President Barack Obama has constantly been on my mind these last two weeks. Not because of the Iran ‘deal’ but because of reasons ‘closer’ to me.

I first heard of Obama some eight years ago, when I was in Kenya through a conversation I had with a driver from Kogelo village, who ‘spoke’ more with gestures than with words. I quickly concluded that the driver was a lunatic, because he appeared to be conveying that his former Kenyan neighbour, was likely to become the President of the USA. (Read more about this in my paperback/ebook ‘Jack Patel’s Dubai Dreams’ published by Penguin!) Over the next few weeks, I watched, with increasing incredulity, as events unfolded, culminating in Obama’s emotionally charged Presidential speech.

I was in Kenya again last week, watching workers piling up a ton of soil on road dividers in preparation for the ‘son of the soil’. As we read this, the soil will have been flattened and pretty flowers will be peering out of them in happy anticipation of the treat in store for them next week.

In 2008, the general feeling among the masses seemed to be that if Obama won, he would somehow bring great good to Kenya! Well, that didn’t quite happen, but in his seventh year as President, he is finally coming ‘home’. So, there is this buzz. His paternal grandmother, whom he will visit, has apparently already decided on the menu. She has gone on record to say that she doesn’t worry about what he has become and whether he will like the food. ‘When he is here’ she has said firmly, ‘he will eat what I have cooked.’

PG Bhaskar is a private banker and has authored several books. He tries hard to keep up with the times @bhaskarpg and www.pgbhaskar.com. Look out for his weekly humor column on B-Change Saturdays.

Featured Image Artwork: Bhoomika Ghaghada