A small act of kindness from a big man
<p><span word="I">I</span> <span word="met">met</span> <span word="him">him</span> <span word="once">once</span>. <span word="A">A</span> <span word="hotel">hotel</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Doha">Doha</span>. 1991. <span word="He">He</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="visiting">visiting</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Arabian">Arabian</span> <span word="Gulf">Gulf</span>. <span word="This">This</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="BTI">BTI</span>…<span word="Before">Before</span> <span word="The">The</span> <span word="Internet">Internet</span>. <span word="We">We</span> <span word="got">got</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="call">call</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="afternoon">afternoon</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Gulf">Gulf</span> <span word="Times">Times</span> <span word="newsroom">newsroom</span>. <span word="He">He</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="meet">meet</span> <span word="us">us</span> <span word="for">for</span> 10 <span word="minutes">minutes</span> <span word="at">at</span> 2<span word="pm">pm</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="photographer">photographer</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="having">having</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="sandwich">sandwich</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="lunch">lunch</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="desk">desk</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="though">though</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="can">can</span>'<span word="t">t</span> <span word="remember">remember</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="did">did</span> <span word="yesterday">yesterday</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="remember">remember</span> <span word="shouting">shouting</span> <span word="out">out</span>… "<span word="Vic">Vic</span>, <span word="it">it</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="Ali">Ali</span>. <span word="We">We</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="there">there</span> <span word="by">by</span> 2."</p><p><span word="Vic">Vic</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="photographer">photographer</span> <span word="often">often</span> <span word="moved">moved</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="own">own</span> <span word="pace">pace</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="never">never</span> <span word="saw">saw</span> <span word="anyone">anyone</span> <span word="drop">drop</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="sandwich">sandwich</span>, <span word="grab">grab</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="photo">photo</span> <span word="kit">kit</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="dash">dash</span> <span word="across">across</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="newsroom">newsroom</span>, <span word="out">out</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="door">door</span>, <span word="into">into</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="car">car</span> <span word="park">park</span>, <span word="quicker">quicker</span>. <span word="Just">Just</span> <span word="before">before</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="designated">designated</span> <span word="hour">hour</span>, <span word="we">we</span> <span word="arrived">arrived</span>. <span word="We">We</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="escorted">escorted</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="small">small</span> <span word="room">room</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="even">even</span> <span word="before">before</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="done">done</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="formalities">formalities</span>, <span word="Vic">Vic</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="snapping">snapping</span> <span word="away">away</span>. <span word="Snap">Snap</span>. <span word="Click">Click</span>. <span word="Twirl">Twirl</span>. <span word="Snap">Snap</span> <span word="Click">Click</span>. <span word="Twirl">Twirl</span>. <span word="Muhammad">Muhammad</span> <span word="Ali">Ali</span> <span word="greeted">greeted</span> <span word="us">us</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="outstretched">outstretched</span>, <span word="unsteady">unsteady</span> <span word="hand">hand</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="entertained">entertained</span> <span word="us">us</span> <span word="for">for</span> 30 <span word="minutes">minutes</span>, <span word="never">never</span> <span word="once">once</span> <span word="breaking">breaking</span> <span word="stride">stride</span>. <span word="He">He</span> <span word="mentioned">mentioned</span> <span word="Sonny">Sonny</span>, <span word="Joe">Joe</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="George">George</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Rumble">Rumble</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Thrilla">Thrilla</span>. <span word="As">As</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="interview">interview</span> <span word="ended">ended</span>, <span word="he">he</span> <span word="took">took</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="shoes">shoes</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="socks">socks</span>. "<span word="I">I</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="trick">trick</span>," <span word="he">he</span> <span word="said">said</span>. <span word="With">With</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="face">face</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="wall">wall</span>, <span word="he">he</span> <span word="seemed">seemed</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="levitate">levitate</span>, <span word="appearing">appearing</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="hover">hover</span> <span word="inches">inches</span> <span word="off">off</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="floor">floor</span>. <span word="He">He</span> <span word="managed">managed</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="standing">standing</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="nails">nails</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="big">big</span> <span word="toes">toes</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="pain">pain</span> <span word="must">must</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="excruciating">excruciating</span>. <span word="We">We</span> <span word="pleaded">pleaded</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="him">him</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="stop">stop</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="interview">interview</span> <span word="ended">ended</span>, <span word="we">we</span> <span word="shook">shook</span> <span word="hands">hands</span> <span word="again">again</span>, <span word="bade">bade</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="farewells">farewells</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="left">left</span>. <span word="Outside">Outside</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="door">door</span>, <span word="waiting">waiting</span> <span word="journalists">journalists</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="clearly">clearly</span> <span word="peeved">peeved</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="overstayed">overstayed</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="allotted">allotted</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="probably">probably</span> <span word="eaten">eaten</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="theirs">theirs</span>. <span word="Entering">Entering</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="newsroom">newsroom</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="before">before</span> 3.30, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="editor">editor</span> <span word="screamed">screamed</span> <span word="out">out</span> "800 <span word="words">words</span> <span word="inside">inside</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="picture">picture</span> <span word="spread">spread</span>, <span word="by">by</span> 6.30". <span word="It">It</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="then">then</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="realized">realized</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="notes">notes</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="patchy">patchy</span>. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="too">too</span> <span word="dumbstruck">dumbstruck</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="write">write</span>, <span word="too">too</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="awe">awe</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="listening">listening</span> <span word="too">too</span> <span word="intently">intently</span>.</p>
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