The Autographed Gum Wrapper

So I have a question, Why is Las Vegas weather so damn hot?

Honestly, I can't even breathe.

Therefore I'm shopping. My worst enemy yet my best friend. I've even dragged my daughter into this.

It's horrible.

"Do you like this?" I turn to her. I'm holding a halter that I must admit, might be too damn 'young' for me.

"It's not you." she answers dryly and turns back to what she was doing. Kids, just what are they for?

I set the halter back on the rack and continue looking. I'm a hot mama, I'm a hot mama... I chant to myself silently. I may be forty-three, but I can hang with the rest of 'em.

"Oh this is cute!" I shriek, grabbing a floral tunic. Once again, I turn to my daughter. "What do you think?"

She ignores me. She won't even turn and look at me.

"Hello! What do you think?" I say louder.

She turns to me. "Mom, He's got to wear that right? Because it’s like one-hundred degrees out here?" She asks and then points her finger at a man. A man who is dressed head to toe in clothes. Between the all black and the head wrap he’s wearing covering his face, Jeez he looks hot. How in the hell can he stand it?

"Don't do that!" I say quickly. It's sooo rude. "Besides it's probably his religion."

 She keeps looking but I suddenly remember why I called her name. "Hey brat, what do you think of this?" I say showing her the floral tunic.

She hands me a thumbs up. "That's more you. Definitely your age."

 Well…She ruined that.
Back on the shelf you go...

"Mom do you have some gum?"

"Yeah," I say. "Let me get it." I pull my purse to my torso and began to look for it. I hum as I do this.

"Mom!" she says, rushing me. Teenagers...I could kill them all.

"Hold on!" I say back. I know I put it in here somewhere....

"Let me..." I look up. Where is a table? Aha! I find a stool and go over there. That way I can sit and look.

My annoying daughter sighs.

At the stool, I look and look and search and search. Maybe I ate it all? Let me try a different way. I begin to pull everything out of my purse one by one.

"Mom you're dropping stuff." The teenager points out. Why doesn't she just pick it up?

"I know, just leave it." I say continuing my search.

All this for some gum....

"Excuse me?"

I look up and find myself face to face with a little girl. Maybe six or seven.

"Yes?" I ask her.

"You dropped this?" She said handing me my tube of lipstick and hand sanitizer.

"Thank you." I say to the little girl and take the items. Then I look at my daughter. She should take notes.

"Paris!"

My attention is suddenly pulled to a man, the man with too many clothes on. "Don't run away. I told you it's dangerous!" The man says as he approaches. I look at the little girl as she puts her head down.

I watch as she silently says "Sorry."

I decide to stick up for the little sweetie. She did help me out after all.

"Oh sir, she was helping me, clumsy me, dropping stuff." I say hoping she won't get in trouble.

"I understand," He says to me. "But Paris, its dangerous." he says to her. His voice sounds familiar...very familiar. I start to scan my memory. Where have I heard this voice before?

"Mom. Did you find it?" My daughter suddenly asks. She really is getting on my nerves with this gum thing.

"No! Look, I’ll just buy you some gum later." I say impatiently.

"Did you say gum?"

I suddenly turn to the man in front of me. "Yeah."

He begins to dig in his pocket and woolah, he pulls out the magic.

"It's Big Red so I don't know if you like it..." he says turning towards my daughter.

"I love it!" She says stepping forward and taking the gum out of his hand. I flick my eyes at her, she better say Thank You!

She catches it. "Thank You." she says quickly. 

"You're welcome." he says to her gently. Once again…I know that voice.

"Excuse me? Have we...met before?"

"I don't think so." he says quietly. 

"Its just…Well your voice it sounds familiar." I say looking at him. I try to study him but hell I can't see him. The only thing I can see are his eyes. And you know…they look familiar too.

"Oh," He says chuckling. "I don't think so."

"Well what do you do?" I ask

"Mom!" My daughter suddenly says. I guess I was being rude. I retreat. "I'm sorry, it's not my business..."

"It's okay" he says. "I'm ah..." He pauses, like he's searching for the right answer. "I'm in entertainment." he says.

Curiosity gets me and I ask "Like what?" I would love to know what kind of job he was doing, especially in those clothes, especially in Las Vegas weather. If you could see them-trust me, you would understand.

"Ah..." he says nervously. Once again, he looks as if he's searching for an answer. I figure he's lying.

Suddenly an African American woman approaches. She whispers something in his ear. Now who is she? And why does she look familiar too? I do a mental scan in my head as to where I’ve seen this woman and have heard this man. As she speaks to him, I think and I think and I....

"Michael?" I ask looking at the man closely. He turns to me. His eyes look caught.

"Michael Jackson?" I ask again this time using the full name.

My daughter suddenly laughs. "God Mom, you're cracking up." She says. I'm not crazy. I suddenly know who this is. TMZ has enlightened me.

He nervously laughs with her.

I just look at him funny. I know I’m not crazy. Suddenly the 'little sweetie' gives it away. "Daddy, she knows your name!"

Both the woman and 'Michael' look at each other nervously. I knew it!! Score for mom, zero for the kid. Teenagers know nothing.

I stick my tongue out at my daughter but then it hits me. I'm talking to freaking Michael Jackson!! I jump up.

"Hi, I’m Jennifer and this is my daughter Brittany. I am one of your biggest fans!"

He looks around. I follow his eyes. He's looking at the people around us but no one is paying attention. "Oh I’m sorry. Quiet right? Shh..." I say pressing a finger to my mouth. I know how to play this game.

He smiles. "Thank you."

I turned to my daughter and gesture for her to come over but she just rolls her eyes. Her generation knows nothing about this. This is a legend!!

"I have all your albums, even the new one! I love that song… What’s that song?" I say turning to my daughter. Gosh how does it go? "Beautiful, generous, wonderful. Dah Dah Dah can wait." I said completely messing up the lyrics.

He gently laughs. "Thank you, you're very sweet."

"Is this your daughter?" I say gesturing towards the little girl. He quickly nods. "Oh she's beautiful!" I say. I have completely turned into a psycho fan. "Hi!" I say waving to her.

"We have to go, I'm sorry." he suddenly says.

"Oh," I say disappointed. "It was nice to meet you. Keep up the good work!" I say flashing thumbs up.

"Thank You. You're so sweet." he says again putting his hand on his heart and I know he's being genuine. The woman he's with though, begins to pull him away. I think she’s the nanny. I'm disappointed. I wanted to talk to him longer.

He begins to follow her, but then suddenly turns around. He walks over to me and whispers. "Did you want my autograph?" I almost jump for joy. I completely forgot about that! And he offered...I love him even more now!

"Yeah sure!" I say, I begin to look around for something he can sign. First he needs something to sign it with, so I quickly grabbed the pen that's sitting on the stool from my 'search'. Now something to sign it with...I look around again, but I've got to hurry up because he wants to leave.

"Brit? Give me something to sign?"

She rolls her eyes again and walks over to me handing me a piece of paper. No, not paper, that gum wrapper.

Better than nothing.

I hand it to him and he uses his palm as a hard surface to sign. I smile with excitement. After signing, he hands the wrapper back to me as well as the pen. "Nice meeting you. Take care." He says to me and then turns to my daughter and flashes a smile before walking away. I look down at my wrapper and study it. Sure enough it says 'Michael Jackson'. I turn to my daughter and show it off proudly. She just smiles at my silliness. I don't care, I've got an autograph from freaking Michael Jackson!! It's official, I will never have gum in my purse ever again!