The Red Apples (part 15)

Michal Jackson was ready the scene was set. The spotlights were on microphone checked. His cameraman was in place his assistant stood behind the colleague responsible for a good sound. In the next room, the final touch was applied to the man soon at the center of attention. Michal Jackson was nervous despite his long career and many assignments like that. His hands were sweaty. He needed a new make-up on his nose. A stack of paper with information and questions lay before him on his lap.

There he came out from the dressing room calm and very majestic no show no fear no pretending what he was not. He was guided to his seat opposite Michal Jackson.

"Your Majesty, welcome to the show. It is a pleasure and honor to us from Power TV and me personally to have you live on today's broadcast of 'Meet the Celebrity' our internationally acclaimed prime broadcast," started Michal Jackson in his interview. Power TV was a British-Australian joint venture with audiences in most countries around the world. Former big players like CNN, BBC, Al-Jazeera, and Sky News had lost their position to newcomers who overcame the challenges of fake news and AI news content. After years of misinformation viewers around the world got tired and adapted fast to distinguish between real and credible news and fake news. It had taken a while and had caused much harm but in the end, people started to learn and rebelled against this old trend. New stations and formats had the changes to grow and blossom. Power TV was the leader of the new development to set a trend.

"The honor is all on my side," smiled King Carl I, after a long day working for his kingdom.

"Please, your Majesty, let us start by introducing you to our worldwide audience by showing who you are as a person before we will move on to discuss the kingdom in detail, the new development on the African continent, and the vision you have for Africa and the world."

"My pleasure, Sir," said King Carl I smiling.

" You are a born German. What was your childhood like?" started Michal Jackson the interview.

"I descend from a very humble family residing in the heart of Hamburg. My mother fell in love with my father at her workplace. It was not loving him. She wanted a companion not wanting to wait for Mr. Right to come along in unforeseeable time. She delivered two girls one boy...me," the King smiled tenderly. "My father was not with us and during his lifetime did not care about us. Money was always short but we luckily went to sleep with a warm meal thanks to the leftovers my mother brought home from work. For this reason till today, I do not feel comfortable sitting in a restaurant."

"I understand, your Majesty. Sorry for it!" tried Michal Jackson to comfort his interview partner.

"At the age of twelve, I declared to myself I would never die so stupid as my parents were but learn anything possible in life. It was the time I started to write novels. All by myself sidelining the idea of many friends to party with I sat in my room with the dark curtains closed. Story after story and novel after novel I created my own world. What I saw and thought but in real life had challenges to express I wrote a novel about it. I thought of concepts like the I in me, freedom, and many other aspects of our human life. With hard work and dedication, I made it to High School even having to clean offices at Shell in City North, seventh floor North Wing to make it to get my A-level. I studied under challenging conditions but eventually graduated after five years. I went to a town near Oxford and became the Assistant to a German Professor. Later I lived in many different countries and cities. Because of my first wife, I got in contact with Africa a place I never wanted to be. Over the years Africa became the center of my life."

"You often refer to Africa as a hate-love. Your Majesty, please what do you mean by that?" bent Michal Jackson over to get closer to the man he had wanted to interview for years but never got the chance.