Bringing Sparkles (Part 4)

The Girl is Mine

Every Night She Walks Right In My Dreams
Since I Met Her From The Start
I'm So Proud I Am The Only One
Who Is Special In Her Heart

Three whole weeks apart! Michael groaned and pressed his hands against his face. Just one day in show business could feel like a year: interviews, rehearsals, meetings with producers, reading reviews of concerts, seeing your life scrutinized under the perpetual spotlight of the media. It wasn't going to be easy. For either of them and Michael knew Mariana wanted to try and get back to normal as soon as possible, but she had already discovered that wasn't going to be easy and Michael desperately wanted to be there for her every step of the way. Especially in these early days. Nobody knew how hard it was like he did. Maybe twenty or thirty years ago, things would have been different. The media seemed to have gone into overdrive and was destroying the lives of anyone in the public eye at an alarming rate. For somebody in his position to try and embark upon a serious relationship with someone who wasn't associated in any way with the industry seemed almost laughable. He knew his entourage would support him - for now. But what happened when the tour was over - who could he turn to then? His family? Perhaps. But Michael knew that even they were sometimes more interested in their own standing than his happiness, and what they said to him and what they said to each other and sometimes even the media were two different entities. Sometimes he didn't know who to trust. He felt all the old feelings of doubt and insecurity return. "No!" he said aloud. He wouldn't let that happen. He was in a good place right now. And he wouldn't let all those old fears for the future, all that apprehension well up inside him again. He was too old for all that now. This was going to work. He was going to make this work. He would fight for it if he had to. For himself, for Mariana and for his children. Work would go on the back-burner after this tour and he would put his family first. And that included Mariana. The doggone girl was his, after all.



The tour had been an unprecedented success. Ticket sales had even exceeded the Bad Tour and he had already turned what was to be a series of dates in London into a world-wide tour following demand from his fans around the globe. There was even talk about a film documenting the tour. "This Is It" really was to be It as far as Michael was concerned. His touring days were well and truly coming to an end and the thought filled him with an certain amount of trepidation. Even though he hadn't toured for ten years, his whole life seemed to have been spent on the road.

And now, at last, his children had seen it - from the creation of a song penned casually at home to the production of a multi-platinum award winning album and the electrifying stage performances. They had finally seem him do what Michael had spent his whole life trying to perfect. And boy were they proud. Well, proud was an understatement really: overwhelmed, speechless and dizzy with delight went someway to describing their excitement at seeing daddy on the stage. Prince and Paris couldn't help but see their daddy in a new and extraordinarily dazzling light. When Blanket saw his daddy appear on stage that first time he stood still, rooted to the spot, eyes wide open in wonderment. Blanket was always dancing and fidgeting, like his daddy, but not at THAT moment. Was that man, dancing and singing and making all these people happy really HIS daddy? He couldn't quite believe his eyes. Of course they'd seen all the videos and concert footage from bygone years. Everyone and, of course, daddy himself had told them many things about what it was he did, but THIS? Goodness!!! THIS was truly something else - nothing could have prepared them for this!!! ALL the words in the world couldn't even begin to describe what they had actually seen with their eyes.

And Michael saw it. All the pain he had endured. All the hard work through all the years. All the tears and struggles he had tried, and often failed, to hide just evaporated and disappeared. When he looked into his children's eyes and saw their wonderment, his heart felt fit to burst with pride and love.

Your love is magical, that's how I feel
But I have not the words here to explain
Gone is the grace for expressions of passion
But there are worlds and worlds of ways to explain
To tell you how I feel
But I am speechless, speechless
That's how you make me feel



Mariana's head was still spinning days after she had returned home. Thankfully she could lose herself in her work and for once she found herself grateful for the familiar, if rather grumpy, face of her boss, the only one who seemed to be completely oblivious to her relationship with Michael Jackson. The rest of the office, however, were most definitely not oblivious. They were, quite frankly, spellbound. It wasn't everyday you came into close contact with the girlfriend of a superstar and it was something the whole department, indeed the whole building as news soon spread that the girl pictured in the tabloids was indeed the girl who worked in accounts, had become completely engrossed in every salacious little detail printed in whatever rag they could lay their hands on.

Mariana had always been something of a dark horse at work. Her experiences with Richard had left her cold and disappointed and moving to the city was something of an escape. She had fled the past and any questions her parents or friends might have had about the relationship. She just didn't want to talk about it. To grow up in such a small town where everybody knew everybody's business had become unbearable. She couldn't face the rumors that had begun to spread, no doubt perpetuated by Richard and his friends. Even her parents thought she had grown cold because she was simply dissatisfied with her life, family and friends. The two people she had told, her two closest friends, Lizzy and Stella, had dismissed her claims telling her that even if he had 'come on strong' as they put it, she should simply ignore it. "You were going to be engaged to him after all," Lizzy had said, without any qualms whatsoever. Mariana could not believe her ears. Here were two grown women, living in the Twenty First century, and they were telling her to "put up" with an assault, like it didn't matter. An assault made by a man who was about to propose to her. Getting married and "fitting in" were deemed more important than trivial matters like assault. Mariana suspected her own parents would not have been that much more supportive, so telling them about the incident, which after all had been interrupted, seemed pointless - pathetic, even. After Richard, life was inevitably awkward and her relationships with everyone had clearly deteriorated. How could she be herself in a town which deemed her aloof and distant?

It was next to impossible to concentrate. He was everywhere. Trying to keep Michael out of her head was like trying to separate crude oil and water. Always at the surface, every thought was coated in his presence. At her desk she would hear his voice as clear as a bell, "Mariana! Come see this. Oh it's so beautiful!" She felt his fingers slide down her back and she had to take great care she responded appropriately to those around her. Every word, every utterance was an effort to hide her true thoughts and feelings. Michael, Michael, Michael! "Michael Jackson?" Mariana had just typed his name instead of her own in an email she was about the send. She groaned and leaned back in her chair, her hands covering her face.

"Everything okay?" It was Nicola. Mariana looked up at her and shrugged, "Yeah! Thanks. I guess!" "It can't be easy!" Nicola continued, putting down everything she'd been carrying and pulling up a chair close to Mariana. "No!" Mariana feigned a smile and looked sideways at her colleague. She wanted to talk to someone, she was desperate to talk. So many thoughts were just bottled up inside of her and so many people seemed to be whispering behind her back, even if she was just imagining it, she was grateful Nicola had acknowledged her dilemma. "Listen, you know if you ever want to talk - just to get things off your chest, I'm here, okay?" Nicola smiled and added, "I know we're not close and this isn't exactly the friendliest environment or anything, but you look sad Mariana. I know things must be hard for you right now."

Mariana was close to tears and she felt so stupid but this was the first time someone at work had reached out to her and said something kind. She swallowed hard, "Thanks. I'd like that." "Well, we'll arrange something, okay?" "Sure!"

_______________________________________________



...why did you only reach me so late?
What happened to my life before?
I'd hunted for love, but found only mirages... (Voltaire)

Michael removed his reading glasses and rubbed his eyes. He was exhausted and his eyes were sore and tired, but the words were etched on his mind. He said them aloud over and over again. He'd forgotten which city he was in - he didn't care anymore - he just felt sad that she was so far away. He simply wanted to put his arms around her and whisper in her ear, "You're mine... you're mine... you're mine. I love you!" He would read to her and talk about the future and his love of art and history and she would encourage him to follow his heart... He needed to feel settled again. Touring had been wonderful and at last his children had seen him perform, which is what he'd dreamed about, but now... Well, now, he just wanted to go home and be with her again. He felt energized around her and young again. She'd given him the love he had craved for so many years. But would she eventually tire of him? Would she feel drained by him? Lisa's damning words resounded in his head.

You don't know how to love...

He loved me about as much as he was capable of loving anybody...

Was that true? Was he incapable of loving a woman? Of making her feel whole and complete? Would he drain Mariana... suffocate her? She was a young woman embarking upon the prime of her life. Michael had the feeling that she hadn't yet discovered everything about herself, so how could she know her destiny? Did she feel it was with him? Could they embark upon this journey together? He closed his eyes again and thought about the words on the page.

I'd hunted for love... I'd hunted for love... I'd hunted for love

He wondered whether to call Mariana again, but he'd already woke her that evening and lulled her back to sleep. She'd even cried on the phone saying that she missed him and was not happy at all on her own again. Michael felt sad thinking about it and wanted more than anything to go to her, but it was impossible. Instead, he did as he always did, he put pen to paper,

She's crying
Can you hear her call?
There's no one near to dry her tears
To break her fall...

Please somebody hold her
Tell her it'll be alright
Tell her that I love her
That she's not alone tonight

And though I can't be there
Please tell her that I care
I may be gone, but I belong with her...

Michael began to hum a melody that came into his head as he wrote the words and then, somehow, his mouth, lips, tongue and voice-box broke into a simultaneous percussion and the whole song suddenly erupted into being. He spent the whole night working on it and didn't climb into bed until the light of dawn began to creep under the curtains.

Mariana was finally able to get back into her own apartment. Nicola had very kindly offered to help straighten everything up and soon it was looking like it's old self again. Mariana finished cleaning the windows as Nicola returned with some things for lunch and a cardboard box which she placed carefully on the table. She pulled out the most beautiful orchid plant Mariana had ever seen. It had about eight flower heads which hung in a perfect curve, the fragile stem hovering over a base of lush shiny green leaves. "I thought you would like this," Nicola said smiling at Mariana's reaction. "Oh Nicola, it's beautiful! I can't thank you enough and for helping me get this place back together - you have been so good to me!"

Nicola looked awkward. "Well I haven't really have I?" She looked up at Mariana trying to gauge her reaction before she continued. "I feel terrible to be honest!"

"What about?" Mariana was genuinely flummoxed.

"Well, you know, everything really," Nicola continued still unsure how to say what she wanted to say. "I haven't exactly been the warmest or most polite colleague in the world."

Mariana shrugged her shoulders. "Well, it's not the most conducive atmosphere for friendships to flourish is it!" she responded trying to laugh off Nicola's bold statement.

"I suppose I was wary of you at first," Nicola continued. "You know, it's pretty competitive and in comes this drop-dead gorgeous woman. I suppose I was jealous. The reaction of some of the men... and you didn't seem to notice them at all. I was flummoxed by you, I guess."

"Well, to be honest," Mariana interjected, "I was not the most open person. I was running away from a lousy relationship and quite enjoyed the anonymity of work. I don't think I tried very hard to fit in!"

"Well, the anonymity's gone," Nicola laughed weakly.

"Yeah! I guess." laughed Mariana throwing herself on the sofa.

"Hey! I'm famished." Nicola rummaged through the paper bag which contained the lunch things she'd picked up, "And..." she continued fishing out a newspaper, "I thought you would like to see this!"

She passed the newspaper over to Mariana. "It's a good news story!" She said smiling at Mariana's dubious expression.

On the front cover of the newspaper was a huge photograph of Michael and his three children surrounded by the jubilant faces of literally hundreds of other children - all of whom were looking at the their idol, their eyes full of joy and excitement. The headline ran:

"THIS IS IT! THIS IS WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT!" SAYS MICHAEL JACKSON AFTER SAVING ANOTHER SCHOOL FROM CLOSURE IN FORGOTTEN ****"


Mariana asked Michael about the article later that night, but as ever he was so modest. "Aw I get so embarrassed talking about that stuff, but that's really why I'm doing all of this. I love performing and I love that my children get to see me this time, but oh Mariana..." Michael paused. "You shoulda seen the expression on Paris's face when we met the kids at that school!" Paris had been in awe of the whole experience. She could not believe how much these children seemed to adore her father and what a difference his presence seemed to make. Of course, financially, the school had been saved by Michael's generosity, but that was only part of it. Her father seemed so at ease with everyone around him, like she had never seem him before, he was so happy. This is what he lived for. The children and their parents and the staff at the school buzzed around Michael and his family whilst the paparazzi were kept at arms length, but their repetitive requests for photo opportunities and soundbites resounded all around. Of course, this had been Michael's intention all along. This was one of the poorest regions of his tour and he wanted to raise their plight and show it to the whole world. He knew everyone would want to take pictures of him and his children and now the whole world would see the poverty these children had to endure. The school had been saved from financial ruin, but these children still faced a life of squalour and neglect - not from loved ones or even those on the front line, but from successive governments and a world which had somehow learned to turn a blind eye. The children sang and performed and laughed. Their faces spoke the truth - in a world which seems to have lost its way and adults who have become cynical and skeptical of their ability to CHANGE things - it's the children who are our SALVATION. They are still smiling and laughing in the face of their poverty. This IS it! At last Michael felt able ONCE AGAIN to put his fame and fortune to good use. And THIS time he didn't give a damn what his critics and detractors had to say. This was what mattered to him more than anything else in the world.

He wanted to say all these things and more to Mariana, but he didn't need to, she heard it all in his voice and she saw it in the photograph she had beside her on the bed. She just smiled and pressed the phone closer still,

"I love you so much, Michael. You don't know!" she whispered just loud enough for Michael to hear.

"I love you MORE, Mariana. More than you will ever know, my sweetheart!"


The weeks passed slowly by. Mariana had got back into the routine of work, but she missed Michael desperately. She had tried to put the burglary to the back of her mind. Maybe it was just a coincidence and nothing to do with Richard. What could he have hoped to have found anyway? No, it was just one of those things. Disconcerting and upsetting, but nobody was hurt and life went on. Michael was still worried about it and didn't like to think of Mariana on her own in that apartment, but she repeatedly reassured him it was okay and she didn't feel unsafe, just a little lonely. She'd told Michael a little about Richard an how she felt she had blown the whole thing up in her head, but Michael knew she hadn't and it only made him wanted to get back to her more. Mariana needed him and all he could do was talk to her on the phone. There was something about the way Michael spoke to her that made her feel as if she had known him for years and not just weeks. His voice was incredibly seductive even when he was just being silly and he had the habit of catching her off guard.

"Do you remember when we first made love, Mariana?"

"Of course I do." Mariana took a deep breath. With that one question he somehow managed to touch every nerve in her body. She closed her eyes, "Mmmmhmmm!" she added wistfully.

"You took my breath away, girl." Michael closed his eyes as he remembered their night together. "The thunder and lightning... do you remember?"

That night was etched on her mind just like his fingers had pressed into her skin and traced a path all over her body. He had written his love all over her that night and his lovemaking made her feel as though it was her first time. And those eyes - what they could do to her! She only had to look at the supreme concentration in those eyes as he had brought her to the brink and she fell over the edge of no return forever. She felt beautiful with him. She had opened up to him like she had never opened up to anyone before. He had explored her body with his eyes, those pioneering eyes, and then his fingertips and then his lips and then his tongue. And when he had mapped her body and discovered her most sensitive zones he made sweet tender love to her. He made love to her like she was the most precious thing in the world to him. He made her beautiful.

Mariana fought the desire to know more about her relationship with Michael and where they were heading. As if Michael needed the stress of her doubt and insecurity right now, she scoffed at herself. On the one hand, couples should communicate, but on the other there was an overwhelming need to live for the moment. Pure and simple. Mariana wondered where she was heading with Michael, but at the same time she didn't want anything to change. Asking questions risked getting answers and she wasn't sure she was ready for that yet. And then there was the fact that she was involved with a superstar. The most famous man on the planet, who, once again, was riding on the crest of a tidal wave. Mariana was so happy for him. The years of being subject to some of the most vile and cruel rumours and speculation about his private life had obviously left their mark and Michael had told her that he was still frightened that once again he was being built up only to be knocked down again. What could she say? His whole life had been a roller-coaster of trials and tribulations and having lived most of it in the spotlight from an incredibly young age it was hard to separate the confident and brilliant performer from the shy and vulnerable man. What could she say, other than to tell him what she thought about him? And then would he even believe her? If it ran contrary to what he was hearing from the press and his own aides maybe he wouldn't trust her. She tried hard to keep her own doubts about their relationship to herself. It was better that way.

Surprisingly, it was Michael who brought it up. Michael somehow sensed her unease when she said, 'I don't know what to say!' on several occasions when he complained that the media kept bringing up the past, old allegations and ridiculous rumours about his lifestyle, whenever they talked about his current success or perpetuated rumours about his love interest. The phrase "love interest" made Mariana want to burst with happiness and the fact that Michael had said it made it seem all the more exciting to her and she had to bite her lip. "You just have to have courage and know that there are people around you that love you." Mariana struggled to find the words she really wanted to say, "You said it to me yourself, Michael. You've got to dare to believe! You've done it all your life. Why not now?"

"And what about you, Mariana. Do you dare to believe?" Michael asked.

"In what?" she replied.

"In me?" Michael continued.

"I believe in you. I always have and I always will."

"And what about us?"

"Us?"

"Yes! You and me. Do you dare to believe in you and me."

Mariana paused and took a deep breath. Michael mistook her silence for doubt.

"Oh my god! I need to be with you girl. You're having second thoughts about us, aren't you?

"No, no! I'm not honestly! It's just hard to believe. My time with you in Barcelona seems like a dream. It's almost surreal to me." Mariana confessed. Even seeing the paparazzi shots of the time her and Michael were photographed in the woods by the castle or the ones taken whilst they were in Barcelona made their time together seem less real and somehow made it more like a fairytale to Mariana. Those few days spent with him seemed like a dim and distant memory that could easily have been just a fantasy in her vivid imagination. But she kept these thoughts to herself.

"You've gotta dare to believe then, haven't you?" Michael's voice sounded like he was teasing her, but Mariana knew he was sincere. "If I've gotta dare to believe in me, you gotta dare to believe in us!" he continued, "Okay?" Michael was a little worried about things when their call ended. He was genuinely tired now and being on the road was really taking its toll. It wasn't one of the longest tours he'd done, but he'd played several major cities in America and had managed most of Europe as well. And although he loved to perform - the crowd always gave him the energy he needed and more - it was taking a lot longer to recover between shows. The finale would be three nights back in London at the O2, where it had all began. And then, when it was all over, he could finally move on to the next chapter.



Holding Blanket up so he could see, Michael couldn't resist waving at the throng of people who had already gathered outside his London hotel. Strangely, he felt a nervous, jittery excitement which he hadn't felt for a long time. There was something special about these concerts. They were to be his last, but he didn't feel sad. No, this excitement was that old sense of adventure coming back. He was excited to see what lay beyond the horizon. Blanket was waving too, a wide grin, just like his father's spread across his face. He was excited to see daddy perform again - even more than he was the first time he'd seen him in Barcelona. Now, he knew exactly what to expect and he knew it was going to be awesome. Prince and Paris were both sat on the sofa watching TV. Their daddy was the main headline on the national news:



Singer, superstar Michael Jackson, himself, is in London this weekend for what is to be the final leg of his most successful tour ever. The original series of 50 concerts were held at London's largest concert venue from July 2009 until March 2010, but due to an overwhelming worldwide response and the knockout reviews Jackson received, he was persuaded to extend the tour and perform across the United States and much of Europe. Well, this really is it, and now he's back in London and about to perform the final three performances. Our own BBC correspondent, Jan McKay, caught up with the King of Pop today just before he left Stockholm for London.

Jan: Michael Jackson! Wow, thank you so much for speaking to me...

Michael: You're welcome.

Jan: So back to London this afternoon, for what will be the final 3 performances of This Is It.

Michael: I know! I know! I can't believe I've been on the road for over 14 months - I've loved every minute...

Jan: And the final concerts you'll ever give. Is this really it, Michael?

Michael: Well, as far as touring and promoting my records yes - this really is it. But there is more to life than touring - it's been a big part of it of course, but my other interests are what I'm really interested in pursuing now, and of course, I have my family and I really want to spend a lot more time with my children...

Jan: So this isn't the last we'll see of Michael Jackson?

Michael: Oh no! I will always sing and I love dancing: music is my life, but I would like to pursue film-making - I want to get behind the camera and pursue my dream of directing...

Jan: Really?

Michael: Absolutely! I love films - I love everything about them - I've worked with great film directors and I have always wanted to learn more about it and I have lots of ideas that I would love to try...

Jan: And of course This Is It sees you really experimenting with lots of different aspects of film, doesn't it!

Michael: Oh yes - Kenny is a brilliant director - I worked with many great people... and I love to experiment and try new things out... This Is It is the culmination of years of dreaming and visualising what I would like to see in a performance... I love taking my kids to the circus and seeing the expression on their face... I like to make people go "Wow! How did they do that?"

Jan: So any surprises for these final concerts, Michael?

Michael: I don't want to say to much, but there might just be a few... You'll just have to wait and see!

Somewhere on the other side of town, in a much more modest hotel room, Mariana was watching exactly the same channel as Paris and Prince. "Mr Jackson!" she said aloud, a smile breaking out across her face as she saw the live images of Michael and Blanket waving from their hotel room on her TV, "You're not the only one with a few surprises up your sleeve."

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Mariana spent the weekend taking in all the sights of London. She visited the famous Portobello Market and bought some masks which reminded her of Michael and their time together in Barcelona. She enjoyed taking in all the sights on the London Eye from which she could see the o2 Arena - her excitement about seeing Michael that evening mounted. He still didn't know she was here and she hoped he wouldn't mind the surprise. She felt nervous and jittery about seeing him again so it was just as well she had all this sight-seeing to do to take her mind off it.

Mariana couldn't resist the clothes shops and thought it was entirely appropriate to buy a new outfit for Michael's last concert. She found the perfect little black dress by British designer Vivienne Westwood that she thought Michael would love:



and she teamed it with some quirky fun shoes by the same designer - perfect for dancing at the concert!



She was getting really excited now and decided to calm her nerves with a visit to the beauty salon where she treated herself to a full body massage, facial and finally they put fabulous glossy waves in her hair, but far from relaxing she just felt herself feeling hornier as she imagined Michael's hands all over her body again. The time was 6:30pm and Tom, Michael's personal body guard whom he had met in Barcelona, had arranged for a car to pick her up from her hotel in less than forty minutes. She had to hurry.

She rushed back into the Vivienne Westwood shop on the way back to the hotel to buy a jacket she knew she couldn't really afford, but in her excitement she decided to bugger the expense:



It was really quite dark and chilly now, but Mariana had never felt so excited in all her life. She only had about 10 minutes to do her makeup, but she wanted to keep it fresh and light anyway so that didn't matter. To her surprise Tom met up with her, personally, in the lobby of her hotel,

'Lor' Luv a duck! You butcher's 'ook nice.' Tom winked and gave her a peck on the cheek. Mariana blushed but couldn't help smiling. Tom had been so nice to her in Barcelona and it was great to see a familiar face. "He is going to be so pleased to see you, he keeps talking about you any opportunity he gets. He thinks you snubbed him, Missy! I must admit you played it very cool!"

Mariana laughed. Michael had asked several times if she would come to London and had sounded quite disappointed she couldn't get away from work. Mariana enjoyed teasing him for a change. She had quickly got in touch with Tom and organised the whole thing. Tom had said there would be a big party after the concert and it would be easy to surprise him there.

As they approached the o2, the energy and excitement of the evening hung thick in the air. It reminded her of the evening she had first seen the concert back in the States. Things had been so different then. She smiled to herself as she remembered her "forum buddy," her "stranger." Now they'd gone beyond being buddies or friends and he most certainly wasn't a stranger anymore. He was her lover, she stopped short of calling him her boyfriend - they seemed too old to be girlfriend and boyfriend. She wondered how he would describe her. Was lover a suitable word? They had made love so many times, both physically and, for the last few months, over the phone. They laughed and teased each other, they comforted each other and listened to each others tears and sniffles, and when they both yearned for something more they listened to each others gasps and soft sighs... Mariana blinked and woke herself out of her daydream as the car door opened and Tom whisked her inside the o2.


Inside the arena

This Is It... This Is It... This Is It... Michael.... Michael... Michael...!

The noise in the arena was almost deafening as the crowd waited for Michael to appear on stage. They had loved the warm up acts by the Black Eyed Peas and Lady Gaga, I mean who else would have world-class acts as their warm up?? The show had already been awesome and Michael still hadn't appeared. The crowd was working itself up into a frenzy and every pair of eyes was glued to the stage in wide-eyed apprehension. Mariana, needless to say was out of her mind with excitement - she hadn't seen Michael for weeks and combined with the chance to see this incredible show again...




Suddenly the arena went black and the audience hushed. You could hear the collective gasp as the crowd anticipated what was to come.

------------------------>update

Mariana would remember this night for the rest of her life. The show, itself, was spectacular and Michael certainly lived up to his promise to surprise the audience. He sang and danced with the energy of a man half his age and even his own dancers - just teenagers, themselves, struggled to keep up with his pace at time. Where did this man's energy come from? And despite the fact the tour had been running for over a year, he performed as if everything was brand new and this was the first ever performance . His man was born again that night and the crowd loved him. Every girl in the arena physically swooned as a girl from the front-row was escorted onto the stage and serenaded by Michael in his arms. She danced and basked in Michael's song and made herself comfortable in his arms. He stroked her hair just as he had stroked Mariana's and when it was time for her to leave she cried and Michael looked visibly upset by the whole thing. It's all part of the show Mariana reminded herself as she watched the girl's tears and Michael's pain, but she couldn't help crying - who could fail to be moved by the music and Michael's voice.

The Thriller segment was awesome. You may now apply your 3D glasses" a robotic voice filled the auditorium and some recognised the opening sounds of 2000 Watts, and then from nowhere ghosts and zombies swooped amongst the audience. These where intermingled with real larger than life sized dolls so the audience could feel the cool breeze of the undead as the arena filled with the deathly apparitions. The effect was incredible. Mariana wanted to scream and duck as a headless corpse seemed to come out of nowhere in her direction, but as soon as they appeared they disappeared as Michael seemed to beckon them towards him and the infamous Thriller dance sequence began....

One of the most moving parts of the evening was Earth Song! The arena became the Amazon Jungle and the crowd were transported into the depths of the rain forest to marvel at its beauty through the eyes of a little girl, and then again to witness its destruction at the hands of huge bull-dozers and trucks. The hauntingly beautiful notes of a piano broke the horror and Michael sang from the depth of his soul and touched every heart in the arena. The crowd was blown away - all over again.

All too soon, the show was over and Mariana who was mesmerized couldn't fail to think about Michael Jackson, the King of Pop - this superstar who had entertained generations for over four decades of his life and who was now effectively saying, "Good-bye!" The final song of the evening was "Smile" which Michael sang alone. He seemed to have removed all the glitz and the razzmatazz and stood alone in a single spot-light - no hat, no glove. Just Michael and the song. The rest was darkness. But the darkness was filled with a thousand whispers. You are beautiful... you are brilliant... you are trusting... we are so sorry... thank you, Michael... we love you... more!

updated :-)