Hunting the MP

Ok - due the rains, and power cuts its third time lucky on this blog...

Thanks to all those who commented on yesterday's lack of blog....it was tubleweed Sunday here - even the peanut stall was closed - and the locals just walked around the market as normal - but with all the stalls closed. There was the usual rounds of hello, hello, high five, high five - and after certain high fives reaching for the anti bac hand wash.

Anyway the Harvest Inn on saturday night was a bit like that bar in Priscilla Queen of the Desert - not the ping pong one! - and they managed to rustle up a very gristly Chicken Leg - so after the earliest Saturday night I have had since childhood I was up with the lark on Sunday - did a load of work - and decided to walk to the lodge about 90 minutes down the road in seach of food.

It was great to get outside of teh village - the fresh African air and quietness - was loveley and I then started to realise I was slightly lost - however striding up the track came a 7 foot vision on purple - I asked her the way and she replied in perfect English with a slightly alarming mid-Atlantic twang that I should follow her. Melody was in Grade 12 and wanted to eb a doctor and was hoping to study in the Uk - we chatted - and then she asked me to slow down - she couldn't keep up in her large heel...well who wears heels in the bush.

Anyway I got to the lode to discover that they also only had Chicken Leg on the menu - I tried a portion and failed and returned back to work - I ahd teh business plan to finish for the MP.

We were outside the MP's office at 8.30 for her appointment - she is just coming we were told, though Donata moaned about her unreliableness - at 11.30 am I joined in the koaning as we left - however not before I sneaked the MPs mobile number from the wall behind her secretary. I phoned and there was no answer - Donata said 'There won't be' so I decided to text her - I ahve never texted an MP before, let alone one I don't know and definately not a Zambian one. There was no reply.

Walking through the village at lnchtime a jeep swerved towards me - the window wound down- and what I can only descriobe as Carmen Miranda - with a yellow top, braided affro black and blond hair and lashings of gold eye liner shried 'Mzungu (white man) - I have no talk time to reply, come to my lodge at 4pm'.

This it seems was teh MP and I was recognised purely on the basis of being a white man in this town.

So I did my radio interview - I think the journalist saw me as white bait and tried his best to be Paxman and then we caught a taxi to the MP's lodge.

It is about 4 miles out of town - Donata was a bit twitch as it was in Cobra Country - but here the MP is building a luxury lodge and conference centre - something else from Politics I guess with an election looming.

We were told that she was busy and were about to turn away when there was a shriek that we would eb seen - we went ina nd were served fanta from a silver tray.

I presented the school plans to het - and like all politicians I had the lecture about priorities and lack of cash - then her Dad walked in, in a suit and bowler cap - and he had only lived in Cardiff at one time. So suddenly the meeting cahnged - cash was promised for Phase One of the relocation.

The MP then moaned that the President was on her back - she had to find 5 orphanages to support by tomorrow - well you all know that I can blag - and 90% of the students are orphans - so I told her that we would be an orphanage if we could have the cash for the dormitories - an application is going endorsed by her to the central government tomorrow. If she keeps her words we have all the capital secured for the relocation - and I ahve been invited for dinner next week.

On the way out I caught Donata looking at one of the rooms in the lodge and saying a prayer of thanks...

In the taxi she said, 'Richard, you achieved what Napoleon did not - and audience with the President'.

Tomorrow I am to meet the white farmer who supports the school - and the staff - then I have been invited to be a guest of honour and the HIV Candlelight vigil for World Aids day - with 15% of the population in this district HIV positive I expect this will be a moving memory of my time here

Take care - we have sun, lightening, thunder and a rainbow all in one here!

R