The Balcony
“Did your father ever tell you guys about the balcony story?” My aunt Janet asked us during a Family Day in her living room, her eyes twinkling with recollection.
I looked up from my plate of food I was holding in my lap and gave both my brothers, who were sitting on the floor, a quizzical look. I then turned to my aunt Janet, who sat on my left, a puzzling look.
My aunt Janet, along with all of my dad’s brothers and sisters, including my late father, had always told us kids loads of the funny stuff they used to do as kids. However, we had never heard of anything about a balcony before. We shrugged and shook our heads.
My other aunt, La Toya, who was sitting on the other side, next to me, closed her eyes in embarrassment and shook her head. “Oh, no!” she exclaimed.
“What? What happened? What did Daddy do?” I begged eagerly. I was always excited to hear stories of my dad’s adventures.
“What balcony story?” My older brother, Prince, asked.
“Tell us, Auntie Janet! Auntie La Toya!” Blanket, my little brother, chimed in.
“Well, since it is your aunt Janet’s story, she can tell you. Janet, you mind telling the kids about your little balcony tale?” Auntie La Toya said, giving her a smile.
“Okay, but when I tell you guys this, I hope you three don’t go doing what we did because what your father and I did was incredibly stupid and crazy. So you promise not do it?”
“We promise!” The three of us exclaimed, itching to know what exactly my dad and Auntie Janet had done that was so crazy and stupid.
“Well, okay…I think I was either thirteen or twelve at the time and your dad was probably either twenty or nineteen – I can’t remember. Anyway, before we moved to Hayvenhurst, we used to live in Beverly Hills and my bedroom was on the second floor with a balcony, facing our pool and your father’s room was next to mine. So, one day, on one hot, summer day, your father just bursts into my room and says, ‘Hey, Janet! Let’s go swimming!’”
Auntie Janet giggled a little before continuing. “So, keep in mind that we used to go swimming almost all the time so I naively said okay. But, for some reason, your dad wanted to play daredevil and said he was tired of doing the same old thing and wanted to get crazy and creative. I had no idea what he was talking about. I figured he meant doing things like trying to see who could hold our breaths underwater the longest and things like that. I had no clue whatsoever what he had in mind.”
I automatically clutched at Auntie’s Janet’s arm, gripping it tightly. “What’d he do?” I asked, both curiously and impatiently. I could see both my brother’s eyes growing with curiosity.
Auntie Janet continued to giggle. “He walked right up to the balcony, which was about two stories high, I think. And he motions for me to follow him. So I did. Then, he starts trying to climb on top of the little railing of the balcony, like he’s ready to jump or something!”
I and my brothers’ mouths gaped open. “Did he? Did he really jump?” Prince asked in disbelieve.
“Well, I’m just standing there in shock. I mean, I know my brothers have done some of the world’s most dumbest things but I couldn’t believe I was actually going to witness one of them actually do it. And do you know what I said?”
“What?” All three of us asked in unison.
“I said, ‘What am I supposed to do?’”
Auntie La Toya burst out laughing. “I guess that makes you pretty dumb then, Janet,” she teased, wiping her eyes.
“Shut up, La Toya,” Auntie Janet said, rolling her eyes playfully. “It was a lack of judgment, okay? We were young and dumb, alright?”
“Oh, yeah…you had a huge lack of judgment alright,” Auntie La Toya quipped.
“I wanna know what happens next!” Blanket exclaimed, obviously more impatient than my older brother and I to hear our aunts’ story.
“Alright. So your dad says, ‘Well, get on my back’ and I say, ‘Uh…OK!’ So then, your dad hoists me on his back and gingerly climbs on top of the balcony railing, with me on his back. So he asked, ‘Are you ready, Janet?’ And I say, ‘Uh, huh’, at the same time, thinking Oh, man…what have I gotten myself into? I was scared outta my mind!My palms were sweaty and I was already having second thoughts. But before I could change my mind and tell your father I didn’t want to go through with it, he jumped right off the balcony with me on his back, straight into the pool!”
Prince, Blanket and I immediately cracked up, falling back onto the couch, clutching our stomachs to help try to contain their laughter. “WOW! That’s crazy, Auntie Janet!” We all exclaimed.
“I have to admit, that was pretty dumb, Auntie Janet,” I remarked. There was no way in the world I would do anything like that or talk someone else into it.
“Of course, your aunt La Toya was nearby in the backyard and saw us plow straight into the pool and told Mother what we did. She wasn’t too pleased with us but she kept it a secret from your grandfather. She gave us a superlong lecture and grounded us for two weeks. No TV, no food from the Candy Store next to the studio, no swimming…nothing. We really couldn’t do much of anything for two whole weeks unless if it was work-related like recording in the studio and things like that. And of course, we had to go to Kingdom Hall.”
“That must’ve sucked,” Prince pointed out bluntly. I burst out in a fit of giggles at my older brother’s choice of words.
“You’d better believe it,” Auntie Janet replied after I’d recovered from my giggles. “Naturally, we kept blaming your aunt La Toya for snitching on us but deep down, we knew it was our faults. And your dad and I hated being grounded, so we both decided to never, ever, ever jump off anymore balconies or even anything that looked like a balcony ever again. And we didn’t.”
“You two should’ve thanked your lucky stars you two weren’t seriously paralyzed—or worse—killed,” Auntie La Toya scolded, wagging a finger playfully at Auntie Janet. “Imagine, being angry with me because I tattled on you two! You both should’ve been grateful being grounded by just Mother! In fact, I was the one who pleaded with Mother not to rat you and Michael out to Joseph and she agreed. So…I saved your skins,” she added smugly, crossing her arms. “Humph,” she added. “So there.”
Then she, Auntie Janet, Blanket, Prince and I started to laugh again.
And with that, Auntie Janet sat back, smiling. “I’ll never forget that story for as long as I live,” she replied, sighing wistfully. “Your dad and I got into some crazy adventures when we were together. Sometimes, your auntie La Toya or one of your brothers got involved in them, but I suppose you might hear about those some other time.”
She got up from her place on the couch and stretched. “I bet you have some wild and crazy adventures with Mike, don’t you, La Toya, huh?” she teased, winking at her.
Auntie La Toya picked up a cushion from the couch and tossed it at Auntie Janet jovially, missing her by an inch. Auntie Janet squealed loudly, scurrying into the kitchen.
Before Auntie La Toya could answer, Auntie Janet was already gone.
My brothers and I turned to face Auntie La Toya eagerly, ready to hear all about her zany stories about her and my dad. We all looked at each in anticipation, smiling at one another.
Auntie La Toya cleared her throat and began. “So…did I ever tell you kids about your father and the beehive…?”
The End