"It's the exact year of 1989. About seven years go'…my Jenny was real sick. Doctors said she wouldn't live one year longer. She did. Some new type of, what they like to call, medical technology, helped her. Her, me, and Forrest Jr. been' real happy together. We live in Greenbow, Alabama. In mama's house. Forrest been going to school. He's real smart. His IQ isn't 75 like mine was. That's all I have to say bout' that. That's all I have to say for the day."

. . . .

Forrest's fingers gently touched the cracked leather cover of his brown journal and he slowly enclosed his simple, but loving thoughts. The cover of his journal appeared as though a fault had slipped and an earthquake had struck the leather surface.

Forrest was plastered to the chair as his eyes appeared to be plastered to the window…looking out…day dreaming. Forrest would often sit in front of the window, observing the beautiful and verdant environment of Greenbow, Alabama.

A high-pitched and excited voice in the distance yelled, "No mom! I'm going to get dad! I'll run as fast as lightning!"

Immediately after that voice and the sound of excited footsteps reached the vicinity of Forrest's ears, his eyes smiled while the edges of his mouth subtly curled up.

"DAD. DAD. We HAVE to go watch T.V." shouted Forrest Jr. with eyes as wide as an owls'. "Michael Jackson's performing Thriller. You have to see this!"

Forrest Jr. got a hold of his father's arm quickly and his father turned his head, coming to from his day dreams. Forrest Jr. was pulling his father like he was in a match of tug-a-war on the school playground and his father's arm was the rope.

Looking like mice quickly jogging in an alley, Forrest and Forrest Jr. scurried to the living room to ensure the performance wouldn't be over the second they arrived.

Jenny, Forrest's wife, had been saving a lot of money waiting tables at the local Greenbow Diner. Her pastel pink button-up uniform complemented her light rosy cheeks and made her shiny, white teeth illuminate when she smiled; this only helped increase her tips. Her presence gave off a sense of sweetness and strength which seemed to transfer from one heart to the next. Two weeks ago, Jenny ran into Video Kingdom faster than a cheetah. She was carrying green dollar bills that were practically spilling out of her hands. That day she bought herself a well-earned Sony Television. Their family couldn't afford a television until the late eighties. It was a special day.

Forrest and Forrest Jr. took one last leap into the premises of the living room as if they were fighting to cross the finish line of a marathon. Forrest Jr.'s fingers quickly curled as he stuck out his arms. His legs then began to move back and forth from left to right. He was doing the signature dance move of Thriller. The instant second his young eyes recognized the bedazzled glove on Michael Jackson's hand, his smile was shining as much as the million dollar glove was.

"Look! Look dad! Do you see what's covering his glove? Look how shiny it is! I gave him that idea!" shouted Forrest Jr. while his legs acted as springs that were bouncing up and down and up and down.

. . .

Back in 1981, Forrest, Jenny, and Forrest Jr. took a trip to the big booming city of New York City. Forrest Junior's eyes were as bright as the flashing lights of the city when he saw the colors of Times Square. While walking down the street, Forrest Jr.'s feet would slow and he permanently had his head turned, getting caught up in the commotion, not looking at his parents straight ahead. The commotion was slowing him down; life was whizzing around him while he was in his own world, observing many different encounters on the streets. Suddenly, Forrest Jr.'s slow feet came to a halt and he turned his whole body to the left, staring in the alley. It was as if he was in a trance and the silhouette of a man in the alley had a gravitational force that was pulling him in.

"Forrest Jr., get over here now!" shouted Jenny in a frantic voice. He kept moving towards the alley. Jenny and Forrest chased after him.

Once they grabbed a hold of his hand, Forrest said in an uneasy voice, "Forrest Jr., please stay right by our side. Please. Don't go running away like that ever gain'."

There was a man with his fingers curled up and his arms sticking out. He was dancing; moving side to side. Forrest Jr. urged his parents to go over there. So, they went. Dancing and singing in the middle of an alley was Michael Jackson.

Forrest Jr. stared and said, "I like your dance moves, sir." He then looked to the ground and saw a shiny object that was reflecting in the eerie darkness. He picked it up and found it was a small rock that was literally sparkling the tint of silver. He walked over to Michael Jackson, who he didn't know was famous (he was a young boy), and he handed him the rock. Mr. Jackson stuck out his hand, which had a white glove on it, and stared down at the rock the boy had placed on the glove.

"Thank you young sir. Wow. Look at it! It makes the glove beautiful." said Mr. Jackson, staring with wide eyes at the boy as if he had just met Albert Einstein. Forrest Jr. smiled, turned around, and grabbed his parent's hands. As they walked away, Jenny would slowly turn her head around, as if she had just encountered the strangest experience, trying to see if that moment was a hallucination or reality.

. . .

Now dancing in the living room many years later, swinging his body the same way the famous Michael Jackson did in the alley, Forrest Jr., Forrest, and Jenny were amazed to see an extravagantly bedazzled glove on Mr. Jackson's hand.

Jenny, leaning against the frame of the door, held her two hands together; it was as if she wasn't able to pass on love to anyone currently by holding their hands, so she held her own. Her curly blonde locks were held perfectly in place and pink lipstick sweetened her subtle smile. Her eyes were locked on Forrest and Forrest Jr. Standing approximately two inches away from the television, Forrest Jr. was wearing a blue plaid shirt, just like his daddy. Grinning from ear to ear at the television, Forrest Jr. was full of optimism and hope; he also got that from his daddy. One thing he didn't get from his daddy was his intelligence. Regardless of his intelligence level, Forrest had a huge ability to understand and feel love. He loved Jenny, he loved Forrest Jr., and he loved mama, who passed away about ten years ago due to old age. He was also great a defending and protecting his loved ones. He wasn't the smartest, but he sure was full of love.

"I only can hope Forrest Jr. gets his father's loving characteristics. He's a smart boy and that would only make him more intelligent," Jenny thought to herself while still leaning against the door frame.

As the Michael Jackson music video quickly faded out, commercials began. With the performance just ending, Forrest Jr.'s attention was focused on the T.V. still. A commercial began advertising a trip to Europe. The mouths of both Forrest Jr. and Forrest dropped immediately.

Forrest Jr. whirled around to face his mother and excitedly whispered, "Mom. Mom! Did you see that castle? Let's go there!"

While picking up toys on the floor and half-heartedly listening, Jenny hesitantly responded, "Oh yeah honey. That looks like a great place. Now let's go eat supper."