Bad Boy Mike IV Preview: Road Trip

Occasionally the car jostled when it hit a bump in the road but for the most part the interior of the car was whisper quiet. The sound of music filling the air waves, combined with the rolling motion of the car effectively put everyone to sleep. Sabah’s head was nestled in the crook under Michael’s arm.  His hands was draped over her shoulder, his fingers resting just on her upper thigh. The intimate gesture was concealed underneath the checkered blanket he had draped over the both of them, not that anyone in the car would have noticed. They were all too busy with their own thoughts. Jermaine was thinking, Who’s the new girl, wondering if he could get a minute alone with her and find out where her head was at.  Sure, Jackie had mentioned Sabah and hinted at who she was but he wanted to find out for himself. He didn’t think Michael had a lick of sense when it came to girls and if she was after something he’d know within two seconds of talking to her. He hadn’t had the chance to run her by Joseph but before they jumped into their cars, Joseph gave him the look. The look said, Watch out for them,  Sabah and Michael, and Jermaine took that serious. Plus, there was the fact that when everyone was piling into the cars, he distinctively saw Michael put his hand in the small of Sabah’s back and steer her away from the car that Joseph was in and into the car that Marlon was driving. I mean, why wouldn’t he let her ride with the girls? Something was definitely going on. The thought kept buzzing in Jermaine’s mind until he succumbed to the rocking of the car. His head fell back and his mouth fell slightly open and Marlon realized he was asleep. Great! He could feel his eye lids drooping himself. They crossed the city lines into the country and the radio buzzed and crackled. Marlon reached over to try to find a good station.

“Tito, give me a number to turn to the dial to!” He called out. But Tito was ‘sleep too, looking just like just Joseph, with his big old head pressed against the darkened glass of the passenger’s side window behind Jermaine. Looking in the rear view mirror he saw that both Michael and Randy were asleep and that beautiful girl who he had with him. though she was under the blanket somewhere.   That beautiful girl who had the whole family burning up with gossip about just who she was and what she was doing here, and Michael being as tight lipped as a drum, didn’t say a word. Apparently he’d given her instructions too, ’cause she’d been as quiet as a mouse, murmuring thank you when he took her bag and put it into the trunk and smiling like an angel. She was a knock out, he’d give Michael that. He even caught her chuckling at some of his jokes in the rear view mirror, and who wouldn’t like a girl who laughed at your jokes?

But now everyone was asleep so he couldn’t rib Michael or Randy to keep himself awake. Tito was good fun, but everyone always picked on him and Jermaine sulked like a baby if you said something he didn’t like so he liked to pick on the two real babies of the family instead. Michael laughed the loudest at himself and Randy could dish it out as good as he could take it. Marlon chuckled to himself as something popped up in his mind that he could say when they woke up.  Realizing that he wasn’t going to get anything on the radio, he leaned over, careful to keep his eyes on the road, and popped open the glove compartment. Just like old times — no, it was better than old times, ’cause he was driving and not being driven. There was something hypnotically relaxing about being behind the wheel of a car, a beautiful car at that. He couldn’t remember who brought up the idea to take private cars when they went back home to Indiana, but he was glad of it. Just being away from the hustle and bustle of Jackson mania, for him, was a like a gift from God. It was times like this that he enjoyed the most. Just being with his brothers, laughing with them. He smiled when his hand connected with a tape cassette. Slipping it into the slot he turned up the volume a notch and waited with a smile of satisfaction plastered to his face. The melody of the first song streamed through the speakers and made Marlon’s heart trip with nostalgia. Funny, how music could take you back instantaneously to a moment in your past. It brought back all the good times that he cherished but the painful ones, too. He stomped down the bad memories that threatened to surface and let the music soothe him instead,

♩If I could

I’d like to be, a great big movie star.
♪Overnight sensation, drive a big expensive car.
I would buy

you everything

your little heart desires.♬
♬These things I do, ’cause I’m stone in love with yooooou.

He sang the words quietly to himself and for some strange reason even found himself on the verge of tears. Glancing over at Jermaine he saw his eyes flickering as the music coaxed him out of his slumber and he quickly wiped his eyes.

“Where’d you get that?” Jermaine asked in a gruff voice, as he stretched awkwardly in the cramped space.

“I made it for myself a while ago.”

“You remember that time” Jermaine launched into a tale of one of their childhood exploits and Marlon nodded and smiled as the memories came to him, too.

“Man, you guys are lyyyyyyying.” Tito chimed in from the back after a long yawn and that’s how they knew he was awake. The three brothers bickered over the details of the story so enthusiastically by the time the third song came on, everyone in the car was awake.

“Turn that up.” Michael said softly.  Marlon heard him, but turned the music slightly down instead. After all, he knew Michael was going to wake up for that song, didn’t matter how deep asleep he was.   He watched Michael in the rear view mirror closely.

Soon the whole car was filled with the sound of the Jackson brothers singing in perfect harmony. ♬ I do love you  (Oooooooo-hooooooo) Sabah woke slowly to the heavenly sound. She felt groggy and disorientated, like she was still dreaming, because didn’t only angels sing like this? Michael was looking down at her and smiling as he sang softly, his brothers naturally letting him take the lead:

My-my, my bab-bay
Yeeeeah, eeeeeyay, eyaaaaaaay!!!

Little darlin’, I said
I love-a you so right now
Never, never, gonna let, gonna let, gonna let you gooooo

At the end of the song, Marlon watched, incredulously as Michael leaned forward and gave Sabah a light kiss on the lips. His eyes widened and he looked quickly to Michael’s left and met Randy’s equally widened and surprised eye’s. Delighted that he had caught it, too, Marlon mouthed the words, What the hell? and Randy fell all over himself giggling but another song came on before he could say anything and Michael leaned forward and shook Marlon’s shoulder.
“C’mon, seriously, turn that one up this time.”

Everyone was awake now, singing, even Sabah.  Michael couldn’t believe he never realized it before, but he never heard Sabah sing a note! She sang loud and with gusto. During the instrumental break, Michael had to ask,

“Why haven’t I ever heard you sing?” His lips were twitching.

Sabah didn’t miss a beat. “Cause I can’t sing!”

“You don’t sound so bad right now.”

“Ha! You guys are drowning me out!’ Sabah laughed. And when she laughed, Michael’s heart clenched almost in pain with how much he loved her, deep, deep, deep down in his bones. The lyrics of the song drifted into his consciousness, echoing the feelings that he felt so strongly but didn’t have the words to express.  It wasn’t so much the lyrics as it was the music itself.   He watched Sabah singing so happily. Did she know how much he loved her? Sabah looked up and met his eyes. The music behind the soothing notes carried the message, and if Sabah didn’t hear the words, she felt them. Because that was the power of music. It carried the hopes and dreams, the pain and anguish, the love and longing of generations and then echoed them over and over to all who could hear and understand.

♪ Baby let’s cruise, a-way from heeeeeere
Don’t be confused, the way is cleeeeeear
and if you want it,  you got it, forever
This is not a one night staaaaaaand

♪ Let the music take your mind, ooh
Just release & you will find
You’re gonna fly away
Glad you’re goin’ my way
I love it when we’re cruisin’ together
The music is played for love,
Cruisin’ is made for love
I love it when we’re cruisin’ together♪

Stay tuned for the next exciting chapter . . . .