A Rose From Michael

No new story postings for now but I just wanted to share this photo of a rose from Michael I came upon a few weeks ago while unpacking...

This was in November of 2008 when Michael had just come to Los Angeles and was staying at Hotel Bel-Air. He was living there for a while while recording new songs in the studio. On this particular day, there was just a few of us girls there and Michael sent us out a note. He also had Paris send out a little vase with roses in it.

This is one of the roses and I will forever cherish it. I book-pressed it but I should really research how to preserve flowers. :)

- Arus

Photo of a Girl

In April of 2009, you might have seen Michael coming out of a building with a photo of a girl in his hand. It was on fan message boards for a while…and the question of who the girl is came up a lot. Well that girl was me and at the time I found it VERY embarrassing…but of course now I cherish it. People on the internet came up with different things like “It’s his girlfriend”, “It’s Blanket’s mother” and one gossip site even said it was a photo of the new face he wanted after surgery.

Just to give a little background, followers often gave photos of themselves to Michael. We gave Michael a lot of photos of us all posing together, alone, with him, etc. The more Michael saw you, the more he remembered who you were and your name and things you told him about yourself. I remember one of his bodyguards telling me, “Always include a photo with your letters. He likes photos and he remembers you that way.” I always carried stationary, pens, markers, stickers, gifts and photos in my trunk to always be prepared with something to give to him.

On this particular day I had emptied my stuff out for some reason and only had a few developed photos inside my car. I just really wanted to always give him something so I quickly wrote a note on the back of one of the photos and gave it to him when we saw him inside. We said our hello’s and parted different ways so I didn’t see him exit out the building.

After that he went shopping to a few stores including Off the Wall on Melrose and the Ed Hardy store. I don’t remember if it was during the drive to the Ed Hardy store or when I was done and going home but I got a call.

“Oh my God! There are photos of Michael holding your photo!”

I quickly went online to try and find it and sure enough it was all over the internet already. I got red in the face and was so embarrassed…and I got made fun of for it by my friends for MONTHS. But of course, now it is something I treasure. <3 So there it is, there is no real “story” behind the photo. Fans have fantasized some really weird theories about the incident. LOL I wanted to tell Michael about the photos and how funny it looked but I never got the chance to because I started seeing him less and less…I’m sure at some point I wrote about it in my letters but it wasn’t ever discussed. And I’m okay with it being that way…

- Arus

To Believe or Not To Believe

It was a Friday night sometime in the spring of 2009.  Somehow I came across an article by Robin Leach saying that Michael would be headed to Vegas the next day to see the Chris Angle/Cirque du Soleil show “Believe”. 

The next morning, before heading out to Carolwood, I threw a couple of things in an overnight bag and filled up my tank just in case there was any truth to the article.  While waiting outside the house, both escalades and another SUV drove out of the gates.  I don’t remember if anyone saw Michael or talked to him in the car but we were all certain he was in there with his entourage.  There were a couple of paparazzi guys there in addition to a handful of fans so a long line of cars started to follow the SUVs (that was the norm, more or less).  Shortly after leaving the house, everyone got trapped in a side street and we all lost the escalades in the “chase”.  We all scattered and took different routes but no one was able to find them.  I decided I would continue driving towards Vegas anyways.  I called Arus and told her the story and she quickly packed her overnight bag and decided to come with me.  She was on the way so I picked her up and we headed towards Vegas.   

We hopelessly drove up the 15 Fwy not knowing if Michael was even headed there or if we would be able to find him.  An hour or so before reaching Vegas, Arus miraculously spotted the two blue escalates just ahead of us and we started screaming like it was our first time seeing his cars. 

At some point we pulled up next to him with this sign that Arus had quickly scribbled. 

Others who were on the road were informed about our location and everyone caught up with us and followed until we reached the Wynn Hotel.  Michael, his kids and staff got out and went into the Tower Suites at the Wynn.  We all valeted our cars and checked in to the same hotel.  There was 8 of us and we shared one very expensive suite. 

Shortly after arriving Michael went to eat at Wing Lei (at the Wynn) with I Kenny Ortega.  Some of us missed him as he went into the restaurant but we saw him when he came out.  He was looking absolutely amazing (but I can’t remember what he was wearing).  At this point a small crowd had built up but he saw us and as he walked into the lobby area we followed and someone (I think Andres) asked “Are you going to the show” and he replied “ya, right now” while pointing in the direction he was walking in. 

Silly us, we ran out and jumped in cabs and off we went to the Luxor where Believe was playing.  We bought tickets and went inside assuming he’s on his way.  Arus chose to just wait out in the back.  The show went on and no Michael.  We left to go out back and join Arus and no sign of Michael.  Later we found out that he had gone to see La Reve at the Wynn.  We were complete idiots because he was walking towards the show while he pointed in the direction of the theater and said he was going there “right now”, but somehow we all believed the article and went to the opposite end of the strip assuming he was headed there too!  Needless to say we did not see him that night.

Next morning he left to go somewhere and a couple of the guys were downstairs and saw him leave but Arus and I were not there.  After he left we spent the ENTIRE day in the Tower Suites lobby waiting, assuming he would show up at any time.  The afternoon turned into evening and evening turned into night.  We couldn’t wait anymore, we had a long drive home and work/school the next day.  At 9:30pm we said bye to everyone and headed out. 

Angry, frustrated, tired, and disappointed, we walked outside and I handed my ticket to the valet guy.  We glanced to our left and about 50 feet away from us Michael had just gotten out of the car and was walking towards the other entrance.  I snatched my valet ticket from the guy’s hand and we turned around and walked back inside the door we had just come out of.  In the hallway we spotted Michael walking with Amir and Alberto.  Faheem had come in through our entrance.  There was no one else in that entire hallway.  No one.  We said “hi” as Michael walked in our direction to get to the hotel lobby.  I don’t remember the short exchange of words but I’m glad I managed to spit out “Can I give you a hug?”  And so I hugged him then Arus did the same. 

He walked through the doors into the lobby area.  Because I’m stupid, I was about to turn around and walk back out to the valet when Arus said “let’s go see him greet the others”.  So we walked behind him and I’ll never forget everyone’s faces as they first noticed him.  Everyone quickly greeted and hugged him and someone handed him a letter that we had written earlier that day. 

No amount of vegas winnings could bring me the amount of joy and excitement that this trip brought me. Arus and I drove home after that but it was more like we floated home on a cloud. 

-Talin