Dreams and a Pepsi Commercial

Stephanie Tanner, nine, was feeling as though she was floating on cloud nine. Today had been the best day of her life so far. Not only was today her birthday, it was also a Saturday. So for her that meant no school.

But the best part was still to come. The famous pop star himself, Michael Jackson, was coming to see her.

What could be more perfect in life than that?

That afternoon, Stephanie was sitting on her bed in the room she shared with her older sister, fourteen-year-old D.J.. She was writing in her notebook when her uncle Jesse appeared, a grin on his face. The grin said that he was hiding a secret, of course.

“Hey there, Steph,” he said.

“Hi, Uncle Jesse,” she replied. “Is there something you wanted to tell me?”

“As a matter of fact, yes. There is something I want to tell you,” said Jesse. “You know how you’ve always had a liking for a certain singer with black hair and dark chocolate eyes, right?”

“Yeah, I do.” Steph nodded. Suddenly, she came to a realization. “Uncle Jesse, you don’t mean that-?”

Jesse nodded, smiling still. “Yes, I do.”

He then turned to the open doorway and said to whoever it was standing outside in the hallway, “OK, you can come in now, please.”

Stephanie’s look of puzzlement soon transfigured itself into a look of surprise when… through the doorway… he appeared…

Stephanie did her best to calm down and keep her cool. For a beginner, she was doing a pretty good job so far, considering that the Michael Jackson was standing in her room.

“Hi, Mr. Jackson,” she said, suddenly feeling a little self-conscious.

To her surprise, Michael chuckled a little and said, “Please, call me Michael. When people say ‘Mr. Jackson,’ I usually think they’re talking about my father.”

The encouraging smile sent her way was enough to make Stephanie feel much better. Michael could tell as she was instantly visibly relaxed.

“Thanks, Michael. I guess I feel I have to remember that it’s supposed to be rude for a kid to call people they don’t know by their first names.” Stephanie shrugged. “Part of my job as a kid, I guess.”

Michael simply shook his head, walked over to where Stephanie was sitting and sat down on the bed beside her. “Don’t worry about that, Steph,” he said. “I don’t mind it when you - or others - call me by my first name. I think it’s neat - not to mention very nice in my opinion, too.

“And one more thing,” he added. “While most people still see you as a cute little kid, I see you as a young lady. You may be a kid, yes. But ‘cute’ is not what I’d use to describe you, anyway. Instead, however, I’d use the word ‘beautiful’.”

Stephanie blinked in surprise. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing at first. But when she did, she decided that it sure sounded awesome, and then smiled, taking a liking to what he’d told her. Plus, from what she’d heard, Michael definitely had the gift of gab. No surprise there, as she herself had that very quality as well. So there was something that she and Michael had in common.

“Wow,” she said. “I had no idea that you… a pop star-slash-dancer-slash-actor… actually see me in that way.”

“Well, I do,” Michael replied, and smiled. “After all, I sense great things for you on the horizon as well.”

Michael looked at Stephanie, drinking in her beauty. Of course, he was also admiring her lovely hair - as fine as spun gold - too.

As for Stephanie, she gave Michael a smile. Then, after setting her notebook aside, she turned back to the book she had picked out to read a few hours before Michael had arrived that day, which happened to be “Dennis the Menace: A Hairbrush and a Short Temper”.

Michael also looked at the book, an interested smile on his face. “Oh, that Dennis,” he said. He then turned to Stephanie just as she looked up at him. “He sure is quite the character there. I like that quality in him, too.”

Stephanie blinked. “Really?”

Michael nodded. “Of course.”

Stephanie pondered this for a moment. Michael noticed this; those dark chocolate eyes of his never missed anything. He reached over and placed a hand under her chin, turning her face to him.

“I have to tell you something, Stephanie,” he said.

“Yes, Michael?” she replied.

He smiled and then moved his hand from under her chin before reaching over and running it through her hair. “You see, Stephanie, you look so beautiful.”

Stephanie blushed. “Are you sure about that, Michael? Am I beautiful… really?”

Michael nodded. “Absolutely.”

Stephanie looked thoughtful as she mused over what Michael had said. Maybe Michael had a point there; after all, he sure had a way with words. And she could relate to that; with her, there was never a shortage of words.

“There’s something I need to tell you, Michael,” Stephanie said after a moment.

To her surprise, Michael blinked and then said, “A confession?” His chocolate eyes lit up like a child’s on their birthday or at Christmastime (which, Stephanie heard, happened to be one of his trademarks). “I love the confession game. Please, be honest with me in whatever you have to say. And,” he added, “I promise to listen until you’re done talking.”

Stephanie smiled a little at that. Honesty - now there was a virtue for one to practice over and over if need be. “Well, it’s about my late mother. She would’ve loved to meet you, Michael,” she began.

“Please, do tell.”

“All right, I will.”

With that, she told him all about her late mother Pam Katsopolis-Tanner, who also happened to be her uncle Jesse’s older sister and her father’s wife.

“Dad told me that I got the trait of getting excited about almost everything from her,” said Stephanie. “She was such a great mom, and I do miss her sometimes - almost as much as my older sister, D.J. - that’s short for Donna Jo - misses her.”

Later, in the living room, Michael sat on the couch with Stephanie, while Jesse and Danny sat next to her. Joey sat in a chair next to the couch.

“All of you, I know how you feel right now about missing Pam,” said Michael. “I’m missing someone who’s very close to my heart myself, too.”

“Really?” asked Stephanie. “Is it a member of your family?”

Michael shook his head. “No. It’s a friend of mine. His name was Ryan White.”

He then began to tell them Ryan’s story. “Back then, people didn’t know much about AIDS, or HIV. Because of their fears and prejudices, they shunned Ryan. But I didn’t. I understood what those diseases were, and I befriended him, as well as his mother, who I keep in touch with, and his younger sister, too. He also told me about how he was treated unfairly in the town of Kokomo, Indiana, where he used to live.”

Jesse was silent for a moment. “Wow. I had no idea that you were his friend.”

“I was,” said Michael. “And I shared many moments with Ryan - some happy, some sad and some inspiring.”