Forever│Michael Jackson

9. Inseparable

Saturday, April 10, 1971

Michael

It was a warm spring afternoon, and Sunny and I were engaging in a favorite game of ours: Pirates. Earlier, a new refrigerator and a new washing machine were delivered to my house from Sears, as my mother had ordered them about a week ago. Both appliances arrived in big, appealing boxes—which Sunny and I were quick to claim once they were emptied. There was so much that we could use them for—building forts, rocket ships, or clubhouses—but at the very moment, we chose to construct pirate ships.

In my backyard, we both claimed a box and flattened them before standing them up on their sides on the grass. Currently, we hid behind our boxes, imagining that we were standing on the deck of a magnificent pirate ship that overlooked the sparkling seas. We were engaging in an intense battle over treasure, firing at each other with cannonballs—or, water balloons.

I tossed an orange water balloon from behind the "wooden railing" of my "pirate ship." After the balloon popped against her own "pirate ship," she lifted her head from behind her own "wooden railing." Then, she pointed her finger straight up into the air as her brows narrowed.

"Go on and surrenderrr!" Sunny exclaimed in her best pirate voice. "Or else I'll be sendin' ya to Davy Jones!"

I laughed as I picked up another water balloon. "I'll never surrenderrr!" I shouted, and I tossed the "cannonball" towards her ship again. After the balloon plopped against her "ship," she burst into giggles, and my smile grew with ease.

Less than a week ago, I'd returned home after touring for three weeks with my brothers. Sunny and I had been able to see each other every day since then because her school remained closed after having suffered significant damage from February's earthquake. We were spending so much time together, which I was loving with my whole soul. Every time I was with her, happiness just consumed me entirely. I was so thankful for having her by my side. Being able to use my imagination—and ridding my body from the harrowing loneliness I often felt when I was away—was such a breath of much-needed fresh air in a world of strict work.

Hiding behind my box, I watched as two blue water balloons soared over me before splashing on the grass. I grabbed a red balloon from my bucket before jumping back up. Sunny stood behind her box as well, and she flashed me a smile. "Go down with the tide, now! Fire!" I then shouted as I threw the "cannonball" towards her "ship."

She dropped to her knees to hide behind her box, and when the balloon popped against the cardboard, she let out a pirate-like laugh. "Ah, shark bait ya become!" she then shouted before throwing another balloon towards me. We'd learned pirate slang from a book that she got, and we were having a blast using those new phrases.

I dropped to the grass as the balloon splattered against my box. "Blimey!" I said. I then jumped back up to throw a green balloon at her, which made her box crooked. "Yo-ho! Yo-ho! A pirate's life for meee!" I sang.

"Oh, walk the plank, ya bloomin' cockroach!" she returned while attempting to fix her "ship." I was quick to throw another water balloon at her, however—and this time, her box came tumbling down to the grass, leaving her with no protection. I gave her a mischievous smile, which caused her to let out a nervous laugh. "Shiver me timbers."

Quickly, I picked up the last water balloon in my bucket, and I dashed towards her. "AHHH!" I shouted. As a grin consumed her face, she shrieked before bolting in the opposite direction. I held the red balloon up in the air as my bare feet traveled across the grass, and my smile remained big as her giggles filled our surroundings. While I chased her, she looked behind herself, and after seeing how close I was, her laughter grew louder. I felt my heart leap upon hearing the pleasant sounds.