MICHAEL JACKSON: THE EPITOME OF LOVE
“Mama, bird!” Avanthika exclaimed while pointing at a sparrow that stood at the windowpane of my home. “Ah! Isn’t that bird beautiful, honey?” I asked my two-year-old daughter, Avanthika Genevieve Roche while working on my latest painting. We were in my art workshop at home with Avanthika placed in her crib while I worked on my latest painting. My name is Yakshini Jashmita Roche. I am married to Lucien Mathieu Roche, who was my senior at the Paris College of Art, France, where I had pursued a course in Art in the year 1999. It was the year 2003 back then and we had moved to Cheshire, England from Paris, France, where my husband and I had set up an art gallery to start anew. My husband was invited to exhibit his artwork at a prestigious art studio in Cheshire that year since my husband’s family had been in the business for generations. His style of painting had always been modern art-inspired, whereas mine had been a variety of styles.
My paintings were exhibited in Los Angeles, the United States on the 15th of January 2003. Since then, my paintings had been on-demand in the United States as a result of which I was interviewed by journalists from various art magazines in the United States and England. The photos of my paintings that were sensationalized in the American and English magazines later drew the attention of various foreign clients who requested customized artworks from me. My business became a success when the positive remarks that were expressed by my clients, who consisted of celebrities, established businessmen, and businesswomen during their interviews, were sensationalized in art magazines across the globe.
1st JULY, 2003.
I was working on my latest painting with my daughter as my company. Suddenly, my mobile phone rang. I wiped my hands with a rag and walked over to the table to fetch my mobile phone. “Hello?” A male voice spoke on the other line. “Yes, hello?” I asked in reply. Then the male voice spoke again, “Am I speaking to Miss Yakshini Jashmita Roche?” “Yes, this is Yakshini here. May I know who I am speaking to, please?” I asked the male voice. “Good evening, Miss. I am Kenneth Lambert, and I am the manager for Mr. Michael Jackson from the United States. I was stunned for a moment. Once I regained my composure, I said, “Why, good evening Mr. Kenneth. I am rather surprised to be speaking to a person such as you. Now, how can I possibly assist you?” Mr. Kenneth then revealed the purpose of his call. He said, “Mr. Jackson was at an exhibition in Los Angeles in January where he had viewed your painting. He was absolutely impressed by your talent in Art that he has asked me to personally contact you to request if you can paint a portrait of him in his residence in Neverland.”
I was quite taken aback by the request made by Mr. Kenneth. Never had I imagined that I would be given such a rare opportunity to create a customized painting for a legendary artist whose popularity had reached every corner of the world. I took a deep breath and released my breath slowly before replying to Mr. Kenneth. I said, rather slowly, “I would be honored to paint Mr. Jackson. Please do inform Mr. Jackson as such.” Mr. Kenneth seemed very pleased with my reply that he said to me, “I will have your flight tickets couriered to you today then. An agent will assist you once you have arrived at the airport in Los Angeles. We are looking forward to seeing you in Los Angeles soon, Miss.” “Likewise, Mr. Kenneth. See you soon. Take care now,” I said to Mr. Kenneth before ending the conversation.
I was drowning in the excitement of being able to meet the legendary artist that I did not notice Lucien entering the workshop and was standing behind me until I felt his hand encircling my slim waist. I smiled and tightened his grip around my waist while saying to him, “Guess who called me just now, love?” Lucien then asked me, “Hmm…Prince Charles?” His jest made me release his grip and turn around to face him. I then embraced Lucien and said to him, “Love, I have just received a call from Mr. Michael Jackson’s manager, Mr. Kenneth Lambert who has conveyed the singer’s request for me to paint him at his ranch in Neverland.” Lucien pulled away to look at my face. He asked me with a curious look on his face, “And what was your reply?” I smiled sheepishly and blushed slightly while replying to him, “I have agreed to do so.” Lucien smiled and then dropped a kiss on my forehead. He said, “Then, go and enjoy doing what you have agreed to do.” My eyes widened in excitement. I smiled from ear to ear at Lucien like a teenager that Lucien could not help but laugh at my reaction. A week after I had received the call from Mr. Kenneth Lambert, the flight ticket arrived at my residence in Cheshire. My flight was scheduled to take off two days after I had received the flight tickets. I had carefully packed all my painting equipment so as not to miss any of them. As for the canvas, I had contacted the art gallery which was closest to the location of the Neverland Ranch to be delivered at the said ranch on the day I was scheduled to arrive at Los Angeles, the United States of America.
It was time for a new adventure at Neverland with the legendary singer. Lucien and Avanthika accompanied me to the airport in London. I was to travel via the Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA flight to the Los Angeles International Airport at 10.50 a.m. After bidding farewell to my two most precious bonds in this world, I walked into the departure hall to board the plane to Los Angeles, the United States of America. The whole journey to the Lost Angeles International Airport took about 11 hours and 45 minutes. Once I had cleared the customs and picked up my luggage, I walked out of the arrival hall. I looked around to see if the agent who was assigned to assist me during my stay in Los Angeles had arrived. Suddenly, I saw a large whiteboard with my name clearly written on it sticking out from the crowd which was awaiting the passengers on the flight that day. The board read, “Yakshini Jashmita Roche. This Way Please.” I walked in the direction of the whiteboard. A tall, honey-colored-skinned, and handsome-looking African American man was holding the whiteboard. He then lowered the board as he noticed me approaching him. “Good afternoon, Miss. I am Darius Chante Anderson. I am the agent who has been appointed by Mr. Kenneth to assist you,” He said to me. I smiled at him while holding my right hand out for a handshake and Darius Chante Anderson gracefully accepted my hand while slightly shaking my hand in a strong grip.
Darius Anderson drove me to a five-star hotel known as Sheraton Getaway Los Angeles. After checking into the hotel, Darius escorted me to my room. He checked the room thoroughly before saying to me, “The room is safe and not bugged, Miss. This is a regular safety measure taken by us whenever we have to assist Mr. Jackson’s international guests. Please have a good rest, Miss. We will be leaving for Neverland tomorrow at 9.00 a.m. I will be here to pick you up tomorrow. Enjoy your stay, Miss.” “Thank you, Mr. Darius. I will see you tomorrow morning, then,” I said to Darius Chante Anderson before he left my hotel room. After setting my luggage down, I took out my mobile phone to call Lucien. “Hello, darling. Have you checked into your hotel room?” Lucien asked over the phone. He seemed to have been anticipating my call. “Yes, love. I have. I am exhausted from the whole journey,” I complained to Lucien. “Then, why don’t you get some sleep before shower and food?” Lucien suggested in a rather loving tone that made me miss his presence at that moment. “I am already missing you, love,” I said to Lucien for which he replied, “I miss you too, darling. We miss you.” He meant our baby girl as well. I smiled at the thought of my child who had to be taken care of by Lucien for the next few days until I returned to England. “What is the snowball doing, love?” I asked Lucien. “She is sleeping now, honey, and you should too,” he replied. “Okay, then, love. Take care and call me often so that I won’t be missing you much, alright?” I informed Lucien. I could hear Lucien smile before replying, “I will, honey. I will be missing you so much here. Take care of yourself for me.” We hung up half-heartedly. Lucien and I are still in love even after many years of marriage. I am happy to have Lucien as a husband. He has always been protective over me and now he is being protective over our only child, Avanthika who resembles Lucien in his looks.
I then rested myself on the soft king-sized bed. I must have been asleep for a few hours since it was already dark outside the hotel room by the time I woke up. Upon showering, I called for room service and ordered some food. The food was simply delicious. I watched some shows on the television before returning to bed to catch up on more sleep.
The next morning, Mr. Darius Anderson was at my room door at 8.50 a.m. He picked my luggage up and escorted me to the Hyundai Tucson SUV, which was parked in front of the hotel. Once we were comfortably seated in the car, Mr. Darius said, “We are leaving now, Miss. Do let me know if you are hungry or if you need a break.” “Thank you, Mr. Anderson. I will do so,” I replied to him. The whole journey to the Neverland Ranch took about two hours and forty-five minutes. We did not stop at any guesthouse since I did not feel hungry after the heavy breakfast that I had feasted on before Mr. Darius came for me. Mr. Darius was a smooth driver and I did not encounter any complication during the whole journey to the Neverland Ranch. I looked around the Ranch once I stepped out of the car. The Neverland Ranch was indeed an amusement park as I had once read in a magazine in Cheshire. “Mr. Jackson must have built this Ranch with much love for the children who have been visiting this ranch,” I thought to myself. As I was admiring the scenery at the Ranch, a man approached me and introduced himself as Mr. Kenneth Lambert. Mr. Kenneth was a tall man and slightly rounded in his figure, although he had a rather handsome appearance. We shook hands before entering the ranch where the legendary singer lived.
As I was escorted into the premises, I observed how grand the interior in the ranch was. The whole premise was neat and clean like a hotel. I was made to understand by Mr. Darius that Mr. Michael Jackson is a person who prioritizes hygiene in his residence and in the servants employed by the legendary singer. “Mr. Jackson is a man of class,” I thought as my eyes skimmed through the collection of items that were displayed in his ranch. I was then escorted into a room by Mr. Kenneth Lambert. “Michael, our guest is here,” Mr. Kenneth announced. I turned to look in the direction where Mr. Kenneth was looking and saw the legendary singer, Mr. Michael Jackson standing near the window. He was dressed in a white silk shirt and tight black pants. He turned around at the sound of Mr. Kenneth’s voice and looked directly at me. “Oh my God. He looks so fine,” was all I thought to myself.
There was nothing flawed in him as I had read in the magazines. He looked perfectly handsome like he had always looked on the television. He smiled at the sight of me and slowly walked towards me. “Hello, Miss Roche. You are finally here,” Michael Jackson said to me. I was utterly mesmerized at the sight of Michael Jackson that it took me a few minutes to calm myself before replying to him. “Gosh, what a handsome man,” I thought to myself. Michael Jackson had always had an attractive facial feature before his plastic surgery and it was evident even after the sexy singer underwent multiple plastic surgeries. I had always thought that Michael Jackson had the most beautiful eyes, smile, and teeth that I had ever seen in a man. As an artist, it was common for me to observe the features of humans that justified how the portraits of those that I had painted had a striking resemblance to their real features. “Hello, Mr. Michael Jackson. It is an honor to meet you here,” I said to Michael Jackson. “Come and have a seat here, please, Miss Roche.”
I sat down at the chair facing Michael Jackson so that I could have a clear vision of the legendary singer. I was utterly impressed by his looks. He was indeed very charming as a man. He had a soothing voice, and his speech was rather seductive that any woman would just fall in love with the King of Pop. I enjoyed chatting with him about his music and his ranch after which we began the topic of the purpose of my visit to his ranch. “Well, I had attended an art exhibition a while ago and I came across your painting which had impressed me quite a lot that I had to contact you to create a portrait of me in my ranch,” Michael Jackson said to me. “Yes, I was informed as such by Mr. Kenneth. I am happy to work with you in creating your portrait, Mr. Michael,” I replied to him. “You are welcome to stay in this ranch while we are working on this project,” he told me. I was delighted as I had always wanted to meet the legendary singer at some point in my life and the chance had presented itself in the form of the project that I was to work on with Michael Jackson at that time. I quickly replied to him, “It would be an honor to be able to spend some time with you while we are working on this project together since I am also a fan of your mindblowing music.” Michael laughed softly and said to me, “Thank you for appreciating my music. Well, it is settled then. Mr. Darius will be your escort and will tend to your needs while you are here. So, you can always look for him in case you need anything regarding this project.” “Thank you, Mr. Michael. I will do so,” I replied while turning towards Mr. Darius Anderson who also looked at me and smiled. Mr. Darius nodded at me in return.
The project of painting the portrait of Michael Jackson began the next day in one of his rooms which was decorated simply to avoid many items surrounding him when I painted him. I directed his position on the floor, which was covered in red silky cloth to create a romantic feel to the painting. Michael was wearing a long-sleeved black-colored shirt, which was unbuttoned until his bellybutton to portray him as a Casanova. He had his raven-black hair tied loosely with some strands of hair falling on his face. I directed him to lay sideways with one leg bent while the other to be left straightened. I then walked up to him and held both sides of his shoulders to make him lean on the soft cushions that were placed behind him. As I moved him, I felt his eyes observing me. I looked into his eyes for a second and smiled before I looked down. I could smell the scent of his perfume. The scent had both a feminine and masculine touch to it. Once I was done directing him, I told him, “Perfect, Mr. Michael. Please stay the way you are just for a few minutes so that I can sketch a figure of you before I start painting you and the background.” “Alright, Miss Roche,” was all he said to me. I worked on his painting for three hours, when we were interrupted by Mr. Kenneth Lambert. Mr. Kenneth entered the room and walked up to where I was working on the painting. He looked at the painting, which was almost complete and raised his eyebrows in admiration. “The nickname “Tinkerbell” is well deserved by you after looking at this painting, Miss Roche,” Mr. Kenneth Lambert said to me. I smiled at him. “Why, thank you, Mr. Kenneth. I am glad that you like it,” I said to him. “Like it, you say?” I simply love it. Nobody has ever pictured Michael in such a sexy way as you have done here,” Mr. Kenneth exclaimed. I could only smile sheepishly as I had never been able to react positively towards compliments. I had always felt that I could do better. At that point, another man entered the room. The moment he saw me, he asked me in French, “Bonjour, Madame Yakshini. Comment vas-tu aujourd 'hui?” “Bonjour. Je vais bien, merci,” I replied the man in French. Mr. Kenneth, who was watching the whole scenario silently, asked the man, “Why are you speaking to Miss Roche in French, Walker?” The man replied, “She is married to a French gentleman, that is why.” “Am I right, Madame Roche?” The man asked me for confirmation for which I replied to the man while smiling, “Yes, I am.” Mr. Kenneth seemed slightly surprised at the information as though it was news to him. “I have missed this piece of information about you, Miss Roche,” he said to me, eyeing me with interest.
“May I know your husband’s name, Miss Roche?” Mr. Kenneth asked me for which I replied to him with a smile, “His name is Lucien Mathieu Roche.” Mr. Kenneth was shocked at the mention of Lucien’s name. He then whispered a question to me, “THE Lucien Mathieu Roche who painted “Tinkerbell”? I nodded my head in response to his question. Mr. Kenneth laughed loudly before exclaiming, “Oh My God. I didn’t realize that I have a star in here! You are the wife of the famous artist who painted the 90 million worth of painting!” Michael Jackson, who was lying down in his position like a statue stood up at Mr. Kenneth’s reaction. He quickly walked towards us and asked Mr. Kenneth, “What is wrong, Kenneth?” “I didn’t realize that we have the famous artist Lucien Mathieu Roche’s wife here with us,” Mr. Kenneth said to Michael Jackson. Michael Jackson was also surprised when he heard Mr. Kenneth’s statement. His face was filled with much admiration when he turned to look at me. Michael Jackson’s eyes shone brightly with excitement. He then said, “I didn’t realize that we have “Tinkerbell” here in Neverland. The Peter Pan inside of me has finally found his Tinkerbell.” I could feel the warmth on my cheeks at Michael Jackson’s words.
Mr. Darius Anderson entered the room when all of us were chatting happily to announce that there was a guest on the ranch. Michael Jackson asked Mr. Darius, “Who is it, Darius?” “It is Mr. Lucien Mathieu Roche, Miss Roche’s husband, and their daughter, Mr. Michael,” he replied the singer. Mr. Kenneth then exclaimed once again, “Ah! Speak of the devil and he is here!” Excitement rose inside of me at the news of my husband's arrival at the ranch that I carefully placed the brush on the palette and walked up to Mr. Darius to ask, “Where are they, Mr. Anderson?” “This way please, Miss Roche,” Mr. Darius said while escorting me out of the room. Mr. Darius and I walked into the living room to find Lucien seated on the sofa with Avanthika on his lap. The moment Avanthika saw me, she exclaimed cheerfully, “Mama! Mama!” My heart was filled with much joy at the sound of my daughter’s voice that I quickly walked towards her. In a swift motion, I carried her and kissed her forehead while holding her in my arms. “How is my snowball today? Did you miss your mama, honey?” I asked Avanthika for which my child replied, “Yes, Mama!” Lucien, who was seated comfortably was on his feet immediately to join the reunion. He said to me, “We missed you so much that we have decided to fly here to meet you, sweetheart.” I smiled and hugged Lucien with one hand while juggling the weight of Avanthika’s body with the other hand. “I have missed you both too, honey,” I said while planting a kiss on Lucien’s lips.
Mr. Kenneth, Walker, and Michael Jackson joined us in the living room by the time we had recovered from the excitement of the joyful reunion. Mr. Kenneth then exclaimed, “Ah! Welcome to Neverland, Mr. Lucien. I was just talking to your lovely wife about you, and here you are.” Lucien smiled and held his hand out to Mr. Kenneth and the rest of the men in the room for a handshake. Michael Jackson, who had been watching the whole scenario in silence then broke his silence by saying, “Welcome to Neverland, Mr. Lucien. It is an honor to meet the famous artist who has produced 90 million worth of a painting. Your wife is just as good from the work that she has created for me so far. Her skill is simply outstanding. I guess I was right to engage her for this task.” I smiled sheepishly at the compliment directed to me. Lucien then hugged me and said to the men in the room, “My wife is indeed a talented artist. Her works attracted me to her.”
At that point, Avanthika exclaimed cheerfully while pointing at Michael Jackson, “Mama, Peter Pan!” I had read once in a magazine that Michael had built Neverland as he regarded himself as Peter Pan, the man who never grew up and Avanthika was also observing Michael Jackson’s picture in the magazine with me at that time. It was rather surprising that my child’s memory was sharp enough to recognize Michael Jackson. Michael seemed a little perplexed at the sound of a child and he then turned his attention towards Avanthika. He approached Avanthika while saying, “Who is this little beauty? I didn’t notice that we had a special guest here until now. Am I Peter Pan, pumpkin?” Michael Jackson then held his hands out to Avanthika who quickly pushed her body out towards him to reach his hands. The legendary singer then carried Avanthika from my hands and settled the child in his arms. Avanthika settled comfortably in the singer’s arms. Michael was as excited as Avanthika in having the child in his arms. The men around him looked on with a knowing smile. I had read in the magazines about the legendary singer’s love for children. It was on that memorable day that I had witnessed the truth of the information from the way the singer jived with Avanthika.
After the introduction session between the men in the room was over, all of us settled ourselves in the living room with the singer having Avanthika seated comfortably on his lap. Throughout the whole conversation with the men in the room, I noticed how Michael was distracted from the conversation as he was drawn to Avanthika more than the crowd in the room. I was observing the chemistry between my child and the legendary singer and all I felt was admiration and fascination towards the singer. “He is such a loving man,” I thought to myself while observing the singer and Avanthika conversing with each other cheerfully. Lucien, on the other hand, had locked his eyes on me the whole time at that point when I turned in his direction and caught his eyes. His eyes looked at me with a physical longing that made me blush. Mr. Kenneth, who was looking at Lucien in awe caught the silent communication between us. He then said, “It seems like Mr. Lucien needs some private time with his wife.” I quickly looked away in shyness, whereas Lucien smiled proudly, displaying his masculinity to the crowd.
Michael, who was immersed in entertaining my daughter suddenly looked in Lucien’s direction upon hearing Mr. Kenneth’s loud remark and smiled. He said, “Oh! Do excuse our insolence in not realizing that both of you need some time alone. If you don’t mind, may I spend more time with your daughter, please?” I smiled while replying to the singer, “If it is not too much of a trouble for you, please do. She loves being with you.” Michael Jackson’s eyes shone brightly in excitement and happiness. He later excused himself to his room with Avanthika in his arms. Mr. Kenneth, on the other hand, said loudly, “I think we all need a break from today’s schedule and work. I will have the room locked for today and you can resume painting tomorrow, Miss Roche.” “Thank you, Mr. Kenneth. I appreciate it very much,” I said to him. “By the way, lunch will be served in a short while. We will have Darius inform you later when it is time,” Mr. Kenneth added before excusing himself and left together with Walker. Darius then turned to Lucien and me and said, “Mr. Lucien, please excuse me for now. I will check if the food is ready to be served and will come for both of you when it is time.” “That will be nice, thank you,” Lucien said to Darius before Darius left us. Then Lucien turned to me and said, “Let’s go to our room now. We need some rest. I am pretty exhausted from the traveling.” Hand in hand, we walked to our room to have some rest before lunchtime. When it was lunchtime, the whole crowd joined us at the lunch table with Michael Jackson who had Avanthika seated next to him. He had specifically ordered his servants to prepare baby food for Avanthika. When the baby food was served, Michael immediately fed Avanthika who enjoyed the food very much. Lucien and I looked at each other and smiled. We were happy that Avanthika had found a friend in the legendary singer. My daughter chatted with the singer cheerfully while being fed. The singer enjoyed the company of my child that he was laughing at the weird sounds and funny words uttered by my child.
Once we were done with lunch, I had to retrieve Avanthika from Michael who reluctantly returned the child to me. I bathed Avanthika and groomed her into her fresh clothes. After that, Lucien and I took turns to shower. Thereafter, we excused ourselves from Mr. Kenneth and the crew to spend some time together in town while entrusting Avanthika with the legendary singer who was delighted to have our daughter back in his arms. Mr. Darius drove us to the town and many other places to visit. We spent the whole evening in town and historic places. Once we were done with the outings, Mr. Darius drove us back to Neverland. That night, Michael had requested to keep Avanthika in his room for the night for which Lucien and I agreed. We could feel Michael’s affection for children and his longing for a child that we felt that Avanthika would be safe with Michael.
As I laid in bed with my back facing Lucien, Lucien slowly moved closer to me. He encircled his hand around my waist. I could feel Lucien’s breath on my neck. My body relaxed in his embrace. I slowly turned around to face Lucien. I looked into Lucien’s sky-blue eyes. I cupped his face while kissing his lips softly. Lucien began to breathe harder at my touch. In a swift motion, he positioned his body above me and began to plant a trail of kisses from my forehead trailing downwards. I flustered at his kisses. As Lucien continued with his kisses on my cleavage, he slipped his hands underneath my nightgown and removed my undergarment. I spread my legs wide to allow Lucien to position himself in between my legs and in a swift motion, Lucien was inside of me, moving his body rhythmically. Ecstasy filled my body at Lucien’s rhythmic movement inside of me, with my orgasm reaching its peak. As I moaned and whispered Lucien’s name Lucien’s rhythmic movement quickened as I encircled my legs around his waist to lock him above my body.
As Lucien moved faster inside of me, I moaned louder and after a few more rhythmic strokes, Lucien pushed deeper inside of me harshly, releasing his sweetness inside of me. My body weakened and trembled in ecstasy. Lucien’s body dropped onto mine in exhaustion. I embraced Lucien’s bare body and locked his sweaty body onto mine. Moments later, Lucien slowly pulled himself away from inside of me and laid beside me. I moved closer to his naked body, to feel his warmth against mine. Lucien encircled his hand around my bare waist and kissed my forehead before saying, “I have missed you so much, sweetheart.” “Tu m’as manqué aussi, chérie,” I replied Lucien in French for which I saw Lucien smile. We slept soundly in each other’s arms that night. I woke up at the sound of my alarm that set off at 7.00 a.m. I turned to look at Lucien who slept like a baby beside me. I admired his bare body for a moment. Lucien was well-built with milky skin. Lucien slowly opened his eyes and looked directly at me. “Bonjour, Madame Roche,” he greeted me in a husky voice. I giggled and kissed his lips before leaving the bed to the shower and got dressed to resume painting the legendary singer.
When I entered the living room, I noticed Avanthika seated with Michael Jackson on the sofa and she was playing with a soft toy. She looked well-groomed in a red velvet dress. Michael Jackson looked up as I approached him and greeted me, “Good Morning, Miss Roche. I believe that you had a good rest last night. As for your daughter, she slept soundly in my arm the whole night without fuss. She is well-behaved for a toddler.” I smiled at the singer’s compliment and replied, “Yes, my husband and I had a good rest last night. Thank you for the kind hospitality that you have given us so far. I am glad that Avanthika did not cause much trouble for you last night. She is always an easy one to handle.” A thought crept into my mind that I had to ask Michael. “Are you married, Mr. Michael?” Michael looked at me nonchalantly before answering me “I was previously married but I am divorced now because my spouse did not intend to have children. I love children you see, and it was impossible to live with a partner who did not share similar interests with me.” “I understand that feeling well, Mr. Michael. Children need parents who prioritize parenthood above anything else. That is how Lucien is. He spends a lot of time with Avanthika, despite his busy schedule to ensure that our baby does not feel unloved since she is our only child,” I said the singer. Both of us had chatted for a moment before we were invited to the dining hall for breakfast. By the time breakfast was served, Lucien, Mr. Kenneth, Mr. Walker, and Mr. Darius had arrived at the dining hall. All of us had had a hearty breakfast before I resumed painting Mr. Michael that morning.
The painting was finally complete. I then called upon Mr. Michael to come forward for a view of the painting. Mr. Michael stood from the spot where I had directed him earlier to pose for the painting and walked towards me. He took a moment to look at the painting before saying in a rather soft voice, “I did not realize that I look so handsome. I am a perfectionist. So, I am never happy with myself whenever I look at myself in the mirror. Yet, I must say that you have painted a completely different version of me who is flawless.” I smiled in satisfaction at the singer’s comment. “Well, I think that you have striking facial features that make you look attractive when you smile. Besides, you have eyes that seduce anyone who looks into them, which further accentuates your handsome face. Every artist believes that he or she paints the picture of the soul of the subject rather than the outlook of the subject when painting a portrait. So, the end result may differ from the actual features of the subjects.” “I see. So, this painting portrays my soul,” the legendary singer said in comprehension with his eyes shining brightly for he was pleased with the painting.
Once the painting had dried, I made an arrangement with the Art Gallery that had supplied the canvas to have the painting framed. Thereafter, the painting was brought to Neverland where the painting was hung in the room of Michael Jackson. I received the payment of a sum of USD 2.5 million for the task of painting the portrait via direct transfer to my Bank of England account. Upon signing the document prepared by Mr. Kenneth Lambert as proof of receipt of the payment made by Mr. Michael Jackson, Lucien and I bid the men farewell. Michael Jackson carried Avanthika in his arms and gave her a kiss on her forehead and chubby cheeks before returning her to me. “It was a great experience working with you, Miss Roche. You are welcome to Neverland anytime. Please don’t forget to bring this pumpkin along when you come,” Michael Jackson said while caressing Avanthika’s soft curly hair. “Definitely, Mr. Michael. I will definitely bring my daughter with me when I come to the States next,” I said to Mr. Michael Jackson with a smile.
Lucien and I flew back to Cheshire that morning with the joy of meeting the legendary singer in person. The legendary singer was indeed humble, friendly, and loving in person regardless of what the tabloids had written about the singer. I came to a realization that day that the truth about a person will only be revealed upon communicating with the person. I had also realized that the tabloids had concealed the facts and filled the newspapers and magazines with untrue details designed to put the legendary singer in a bad light. The act of publishing twisted stories on the singer’s so-called negative lifestyle, abuse of his position by committing sexual acts on children, and the false news on the sexuality of the legendary singer was atrocious. The truth was far away from what the tabloids had written about the legendary singer based on my personal experience over the past few days that I had spent with him.
A month passed after the wonderful encounter with Michael Jackson. One morning, the doorbell of our house rang. Lucien attended to the door as I was busy bathing Avanthika before grooming her. “Yash, darling! Can you please come down here for a minute?” Lucien called out loudly from the living room. I quickly groomed Avanthika and carried her downstairs. As I entered the living room, I noticed Lucien sitting on the sofa with courier boxes from FedEx on the carpeted floor. Lucien was trying to open one of the boxes. When he finally opened the box, he removed something out of the box. To our surprise, the box contained soft toys. Lucien and I looked at each other and we quickly understood where those boxes were couriered from. It was Michael Jackson who had couriered about 10 boxes, all of which contained various types of toys for Avanthika. I quickly contacted Mr. Kenneth Lambert to get through to the legendary singer. “Hello?” Michael answered. “Hello, Mr. Michael. How are you?” I asked the legendary singer. “I am fine, thank you, Miss Roche. I take it that you are calling me regarding the courier. Am I right?” the legendary singer asked. I replied, “Yes, Mr. Michael. Thank you very much for all the gifts. I am sure Avanthika will love them all.” “You are most welcome, Miss Roche. It is my pleasure to send those gifts to your lovely child. I have already missed her, to be honest,” Michael Jackson said with a laugh.
We had chatted for a moment before we hung up. “He is definitely an epitome of love,” I thought to myself with a smile carved on my face, as I walked back into the living room to join Lucien and Avanthika. My experience with the legendary singer Michael Jackson was the most memorable moment that I had with my family that year. The encounter with the legendary singer taught me one important lesson in my life. The truth will only reveal itself upon personal experience with a particular person or thing. I had stopped reading about Michael Jackson in the magazines and newspapers thereafter since I had discovered that the stories contained therein were filled with lies to sensationalize the magazines and newspapers.
~THE END~
