A big fish in a little pond

By Big T

Heading home, we decided to visit Lake Victoria for two days for Joi's 40th birthday. The second day little t and I got some old bread from the hotel kitchen to feed to the fish. t. was laughing his head off and trying to get the fish to eat out of his hand. They were. And they were biting his fingers. An older Tanzanian gentlemen, with excellent English and a kindly demeanor, joined us beside the pond.  We laughed at t's antics and talked together for 5 or 10 minutes. We both really enjoyed how delighted t was with the fish. We just talked about the fish and how fun kids are – just silly stuff like: "Hey look at that big one! Look out, here he comes. A catfish! Oh this boy loves to play with fish." t. kept showing him the tiny mark on his finger where the catfish nipped him. After a while we ran out of bread, the moment ended, and our new friend left. Then the hotel manager walked up to me and asked: "Do you know who that was?" I said no. "That was the Prime Minister of Tanzania!"

I'd heard that he was at this hotel for the day. The place is absolutely crawling with security people and other official looking folks. Funny story, huh? I actually had an inkling that it might be him. His English was so good and he carried himself with a certain comfortable confidence. But how do you ask someone, "Hey, are you the Prime Minister?" So I didn't say anything and we kept playing with the fish–just being people together. I didn't see him again. He was a very nice man.

(This is not the PM – didn't want to snap a pic of 

him with all those bodyguards around.)