Remember the Time
An Original Michael Jackson Inspired Novel
Volume 1: With a Child's Heart
By Imani R. Henderson
Chapter 1
Farewell, My Summer Love
The date was August 17th, 1972, in other words, the most relaxing day of summer ever. The birds were chirping and the sun shone through my sheer white curtains and somehow made my canary yellow walls seem brighter.
This was my last summer before I started at Meadowbrook High. It was nothing really special about Meadowbrook, just a bunch of kids that weren't going to get anywhere in life.
"Donny Osmond's Puppy Love, Reaching ONLY #3 for July 1972", said the big, bold, lime green letters on the headline of my Tiger Beat Magazine. "Whoop-Dee-Doo" I said sarcastically.
As I was skimming through the pages of the magazine, the phone rang. I didn't bother to get up because I no longer heard the vacuum cleaner running, but instead, I heard my mother's sigh and her delicate footsteps walking towards the alarm.
"MY GOD, that's wonderful!" Mother shouted. I thought she had gotten promoted or a raise in her paycheck, "nothing new", I thought.
I could hear the scuffling of her feet against the rough carpet ascending towards my bedroom. "Imani! YOU MADE IT!" I jumped up from my bed and Mother and I jumped and screamed together.
My agent's name was Tallulah von Bhurgherwitz. She was the snootiest lady I have ever met. He was tall and skinny with short, jet-black hair. Her nose was pointed like an arrow. She wore huge, thick rimmed, round glasses. She spoke with the most unnatural, nasal, and annoying accent on the face of the earth. It almost sounded as if she had stuffed pieces of Kleenex up her nose and a wad of paper towels down her throat. Her office was in Los Angeles, but she said that "since I'm not a supermodel yet", she invested in a house for us in a gated community in Encino.
Although, this was a life-changing factor, it was also unexpected. I sent my photos into Ford Models a year before this. I had to say goodbye to my friends and family, which was miserable. But most of all, I had to leave my first and only love, Cliff James.
Cliff was the most amazing guy I had ever met, and wasn't too bad looking either. He was tall, his skin was browned by the sun, and he was dripping in masculinity but kissed with a feminine side. Neither one of us really "knew" what love was, but we both knew it had something to do with us. Sometimes, I'd even break down and cry tears of happiness, just when he'd look into my eyes. He wasn't frightened to display emotion. What we had was real, and now it's gone.
Chapter 2
Maybe Tomorrow
We moved to Encino a week before school started. That was the very first time I had ever seen a palm tree. It was so beautiful. I felt as if I was on a vacation to a faraway paradise, but in reality, this was my new home.
As we went sightseeing in throughout Southern California in our convertible 1969 Cadillac, the sweet sound of "Doctor My Eyes" by the Jackson 5 was energetically bursting out of the radio, as would boiling lava erupting out of a volcano. I couldn't think of a better song to listen to while on the road. Just the rhythm of the song made me want to get up and dance, but my seatbelt restricted me from doing just that. So, I happily sang along.
"Doctor my eyy-eyy-eyy es! Tell me what you see! Was I un-wii-iii-iise, saying its too late for me. Yeahhh! Ohhh Yeahhh! OOOH yeaaah-yeahhh! OOH, Bay-bay, bay-bay!"
"Okay, that's enough, baby girl" said Dad, laughing.
Dad always had a good sense of humor and a great taste in music. But like all the Henderson's, no vocal talent. Growing up in the 50s and 60s, he was always surrounded by musical greats like Chuck Berry, James Brown, and the Temptations.
Meanwhile, while approached a big iron gate that read "The Oaks of Calabasas", the three of us were astonished just by the beauty of the greenery that perfectly bordered the driveway.
"Your name, Sir?" said the man at the booth.
"Keith Henderson", he said confidently
"Okay, your house is at 6304 Calabasi Drive, have a nice day" said he.
"Thank you, you do the same." dad said, smiling.
Finally, we arrived to our new home, which had a gate also. It was something about how the gates opened that reminded me of heaven here on earth. Ms. Von Bhurgherwitz was standing on the other side of the enclosure. She gave us a warm welcome to our new home, unlike our conversation on the telephone.
Thanks to Ms. Von Bhurgherwitz, we didn't have to lift a finger. The movers put the boxes, furniture and appliances in the house where they belonged. We even had housekeepers! "I ain't in Virginia anymore", I said to myself.
Back home, I didn't even like getting pedicures because it I felt as if I were being a spoiled brat. I would've rather suffered through calluses and corns than have someone else do the dirty work, so being in the fashion industry would take some time to get used to. I'd have personal shoppers, hair dressers, makeup artists, and even a wardrobe assistant, as I was informed by Tallulah.
She had a collasal yellow batter cake with white icing and sat it on the kitchen island. The cake had lavender and pink flowers and "Welcome to Encino, Imani Rose" written in purple icing. Apparently, my last name wasn't "catchy" enough so I would drop my last name and just go by my first and middle name.
"Enjoy the confections for now, but let this be the last time. Two more dress sizes up, and you're out" she said. I chuckled, thinking that she was joking, but the look on her face was as straight as the curves of her figure.
I looked at my Dixie plate in discouragement, debating on whether or not I should eat the cake and ice cream.
"It's okay, baby," whispered mom. "A little won't hurt"
I smiled and devoured it anyway.
Chapter 3
It's Your Thing
Before I started doing major, couture modeling, I typically did commercials and cameos on television shows. My first audition was with Afro Sheen, I was super excited, especially because I loved my natural so very much, and I just knew I would make it.
Filming started in June, and the commercial would air in July during Soul Train during the Gladys Knight show. I had never done anything like it before, having one person doing my makeup, another putting my clothes on, and another doing my hair…it was ridiculous! I even got my eyebrows waxed, without any warning whatsoever. I felt terrible afterwards, but I looked amazing. My eyelashes looked like Diana Ross', my hair, like Angela Davis' herself.
"Beautiful People Use Afro Sheeeeeeeeeeennn…" sang Tallulah. "Are you ready to film?" I replied with a 'yes', but there were more butterflies in my stomach than there were at the park in the springtime back home.
Luckily, I just had to walk and smile, and apparently, "steal every man's heart as they see me". Being only 14, it was awkward portraying a streetwalker. But this was my job and I had to make it look as believable as possible.
My schedule was getting busier and busier every day. I had auditions for TV shows, more commercials, and even stage plays in Las Vegas.
I even got to meet a few celebrities!