Michael conosce il Piccolo Elia Wallechinsky

Da szwaby82 Gio Ott 20, 2011 10:03 am

Michael Jackson: A Photo to Remember

It was just by coincidence that I became acquainted with Michael Jackson. It was 1983 and my wife, Flora, was pregnant with our first child. Frequently, we ate at a vegetarian restaurant called The Golden Temple. Generally we went during the hours between lunch and dinner. There were few other customers during that time period, but there was one other regular: Michael Jackson. He had recently become a vegetarian, and he was fascinated to follow the progress of a vegetarian pregnancy. When our son, Elijah, was born in June, Michael was excited to see him. Once he asked me what it was like to be a father, and he told me that that was what he wanted most of all in life: to have a child of his own to take care of. Even then, there was something poignant about this man who had not been allowed to be a normal child himself wanting to be a father.

On February 18, 1984, when Elijah was eight months old, we took him to The Golden Temple. There were no others customers except Michael and his 13-year-old friend, Emmanuel Lewis, who was known to the world as "Webster." Michael said that he wished he had a camera because he wanted his picture taken with Elijah. My wife had a camera in her bag, but no film. Michael suggested that she could get some film at a nearby drugstore and asked if he and Emmanuel could take care of Elijah while we waited. When Flora returned, Michael suggested various poses and she snapped a number of photos of Elijah with Michael and Emmanuel. Michael asked for copies of the prints when they were developed.

Each of the photos turned out to be of interest, but there was one, of Michael holding Elijah in his arms, that stood out. Looking at it today, 25 years later, and seeing Michael's bright look and clear smile, I can't help but feel sad. He looked healthy, happy and untroubled. His album Thriller had caused a sensation. "Beat It" had been released only four days earlier. And ten days after that afternoon at The Golden Temple, he won eight Grammy Awards. When we next saw him at the restaurant just after his night of triumph, he was beaming, but he also seemed a bit embarrassed by his success.

I got a lot of mileage out of that photo of Michael Jackson and Elijah. Whenever I traveled, I brought with a packet of family photos. The Michael and Elijah photo was the last in the set, and when people got to it, they were usually stunned. Wherever I went, China, Russia, Burma, Tahiti, everyone recognized Michael Jackson. I have to admit that, as a journalist, I used it to put people at ease when I wanted to interview them.

As the years passed, Michael Jackson looked less and less like the Michael in the photo. His skin color changed; the shape of his nose and face changed; and that look of happiness and contentment disappeared.

Now that he is gone, I want to share that photo of Michael Jackson, from a time when he appeared to be at peace with himself and with the world. This is the way I want to remember him.

Foto Ricordo Di Michael ed Elia

E' stato giusto per caso che abbia fatto conoscenza con Michael Jackson. Era il 1983 e mia moglie, Flora, era in "dolce attesa" del nostro primo figlio. Spesso, abbiamo mangiato in un ristorante vegetariano chiamato il "Tempio d'Oro". Di norma, siamo andati durante le ore tra il pranzo e la cena. C'erano pochi altri clienti in questo intervallo della giornata, ma ce n'era uno assiduo come noi: Michael Jackson. Recentemente era diventato vegetariano, e lui era affascinato di osservare l'evoluzione di una gravidanza di una coppia vegetariana.

Quando nostro figlio, Elia, è nato nel mese di giugno, Michael è stato molto felice di vederlo. Una volta mi ha chiesto cosa volesse dire essere un padre, e lui asserì che era ciò che voleva più di ogni altra cosa nella vita: avere un figlio tutto suo per prendersene cura. Anche allora, c'era qualcosa di commovente in quest'uomo al quale non era stata permessa un'infanzia normale e desideroso di diventare padre.

Il 18 febbraio 1984, quando Elia aveva otto mesi, lo abbiamo portato al "Tempio d'Oro". Non c'erano altri clienti, eccetto Michael e il suo amico di 13 anni, Emmanuel Lewis, conosciuto in tutto il mondo come "Webster". Michael ha detto che avrebbe desiderato in quel momento una macchina fotografica per scattare una sua foto insieme a Elia. Mia moglie possedeva una macchina fotografica nella borsa, ma senza la pellicola. Michael ha suggerito che si poteva acquistare la pellicola in un emporio nelle vicinanze e chiese se lui ed Emmanuel potevano prendersi cura di Elia,durante l'attesa. Quando Flora è tornata con la pellicola, Michael ha consigliato varie pose e ho scattato alcune immagini di Michael con Elia ed Emmanuel. Michael ha chiesto se poteva avere delle copie delle stampe quando erano state sviluppate.

Ciascun'immagine rivelava essere interessante, ma ce n'era una in particolare di Michel mentre teneva in braccio Elia, che emergeva rispetto alle altre. Osservando l'immagine oggi, venticinque anni più tardi, lo sguardo vivo e il sorriso luminoso di Michael, non posso fare a meno di sentirmi triste. Aveva l'aria di una persona in buona salute, felice e tranquilla. Il suo album Thriller era stato qualcosa di sensazionale. Ricordo che proprio il singolo "Beat It" era stato rilasciato quattro giorni prima. E dieci giorni dopo a questo pomeriggio trascorso presso il ristorante il "Tempio d'Oro", ha vinto otto Grammy Awards. Quando ci siamo incontrati con lui nel ristorante subito dopo la sua notte di trionfo, era raggiante, ma sembrava anche un po' imbarazzato per il suo grande successo.

Questa foto di Michael Jackson ed Elia ha fatto molti chilometri. Ogni volta che ho viaggiato, ho portato con me tante foto di famiglia.

Fonte: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-wallechinsky/michael-jackson-a-photo-t_b_221823.html