The newspapers were full of it and the video had gone viral on the net – it showed Uncle Sam doing the tango while on a visit to a distant land. It was a shock to not only Moody but to all his colleagues because all of them belonged to a very conservative group where such casual relationships are just not accepted.
Moody kept aside the newspaper and reached for his intercom but the hot line rang and he was all attention. Think of the devil and he was on the line!
‘Hullo,’ he greeted his caller.
‘Hey man, I was just wondering if you have ever done the tango,’ it was Uncle Sam himself at the other end.
‘Tango?' Moody asked. ‘I know about mango – but, what is this tango?’
‘It is a form of dance,’ Uncle Sam said. ‘And – it takes two to tango.’
‘You mean it is not like those dance forms where one dancer can keep a hall-full of audience spellbound for hours like our Emma Melaney?’
‘No – tango is not a one man or one woman show. And – the partner need not be related.’
Moody cleared his throat. He was on a sticky wicket and did not want to stumble. Wherever he had gone, he had faced quizzical glances from people around him and skillfully avoided the silent question that must have made them suppress giggles.
‘Our culture is different to yours,’ he said.
‘But – when I see your movies, I get a feeling that our cultures overlap at times.’
‘The world of movies is a different kettle of fish,’ Moody tried to laugh away the uneasy feeling. ‘It is all about cultivating the global community – that is where the dollars come from.’
‘Good to know that you also have a weakness for dollars,’ Uncle Sam said. ‘Anyway – I did not ring up for that. I just want to know whether you have conducted family get-togethers for members of your ministry.’
‘Why do you ask such a question?’
‘Because I have heard that your people have a strong family feeling – and, with this festival of colors called Holi, families meet and throw water and color and drink some sort of concoction that plays havoc with their senses. The women and girls romp about in wet clothes that cling to their bodies. And, then, no one really knows what finally happens and who teams up with whom.’
‘I think you are ill informed,’ Moody said.
‘Aw – cummon man, let’s face it. There is nothing really wrong with tango. It is a means to let your hair down, to get rid of tensions. Once you try it out you will feel the difference.’ (to be continued …)
Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org
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