Zanzibar Cloves or Gloves?? Gianni Murzi

I was in my fourth year with the Italian Medical Team in Zanzibar and Pemba Islands where we were assisting the Government to run an EPI programme and provide medical staff for the hospital work, when I received a phone call from the Italian Embassy in Dar es Salaam. 

-Doctor, the newly appointed Italian ambassador comes tomorrow to Zanzibar to meet with His Excellency, Vice President Ali Hassan Mwinyi. Please go to the airport to meet the Ambassador.

- But … I started 

- Doctor Murzi, there is no but. The Ambassador is looking to meet you, good bye, and my interlocutor closed the call. 

The following day early in the morning, I was at the airport. 

- Doctor Murzi, thank you for coming. Let us go and have breakfast together and you will brief me on the road and during breakfast. 

So we did. 

The Ambassador was extremely kind, had plenty of questions, from health to the economy to social issues. 

At the end of the one hour breakfast, I thought my task would end there. No way. 

- Doctor Murzi, you now go and change and come back in your best suit. You will accompany me. Be ready to be with me the whole day, the Ambassador said in a voice that did not admit excuses.  

- Ambassador, I am not sure the Vice President protocol would agree!

- No problem. You just follow me. 

I did as he had said, and there I am sitting in a government limousine with the Ambassador. 

As we climbed out of the car, and we approached the Chief of Protocol to be escorted to meet the Vice President, I saw disarray in their faces, and the Ambassador equally saw it. 

- Gentlemen, let me introduce Dr. Murzi, I just appointed him Italian Honorary Consul. He comes with me. 

We were escorted to a veranda where there were sitting arrangements for the two parties. 

The Vice President was very kind and started at one point talking of how Zanzibar's economy was relying on the export of cloves, adding that their price per metric ton was falling as other countries were producing the spice jeopardizing development of the Tanzania offshore islands. 

I saw my Ambassador a bit lost. With great savoir faire, the Ambassador said:

- Mr President, one second, please. Then, he turns to me and in low but to me perfectly intelligible voice speaking Italian, said:

- What is this issue of gloves, guanti in Italian?

- Ambassador, the Vice President talks about the Chiodi di Garofano, or Cloves, I said in equally whispering but clear voice in Italian. 

The Ambassador smiled broadly and said: 

- Yes, Mr President, another second. 

Then turning to me again, said 

- Explain. 

I did as briefly and as clearly as possible in less than a few seconds.  

The meeting ended with reciprocal promises of cooperation and of looking into the matter and extend support to prod Zanzibar Islands economy. 

Back at the hotel, the Ambassador said:

- I am having a rest. This evening there is a reception for the end of Ramadan. You come along. 

- I don’t have an invitation. 

- You just come!

At the reception, the Ambassador was in his best form and went around to greet the diplomatic community when at one point he saw the Nunzio Apostolico representing the Vatican talking to the Soviet delegation, the year being 1985. The Ambassador opened his arms in an embrace of the two parties and said:

- How wonderful to see the Church and the Soviets talking to each other! A rather unique moment! Ah, by the way, let me introduce Dr. Murzi, my Honorary Consul since this morning, and let me tell you that we had a very productive meeting with the President this morning, etc etc etc. 

I later saw the Ambassador on other occasions, as he invited me and other Italians for dinners in Dar. Of course he never mentioned his misunderstanding between cloves and gloves, nor was there follow up on my Consul field nomination.