Who is this Mr Brown?
His young children call him Daddy, knowing him as the benevolent giver of gifts and indulgences. His grown-up children from his first marriage call him Dad or Pops, while their own children call him Grandad, or Ompee.
His siblings call him Flim, the mischievous child who was constantly playing pranks on them. His mother still calls him Benjie, the name she had wanted him to have, after her childhood dog.
His schoolfriends still know him as Brownsie, the brilliant football player who captained the championship winning team of ‘86. The players from opposing teams from those days had other names for him, which we shall not repeat.
His wife affectionately calls him Chittles, a name only she knows the meaning of. When not in an affectionate mood, she calls him Derek – only she and he know why. And in public, she calls him Eric Dear.
When he goes out for his morning jog, the kids who play skittles in the park mock him as “SlowJoe”.
Online, he is known by various names and handles, depending on the forum – punter68, E_C_Brown_MP, erik-dragonslayer, legend_of_86, to cite a few.
With a PhD in political science, he is sometimes called Dr Brown.
Most of his staff call him Sir, though those who have been with him since the beginning, use Eric.
In Parliament, Mr Brown is called The Honourable Member for Pickworth South, except when Opposition members are hurling insults at him, and then he is called many names, which are also seen on placards and heard in chants at protests and rallies.
Senior public servants secretly call him Dr Dolittle.
Outside Parliament, most respectful people call him Prime Minister.
So many names and personae – real, presumed, suspected and projected – yet Mr Brown – like God – is one.