I stood at the gates of the Jardin Botanico garden of Madrid. Magnificent displays of plants and flowers decorated it's threshold and painted a beautiful mosaic of color in the distance. The day was still early and the sun crept slowly up the sky. Michael spoke diligently with a representative of the royal family who would be giving us the tour of the gardens today. The family had invited Michael when he first arrived in Spain. So, as naturally happened on most adventures these days, he asked me to tag along.
The pair approached and Michael took me by the arm, walking beside me as we entered the wonders concealed inside. Stretched out before us was a labyrinth of hedges ornamented with the occasional tree. All of them trimmed to perfection. I took in a long breath, inhaling the scents of the nature that engulfed us. The representative rambled on and on about the origins and upbringings of some of the plants we encountered, but I was too lost in the beauty to make sense of the words that came from his mouth.
Michael was enthralled by every detail, asking questions about the region a certain tree had come from and how they had managed to make it grow in a different climate. All of it was magical to him. To make things grow where they never had before was an act that defied all of nature's laws and it was an act that defied the term 'impossible'. After a few turns down the path, we came to a massive green room lavishly filled with a diverse gathering of foliage and cacti. The humidity of the air clung to my skin.
This soon dumped into a tunnel of archways that took us back outside. Vines had wrapped themselves around the arcs and these brilliant crimson trunked trees twisted up the sides; gray streaks painted along the branches, marking a path to the green leaves that stood a bright contrast to the trunk. I traced my fingers over the smooth branches, disengaging as my fingertip grazed the surface of one of the leaves.
We passed a multitude of fountains, statues, and ponds; each of them designed so differently than the one before. Michael stopped once, gazing upon the weaving branches of a giant oak tree. "I have one of those at Neverland." he stated; voice low so only I could hear. "Maybe sometime you'll get to see it." A smile graced his lips at the thought of it and we continued.
As we entered an expanse of flower beds, a child ran past us, leaping from the fence borders that encased the flowers. The child's father scolded her for being so rambunctious in a place as prestigious as this was. She lowered her head in shame and walked carefully at her father's side. Michael frowned, leaning against the fence the child had just bounded off of. His gaze refused to meet mine for a bit, but I persisted. Michael sighed in defeat, finally looking me in the eyes.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
He thought for a moment, trying to collect his emotions before speaking."That child beheld a secret to life that many of us have forgotten." Michael explained. "It's an innocence of sorts that is programmed into children. An unquestioned trust, an unbounded love. That little girl had nothing but pure bliss in her heart. In that moment, she believed that she could fly... and I believed it with her. There was so much wonder in her eyes. When her father stopped her, that wonder seemed to fade. Like a flame without oxygen, it depleted from her eyes until it was gone... and it was heartbreaking.
"I guess it was a story I knew too well. Quinn, I believe that in each of us there is a magical child who still contains this innocence that is pure and honest love. This child yearns to escape and weave it's magic, but after years of society telling us that this child inside of us is dangerous and odd, telling us that this magic within should be contained, we forget that it's there. We forget that where love abounds there is no fear. It's a fact that comes with innocence, one lost in the ages as we grow older and believe the innocence to be naive. But people need to learn how to be innocent again... let love back into our hearts and see with an open mind. We can never shut down the dreams and wonders of a child. Instead, we must learn from them." He said with a sigh.
I took his hand in mine, holding on to the tips of his fingers as a small method of reassurance. "Perhaps one day people will rediscover that child within and society will no longer hold them hostage." I proposed.
"The day that happens, possibilities will become endless." he replied, a small spark of hope returning to his eyes.
YOU ARE READING
One (A Michael Jackson Fan Fiction)
Fanfiction"It's an adventure, it's a great adventure. There's nothing to be nervous about. They just want wonderful experiences. We want to take them places that they've never been before. We want to show them talent like they've never seen before. We're putt...
