The Conversation – the fictional story of Don and Kim

The room was completely bare apart from one small round table and two chairs.

The two men entered simultaneously through doors at opposing sides. They came to a halt and glared at each other like heavyweight boxers sizing up their opponent.

President Trump pulled himself up to his full height, his lip curling into a contemptuous sneer. Chairman Kim, his face frozen into a mask and his eyes, like polished coal, fixing on to Trump’s eyes through his tortoiseshell glasses.

Together they swaggered to their seats and both leaned forward belligerently.

‘Let’s cut to the chase,’ Trump said, his eyes narrowing, lips pouting into a grimace.

‘Why not,’ Kim replied in perfect English, a smile playing across his mouth.

‘You will destroy all your nuclear missiles and facilities. You will open up your country for verification or you will feel the full fire and fury of US power.’

Kim studied Trump’s face as if examining something a dog had just vomited up. ‘You really are a deranged US dotard, aren’t you? Why should we do that?’ He said slowly.

The corners of Trump’s mouth descended into the scowl of a gargoyle. ‘You are a demon begging for war aren’t you? Well you will find that the US is not wanting.’

‘You forget,’ Kim replied, tilting his head on the side, ‘I too have a nuclear button. Our missiles have the range to take out your whole Eastern seaboard.’

‘You are a maniac,’ Trump snarled. ‘Just remember my button is not only bigger than yours - it works.’

‘You old lunatic,’ Kim grinned, looking almost friendly and totally relaxed. ‘You cannot deodorize the nasty smell from your body woven with frauds and sexual abuse. You’re too scared to face the glaring eyes of our troops.’

‘Little rocket man,’ Trump blustered, ‘you are on a suicide mission.’

‘Your little bluff carries no weight with me,’ Kim smiled goadingly. ‘You are only to be diagnosed as a psychopath.’

‘Don’t you have anything better to do with your life?’ Trump snarled. ‘You’re one sick puppy.’

‘Ha – you have the desperate mental state of a loser.’ Kim chortled. ‘You are a hideous criminal sentenced to death.’

‘You are one short, fat, bad dude,’ Trump blustered.

‘What is that?’ Kim enquired with a raise of his eyebrows, leaning forward into Trump’s face. ‘The last spasm of a lunatic?’

‘I will blow you to Hell!’ Trump raged.

Kim sat back in his chair with an amused expression. ‘In an hour’s time the world will be watching. Your reputation is at stake. I will give you what you want.’

Trump calmed down and looked bewildered like an inflatable sex partner with a puncture. ‘All of it?’

‘No, of course not,’ Kim smiled. ‘I will give you the handshake and a signed agreement that we will work towards a nuclear-free peninsular. I will destroy our nuclear testing site and dismantle our ballistic missile site. We’ve finished with them anyway.’ He grinned. ‘If my conditions are met.’

‘I want full verification from an outside team that your nuclear weapons are irreversibly dismantled.’

‘You cannot have that,’ Kim said resolutely. ‘I will only agree to sign a document that says we will work towards it. I will not give up my weapons while you are there to threaten us. I keep my weapons. I do not trust you.’

‘Without verification and dismantlement there is no substance.’

‘Take it or leave it,’ Kim shrugged. ‘You call off sanctions and I will sign. Oh – and you call off your War Games. I will not have you crazily playing at wiping us out. I find it provocative.’

‘This won’t happen!’

The two men stepped forward and held out their hands for a momentous handshake. They strolled up on to the balcony and through the gardens before signing the historic document that said they were working towards a denuclearized peninsular.

‘How did it go?’ a reported shouted.

‘Very, very good. Nobody could have done it better. We have a very special relationship. He is very smart man, a very good negotiator, a talented man who loves his country.’

‘We did great. A fantastic meeting. Very good. Better than anybody could have expected. Nobody else could have done it.’

‘Real change is possible. This is a new history, a new chapter. We had honest talks, direct and productive. We got to know each other well.’

‘Cancelling the War Games will save us a tremendous amount of money.’

Opher 13.6.2018