Bill and Fidel whisper sweet nothings
Guardian Unlimited. Saturday September 9, 2000
Their eyes met across a crowded room. For years, there had been only a silent, uncertain yearning, spiced with fear. Now they were closer to each other than ever before. The noisy party, the chatter and laughter all around, meant nothing to them. They greeted old friends like Tony, Gerhard and
Jacques, Ricardo and Carlos, automatically, hardly taking in what they were saying. Their minds were fixed on one thing, and only one thing. They knew it was forbidden. They knew it could lead to tears and heartache. But something deep inside urged them forward. Slowly, tantalisingly, they edged
nearer and nearer. At the very last moment, an over-ebullient Venezuelan almost forced them apart. But then, suddenly, thrillingly, they were together, face to face, gazing into each other's eyes. The moment both had dreamed of for so long had finally come true ...
It is not known exactly what Fidel Castro and Bill Clinton said to each other when they shook hands at Kofi Annan's UN luncheon this week, the first ever personal contact between a US president and the Cuban leader since the 1959 revolution. The White House was at pains to stress that, in
keeping with Clinton administration policy on Cuba for the past seven years, nothing substantive was discussed. Yet who knows? Perhaps the conversation went something like this:
Fidel: "Hola, Bill! Que pasa, hombre?"
Bill: "Howdy, Fidel. What's new, bro?"
Fidel: "Not a bad party, this."
Bill: "You mean the Democrats?"
Fidel: "I'm a communist myself."
Bill: "Sure. I heard that."
Fidel: "Y'know, you should come to Havana some day, Bill. It's one helluva wild city! We could show you a good time, know what I mean, amigo?"
Bill: "Hell, no, Fidel. You know I don't give a damn 'bout those Cuban-Americans and all that Bay of Pigs and embargo stuff. But I just can't."
Fidel: "Why not?"
Bill: "Hillary'd never let me, man."
Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2000 | 