let me love you ~ michael jackson & ariana grande

interviewed by oprah

                            February 10th, 1993

Ariana

I stand patiently behind the entrance with Michael as we both watch the clips that were being rolled on the television for the viewers. All that's running through my mind is how adorable Michael was as a kid.

The abundance of videos and photos end and the camera is back on Oprah.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Michael Jackson." She says.

Michael lays his lips upon mine quickly before smoothly walking into the view of the camera.

He shakes hands with the lady and greets her with a kiss on the cheek, he sits down on the chair.

"How nervous are you?" She inquires with a friendly look on her face. "How what?"

"How nervous are you right now?" She repeats. "I'm not nervous at all, actually." Michael responds, I start to get anxious for him considering Oprah is  known for her abrasive interviews. "You really aren't?" She asks with a surprised expression.

"No, I never get nervous." He answers simply. "Not even for your first interview and it's live around the world? I thought you'd be a little nervous but you're not and that's great because if you're not nervous I won't be nervous. I just wanted to let the world know that when we agreed to do this interview you said you would be willing to talk to me about everything."

"That's very true." Michael states as he readjusts the pillow behind him. I bite my lip while I watch the two interact on the tv.

"Very true. I was watching you in the background there watching you in the video of the early years. Did that bring back memories for you?"

"It made me giggle because I haven't seen that footage in a long time. Did it bring back memories? Yes, me and my brothers who I love dearly and it's just a wonderful moment for me."

"I saw you laugh when you saw yourself singing Baby, Baby, Baby."

Michael lets out his cute laugh. "Yeah, I think James Brown is a genius you know when he's with the Famous Flames, unbelievable. I used to watch him on television and I used to get angry at the camera-man because whenever he would really start to dance they would be on a close-up so I couldn't see his feet. I'd shout 'show him show him.' , so I could watch and learn."

"So he was a big mentor for you?" Oprah nods in understanding. "Phenomenal, phenomenal." "Who else was?" She shoots another question at him.

"Jackie Wilson who I adore as an entertainer, and of course music, Motown. The Bee Gees who are brilliant, I just love great music."

"When I look at those tapes of you, and heaven knows, putting this together I think I've seen every piece of video ever done of you, and watching those tapes when, especially in the younger years, you seem to really come alive on stage. Were you as happy off stage as you appear to be on stage?"

Hearing Michael talk about his happiness as a child was always a heartbreaking thing to hear.

"Well, on stage for me was home. I was most comfortable on stage but once I got off stage, I was like, very sad." "Really?" Her appearance doesn't really look like empathy, it looks more like she's trying to poke information out of him. "Yes." Michael answers and I can start to see the sadness in his eyes.

"And sad from the beginning, sad since it first started, sad?" "Lonely, sad, having to face popularity and all that. There were times when I had great times with my brother, pillow fights and things, but I was, used to always cry from loneliness." Tears brim my eyes but I'm quick to throw them back down.