...The following morning, as Maria approached Agnes Risley Elementary School, and pedaled through the parking lot toward the row of bicycle storage racks located beside the entrance to the school, the eleven-year-old couldn't help but be aware of a noticeable difference in the surroundings of the school, the absence of her fellow students for instance, the sound of a familiar tune heard from somewhere within the school building for another.
"Where is everybody?...What's going on?" Thought Maria to herself, as she proceeded to fasten and lock her bicycle to her accustomed space in the bike rack, before looking around, trying to determine the source of the music (an up-beat, cheerful tune which seemed familiar to Maria, though she couldn't be sure of the source...
"You went to school to learn, Girl,
things you never never knew before,
like 'I' before 'E' except after 'C"
and two plus two is four."...came the familiar voice of a singer Maria perceived to be the same age as herself.
'I know that song...'ABC" by the Jackson Five." Maria thought to herself, as she continued through the unusually empty hallways before arriving at a room that seemed to contain the source of the music Maria was presently hearing .
"The cafeteria!?!" Maria thought to herself, as she remembered the cafeteria of Agnes Risley Elementary being used for performances by her and her fellow students in the past. 'Oh no! I'm late!" thought Maria briefly before being reassured by a quick glance at the watch fastened to her wrist by a navy blue leather strap.
"What's going on in there now?" Maria continued, as she grasped one of the two door handles, and pulled, finding she had access to the cafeteria, where upon entering she found herself facing the source of the music: the same five, brown skinned, afro'd brothers whose record albums she'd listened to countless times, and who she was now watching in person: her all-time favorite music group: The Jackson Five...
"Reading, writing, 'rithmetic
are the branches of the learning tree,
'I before E' except after C..."
...Michael continued, as if from out of nowhere, masses of school children (none of whom Maria recognized as her heartless, mean-spirited classmates) entered the cafeteria from somewhere outside, surrounded the stage occupied by Michael and his brothers, and began to dance to the music, as Maria sat watching from the back of the cafeteria, her mind filling with questions regarding the identities of the children presently dancing in the middle of the cafeteria; children who seemed to be nothing like the classmates Maria remembered so vividly-kids for whom a rousing game of dodge ball on the playground was a pleasure, and participation in any performing arts activity was a repulsion.
"Oh, hey I know...It's Saturday...That's why none of the teachers are here...or the principal." Maria thought to herself brightly at the prospect of a school day off from being teased and made fun of. Maria's brightness soon gave way to confusion, as her thoughts continued:
"But, wait a minute...If it's Saturday then why did I get dressed and come to school if nobody else did? And why did my mom make me come to school like she usually does? And who are all those kids? I don't recognize any of 'em...I'm not at the wrong school, am I?" Maria continued, as she looked around the cafeteria, and spotted the metal name plate (with the name "AGNES RISLEY ELEMENTARY" engraved in it) fastened to the top of the door frame. "No, this is my school...But those can't be my classmates...And what are the Jackson Five doing here?, I'm the only one who listens to their music...All my classmates (the girls) act so silly about that DORKY Donny Osmond." Maria's thoughts continued, as she felt herself shake her head and roll her eyes.
"C'mon, Girl!...I think I love ya!" Maria heard the voice of the Jackson Five's cute little brown-skinned lead singer Michael call out to her, as if, from out of nowhere, Maria found herself surrounded by the happy, dancing school children, all smiling at Maria, as young Michael, having moved from his place on the makeshift stage at the opposite end of the cafeteria, moved toward Maria, encouraging her to join the other students as he sang:
"Shake it. Shake it, Baby...C'mon now...
Shake it. Shake it, Babe...'
an invitation Maria found herself having trouble resisting, due to the infectious nature of the music, as well as the encouragement of the friendly, smiling children, who cheered Maria on, as young Michael and his brothers continued singing:
"ABC...Easy as 123...
Do-Re-Mi...ABC...123
Baby, you and ME!"...
"Hi, my name's Michael...What's your's?" Michael asked Maria following the end of the song, as the other children cheered and applauded Michael and his brothers for their performance...
"I'm Maria." Maria answered, having to lean close to Michael's ear in order to be heard above the cheering and clapping.
"Hey, everybody! Michael replied, in response to Maria's answer, as he attempted to quiet the others down so he could be heard. Hey, everybody!...Let's say HI to MARIA!", to which the other children responded with a friendly, boisterous HI MARIA !", followed by more cheering and applause, a response which led Maria to suddenly fear being the center of all the attention she was presently getting, a fear which led her to begin looking around for the nearest exit, as the thought of a past scenerio in which she had been the center of attention prior to becoming the victim of a practical joke by her mean-spirited classmates returned to her mind.
'Oh no...Not again" Maria heard herself murmur, as she felt herself instinctively starting to back up, as though readying herself to flee the area at the next possible moment.
"Hey, Maria...Where ya goin?" One of the pleasant, smiling students was heard to ask, as Maria attempted to push her way through the wall of students which now surrounded her.
"Maria?...Hey...What's wrong?" young Michael was heard to ask, as he, as he and the girl who had questioned Maria previously, joined Maria in her newly found 'safe area' on one of the benches beside one of the walls to the side of the stage in the cafeteria...
"Th-this SAME thing happened J-Just before the other kids..."Maria continued, before trailing off, as she shook her head, a look of sadness on her face...
"..The other kids, what?"...Huh?" young Michael continued kindly, a look of concern on his young face, as he tried to understand Maria's situation.
"I think I know..." answered the girl. "They welcomed you...surrounded you...and then they played a prank on you, huh...didn't they?"..."It's okay...it's happened to all of us..." the girl continued, kindly as she reached for, and gently touched Maria's shoulder, causing Maria to flinch a little, and look at the girl cautiously for a moment, as another of the happy smiling children who'd welcomed Maria came over while inquiring: 'What's happened to all of us?", to which the first girl reminded the current child of the past experiences with being bullied and rejected, to which the current child replied: "Oh yeah...happens to ME all the time...i STILL have pranks played on me..." this statement leading Maria to reply: "You DO?", to which the child, a boy of about the same age as Maria replied "Oh SURE...and I hate it...but now i listen to Michael and..."
"MICHAEL!!!...GET YOUR DAMN RODENT OUT OF HERE!!!!" came the deep booming voice of an adult male, whose identity was still unknown to Maria and some of her new friends, a sound which led some of the children who were scared of rodents to run for cover, as Michael obediently crossed over to the center of the cafeteria floor, and gently picked up the little rodent in question as it sat frozen, cowering, soon to be calmed by Michael's soft voice as he sang (to music which played softly from a distant unknown source):
"Ben, the two of us need look no more
We both found what we were looking for
With a friend to call my own
I'll never be alone
And you my friend will see
You've got a friend in me...
"Ben, you're always running here and there
(Here and there.." came the echoed voices of young Michael's four older brothers)
You feel you're not wanted anywhere..."
(Anywhere..."again echoed by the voices of Michael's brothers)
If you ever look behind
And don't like what you find
There's something you should know
You've got a place to go...."
"Oh Michael..." Maria heard herself whisper, as she found herself relating strongly to the little rodent now being stroked lovingly on it's fur-covered back by the gentle fingers of its young master as he continued singing. "Oh Michael...You're singing MY song!" Maria heard herself exclaim, tears streaming down her face, leading others of the happy, smiling, now compassionate children who had related their stories of being bullied and rejected by their classmates, leading Maria to feel better, realizing there were others who shared her experiences, others who now surrounded her, and comforted her, as Michael did...not only with his words but also with his actions.
"I'm sorry that's happening to you, Maria...That's happening to all these kids too." said Michael, sitting next to her, holding her hand, on the bench in the 'safe area' in the cafeteria of the elementary school. "I don't sing what I don't mean." he continued, leading Maria to reply, with a nod: "Oh, I know." as some of the other children who shared Maria's experiences of bullying and rejection (including the two who first befriended her) crossed over to the safe area, and sat and stood beside Maria and Michael, as the music to yet another song recorded by Michael and his brothers began to play softly from an unknown source:
"You and I must make a pact...", sang Michael again in the clear angelic voice Maria was oh so familiar with. The voice, which every time she heard it, brightened her day and made her feel as though everything would be okay, in spite of the brutal sounds of the heartless words of the classmates she spent most of her time with five school days a week..
"... we must bring salvation back
Where there is love, I'll be there
I'll reach out my hand to you, I'll have faith in all you do
Just call my name and I'll be there..."
"...Miss Dejardin!...Put your transistor radio away, and pay attention..." came the firm voice of Maria's teacher, the following school day, as Maria once again sat with her heartless, taunting classmates, most of whom (following the outburst of protest by Maria with regard to the newest attempt at seating chart implementation the previous Friday)chose to simply ignore Maria, rather than risk the embarrassment of another outburst by one who they (the other children) felt should have just done what she was told, and NOT made a fuss.
"Yeah, RETARDIN...Put that radio away!" Ronald Brently, the mischief minded 11-year-old who sought pleasure in taunting Maria, chimed in, as he again poked fun at Maria's physical attributes by pulling down the corners of his (Ronald's) eyes, and waggling his tongue; leading teacher Kurtis Statler to reply, with a smirk of amusement "Pipe down, Mr. Brently.", as Maria obeyed her teacher, removed the ear phone from her ear, wrapped the cord around her hand-held transistor radio, and placed the device in her desk, before turning her attention toward her teacher at the front of the class room...
As Maria sat among her classmates, the 11-year-old found her thoughts returning to the previous day, and her 'chance?' meeting with young Michael Jackson, his brothers, and the legion of school children with whom Maria found had been treated as outsiders by their peers, and found solace, and encouragement when they would listen to music by Michael and his brothers, music which Maria now found 'playing' in her young mind:
(Michael): I'll be there...I'll be there....
Whenever you need me, I'll be there...
Just look over your shoulders, Honey!"
I'll be there...
I'll be there...
Just call my name...
...I'll Be There "
...Music which Maria felt encouraged by, encouraged and strengthened, and no longer as beaten down by the taunting of her classmates, and the heartless indifference of her teacher as in the past.
The Magic In His Music (c) 2016
Author's Chapter Notes:
This chapter depicts the fantasy world Maria finds herself in when she listens to Michael's music