The Jackson 5: Housewarming Jackson
It was a brilliant day and very special for the Jackson Five & Family. For on that day, they were getting ready to move out of their old apartment and moving into a beautiful new house located near the street called Jackson 5 Boulevard. Their producer, Mr. Gordy, and their friends Diana Ross, Aaron Presley, and his two cousins Lisa and Marie came by to help them load the moving truck which was parked outside the building.
Michael: Okay, if everybody's ready, we're going to show some slides about the different places we performed concerts at during our international tour, and all the people we met while we were there. [Turns over to Randy, his younger brother] Randy, if you please, would you mind getting lights?
Randy (turning out the lights): Right on, brother!
(Jackie turns on the slide projector)
Michael: The first place we visited was Liverpool, which is a city in England. There, we met our good friend, Paul McCartney, and his friends John Lennon, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, and their new friend, Zoey Pryme. She's multitalented in music. They took us on a tour of London. That's where Buckingham Palace is, you know.
Marlon: This is Loreena McKennit and her pet snake, Dintey and her cousin, Neil Bryne of Celtic Thunder. Ireland was really exciting. They taught us how to do the Irish step dance, which is kind of like tap-dancing.
Jermaine: This is who we met in Japan, our good friends Ami Onuki and Yumi Yoshimura. Both of them are Japanese pop singers, and they call their group Puffy AmiYumi. Ami and Yumi took us on a tour of their town Tokyo. I sure wish we could've stayed with them a bit longer.
Michael: Yeah, me too.
Tito: Here we are in Spain, where our good friend Jose Feliciano invited us to this really cool festival he calls Carnaval, and it was lots of fun.
Jackie: Finally, we met Ziggy Marley, his family including his grandmother, Mother Bea, and his band the Melody Makers over in Jamaica. Ziggy taught us how to play the steel drums and perform Island music, such as Reggae and Calypso. He also showed us the town of Nine Mile where his dad, Bob Marley, was born.
Everyone really seemed to be enjoying the slide show and it seemed as if they were seeing those places themselves. In fact, it felt like they were meeting all those people that the Jackson Five met. They were also amazed after hearing about the different kinds of the music that they learned. It seemed like Michael and his brothers had a magnificent time on their international tour. They really enjoyed performing concerts, but they were very happy to be home with their family. Of course, they missed their new friends a little bit. They couldn't help thinking about them.
Michael (feeling just a little sad): Our new friends were all really nice. Sometimes I wish we could see them again.
Marlon: Me too, especially Loreena.
Diana Ross: Well Michael, since you and your family are now moving into a big, beautiful, new house, you'll all have room for all of them to visit.
Latoya: Ms. Ross is right, Michael. Our new house is big enough!
Jermaine: Yeah, it would be great to invite our new friends to come visit us.
Tito: First thing's first. We need to finish packing up the moving truck so we could move into our new house.
Jackie: You heard what he said, let's finish packing up and let's move on out of here! Hustle, hustle, hustle!
So the Jackson family and their friends continued packing the moving truck and getting ready for the move. Meanwhile, outside of town a group of people were making plans. That group was made up of vampire-like beings. Unlike vampires from movies and stories, those vampires liked to suck talent from their victims, and claim it as their own. Because of this, they were known as talent suckers.
The tall member of the group was called Vlad, Nicloai was the pudgy member of the group, and the seemingly quiet member was Mitch. The new member was a lady vampire-like being who was called Nightshade. The day they first met the Japanese group Puffy AmiYumi, they tried to steal their talent and make it their own talent but were thwarted after being served a pizza with garlic. By this time, they were coming up with a plan to get back at the two girls for thwarting their previous scheme to steal other people's talent. Now, when the Jackson Five visited Japan, Ami and Yumi warned them about the Talent Suckers and told them to watch out for them.
Vlad (with a Transylvanian accent): This is it, my friends! The plan I have conducted will be the finest.
Nicolai (with a Transylvanian accent): But what if this plan fails just like all the others we have had before?
Vlad (bonks Nicolai on the head): Don't be ridiculous! Since when did I ever conjure up a plan that failed? Anyway, with Nightshade's help, we the Talent Suckers of Slovakia will soon be the best band in the world!
Vlad's plan was for Nightshade to see what others were doing and secretly ease drop on their conversations. After she gets the message she would head back to her fellow talent suckers and give the message. The talent suckers were known to take their plans seriously and often took matters into their hands. Meanwhile the Jackson Family had just finished packing the moving truck, and was ready to head to their new house.
Michael: Man, you have no idea how many things you've collected until your moving day.
Rebbie: There's no need for you to tell me, Michael.
Uncle Luther: You're right about that.
Jackie: Well, we're going on ahead to our new place, and we'll meet you all there.
While Michael and his older brothers took Tito's car, the Jackson jalopy, everyone else followed with the truck. Along the way, Diana and Aaron kept on thinking about the Jackson Five's international tour. They didn't know that Nightshade was in hiding and listening to their conversation.
Aaron (to Diana): You know something Diana? I sure wish we could all meet Michael's new friends.
Diana (to Aaron): Me too Aaron, they all seem very nice. I've got it! We can surprise Michael and his family with a housewarming party.
Aaron: Great idea, Diana! And since the music festival in downtown Gary, Indiana is only two weeks from today, we can invite all their friends, and we'll have the housewarming party the day before it.
Unknown to them, Nightshade had heard everything they said and she spread the word to the other talent suckers. After hearing what Nightshade told them, they devised a plan to threaten their fun once and for all.
Two weeks after moving into their new house, which looked a lot like a huge mansion, the Jackson family was already starting to feel right at home. Each of the Jackson children had their very own bedroom decorated to match their interests. Even their uncle, Luther, had already gotten used to the family's new digs. It wasn't long before they all heard the doorbell ring.
Uncle Luther (hearing the doorbell ring): How do you dig that? We've been in our new house for two whole weeks, and already we've got guests.
Michael (walking over to the door): I'll get it. [Opens the door to find Lisa, Marie, Aaron, and Diana standing there] Hey there girls, hi, Aaron, hi Diana, it's nice of you all to come and visit us.
Lisa (with a southern accent): Jackson Five & Family, may I present to you your fellow musicians from around the world! Yee-haw! [Twirls out of the way]
Uncle Luther (amazed at the surprise): Wow! Your new friends are here now?
Jackson Five (in unison): Right on!
It was a wonderful sight. All of their international friends have arrived for a housewarming party. The first to come in was Paul McCartney and his friends John Lennon, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, and Zoey Pryme. They had brought with them Blueberry flavored English muffins and tea in the flavors strawberry, tangerine, raspberry, and lemon-lime to go with them.
Paul (with a Liverpudlian accent): Michael, it's so great to see you again.
Michael: I dig that. You remember my big brothers, Marlon, Jermaine, Tito, and Jackie. Now I'd like you and your friends to meet the rest of the family. This is my mom, Katharine, my uncle Luther, and my sisters Rebbie, Latoya, and Janet, my little brother Randy, and last but defiantly not least, Marlon's twin brother, Brandon.
John (with a Liverpudlian accent): Delighted to meet all of you.
George (with a Liverpudlian accent): Michael told us so much about you.
Paul: It's so nice to finally get to meet the famous Jackson Family.
Ringo (Liverpudlian accent): Especially when it comes to special occasions like this one.
Zoey (with a Liverpudlian accent): No kidding, Indiana is more exciting than any of us thought it would be!
Before long, Ami and Yumi arrived in their tour bus, with Ami's Grandmother, Oba-Chan, in attendance with them. Obah-Chan told Michael and his family that Ami told her about when the Jackson five visited Ami and Yumi in Tokyo. Ami and Yumi had brought with them some Japanese sweet cakes for everyone to try. Then Ziggy Marley along with his band the Melody Makers and his grandmother, Mother Bea, arrived and they brought with them their instruments and a Jamaican fruit salad made with fresh fruit picked from Mother Bea's garden. It wasn't long before Jose Feliciano arrived. He brought with him his guitar and a Spanish chocolate mousse for all of his friends to enjoy. The Jackson family was full of excitement.
Soon there was another knock at the door. Michael opened the door, and there stood a young girl with short wavy hair just Marlon's age. It was Loreena McKennit herself. In her hands she held a large platter full of Irish shortbread cookies dipped in white chocolate and topped with sprinkles. With her was her cousin, Neil and his music group, Celtic Thunder.
Michael: Loreena, Neil you came. [Sees a green garden snake on Loreena's shoulder] And you brought Dintey along too.
Neil (with an Irish accent): Aye, and I hope the tote box is big enough for everyone's instruments.
Loreena (with an Irish accent): Dintey here helped me pick it up at the village trading post back home. [They all laugh and cheer]
Everyone asked for a tour of the Jackson family's new house. So at Diana's suggestion, they all decided to have a game of Hide & Seek so that they all could have a tour of the place. What they didn't know was that inside the kitchen, the Talent Suckers had snuck into the house and were on the kitchen table and had smothered themselves with strawberry-flavored whipped cream to disguise themselves as large, unusually shaped cakes. Meanwhile the whole Jackson family, who was playing Hide & Seek with their friends, searched every room in the house for their guests, every nook and cranny, but with no luck. The kitchen, where everyone was hiding, was the last room in the whole house they hadn't yet searched. So while Latoya along with the twins, Marlon & Brandon, kept on searching through the house, the rest of the family went into the kitchen to look for all their friends unknowing that that was exactly where everyone was hiding.
When they got there, Michael noticed the strange looking cakes on the table. He couldn't help noticing that there weren't there before, but they did look almost too good to eat. But he didn't know that they were actually the Talent Suckers still covered in strawberry flavored whipped cream.
Michael: Those cakes seem very strange unless... One, two, three, who do I see? (Spots the talent suckers through the cream) The Talent Suckers, you're it… [Gasps] The Talent Suckers!
The rest of the family (shock-surprised): The Talent Suckers?
All of them (coming out of hiding, in shock): The Talent Suckers?
Vlad (shaking the whipped cream off of him): Of Slovakia! [Grabs the tote box with everyone's instruments inside]
Mother Bea (with a Jamaican accent): Oh no, he's got our instruments!
Aaron: Someone stop him, quick!
Meanwhile, Latoya and the twins, Marlon & Brandon, were in the hallway still looking for their houseguests. What they didn't know was that everyone was hiding in the kitchen. They were also unaware of what was going on, and that the Talents Suckers had invaded their home
Latoya: Man, wherever they all hid, they sure picked really good hiding places.
Marlon: You sure are…
Brandon (finishing Marlon's sentence): ...right about that.
Little did they know Nicolai, Mitch, and Nightshade happened to be hiding in a broom closet. This game of hide & seek turned out to be a lot more confusing than they thought. While the twins looked inside an empty laundry hamper, Latoya decided to check inside the broom closet. When she pulled the broom closet door open, out came the three talent suckers. Grabbing Latoya and the twins, they set out to catch up with Vlad. Ami, George, Diana, and Loreena saw it all happen.
Diana: Oh no, those evil Talent Suckers have kidnapped Latoya and the twins!
Loreena: What should we do now? They also have all of our instruments!
Ami: We need to warn Michael and the others!
George: And we've got to hurry.
By this time Michael was feeling pretty down. He felt like he really messed up at being a good host to his house guests, and also feared that his family's housewarming party had become nothing but a total disaster.
Michael (sighing): Well, this really is a fine mess I've gotten everyone into this time.
Uncle Luther: What do you mean by that?
Michael: I mean I'm just a big flop. I messed up everybody's fun and lost everybody's instruments to a band of talent sucking vampires.
Tito: Don't beat yourself up over this, Michael. We're an even bigger flop than you'll ever be.
Jackie: Yeah, we're all a bunch of flops.
Rebbie: Try to cheer up, Michael.
Someone else (with a Transylvanian accent): Try to cheer up, Michael.
Jermaine: Is there an echo 'round here?
Someone else: Is there an echo around here?
Tito: Hey, who is that anyway?
Someone else: Who is that anyway?
A strange voice had been listening on the conversation, and had been repeating whatever the said. Michael straightened up and he and the others looked around. Nobody was there. Before long, they all looked up at the rafters and sitting up there was Mitch, one of the Talent Suckers. He was the one who had been listening and repeating whatever they said.
Yumi (noticing Mitch): Look, it's Mitch, and he's talking.
Mitch (repeating): It is Mitch, and he is talking.
Ziggy (with a Jamaican accent): He's repeating everything we say, man!
Mitch (repeating): He is repeating everything we say, man.
Michael (thinking): Hmm, I wonder.
Michael was just as shocked as the others were about hearing Mitch talk, and that he was repeating whatever it was they were saying. He also wondered how he would be able to get back everyone's instruments in time for the big music festival, which happened to be tomorrow. So he sat down on the stoop to try and think. As he thought, he remembered how he and his family used music to get themselves out of predicaments. He thought about for it a little while. Until at last, Michael got himself a great idea.
Michael: I've got it! Mitch can help get our instruments back.
Mitch (repeating): Help get our instruments back.
Paul: But how, Michael?
Mitch (repeating): How, Michael?
Michael: You'll see. [Turns to his siblings] Hit it, cats!
(Michael and his siblings start to sing "Oh How happy" while Diana and the others listen quietly)
This plan seemed complicated, but it really worked like charm. It involved Michael and his siblings singing their song, "Oh How Happy". They managed to have music for this plan because, as luck would have it, Tito and Jermaine still had their guitars. While the Jackson siblings sang and danced, their friends sat quietly and listened. Suddenly, Mitch decided he wanted to dance along with them. Meanwhile, Vlad, Nicolai, and Nightshade were hanging out at their hideout celebrating what they believed was to be their victory.
Vlad: This is perfect! We have the instruments of every music group in the entire world!
Nightshade (with a Transylvanian accent): Yes, Vlad and it was all thanks to your brilliant plan.
Nicolai: It really was a great plan after all, wasn't it?
The three talent suckers believed that they may have beaten puffy & company after all this time. As the three were about to start celebrating their victory, it wasn't long before Mitch came back. They were excited to see him and were anxious to hear about what news he had brought. They were unaware of what the Jackson family had in store. The three talent suckers moved closely to Mitch to hear whatever it was that he had heard from the outside of their town.
Vlad: Well Mitch, have you found anything out?
Nightshade: Yes Mitch, what news have you brought?
Mitch: [starts to sing "Oh How Happy"]
Nicolai (alarmed at the singing,covering his ears): Blast those Puffy girls and their friends! They've taught Mitch to sing about being happy!
The rest of the Talent Suckers were feeling disrupted by the song that Mitch was singing and were believing that Puffy AmiYumi & Company had outsmarted them by teaching Mitch to sing about feeling happy. Meanwhile back at the Jackson estate, Michael and his siblings were about to take Tito's car and follow the trail to where the Talent Suckers had taken the instruments when Loreena, Diana, Ami, and George ran up to them.
Loreena: Michael, stop! We need to talk to you.
Jackie: What's with the hold up?
Ami: It's those Talent Suckers! They've also kidnapped Latoya and the twins.
Tito: Man, I thought we were short of a few siblings.
Michael: Where're they headed?
George: You've just missed them. They took them to their fortress on the far edge of town.
Randy: Now what should we do?
Diana: Don't worry. Just try to make your way to the edge of town, and we'll all meet you there.
All of the Jackson siblings: Right on!
Mrs. Jackson: Better hurry!
No sooner said than done, the Jackson siblings managed to get on their way to the edge of town where the Talent Suckers had the stolen instruments and were holding Latoya and the twins captured. As soon as they arrived, Tito put the breaks on and the next thing they knew they were all flung right out of the car.
Tito (about the car): You think those brakes grab a little?
Michael: No time for that, we've got talent stealing vampires to catch.
Rebbie: And everyone's instruments to get back.
Jermaine: And three siblings to save.
As soon as Mrs. Jackson, Uncle Luther, and all the others met up with Michael and his siblings, they all tried to think of a way to rescue Latoya and the twins as well as get the instruments back. But it wasn't easy because nobody had ever been to this side of town before, so the least they could do was tried to find a solution to the dilemma. Meanwhile Latoya, Marlon, and Brandon were inside the locked tower with the stolen instruments.
Latoya: What are going to do now? We can't just stay in this tower.
Marlon: I really don't think there's...
Brandon (finishing Marlon's sentence): …much we can do, Latoya. There's no telling how long…
Marlon (finishing Brandon's sentence): …we'll be stuck up here.
Latoya: We could try calling for help, but who am I kidding? No one will ever hear us from up here.
It seemed that there was no way for Latoya and the twins to escape with the instruments. It wasn't long before they saw an opening in the wall that led outside the tower. But it was very high up, and only wide enough for one of them to squeeze through at a time. As luck would have it, Latoya noticed very long a rope dangling close to her.
Latoya (noticing the rope): Look! I bet you that this rope will be our ticket out of this tower.
Marlon: You really think that...
Brandon (finishing Marlon's sentence): ...the rope will hold us and the instruments?
Latoya: We better hope so. [Looks up and sees a window] But it looks like that window way up there might only be big enough for one of us to squeeze through at a time.
Marlon: That window looks…
Brandon (finishing Marlon's sentences): …awfully high up.
Latoya (nervously): You're right. It does look pretty high up. [Gathers up her courage] But I know I can make it to the top.
So, Latoya took one end of the rope and managed to climb up towards the window. Then she tied the end she was holding to a large, strong hook on the wall. After that, she threw the other end of the rope out the window which led straight to the ground. Latoya soon climbed out through window and, very carefully, climbed down the rope. Just as she was about to reach the ground the rope suddenly untied on its own and Latoya plunged downward with the rope following her. Fortunately, she landed on a soft bush that grew just below the tower, but then she looked up and remembered the twins were still up there with the instruments.
Sure enough, Michael & company heard the sound and rushed to the tower, there they found Latoya on the bush she landed on with the rope on top of her. They all were happy that she was safe, and that the Talent Suckers didn't steal her talent or anything. When they asked her how she escaped, she told them that she was locked in the tower, which was where the instruments were. But because there wasn't a staircase, nobody could reach them.
Latoya (to Michael & company): Come on, everyone! We've got to get the instruments down from that tower.
Jackie: We can't. Nobody can reach them.
Latoya: But we have to. Marlon & Brandon are also up there!
All of them (worriedly): Oh no, Marlon & Brandon.
Well, it seemed that the Talent Suckers had really done it this time. The twins were still in the tower with the instruments and it seemed like there was no way out. Meanwhile, outside the tower, Latoya, Michael, and all the others were still stumped with the problem of making a rescue.
Ringo (feeling worried): Michael, what are we going to do?
Michael: It looks like we've got only one chance. We need to get the twins and the instruments down from the tower one way or another. [Notices the rope on the bush] I know we can do! We can take this rope and make it into a lifeline for the twins to climb down on.
John: Excellent plan, Michael.
Yumi: Yeah, but how will we be able to tie the rope to the rafters when they're way up there?
Michael: Just leave that to Ray & Charles and Rosie.
Quick as a wink, the Jackson family's two pet mice, Ray & Charles, along with Rosie, the family's pink snake, took one end of the rope, climbed up to the rafter of the tower, and tied it tightly onto the hook. They even brought some old clothes hangers with them for the twins to use to safely get down and a long line to tie the tote box with the instruments inside onto so they could safely lower it down to everyone . Outside the tower, Michael had just tied the other end of the rope as tight as he could to a big tree. But before the plan could be carried out, the Talent Suckers came. They saw what Michael and company were about to do, and they tried to stop them.
It seemed that the Talent Suckers were really going to put a stop the rescue mission for sure. In fact, Michael & company seemed to be really in for it now. Suddenly, Michael remembered hearing from Ami and Yumi that like vampires from stories and movies, the Talent Suckers could be weakened by the smell of garlic. That gave Michael an idea that just might work. As the Talent Suckers came closer and closer to the group, he started passing out spraying bottles that were filled up with garlic butter to everyone.
Michael: Okay, when I give the signal, we'll lift up the spraying bottles at those talent-sucking vampires and spray them with this garlic butter.
Vlad (coming closer): Now we have you, you little brats! You haven't got any bright ideas on how to get out of here.
Latoya (pulls out a spray bottle filled with garlic butter): Not quite! Get ready everyone! [All aiming the spray bottles at the Talent Suckers]
Michael (ready to spray the garlic butter): Ready, aim, fire!
As soon as Michael gave the signal, they all started spraying garlic butter at the Talent Suckers. It really did the trick to weakening them as they were similar to vampires from stories. The Talent Suckers didn't wait around to hear the rest. They were so panic stuck by the shower of garlic butter, that they stared running around in different directions, and soon ran away in one direction at the very same time. Afterwards, everyone retrieved the big tote box of instruments and got that and twins safely down from the tower.
George: You did it, Michael, you saved the twins' lives!
Mother Bea: And not only that, you got back all of our instruments.
Ringo: We knew you could do it, lad.
Zoey: No kidding! You're quite the hero.
John: He definatly is the hero of the family.
Yumi: Let's hear it for Michael! [They all cheer for Michael]
Michael (chuckling): I dig your cheers. But I think we all deserve them since we save the twins and got back the instruments together as a team.
Ami: Let's hear it for teamwork! [They all cheer aloud]
They cheered for each other's teamwork. Soon went back to the Jackson residence on Jackson 5 boulevard to finish the housewarming party. It wasn't long before Mrs. Jackson came into the ballroom with special surprise news.
Mrs. Jackson: Everyone, come here. I've big news for the family!
Paul: What news have you got that's so big?
All of them: What's the news?-What?-Please tell us!
Mrs. Jackson: I'm pregnant. I'm going to have a baby!
Jackson 5 (in shock): A baby? [They pass out]
Panic stricken by the Jackson 5 passing out, Paul quickly grabbed a pail full of water and splashed it onto their faces. As soon as they came to, Mrs. Jackson told them about how happy she was to found out that she was expecting a baby. This really was quite a house-warming surprise. Everyone was soon caught up in the excitement of the arrival of the new member of the Jackson family. In fact, Janet was more excited than anyone else, because she knew that she would be a big sister soon.
Neil: What a wonderful house warming surprise!
Loreena: Aye! But when is your baby coming, Mrs. Jackson?
Mrs. Jackson: Well, I've been pregnant for nearly the past two months, so it should be arriving in about four months.
Janet: I can't wait to be a big sister!
Rebbie: The way I see it, you won't be waiting far too long.
Michael: We might have to wait for the baby to arrive, but we won't have to wait for the music festival, because it's tomorrow.
Latoya: Yeah, and it will be the one best ever. [They all laugh and cheer]
As crazy as things were at first, the housewarming party really was very fun. And it was the very best one the Jackson family ever had. The next day was even more fun, because it was the day of Gary, Indiana's annual international music festival. There was good food, fun games to play, and amazing rides to ride. But most of all, there was music, lots of wonderful music, and also dancing. The Jackson Five got to try out lots of different types of dances that their friends showed them, like the Irish step dance, the Mexican hat dance, and many others. As it really happened the Jackson Five & Family had gotten two wonderful housewarming surprises. First, all of their international musical friends came to surprise them with a fun party. And secondly, there was to be a new family member on the way. It really was the very best time the Jackson Five & Family ever did have.
The End