Remember the Time

Chapter 91

September 10th, 1999

“Dunk, can you go get me an ice cream?” Michael asked.

Janet rolled her eyes. Mariah was resting in the Master Suite, trying to take a load off from the pregnancy while Janet and her brother sat in the living room. She’d gotten an ice cream while Michael put the twins down for their nap, and Michael didn’t hesitate to ask her for some. To her annoyance, he’d been begging her to take care of him since she moved in. She was starting to feel how she did when they were kids and all her older siblings would order her around.

“Pleeeeeease.” Michael begged.

“Get your lazy butt up and do it yourself. Hell, I’m tryna eat my own ice cream.” Janet bit. She immediately nibbled on her fudge bar.

He rolled his eyes--or at least attempted to.

“What the hell is wrong with your eye.” Janet joked.

Michael frowned. “Janet get up and get me an ice cream.”

“Why I gotta do it?”

“Because you’re the baby, that’s why.” He replied.

Before Janet could rebut, Michael’s cell phone rang.

Janet silently celebrated the distraction while her brother answered the phone.

“Hello?” He said.

Almost immediately, Janet noticed his expression change. He went from being irritated with her, to almost anxious. She could vaguely hear the voice on the phone, but couldn’t quite make out who the other person was.

“Oh my-that’s wonderful! When did you get here?” He said, excitedly.

Janet furrowed her eyebrows--Michael was so anxious, he hadn’t even noticed Janet’s nosiness.

Michael grinned widely. “Th- th- ah- That’s-” He paused, taking a deep breath. He laughed nervously. “Sorry, I’m just-” He cheesed like a schoolboy and pulled out a voice Janet hadn’t heard since 1984. “You know I get nervous easily.”

Nervous? Who the hell is he talkin to?

He glanced at Janet before starting again. “I- I-um-”

Pause.

Janet grabbed a magazine, pretending to be occupied so that Michael wouldn’t be suspicious.

“Yeah, let’s!” He said, responding to the other person on the phone. “Honestly, I’ve been just so cooped up in this house, I need to get out.”

It’s not like you can’t go anywhere...we’re not holding you hostage.

He giggled like an idiot at whatever the person was saying. “Yeah. I-”

“Michael!” Mariah called out from the bedroom. Her voice got louder as she approached, though Michael didn’t seem fazed. “Michael! Janet!”

Janet looked up to see Mariah approaching the threshold to the living room. “What’s up?”

Michael glanced at her, smiling. He mouthed, “I’m on the phone.”

Mariah raised her voice. “Well, I’m going into labor!”

Michael jerked up off the couch and looked down at the floor. “Uh- Okay, hey, I think I’m about to have a baby, so-”

Janet glanced at her brother. “What?”

He looked back up at Janet, and mouthed. “I’m trying to explain, what’s going on. Hold on.”

Janet glanced back at Mariah, who held her stomach--partially in a panic. She ran over to her and held onto her back.