewe to leave the premises."

Dad pulled Grace to the side and alisema "we’re going to have to leave! I can't afford to stay here! I don't know where we’re going to go but; I know we can't stay here!" She alisema "there is that property with the recording studio that wewe can afford in Dublin Ireland that I was looking at yesterday. He alisema "I guess we're going to have to go there but; I need to see if someone will loan me the money for the plane tickets to get there! I think our best bet is to call Rev. Al Sharpton because he wouldn't want to stress the children out in any way.

Luckily, dad was able to get the money from the Rev. and we are scheduled to board the inayofuata flight to Ireland. I hope this whole money situation gets figured out soon because it seems like just as we get settled in somewhere we have to up and leave again! I'm really getting sick of this! August, 24, 2006,

I upendo it here in Ireland! The place we are staying at is almost like an inn for celebrities. The thing I upendo most about being here is the fact that the public respect our privacy and leave us alone. That has never happened to us before and I upendo it! The people here are really nice and it's really affordable for us to live here. They treat all of us like were normal people and never once asked dad for a picture au an autograph.

I was downstairs in the lobby area which was the floor underneath our two-story living area. I'd rather not call it a nyumbani yet because I don't know how long will be staying here and I don't want to get too comfortable. Anyway, I was downstairs in the lobby and dad came over to me wearing his pajamas. He alisema "you need to go to your room and make your kitanda please." I got up and went upstairs to do as I was told and afterwards went back down to the lobby.

I went over and sat on the arm of the chair that dad sitting in and he alisema "thank wewe for listening to me." I laughed and alisema "yeah well; I don't want to lose my bedroom door again!" Nancy, the woman who owned the in with her husband alisema "Michael; if wewe would like me to I have someone who directs low-budget short films and he alisema he would be willing to come here and give wewe a lesson to the children about filmmaking. I've heard that Prince is really interested in those sorts of things!" Dad alisema "oh please do; all of us would enjoy that very much!"

A few hours later, a skinny dark-haired man with a mustache came upstairs to our living area and introduced himself as Marcus Bennett! Marcus alisema as we all gathered at the meza, jedwali in front of the TV "I hear we have an up-and-coming director here!" Prince raised his hand and alisema "that's me! I upendo sinema and and upendo learning how they are created! My daddy has taught me a lot about what he knows because he has helped direct a few of his own short films!" Dad grinned with pride and joy as Marcus began to teach us all about the art of filmmaking. I don't think I have ever seen Prince so thrilled in his life, he is definitely on wingu nine! I have to say even though muziki is zaidi my thing, seeing how sinema are made and learning some of the correct terminology was pretty awesome!

September 6, 2006,

We are in Japan and dad just got back to our hotel after accepting an award at the Japanese version of the MTV video muziki awards. Dad was really happy because he actually got paid over $100,000 to onyesha up and as wewe know kwa now dad is very low on cash.

Dad came running up to Grace and alisema "you'll never guess who I ran into there!" She alisema "who? Why are wewe so excited?" He alisema "some AEG live entertainment executives!" Grace looked at him confused and asked "what's so exciting about that?" He alisema "well; we got to talking and they really want to create a Michael Jackson hotel on the Vegas strip!" I got excited as I overheard the conversation and alisema "whoa; dad that is like the coolest thing ever!" Grace alisema "you can finally get rid of all this debt! That's what I'm most excited about!" Dad alisema "trust me; I am too! According to the AEG executives they want to build a statue like the ones we had floating on the rivers during the history tour and put it at the center of the lobby! There will be another huge building attached to the hotel that will be off-limits to the public because that will be our home! I promise wewe AJ; if wewe miss Neverland you're going to upendo our new nyumbani once it's built!" I hugged him and kissed his cheek. He looked at me while grinning from ear to ear and alisema "we're moving to Vegas baby!"