rumor mill part 1

Had an interesting lesson about the power of the rumor mill at Mukinge
this week. I had lent out my motorbike to one of the local teachers to
go into the BOMA for a meeting; he came back with a flat tire. So he's
very apologetic and says that he will get the tire fixed; I don't hear
anything more from him but one day I come home to find my motorbike
missing. Well, my gardener comes by and I go out to say hello; he's
surprised to see me since my bike wasn't out front and he figured I was
gone. I say that it seems to be missing, and I wasn't sure where it was
right then. The next day I get about 10 people coming by or calling to
say how sorry they were that my motorbike was stolen; word even gets to
surrounding cities like Solwezi, and I find out the next day that it's
in the workshop dismantled for want of a innertube. Apparently my
gardener told the houseworker of the Griffiths who told the Mutimushis
who told the business office, etc. I even had a two page letter written
home about my bike by one of the Griffiths boys. I guess I need to be
more careful about how I phrase things....