English Village Encounter

A quaint English village in the Cotswolds - a couple, probably tourists, was strolling leisurely along one of the cobbled streets ……..

R: Darling, isn’t this place beautiful?

ZZ: Well, it’s the typical Midlands village. I studied here.

R: Lucky yo … (then startled look) … don’t look now, there’s someone you know just strolling up.

ZZ: Er … morning Uncle.

M: How are you, my boy? Ros, you look a bit pale. I thought the English air would be good for you.

R (now red-face, but brushing some imaginary loose hair back with her right hand in that universal feminine gesture of self consciousness): It’s nothing, Uncle.

ZZ: Darling, why don’t you check the price of that porcelain figurine in that shop. It’ll look good on our coffee table. I’ll wait here for you, and have a breeze with Uncle.

M (smile/sneer): So … change of lifestyle eh?

ZZ (embarrassed weak grin): He’s on the run, Uncle, finally breaking that Fu Manchu silence, saying nice polite things about his relationship with you, even withdrawing the ‘ultra’ book, though UM didn’t publish that fact.

M: Saying nice polite things? That’s for the benefit of party members only – wants to show he’s the nice guy. He's trying to prevent me from going to Kelantan And it’s Fu Mountain silence, not Fu Manchu.

ZZ: Do you think he’ll be coming up with something to surprise us?

M: Not so much him but those remoras of his.

ZZ: Remoras?

M: You were never good at natural science, were you? It’s those fish that hang on to a shark - small parasites that feed off the efforts of a powerful denizen, enjoying automatic protection from the shark’s presence.

ZZ: What do you think they would do next?

M: The yin-yang approach – the remoras discredit me, while the Zen master from Fu Mt tries to appease me. And maybe bring in extra guns.

ZZ (alarmed): Extra … er ... you mean that person who cannot be named?

M (getting angry): Huh, you people don’t want to name him, that's OK but I couldn’t care …. (pensive look)

ZZ: Uncle, you like him, don’t you?

M: Liked, get your grammar correct. Yes, I had loved him as a son, but don’t talk about him now. One must learn how to cut off one's loss. You should be more alert.

ZZ: What should I do if they bring him in?

M: Well, I won’t be here forever, you know. If they do 'recruit' him, it’s their funeral, and you don’t have to worry much. He would need you even if he ousts you, to eventually heal the party. He would prefer to work with you rather than those remoras. That's why he wasn't all that harsh in his criticisms of you. If they act, he will come in on their terms initially, to become No 2 and then a quick No 1, so they think, but he will plot their ouster - they are too dangerous. Then he'll get you in perhaps as No 2 to heal the divide.

ZZ: What about the UN job?

M: I think our neighbour Goh will get it. The two main groups, US-led West and a China-led Eastern bloc, will strongly support him. The French will be quite happy with Goh as well.

ZZ: Goh ... who would have thought. Ha ha ... LKY will be green with envy. So looks like I am stuck for a while as No 2, until I’m 65 or more.

M: Cut out the gimmickry nonsense, like dressing up Cheops, and ...

ZZ (protesting): But I was just following your footsteps.

M: You don’t have the cutting for that sort of morale rousing stuff. Spend more time getting a feel for the people’s feelings. Be less of an aristocrat and more of a street fighter. I’ll go now … best we be not seen together.

R (seeing the coast clear, emerges from the shop, angry): You didn’t tell me you planned to meet up with him. Don’t you realise how dangerous that would be if you two were seen.

ZZ: Just a coincidence, dear.

R: Hrrmmm, you told me there’s no coincidence in politics.

ZZ (pointing to a petrol station): Look, just look at the price, and they complained about ours.

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this one is for Howsy